“The smell…” she said, and Luke nodded.
“We’ll get it cleaned up.”
They barreled down the highway, the tires eating the cracked asphalt underneath them, the pounding from their unwanted companions continuing. It didn’t matter. Luke was drenched with sweat, his entire body clammy. All he wanted to do was get far enough away that he could bleach his mind of the press of zombie faces so fucking close!
“They’re going to get in,” Jackson said.
“No they’re not. Brace yourself.”
He slammed down on the brakes. Hard. The zombies were not expecting it, or maybe they weren’t yet smart enough
Neither of them said a word as they sped along the road. The interior of the car was heavy with emotion. Relief and a sense of disbelief. Worse it competed with the stench of the zombie pus that was dripping down Jackson’s window.
After a few more miles Luke brought the car to a stop, the tires screeching from the pressure on the brakes. They both looked up, scanning the surrounding area, but a handful of zombies right now seemed like something they could take care of in their sleep. Nothing could ever seem as bad as what they’d just made their way through.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Jackson breathed, echoing his thoughts. “I can’t fucking believe we survived that.”
“I know.”
“When that zombie’s hand came out of nowhere…” She shook her head some more and placed Mandy across her thighs.
“We did it though,” he said. “We fucking did it!”
“You did it, Luke. You totally had that.”
She was still pushed against the back of her seat, her eyes wide, and her words made exhilaration run through him. He reached forward, placed a finger under her chin, and turned her gaze to his. “Someone said something about kisses?”
She laughed, the last of the adrenaline leaving them, making them both feel shaken and stirred. “Never mind a zombie horde. All you’re interested in is the kisses, huh?”
“Can’t be helped,” he replied. “You’re far too pretty for your own good, Jackson.”
“And you’re far too hot.”
Their gazes held, and Luke could see the excitement so clear in hers, reflected no doubt in his. He took his hand from her chin, wrapped it around the back of her neck, and pulled her forward. The kiss was not brief this time, and it was not gentle. He put all of his relief and elation into it and Jackson responded in kind. By the time they pulled apart they were both panting.
“You sure know how to kiss, Luke,” she said and he smiled.
“Snap, but that’ll have to hold me for now. We’re not free and home yet. I want to get a few good hours driving between us and them.”
She looked behind her, the smile fading ever so slightly. “I gotta get this pus cleaned off first. Apart from the stench I don’t want it on me. I know we’re not sure if it infects but let’s not take the risk, huh?”
“Grab a towel from the trunk.”
“Got it.”
She opened the door and jumped out and Luke sighed as her very firm ass filled his vision. His lips were still tingling and apart from the lingering horror of it all, he felt better than he had in weeks. It had to be the adrenaline. He was still pumped up on it. Part of him barely able to believe they’d just survived a fucking zombie horde.
It was scary as hell and they’d done it!
And then there was Jackson. The kisses. He remembered in the pool room, when he’d hoped for possibilities. Those same thoughts filled him all over again but he knew it wouldn’t be as simple as that now. This was Jackson and he…he paused…his feelings were so far from what they had been. But he wanted her, how he wanted her.
“Luke do you—”
Her voice cut off and he frowned, twisting around in his seat, wondering what was wrong. A second later and he heard her scream.
Luke was out of the car before he even thought about it, pulling his gun free in a mere instant. He ran around to the back and felt his heart leap into his chest as he saw what was happening. Jackson lay on the ground, a huge zombie on top of her, only Mandy against its neck holding it back.
“Luke,” she screamed.
He lifted his ax to cleave its head but paused. The blood and pus would soak her if he did that, and she was right, they didn’t know where the infection lived. Instead he moved to the side and kicked the zombie hard. It fell back onto the road and Jackson scrambled to her feet. It reared up too, its teeth bared, its eyes gleaming with something that looked suspiciously like hatred.
Luke shot it, taking out half of its brain. It fell back to the floor, a puddle of blood and pus soaking the road around them. He shot it again, close up, removing the rest. It twitched once or twice before going completely still.
“It was under the car,” Jackson said, and there was a catch in her voice, something that he’d never thought to hear. “I didn’t even think to check. I was too…” She shook her head and ran her hands up and down Mandy’s hilt.
“Me neither,” he said, pulling her into his arms. She pushed back a little but Luke refused to let her go. “It held on? Even after all these miles?”
She nodded against his chest and pointed to the zombie. The skin across its legs was all but gone, just nasty oozing grazes visible.
“Shit…” He bent down quickly, checking there were no more, but they were clear. “We should get out of here,” he said. “Just to be on the safe side.
“Agreed. Put your foot down and get some distance.”
“I’ll clean the pus first.”
“No I—”
“I’ll do it,” he said. “I got this.”
She nodded slowly and held Mandy close. Luke frowned. He’d never seen her look so shaken, but shaken she clearly was. Her face was paler than usual and her hair was sticking up in clumped little spikes. He raced around, grabbed a towel, cleaned the pus as best he could, and washed his hands in bottled water—a waste but a necessary one.
Then he carefully walked her to the passenger side and shut the door behind her. One last look around and Luke started the car again. Jackson was quiet, her face blank, and he felt his chest tighten.
Had he distracted her with the kiss? Had they both been too quick to forget the danger they were constantly under? To think themselves safe when they so obviously were not? Those questions raced through his mind as he drove and they stayed with him for the rest of the goddamn day.
Chapter Twenty-one
That night, wrapped up tightly in blankets, in the passenger seat of the car next to Luke, Jackson felt herself shivering. It had been some time since she’d had such a reaction and she couldn’t quite work out why it was happening now. Maybe it was due to the shock of that zombie wrapping its hand around her ankle and pulling her to the floor, or maybe the fact it had pinned her down before she could even get Mandy into position, or hell, it could be a million things and then some.
