I smiled as I entered the building. Cole, Frosty, Gavin and Veronica were bent over a table, talking, probably planning as they looked over a stack of papers.
I took a moment to enjoy the utter normalcy of the moment. The savage beauty of Cole. The bond between the four. The determination they radiated.
Anima should run and hide.
“Ali,” Veronica gasped out.
All eyes lasered straight to me. I cared only about Cole, and—
—he had me draped over his shoulder. Blood dripped from both of us, and I couldn’t tell if it belonged to us or someone else. I was panting, struggling to free myself from his hold.
“Let me go,” I demanded.
“Never again.”
“You keep saying that. What do you want with me—”
—as quickly as the vision had appeared, it vanished.
I blinked, shook my head. I’d asked Cole Holland...what do you want with me? As if he were a stranger?
Why?
“What’d you see?” Gavin asked, and I looked to him—
—we stood in the middle of a night-darkened road. Zombie ash was piled at our feet, twirling into the air, dancing away, and Hazmats surrounded us.
Kelly raised his mask. He was scowling. “Where is he? What have you done with him—”
“—this again,” I heard Veronica say, jerking me back into the present.
Gavin scowled at her. “Next time, shut your mouth and let the vision finish. We saw tonight’s battle. At least, what I think is going to be tonight’s battle, and it wasn’t pretty.”
She sputtered for a response.
Cole closed the distance between us. “How?”
I knew what he was asking and I wanted to lie. “Antidote.” No lies. I jutted my chin. “What we saw—”
“I don’t know what it means, and I’m not going to try to guess. I’ve never been right before. What matters—you were told not to use the antidote unless absolutely necessary. Today, it wasn’t necessary.” His eyes narrowed, and he took my hand, tugging me into the locker room. I expected him to turn and lecture me the moment the door closed, shutting us inside, alone.
He did turn.
But he didn’t lecture.
He meshed his lips onto mine, feeding me a bone-melting kiss I’d never forget. I responded immediately, wrapping myself around him, drawing him closer, drinking him in.
Backing me up, he pinned me against the wall and caged me in. His body enveloped me, pressing, rubbing, seeking. All the while his hands roamed, stopping to knead here and there and oh...glory. I shivered with the force of the pleasure.
“You feel so good,” he rasped. “Taste so good. You’re ready for me, right? You told me you were ready.”
“So ready.”
“We have to stop, though. We can’t do this here.”
Whimper. “I know.”
Panting, we broke apart.
A hard knock sounded at the door. “Cole,” Frosty called. “Your dad just walked in.”
Cole pressed his forehead into mine. “We’ll be out in a sec.”
Murmuring. Fading footsteps.
“One day,” he said to me, “we’re taking off, just the two of us.”
One day. I wanted that—wanted a future.
Cole’s eyes narrowed. “What you did was stupid, Ali.”
“Sometimes the wisest decision seems like the most foolish.”
“I should spank you.”
“Try. Please.”
He chuckled. “You thinking you’ll end up spanking me?”
“Knowing it.”
Before I realized what was happening, he was spinning me around and smacking me on the butt. “Come on. You can help us figure out the best course of action for tonight. In the morning, we’ll talk about our latest vision...and what you did with the antidote. And more about you being ready for me.”
I heard the husky promise in his voice. “Cole,” I began.
He shook his head. “Later.”
Yeah. That was probably for the best. I nodded.
Chapter 28
Game...Set...Death Match
The rest of the slayers arrived at different times throughout the day, and all of them had the same reaction upon spotting me. Absolute, utter shock. I was hugged. I was patted on top of the head. I was met with sad little smiles because everyone knew the situation wouldn’t last.
Took us a few hours, but we all finally agreed on a plan of attack.
I kinda felt sorry for the Hazmats.
When the sun began to set, Cole gave me a quick kiss and took his place among the chairs lining the far wall. “You see a zombie,” he said, “you light up and start ashing. Don’t waste your energy trying to fight. That’s what we’re here to do.”
“Sir, yes, sir.” I eased beside him.
“If your flames are red—”
“I know. Inject myself with the antidote, then run far, far away.”
He tweaked the end of my nose, a gesture of affection. “When it’s over, I’ll come find you. You better not have a single injury.”
“Same to you.”
Veronica walked toward us, and I watched her purse her lips as she noticed our easy banter.
You should see his chest, Ronny dear.
She sat across from me. The rest of the slayers joined us, and one by one we forced our spirits out of our bodies. The antidote continued to do its job, and I was able to stand with only the slightest resistance from Z.A.
The chill in the air was more pronounced than usual. Cole wrapped me in his arms, sharing his warmth, before leading the way out of the barn.
Night was in full swing, the sun completely gone, the moon in its place, and the halogens Mr. Holland kept around the property glowing brightly, illuminating our way. My eyes burned and watered against the glare.
We passed the gate at the property line, each of us on alert.
In the sky, Emma’s rabbit cloud pulsed, as though agitated.
I remembered the last time that had happened and gulped. “They’re close,” I said.
“No.” Cole’s expression was menacing. “The zombies are already here.”
They sure were. I looked, and saw multiple sets of red eyes glowing in the distance. Moans resounded, and the scent of rot drifted. I hadn’t expected things to kick off so fast, but that didn’t stop anticipation from firing me up.
Ethan had told the truth.
“Go, go, go,” Cole commanded.
As one cohesive mass we rushed forward. Cole fired his crossbow, the arrow sprouting four points at the end and slicing through a zombie’s throat. Trina picked up speed, surging ahead, already swinging her ax. Frosty and Bronx tag-teamed two zombies, whipping around the creatures and binding the pair with rope before slicing here, slicing there. The creatures could only endure the violence—before their legs were removed and they toppled to the ground.