Free Safe In Your Arms by Kelliea Ashley

sister.”
    “She’s a zombie!” Anger had her gripping the knives.
    “She’s infected with a disease, but she still looks like my sister.”
    “It doesn’t matter what you want to call them. They have one objective—to feed. And guess what, they aren’t too picky about what they eat. I’m surprised she hasn’t already taken a bite out of you.”
    “She won’t bite me. That’s the other reason I kept her here. A soldier must learn his enemy in order to fight him. I use her scent to mask mine. The jacket is sprayed with her blood.”
    “They don’t have blood. Zombies don’t bleed, Gabe.”
    “Whatever you want to call it, the black goo they drip is like a masking scent. You can blend right in with them, as long as you can handle the stench.” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans with a shrug. Mina caught the way the white T-shirt hugged his muscular chest and flat stomach. Her mouth watered as she remembered the way he felt beneath her hands. Get a grip, girl. He’s a crazy zombie keeper.
    “That’s why they didn’t smell you that night on the beach?”
    “Yeah, I was wearing the jacket. The leather absorbs the scent much better than regular cloth. You must think I’m pretty fucked up.”
    “This whole thing is fucked up.” She took a breath as he nodded with a grimace. “I don’t really want to know, but I have to know. What the hell were you feeding her?”
    “Beautiful, nosy women with too much courage and no sense.” He grinned as she gave him a warning look as her wrists rotated the knives dangerously. “All right, relax dutchess. I’m only yanking your chain. I catch fish, mash them up with some of the rotted meat from the Fauchers’ freezer, and feed that to her. It isn’t exactly what she needs, but it keeps the hunger at bay.”
    ***
    “I’ll get your clothes and weapons. There’s a boat we can use to get you to the summer house.” He stopped at the hallway leading back to the kitchen. “Mina, I didn’t want you to know about Isabella because I knew you’d never understand.”
    She swallowed hard and opened her mouth, but no words would come. What could she say? It was crazy trying to harness a creature that hungered nonstop for blood and guts. She’d kill or turn him eventually. The thought made her collapse on the bench after he disappeared down the hallway. Didn’t he realize his days were numbered? One false move and she’d be on him. To him, she was his sweet, innocent little sister, but to the thing in that room he was nothing more than food. She had to talk him out of this mess, somehow.
    “Your clothes are clean, knives on top of the bag. I’ll just go to the kitchen and make some food while you change.” Instead of handing her the bag and her shoes, he placed them on the stairs and picked up the bowl.
    “You mean, you’ve had food up here all along?” Her threatening tone made him shrug a shoulder as he rubbed his bruising jaw.
    “I couldn’t chance you coming up here, could I?”
    “I should have hit you harder,” she hissed through her teeth as she moved toward him. He turned, muscles tense in preparation for her attack, but she just grabbed the bag and walked into the bathroom to shut the door in his face.
    “Would a hot shower make it up to you?” His voice held a teasing note that had her reaching for the doorknob to invite him to join her, but she turned the lock instead.
    “No!” She heard a thud on the door as if he’d hit it with his head. She waited and watched the doorknob to see if he’d try to get in. When he didn’t, but seemed to move away, she eased her death grip on the knife and moved to the glassed-in shower stall. It only took a few seconds for the water to get hot.
    She really wanted a shower, but every horror film where the heroine took a shower didn’t work out too well for the girl. After a few seconds of deliberation, she finally said to hell with caution. She hadn’t had a hot shower in two weeks. Stripping