Free Time of Zombies (Book 2): The Zombie Hunter's Wife by Jill James Page A

with ponytails and braids.
    "What in the hell is going on?
Why doesn't he just demand burkas? And why are our people going along with
it?"
    Emily shook her head. "He
doesn't demand anything. At least I haven't heard him do so. He just spouts all
this Scripture and makes it sound right. That women should want to be honorable
and cover themselves. He reminds me of those slick televangelists. You know the
ones," her voice deepened and developed a Southern accent as she
continued. "God has come to me. You need to give all your money to save
me. God wants me saved."
    Her laugh died as she gazed on Bennett
and Beth with bowed heads and clasped hands as if the man was giving the
pregnant girl his blessing. Her skin crawled as the man reached out and rubbed
Beth's enormous stomach. Jed’s hands twisted into fists at his sides.

***
    "Look what I found," Teddy
yelled as he tramped up the wooden steps. He stopped at Michelle and Emily's
grave faces.
    Michelle's face lit up and her eyes
brightened as she looked at him. A grin broke out on his face. She put her
hands on her hips.
    "Better not be another kitten.
I just got Hope eating regular food and litter box trained so he wouldn’t
contaminate anything."
    "Nope. Better. Cinnamon,"
he said, handing her the familiar red and white container. Her smile and hug
made the K-bar knife he'd traded for it worth it.
    "You didn't pay too much, did
you? I'll pay you back."
    "The only payment I need is the
waffles you promised me. Jack not only got some eggs, but a couple of hens and
a rooster as well."
    She stepped in to kiss him. Her
sun-warmed lips slid along his mouth. Her tongue rubbed along his lips and he
swept it in to tangle with his. She tasted of honey and tea. His heart pounded as
her breasts pressed against him. They broke apart at a groan from Emily.
    "Miss Emily, are you
okay?"
    The woman bent over, her hands
clutching her stomach. His breath caught in his throat. It wasn't anywhere near
her time and it wasn't as if they could just drive to an emergency room in a
hospital. Hospitals had been the first places to become infected. They swarmed
with zombs. Even making a scavenger run was tricky; they'd lost six members of
their group in a medical run last month.
    Teddy heaved a sigh as Michelle
jumped in and took charge. The woman may be afraid of the outside, but she
wasn't afraid of much else. "I'll go get Dr. Shannon and you get her down
the stairs and to their motor home."
    He let her run down the stairs first
before he moved to Emily's side. "You can do this, Miss Emily." He
wrapped his arm around her and held her up. She cried out and blood puddled on
the wood between her feet.
    "Oh, the hell with this."
He scooped her up into his arms and walked down the stairs with care, stopping as
she writhed in pain. The coppery scent of blood filled his nostrils and her
cries filled his ears. His heart stopped when she lay unmoving in his arms.
With relief, he noted the shallow movement of her chest.
    He planted his feet as Seth came at
a run and slammed into him. The man tried to pry Emily out of his arms. "I
have her. Go open the door."
    Getting into the motor home and to
the bed wasn't easy. He was out of breath by the time he laid her down and
Michelle returned with the doctor. Shannon pulled her hair back into a bun and
shoved Teddy and Michelle out of the bedroom. He sat on the fold-out couch and
hung his head.
    "Emily can't die. Not now. Not
after living through everything." His ramblings cut off as Michelle knelt
in from of him with a rag and started wiping the blood from his arm.
    She started to cry and his heart
broke. He scooped her up into his lap and held her. Sobs shook her small body.
Clinging to him, she wet his shirt with her tears. They both looked up as the
bedroom door opened and Seth came out, his face wet with tears and his hands
covered in blood.
    "Shannon needs rags and warm
water. She doesn't think it's the baby. She's not sure yet, but she doesn't
think