Page 25 of Bitten By Zombie

It took every brother present to restrain him and keep him from riding back to the compound and ending the old bastard. It still bothered Zombie that the grandmother, the one who’d come to them and begged for help, wouldn’t go to the cops. He tried to understand, he had a pretty hefty dislike of law enforcement himself, but not as much as he disliked fucking chomos. That cult brainwashed anyone who came near it. He had to wonder how Heidi had managed to not fall back into compliance from the seeds planted.

Zombie and Hook had a run-in with Müller that night after Squatch had gotten Lily loaded and took off. It didn’t lead to violence because he was surrounded by innocent people, but he would never forget their faces. Same way they’d never forget his.

Even without Heidi falling into their laps, they were already making plans to dethrone the new prophet, Heidi just put that plan into overdrive.

Zombie derailed that train of thought real quick so he could be mentally present for Heidi. She was his priority.

He grabbed a bottle and headed toward where they were all gathered. Offering the bottle to Heidi first, she took a swig and didn’t even bat an eye. Next, he passed it to Squatch.

“Take a double, brother. And don’t forget we’re all in this together.” Zombie gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and spoke low enough that only Squatch could hear. That didn’t mean his brothers were unaware of what was being conveyed by the exchange.

Zombie took the spot next to Heidi in case she needed him. When she began speaking, he observed his brothers closely. Darting his gaze from one to the next, but always settling on Heidi, then Squatch. Squatch, then Heidi.

Squatch’s knuckles had gone solid white as Heidi explained what had happened when she was a child. Zombie passed the bottle to Hook who in turn passed it to Squatch. He downed the rest of the amber liquid in one long series of gulps and murmured, “I’m solid.”

When the tone of Heidi’s voice changed, Zombie forgot about Squatch, his brother’s had him. His gaze was locked on Heidi. Something in her manners and voice told him there was an elaboration coming that he hadn’t heard yet.

“The night, or morning, you found me.” Her eyes jumped to Zombie then back to her lap. “Stan, well…” Zombie studied her reaction intently. He didn’t want her to hurt and that’s what was happening.

The words,it’s okay, we know this partwere forming on his tongue when she reached for him. Not just for her own comfort but to calm him. He could see it when her troubled hazel eyes peered up at him through tear-matted lashes. That’s when he knew he would not be okay with the words she was about to speak.

“That night, I woke up to someone in my bed.”

He watched her shoulders turn into her chest in an effort to hide a part of herself from the memory of uninvited hands. They’d all witnessed that body language before.

Someone in the room exploded. He thought for sure it was Squatch until he felt Outlaw’s arms around him, ordering him to calm down for her.

Ordering him.

Shit, he’d been the one who’d lost it.

Immediately, Heidi was in front of him, cupping his face.

“Nothing happened. Not like that. He touched me, I woke up and scrambled away. That’s it.” She released his face and wrapped her arms around him.

“You good, man?” Outlaw asked.

Zombie nodded and his vice let him go. He immediately wrapped Heidi in his embrace and held her.

She cried for a bit and Zombie looked up to see Squatch looking murderous but calmer than he expected. It was the smirk Squatch gave him over Heidi’s head that said more than words. The big guy was calm because Stan was as good as dead, and everyone in the room but Heidi knew it.

After rubbing her nose against his chest, she turned to her right cheek to look at most of his brothers but never lessened the contact between them.

“That’s pretty much the extent of it toward me, other than what I already told Zombie. He informed me he was the new prophet; I was his God bride and that Mom was on board with it. She had been since he took me away and they hatched their little plan. That was the part that tainted everything in my life, even my art. Stan ordered me to pack and move to the compound immediately. I refused, so he called in a few goons who were waiting in the hallway, and they drugged me. I thought they were going to take me to the compound anyway. At least until Stan said things like his gift brides being more compliant.” That was confirmation, again, that he was a dead man.

“I was losing consciousness really fast, but I tried to spit on him, kicked out. That when he ordered them to leave me where the bastards would find me and then I ended up here.” She let herself go for a few minutes. Clinging to him for comfort.

“Anything else you need to know?”

Before anyone could hurl a question her way, Zombie spoke. “No. That’s enough, Rabbit. Virus has everything he needs, and you don’t have to worry ever again. It’s handled.”

Zombie watched as Virus picked up the legal pad he’d given her earlier with all the info he needed to work his mojo. They’d have a plan in place by COB tomorrow or he’d ride over and dismember the bastard himself and solve it that way. The sooner the better. She’d been through enough.

The urge to erase her brother’s touch was overwhelming him. It was one thing he could do for her. Regardless of if she wanted to pursue something with him or not, that was unrelated. He could, and would do this for her. No woman should spend a single second with an unwanted touch lingering on their body…ever.

“Thanks guys.” She turned toward Virus but Zombie didn’t let her go. “As soon as you get my ID and cards from the safe, I can pay you.”

Zombie’s body stiffened. No way would they take her money, period, but he knew to argue with her now would only hurt, not help, so he let it go.

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