Page 47 of Bitten By Zombie

“I know, brother, but you’ll help her get through it when the time comes, if the time comes.”

He looked away from the sympathy swimming in Hook’s eyes and saw Santa holding his bicep.

Heidi was at the fore of his thoughts, so much so he’d missed that Santa had been in the room at all. He didn’t remember hearing or seeing him, but then again, he didn’t remember much.

“Prez.” Hook shook him. “You’ve got to go now. Get cleaned up then you can check on Santa at the hospital after.” Hook pulled him to his feet.

That was when the sounds of the night came rushing back into his ears. His eyes took in the entirety of the scene. It was a shitshow. Santa was bleeding. Virus had joined them. His laptop was closed but his nose was in his phone.

“No reports of a gunshot yet, but I can’t believe they aren’t coming. We need to move. Shit,” Virus cursed as his eyes settled on Stan or what was left of him.

“Virus, drive Santa to the ER. I’ll get prez to the clubhouse, then rush back here to finish up with Iron.”

Zombie knew leaving only Iron to clean up if the cops showed was risky. He couldn’t be inside cleaning and keep nosy cops or citizens from looking in the door. They needed two there no matter what. More would be better.

“No. Virus, call Homer, have him meet you at the hospital with Santa’s bike. You take Santa, then bring Homer back here in the cage. I can drive myself.”

“You sure, prez?”

He appreciated his brothers.

“I’m good. Besides, I’m not headed to the clubhouse. I’ll go to my place and clean up, so I don’t scare the shit out of Heidi.”

Speaking her name brought a wave of heartbreak crashing down on him. What he felt was mirrored on his brothers’ faces.

Iron came through the front door. “All clear,” he announced and handed Zombie keys to the cage.

They quickly fleshed out a new cover story because a gunshot victim at the hospital meant pigs.

When they exited Heidi’s apartment into the night, they had to skirt around the Eureka Cleaners van which Iron had damn near butted up to the door and was already dragging in hoses to make it seem the legit fire cleanup was already underway.

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

HEIDI

“What is she doing here?”

Sherry directed her question to Outlaw rather than Heidi. “And where is Zombie?” Her voice was whiny and grating, but Heidi took a deep breath and refused to give in to anger. She’d come to mend fences, not catfight over a man.

Her intention hadn’t been to make things worse, she just felt that Sherry deserved some compassion. Apparently, she didn’t want it from Heidi.

“Sher.” Outlaw pitched his voice in clear warning. “Mind your pl—”

“It’s okay, Outlaw. I’ll just wait outside while you visit with her.”

She turned her attention back to Sherry. “I hope you get well soon.”

Heidi turned to go when Sherry’s voice stopped her retreat. “You know what, I’m sorry, Heidi. I’m just not myself right now. I’d like it if you stayed.”

Her words seemed to please Outlaw, however, Heidi’s spidey senses were not just tingling, they were zapping the fuck out of her.

Outlaw squinted his eyes in Sherry’s direction before turning. He grazed Heidi’s hand as he passed in an affectionate manner. “I’ll be just outside with Croon when you’re ready to go.”

Once the door softly settled into place, Heidi took a deep breath and plastered on a smile.

It was all for nothing though, because Sherry’s sweet and compliant persona slipped. “You‘re not any different than the others, you know. You don’t belong in his world, with him.”

Heidi was chanting in her head not to respond and kept the smile in place.

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