The Black Rider - J.B. Trepagnier Page 0,56
in the lab, and a vaccine was coming. She told everyone we were getting close to ending this. So, everyone threw a street party. We don’t get to celebrate much anymore. We haven’t had a party in San Quintin since the first Rage Mutation reports started hitting the news. It’s high time we had something to celebrate,” Leif said.
“Oh, shit, did Juana set up a cart?” Aeron groaned.
“Looks like she did, my friend.”
Aeron snatched up my hand and practically skipped towards one of the street carts. The Horseman of Death just should not skip, but I had a feeling whatever was at that cart that was making him do so, I wanted in my mouth five minutes ago. The street was filled with the smell of so much good cooking, and it overpowered the stench of death was always in the air.
Aeron was giddy when we got to the cart. What must have been Juana gave him a gigantic smile.
“I made your favorite, Aeron.”
“Have I told you how much I love you, Juana?”
“You’re just a pig who likes to eat. I’ll bet you say that to anyone who will feed you.”
Leif finally caught up.
“He actually doesn’t. Aeron gives compliments like someone is yanking his teeth out with no drugs. I can confirm yours are the best. Can we get enough for all three of us?”
I still had no idea what I was about to eat, but if it impressed two angels, I was ready to profess my love to Juana too.
“I only slaughtered one of my pigs to make Chicharron en Salsa Verde because Maria said you two hijo de putas have found a way to fix the world, and Aeron once wouldn’t leave my house for two days unless I made this for him.”
Juana served up three bowls, and we went to find a bench to eat on.
“What are we eating?”
“Fried pork skin in green sauce. And in case you wanted to stock up on Spanish swear words, she called us motherfuckers,” Leif said.
“Don’t ask questions. Just eat. She only makes this for special occasions. You can get it at some small cafes, but it’s not as good as hers.”
The smell wafting from my bowl was fucking amazing. I started shoveling it in my face as soon as I knew what it was. Oh, my god. I was ready to go tell Juana I loved her too. Would she call me a motherfucker too if I asked for seconds? I could have gone swimming in this stuff and died happily.
Aeron set his bowl in his lap and grinned at me.
“She always makes sex noises when she eats when it’s good.”
Leif just laughed.
“Oh, I’ve noticed. I want to dance.”
Leif yanked me to my feet, and we all went into the street with the other revelers. Aeron and Leif pressed up against me. I wasn’t familiar with any of the music that was being played, but I bumped and ground with Leif and Aeron and tried to sing along to the choruses.
I was having a fucking blast. Yeah, everyone needed a party right now. I hadn’t dealt with the apocalypse nearly as long as the people here. I slept through the war. But I had seen enough. Sure, they built something good here as they did in California, but that could be taken away at any moment.
Leif fucking did it. We still had a lot of work to do, but we could start bringing hope back to a bombed-out, zombie-filled world.
Then, we could kill my father.
Chapter 31
T
he street party was either loud enough to drown out the explosives and gunfire outside the walls, or the zombies just knew we were coming for them and didn’t come close. I could forget everything for a few hours and just pretend like I was a normal girl with two boyfriends at a party in Mexico.
We stumbled back to Leif’s apartment, but I wasn’t done celebrating yet. There were perks to having two boyfriends. They each brought something different into my life, but I’d be a total idiot if I didn’t explore what they brought together in the bedroom. I wasn’t all about Oval Office orgies with angels I’d never met, but a threesome with Aeron and Leif? Sign me the fuck up for at least seeing what that was like.
The door wasn’t even shut yet, and I already had my shirt off. It was the apocalypse, and no one could make me wear a bra anymore. I didn’t care if I nipped out, and