Free Safe In Your Arms by Kelliea Ashley Page B

around and lunged for her.
    Suddenly, the heavy body was yanked off of her. Mina sat up to see Gabe’s jean-covered rear blocking the doorway. “Gabe!”
    “Izzy, you don’t want to do this.” His deep voice shook. She wasn’t sure if it was from fear or trepidation, but she could see the blackened feet of the zombie as it ran toward him. The noise of a blade slicing the air made her cringe as a head with a black braid attached dropped with a thud and rolled to his feet. The sound of the body hitting was a blessing and a devastating loss.
    Gabe dropped the blade, metal hitting tile as it landed beside the head. When he turned to look back at her, his eyes were too dark, his face far too pale. He quickly looked her over with a silence that was scary.
    “Are you bitten?” The words seemed pulled from him.
    “No. I don’t think so.” She was surprised her voice sounded so steady. He nodded his head and then turned to lean over the sink to vomit loudly. Mina pulled herself to her feet. Her eyes strayed to the grotesque form of the beheaded zombie as she moved toward him. Her hand almost touched his shoulder before he lifted his head to stare at her in the mirror. The haunted look in his blue eyes turned to glacier blue, making her hastily pull her hand back.
    “You never should have come here.” He dropped his head to turn on the taps and rinse out his mouth.
    “Gabe—”
    “Don’t!” His warning snapped out at her as he wiped his mouth with the towel. “Get your stuff and wait for me down at the dock.”
    “What about Is—”
    “Don’t even say her name,” he bit out between clenched teeth. Hatred and rage filled his tone. Mina stepped back, her fingers clutching the smooth blade of her knife as she looked at him. “I have to bury her.” His head turned toward the doorway. “Then I’ll take you down the river.”
    “I’m sorry.” She felt her eyes sting with unshed tears, her limbs shaking in shock and reaction as her teeth began to chatter. All this she tried to hide from him as he was dealing with his own troubles. Sorrow, anger, and guilt came off his rigid body in waves. “Let me help you.”
    “I don’t want your help, thanks. Do what I ask of you just once.”
    “No.” Something told her he wouldn’t make it through burying his sister alone. Her gut told her to stick to him like glue, and for once she knew her instinct was right. His jaw ticked dangerously, making her body want to move back in self-preservation, but her heart wouldn’t let her move. “You need help. I’m not leaving you. We’ll take care of her together.”
    She didn’t breathe until his rigid shoulders eased beneath the white T-shirt. His blue eyes narrowed at her before he nodded and stepped past her to grab towels from the cupboard. Tossing them at her, he wiped a hand down his face before getting to the task at hand.
    They wrapped her body and head tightly in towels and sheets pulled from the beds. Gabe carried her out of the house to the side yard where Dr. Faucher’s wife had planted a huge circular perennial garden. It was in full bloom with fragrant roses, lilies, and flowers she didn’t recognize, all within a circle of green and white hostas. Gabe came back from the garage with two shovels and they went to work digging. Silence was only broken by their harsh breathing and the occasional swear word when a rock was hit.
    “That will have to do,” Gabe breathed roughly when he hit a solid rock only three feet down. Mina watched him lift up his sister’s body as gently as if she were still alive. Then he carefully placed her in the shallow grave. He looked down at her with tears sparkling in his blue eyes.
    Mina cried then. Her tears felt hot as they slipped down over her cheeks. She looked away to wipe her eyes, but when she opened them she saw a rosebush that had survived their digging. Pulling her knife, she went over to it and cut a long red bloom that was barely opened. Gabe’s eyes widened when she