The Infected, a PODs Novel Read online

  “Did you find them?”

  “No, the search party in the section next to ours did. We heard their whistle signaling they’d found something, so we came back.”

  “Are the hunters okay?” I stood on my tiptoes to get a glimpse.

  Devlin put a hand on my shoulder and gently pressed me down. He shook his head. “Don’t look, Eva.”

  “Oh, no. They’re dead?”

  Devlin nodded once. “Looks like an animal attack. It isn’t… pretty.”

  “Oh.” My stomach squeezed, and bile rose in my throat. “What kind of animal would attack two grown men?”

  “A pack of coyotes, wild boars, a bear, I don’t know.”

  There was exactly one restaurant in Rosewood. It had decent food and was nice inside. It was always crowded. Since it was the only restaurant, some people dressed in their Sunday best when they went to eat—they made it a big occasion. A huge night on the town. And others dressed casually. I had no idea how to dress for my dinner with Devlin. I didn’t even know if we were going to the restaurant.

  After the search for the missing hunters broke-up, he went home to shower and change.

  Since I had no idea what we were doing, I dressed like I normally would, but substituted a lavender, bohemian peasant blouse for my standard T-shirt. It had ruffles on the cuffs of the sleeves and gauzy fabric that slid over my skin like a feather. The collar could be worn loose so it draped over a shoulder, or tightened. I opted not to loosen it. I shimmied into a pair of hip hugging, black jeans and ran a brush through my hair.

  “There.” I squirted on one spray of perfume and applied a little rose colored lip gloss with my pinkie. Make-up and perfume were luxuries. I used my supply sparingly. “That’s as good as it gets.” I tossed the lip gloss in the small make-up basket in my linen closet and pushed the door closed with my hip.

  It took me five minutes to get ready. I had another two hours to wait. So, I paced from one end of my house to the other and chewed on my bottom lip or bit my fingernails. Each time I passed, I glared at the clock and cussed at it under my breath. I was sure it wasn’t moving.

  I picked up a photo of my parents from a table next to my reading chair and wiped off the frame. I stared at their happy faces looking back at me and smiled. The knife of guilt over leaving them twisted in my heart.

  “I miss you,” I whispered.

  I placed the photo on the fireplace mantle and stood back to look at it. Then I paced the length of the house again. On my second pass through, I picked up the photo of my parents and put it back on the side table next to the chair. I walked through the house seven more times, rearranging things as I went, my mind stewing over what Devlin wanted.

  At five minutes to six I stood in the middle of my living room and stared out the bay window, overlooking the street. One arm wrapped around my waist, I bit the nails on the hand of the other. My stomach did a funny little flutter when I saw Devlin walk by the window. I was happy he wore jeans and a t-shirt with a rock band logo on the front.

  Well, whatever’s going on, at least I’m dressed okay.

  I opened the door before he had a chance to ring the bell.

  “Hi.”

  He chuckled. “Hey. Were you waiting at the door?”

  “No. I was reading by the window. I saw you walk up,” I lied. “What’s in the bags?” I eyed the two white canvas bags he held.

  “Dinner.”

  “Oh. Are we cooking?”

  I didn’t say I’d cook for you, buddy. I said I’d eat with you.

  “No. I picked up take-out. I wasn’t sure how you felt about going to the restaurant. David eats there a lot…” he let his words trail off with a shrug of a shoulder.

  “Take-out is great. It’ll be nice to stay in after being out all day, anyway. I’ll get some plates.”

  “That’s okay. I brought them. I asked you to dinner. That means you don’t have to do anything.” He pulled plates and silverware out of the bag and handed them to me. “The only thing I don’t have is something for us to drink.”

  I set the plates on the table. “Drinks. I can handle that. Lemonade?”

  He nodded. “Thanks. Okay, I think this one is yours.” Devlin pulled my chair out for me. I put our lemonades on the table and I slipped onto the chair. He placed the take-out carton on my plate and popped the lid open. I nearly gagged.

  “Oh, um, spaghetti.” I tried to smile. “Thank you.”

  “Geez, Eva, you’re too nice.” He shook his head.

  “What?”

  “I know you hate spaghetti, but you were going to eat it anyway.”

  “You got it for me. It wouldn’t be polite to—”

  “See? Too nice.” He laughed.

  He thinks I’m nice? No, too nice? Wait, he knows I don’t like spaghetti? When did I tell him that?

  “Here.” he grabbed the spaghetti off my plate and put another take-out carton in its place. “That one’s yours.” He waved to it with his hand.

  I lifted the lid. “Fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Yeah, much better than spaghetti.” I glanced at him and smiled. "Thank you."

  “You’re welcome.” He tilted his head to the side and watched me for a few beats before asking, “Why do you do that? Do something you don’t like just so you won’t hurt someone’s feelings?”

  I shrugged a shoulder. “It wasn’t a big deal. It’s not like eating a little spaghetti would kill me, and it would be better than hurting your feelings.”

  “Why?” He stared at me. Devlin was always intense and just then his green eyes seemed to simmer with that intensity.

  “You’re a friend and I care about you, that’s why.”

  “Eva, I…” he shook his head. “You realize why I’m here right?”

  I just stared at him. My voice wouldn’t work. My mind couldn’t form coherent sentences. I knew I should say something, because what was coming next was going to change everything.

  Devlin, please, please don’t do this. I don’t know how to deal with this and David, too.

  Taking my hand, he pulled me to him. I stood and took a half step into his arms. With one hand on the small of my back, he pulled me closer, cupping my face with his other.

  He lowered his lips to mine, caressing his over them. He lifted his head and looked into my eyes. My lips parted and my tongue moistened them. Devlin groaned a curse and kissed me again… deeper… longer. It stole my breath.

  My stomach clenched and tingles radiated from it, like champagne bubbles spreading through my veins.

  Devlin turned to the side and moved forward, until my back hit the counter. He lifted me onto the counter top and I wrapped my legs around him, his hands moving up and down the sides of my thighs and hips.

  I delved my fingers into the silky strands of his hair and held him to me. His mouth moved down my neck, and I arched toward him. Tugging on the ribbon holding my shirt’s neckline closed, he opened it, and it slipped over my shoulder. His mouth followed, alternating between nipping at my skin and planting opened mouthed kisses down the side of my neck and across my bare shoulder.

  David.

  I sat straight and braced my hands on Devlin’s chest, pushing him away gently. My fingers curled against him and I held back a groan. He hadn’t taken his shirt off, I hadn’t even felt his skin, but I could feel the definition of his muscles under my fingers. “Devlin, ah, wow, that’s incredible. But—”

  “You’re thinking about someone else.” He dropped his hands and took a step backward.

  “No! No, I wasn’t.” I took a breath. “Okay, I was, but not the way you’re thinking. I’m just… what is this to you? He’s your best friend and I’m his ex-fiancée. I mean, are you going to tell him? Is this that type of relationship, or is it just something we keep to ourselves? Is this even going to be a relationship or is it… just tonight?” I shook my head and waved my hand in the air. “Because, to be honest, I never really thought you liked me that much. I thought you only tolerated me because I was David’s
girlfriend. Now I’m… I’m just not sure what we’re doing.”

  “What this is, is up to you.” He ran his tongue over his lips, and shrugged a shoulder. “I tolerated you because you were David’s girlfriend, yes. But not because I didn’t like you.” He cupped the side of my face. “But because I couldn’t have you.”

  “Um.” I let out a half laugh. “Wow,” I whispered. “I’m not sure what you want, Devlin.”

  “Think about it for a minute. You’re smart.” He ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “I walked over here in broad daylight. I passed David’s house. Now tell me if it’s something I want to keep secret? I told him there was someone I was interested in, but it was complicated. He asked how complicated and I told him; I explained our situation. All of it. If he put two and two together he didn’t say. What he did say was that I should go for it if it would make me happy. So here I am.”

  “Geez, I don’t even have things straight in my own head yet.” I dropped my head into my hands, threading my fingers through my hair.

  “I’ll wait.”

  I dropped my hands and looked up at him. “What? How long?”

  He rubbed his hand over his freshly shaven cheek and shrugged. “As long as you need.”

  “Devlin, I—”

  I didn’t get to finish my sentence. I don’t even remember what the rest of the sentence was. Devlin’s mouth came down on mine. One hand behind my neck, the other on the small of my back, he pulled me to him. His lips moved over mine. Hungry. Insistent. Firm enough to make his intentions known, but soft enough to slow the blood in my veins, and make me lean further into him.

  His tongue slid over the seam of my lips and I parted them. Moaning, I fisted my hand in the front of his shirt and pulled him even closer. A whisper couldn’t have fit between us.

  He let his hand trail from the back of my neck, across my shoulder, and down my arm to my waist. He dipped the tips of his fingers just below the waistband of my jeans, sending jolts of electricity through my body. Heat surged through me and I moved against him. He groaned deep in his chest and wrapped my hair around his hand, pulling my head back and trailing his tongue down my neck before moving back to my mouth. His kiss felt so good, his taste sweet on my tongue and I let myself get lost in the feel of him. The only man I ever really kissed other than David.

  I saw them as soon as I walked out of the grocery store. My heart lodged in my throat like Bull Nettle, and my breath came in short, fast gasps, as I watched the military personnel at the far end of the village, just past the green library building, and on the other side of the red-bricked medical clinic that was once a school. Swings swayed lonely in the breeze, waiting for giggling children to play on them.

  I stood frozen for several minutes. My brain refusing to process what I saw between the trees with brightly colored leaves, and buildings with freshly painted siding. The sound of metal clanging against metal carried on the breeze, and the sun glinted off the sections the men hoisted up and fastened into place. Still, my brain didn’t want to acknowledge what it was—or what it may’ve meant.

  “Move along, miss,” an armed MP instructed, walking past me, a gun slung over his shoulder. Spurred into action, I set off at a jog toward home, and Devlin, who was fixing a leaky faucet for me.

  I burst through the front door. “Devlin!”

  “What?”

  “Something’s wrong.”

  “Why? Are you okay?” he walked to me and grabbed my hands. “You’re shaking.”

  “Hey, David.” I pulled my hands from Devlin’s. “What are you doing here?”

  “I saw Devlin outside when I walked by. We were shooting the shit. I guess I lost track of time. You know, if you needed your faucet fixed, I could’ve done it for you. It’s easier for me to get here than for Devlin to come all the way across the village.”

  “Oh, um, I saw Devlin in the hardware and he offered to fix it.” I smiled as the lie passed my lips. I hadn’t bumped into Devlin at the hardware. He’d been visiting me and noticed the faucet. He’d showed up with a new one that morning.

  My heart pounded in my ears, and my chest felt like someone was squeezing it in a vice. I chewed on my bottom lip and looked away.

  “Eva? What’s wrong? Are you sick?” Devlin looked at me.

  “I’m fine.” Glancing out the window, I said, “They’re putting it back up.”

  “Who’s putting what back up?”

  “The military. They’re putting a fence up around the village.”

  “You’re sure?” Devlin asked.

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s kind of hard to miss.”

  Devlin rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip and looked out the window.

  All of a sudden I felt very cold. A shiver snaked down my spine, and memories of the last time the fence went up scrolled through my mind. Memories I wish I could erase.

  “They just closed it?” I squeezed my forehead between my fingers. I felt one bitch of a headache building.

  George nodded. “As soon as the fence was finished. They just pulled the gates closed without warning and chained them. No one is allowed to leave. No one is allowed in. It doesn’t matter if they live in the village or not. If they were on the outside of the fence when the gate was closed, they stay out. We’re in complete lock-down.” He shoved a bite of potato into his mouth.

  “Shit,” I breathed.

  “Roy didn’t come home.” Devlin stretched his long legs out next to me. We were in my kitchen having dinner with David, George and Tiffany. His thigh brushed against mine every time he moved. And he moved a lot. “Judy said he went out on a hunt and he didn’t make it back before the gate was sealed. Juan was with him.”

  “Do they know where they are?” George laid his fork down and reached for Tiffany’s hand. She held Faith in one arm and George’s hand with the other.

  “Yeah.” David pushed his plate away. “She’s seen them hanging around the front gate.”

  I spun my fork in a mound of mashed potatoes on my plate. “What a mess.”

  “There’ve been more attacks on hunters,” Devlin said. His position at the hospital gave him access to information not available to other residents.

  A noise outside pricked at my ears. I stood and walked to the front door. An MP walked down the street talking into a megaphone.

  “Effective immediately there is a mandatory curfew for all residents. No resident shall be outside their home after dusk unless it is work related. Residents are confined to their assigned districts. Interaction between districts is limited to that necessary to complete work related tasks. Non-work related activities between districts are hereby prohibited by martial law,” Megaphone Man shouted. “Effective immediately there is a mandatory curfew for all residents…” he repeated the message several times as he walked the length of the street.

  “What is going on?” I murmured to myself.

  David walked up behind me; He laid his hands on my shoulders and turned me to face him. “I’m sure—”

  “Please don’t tell me it’s nothing to worry about. We both know that isn’t true.”

  David smiled, and bent to pull on his shoes. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”

  “‘Kay.”

  “We need to go, too,” Tiffany said, hugging me. “Thanks for dinner, Eva.”

  “Coming?” George looked at Devlin. “We’ll walk together.”

  “You go on. I’ll catch up.” Devlin’s expression was masked, unreadable.

  George quirked an eyebrow and looked between me and Devlin. “Okay. See ya.”

  I watched George and Tiffany walk to the sidewalk before I turned to Devlin. He stood and stretched his arms over his head, arching his back. His t-shirt hiked up, giving me an awesome view of his chiseled abs framed by lickable oblique muscles that tapered into his low rise jeans. If they sat any lower on his hips, they’d slide off. I nearly groaned, and forced myself to look away.

  “I better get going. I need to get home before the dusk curfew. I haven
’t had to worry about a damn curfew in years,” Devlin muttered and grabbed his jacket from where he’d tossed it across the arm of a chair. “Besides, Jessica is home having a sleepover with Keren. This will scare her.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know.” He pulled his jacket on.

  “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Devlin sighed and looked at the ceiling. “Nothing.”

  “Then why won’t you look me in the eye? Are you keeping something from me? Because if you are, it’s really going to piss me off.”

  “Hey!” He laughed and put his hands up in surrender. “I don’t know anything. I swear.”

  Devlin cupped my face in his hands before touching his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him against me. “I have to go,” he murmured against my lips.

  “Yeah.” I sucked on his bottom lip. He pulled back and peered into my eyes.

  “Eva, if I didn’t have to go home to Jessica, would you let me stay?”

  I held his gaze. It was sharp, focused solely on me and I felt stripped bare, like he could read my thoughts and desires—like he knew my answer before I did.

  I bit my bottom lip and skimmed my hands over his arms and shoulders. My fingers curled into him. His gaze fell to my lips and he skimmed his thumb over my bottom lip, gently pulling it from my teeth.

  “I… it’s too fast.”

  Devlin dropped his gaze to the floor and nodded. Cupping his face, I pulled it back to mine, touching my lips to his. He ground out a curse, and his mouth crushed mine. His hands grabbed my hips. Fingers wrapping around the waistband of my jeans, he yanked me against him. “Dammit,” he whispered against my lips, his warm breath mingling with mine. His mouth traveled along my jaw to my ear. “You’re driving me insane,” he whispered before nipping on my lobe, sucking it into his mouth.

  I whispered his name and pulled his lips back to mine. Butterflies bombarded my stomach and my entire body hummed. When he pulled back, I reached for him. “No.”

  “Shit, you’re killing me.” He kissed me long and deep, his tongue dancing with mine. He broke the kiss and framed my face with his hands, leaning his forehead against mine. “I have to go.”