Eat the Ones You Love (The Thirteen Book 2) (8 page)

“I’m sorry, Casey. It was all my fault.”

“No it wasn’t. Don’t be stupid.”

“It was. If it weren’t for me, Sully wouldn’t have taken you. Wouldn’t have cut you.” She swallowed down a lump. “He wouldn’t have killed you.”

“Shut up, I’m the one who brought you there. It’s not your fault some guy got all obsessed with you. He hurt you too. Hurt you bad. I’m glad I died.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Because life gets better after he does all that shit to you? That’s got to be the real torture.”

“It’s not that,” she said. “It’s Declan. I saved him but he’s not the same.”

“Of course he’s not,” said Casey. “It’s not a fucking fairy tale.”

“I thought he would get better.”

“Jesus, woman up,” said Casey. “Stop whining about it. He’s different, but he’s alive. Fucking accept it.”

“I want to,” she said.

“You’re not the center of his universe anymore, is that it?” he said.

“Yeah,” she said, realizing it was true.

“Then make him the center of yours,” he said. “Keep saving him until it sticks.”

“Do you think that will work?”

“Fuck if I know. I’m dead.”

“I miss you, Casey. It hurts.”

“Nothing hurts when you’re dead,” he said. And then he was gone. Jenny looked around the room, waiting for him to come back. But he was gone.

She opened the door, looking behind her at her brother’s old room. This hadn’t been a happy place for him, she knew. But it had been his last home before he became something else. Something dead.

“Goodbye, Casey,” she whispered.

The bunker contained a concrete circle of rooms, most of them unused in a decade. Some had military bunks. Some were stacked with boxes. Most were completely empty. After walking around like a rat in a maze, Jenny finally found a hallway that looked different than the others. The light was different, brighter, and the voices grew louder as she walked. Declan was arguing with someone, the irritability in his voice growing more apparent as she got closer.

“Where is she?” Jenny heard him say.
 

“She’s on her way,” said Faron.

“Bullshit, did you do something to her?
Answer me!
”

“I’m right here,” said Jenny. She frowned as Declan’s face relaxed in something that looked like relief. He walked over to her and hugged her tightly. Jenny saw Trix roll her eyes. Faron grinned crazily at her, but she saw something else in his eyes. Something cold.

“Are you okay?” said Declan, releasing her and looking down at her. She could see anxiety wrapped up in his eyes, a tightness in his mouth. Was it hunger? Or something else? Jenny looked past him at Faron, who wouldn’t meet her eyes. He’d said that the others couldn’t feel.

“I was in Casey’s room,” said Jenny, looking from Declan to Trix. Trix froze when she said her brother’s name. She brought a hand to her mouth, touching her lips with her fingers, putting her hand quickly behind her back when she realized she had done it.
 

“What did you find in there?” said Trix, trying to sound bored, disconnected. But she was zoned in on Jenny.
 

“Just some books,” said Jenny weakly. “A Sex Pistols poster.” Trix almost smiled. She brought her hand to her mouth again, trying to cover herself, to keep her emotions in check. Jenny glared at Faron. She watched Trix, fighting to stay cool when she was obviously full of grief, just like Jenny. She looked into Declan’s anxious but concerned face. They were in a blank, white room that seemed to be an entryway. Rayanne was sitting on a chair in the corner, looking drawn, Benji crouched down and talking softly to her. Jenny saw that Benji made her smile.

“Where’s Zeke?” Jenny said carefully.
 

“I’ll show you,” said Declan.

“I’ll do it,” said Faron, stepping toward her. Declan narrowed his eyes.

“Fuck off,” said Jenny to Faron. “You and I need to have words later.”

Faron was playing her. He had a machine gun, yes, but he obviously didn’t want to kill her. He was trying to get her away from her friends. Why?

Declan walked past Faron, towering over him. He was at least a foot taller and twice as wide. But Faron didn’t seem to notice. He just smiled, showing too many teeth. Some meat was stuck, next to one of his canines.
 

Faron was a shark, Jenny realized. And as she followed Declan into the lab, she saw with full certainty, so was Angel.

Faron’s sister smiled at Jenny, ignoring Declan.

“Hey there, Jenny,” she said, showing the same amount of teeth as Faron. Jenny stared at the gun she held pointed at Zeke’s head. It was at least as long as her arm. Her finger moved on the trigger as if she yearned to use it.

“I think it’s time we had a little chat,” said Angel, still smiling. “Woman to woman.”

TEN

“What the fuck are you doing?” said Jenny, looking at Zeke on the slab. “Get away from him.”

Angel looked at Declan.

“Get out,” she said.

“No,” said Declan, standing in front of Jenny.
 

Angel laughed and swung the gun to point at him. Right at Declan’s head.

“Declan,” Jenny said softly.

“No,” he said, and Jenny knew without seeing his face that he was gritting his teeth. She almost laughed for joy at how little he had really changed. Deep down, he was the same man he had always been. She put a hand on his arm.

“She won’t kill me, Deck,” Jenny said. “She can’t.”
 

Declan turned his head to look at her. “I’m not afraid to die,” he said.

“I can’t lose you again,” Jenny said, so softly that she wasn’t sure if he heard her. It wasn't until he stepped back that she knew he had.
 

“Jen, don’t make me do this,” he said. “Don’t make me leave. The last time some crazy bitch with a gun tried to come between us, she shot you.”

“But I didn’t die. I was already dead.”

“Don’t worry, loverboy,” said Angel. “They have guns in the other room, too. There’s still time for you to die.”

Jenny looked at Declan. “Trust me,” she said.

Declan looked at her then.
 

“Please,” he said. Jenny understood. He was asking her to be careful. He was asking her not to die. He was begging her.

Jenny nodded and Declan backed out of the room, breaking eye contact with Jenny only when he got to the door. He met Angel’s eyes.
 

“If you touch her, I’ll fucking destroy you,” he said.

“Oooh,” she said in mock fear.

Declan backed out.

“Well, that was touching,” said Angel.

“What the fuck do you want?” said Jenny.

Zeke was lying on a black granite counter. He was breathing deeply, resting comfortably. He still had his shoes on and Jenny saw his foot twitch.
 

“What did my brother say to you?” Angel demanded. She was still smiling but there was an odd fragile look in her eyes. She suddenly reminded Jenny of Lucy, the girl in love with Declan who thought Declan would finally love her once Jenny was dead. Lucy had the same broken-glass look in her eyes that Angel had now. Right before she'd shot Jenny and, in turn, Declan shot Lucy.

“Jesus. Are you jealous?” said Jenny.

“Fuck you,” said Angel.

“That’s really fucking messed up,” said Jenny. Angel pointed the gun at her again and Jenny raised her hands and narrowed her eyes. “He asked me to prom,” said Jenny.
 

“
TELL ME WHAT HE SAID!
” Angel screamed. Jenny sighed. Angel’s smile was gone. She was all yellow hair and gnashing teeth.
 

“Fine,” said Jenny. “He asked me to come with him. With all of you. He said my…He said Declan couldn’t love me anymore.”

“You’re lying,” she said. “That wasn’t in our orders.”

“Orders?” said Jenny. “What the hell does that mean? I thought you were sent by my mother.”

“Yes,” said Angel too quickly. “We were.” She glanced down at Zeke. He was moving, his hand clenching, his eyelids fluttering. Jenny took a step toward him, but Angel didn’t notice. She was looking at Zeke with a furrowed brow, eyes darting toward the door and back to Zeke.

“Shit,” she said. She glanced at Jenny, before turning and rummaging through a tidy shelf that seemed to be stocked with medical supplies. A padlock hung from its metal door, unlocked and open. Jenny heard the tinkling of glass bottles knocking gently against one other as Angel searched through them. She held the submachine gun loosely in one hand, forgotten. Jenny put her hand on Zeke’s forehead. The fever had passed. He was mumbling something that she couldn’t make out. She put her ear by his mouth.

“Jen…Jenny,” he murmured.

“What? I’m here,” she whispered. Angel half turned her head, but then turned back to the cabinet, seeming to decide that finding the vial was more important. She thought she was unbreakable, Jenny realized. That made her smile a little.

“Don…don let them…”

“I won’t let them take you,” she muttered, and started to make her way around the counter, toward Angel.

“No.” Zeke said, a little clearer, a little louder. His hand grabbed at her sleeve and Jenny looked down at it. His eyes were open but unfocused.

“Jenny,” he said. “You have to save her.”

“Who?” said Jenny.
 

“Sister,” he said. He finally focused on her, meeting her eyes. He lifted his head and managed to prop himself on his elbows. “Don’t let them get her,” he said, his voice intense, pointed. “You have to save her.”

“I don’t have a sister,” said Jenny, unable to look away, frozen to the spot.

“Yes, she’s in—“ Zeke drew his breath in sharply as Angel plunged the syringe into his neck. She smiled victoriously as Zeke’s eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped back onto the granite with a thump. She was so intent on stopping Zeke that she didn’t have time to react as Jenny wrested the giant gun away from her.
 

She didn’t even scream when Jenny plunged the knife through her eye.

Jenny kicked the door and came out barrel-first. Angel’s gun was heavy in her hands. Declan and Trix were on the ground, on their stomachs. Trix was glaring and Faron had his gun pointed straight at the back of her skull. Rayanne had her gun pointed at Declan, but the confidence Jenny had seen while she was diagnosing Zeke was gone. She was back to being a lost little girl. Her pretty hair was a mess and her lipstick smeared like she’d been slapped. She wouldn’t meet Jenny’s eyes, instead just stared intently at the back of Declan’s head.
 

“If you hurt my sister, your friend is dead,” Faron said, his words just as brittle as Angel’s eyes had been.

Jenny trained the gun on him.
 

“Kill me,” he said, “and she kills your boyfriend.”

“What the fuck do you people hope to gain from all this shit?” said Jenny, not lowering the gun. But she didn’t come any closer. She glanced at Declan.

“Our orders are our orders,” said Faron. “Where’s Angel? Did you kill her?” He didn’t seem upset by the idea.

“No,” Jenny lied. “I drugged her. Stabbed a needle straight into her spine.”

“Just do it, motherfucker!” Trix yelled from the ground. “Get this shit over with.”

“Should I?” Faron asked Jenny, cocking an eyebrow. “Should I just get it over with?”

“You don’t work for my mother,” Jenny said. “Do you? You work for the same asshole corporation that Abel fucked over.”

“Abel was too interested in saving the world,” said Faron. “And not interested enough in surviving it.” Something flickered in Faron’s eyes, but it was gone before Jenny could understand what it meant.

“You know they’re the ones who did this, right?” said Jenny. “They paid Sully to plant the virus, and frame my mother.”

“And now they’re going to make us rich,” said Faron. “This is all going to end and I’m going to live forever. They’re going to make it all worth my while.”

“Faron?” said Rayanne weakly.
 

Faron ignored her, not breaking eye contact with Jenny. “You’re going to wish you’d taken me up on my offer,” he said.

“What do you fucking want?” said Jenny. “You don’t need me. They figured out how to replicate whatever I am, obviously, if you have it too.”

“Oh, we didn’t come for you,” said Faron, smiling his crazy smile again. A movement in the corner caught Jenny’s eye: The crumpled form of Benji, barely moving, one hand holding the side of his neck, as dark blood gushed through his fingers. The side of his neck and a piece of his face was gone. Jenny could see broken teeth through his destroyed cheek.

“What the fuck?” said Jenny, staring in disbelief.
 

Benji was trying to say something to her, but his jaw was moving in a weird way and he couldn’t form the words.

“What the fuck did you do to Benji?” she said. She looked at Rayanne, who was now shaking uncontrollably, barely able to hold the gun. “He was one of you.”

“He didn’t like my methods,” said Faron, enjoying her reaction. “I let him live.”

Jenny saw Declan watching her, waiting for a signal. He nodded. She looked at Rayanne, her gun shaking so much it jangled against her bracelets, barely able to stand upright. Jenny wondered if the Undead could go into shock. She turned to Faron and smiled. His own grin faded. Jenny lowered the gun to his chest and pulled the trigger. The explosion filled the room and Faron crashed back against the wall. In less than a heartbeat Trix was on top of him. She smacked him in the face with her elbow. Jenny hit Rayanne in the stomach with the butt of her gun and the girl doubled over and sank to her knees. Declan flipped over and easily took Rayanne's gun away.

Faron’s blood was bright red, just like Jenny’s. He smiled and it colored his teeth.
 

“She’s dead, isn’t she?” he said. “You killed my only family.”

“She was in love with you,” said Jenny.

“I’m going to kill you,” he said. “And then I’m going to kill your whole family.”

“My mother is not my family,” said Jenny, walking over to him, on the other side of Trix, who held Faron's gun pointed straight at his head. Jenny knelt next to him and turned his face to look at her. “Casey was the only family I ever had, and he was killed by the fucking psychopath who worked for your people. You are working for the people who killed my family.” Jenny felt the bile rise in her throat. She pulled her knife out of its sheath, still sticky with Angel’s blood. She rested the tip under Faron’s chin and applied some pressure. He grinned again.