agreement because God knows her other two family members aren’t going to fair as well.
The crowd presses in. A series of grunts and moans swell around us until it’s difficult to make out an escape route in this thicket of undead bodies.
“Cooper…” Laken’s voice quivers.
“We’re going to take them to the Transfer now. We’ll be back for you later.” I shout it loud enough to appease the crowd, and a rush of voices rise into the sky as they cheer in hopes of their newfound freedom.
How are we going to pull this off? Laken squeezes my arm like she’s juicing it for blood.
On three, pick up Kara, and I’ll take Richard. I’ll lead us out to the boulders. Make sure you run as inhumanly fast as possible. Once we hit through the barrier, we can figure things out from there.
Laken looks down at the little girl with her misshapen head, her round eyes bulging unnaturally. I know Laken is thinking of Lacey, how precious this little life is and doesn’t want to hurt her.
Laken presses her face to my neck and inhales sharply as if holding back tears. We can’t let Ezrina hurt her, either of them.
We won’t. Let’s get out of this mosh pit, and we’ll see what we can do. I nod over to Flynn in his haggard state of being.
I clear my throat. “Laken and I will lead the way with the Tobias siblings.”
Hattie and Amelia each hug them goodbye.
“Kara”—Hattie bends to meet her—“you be a good girl. Soon you’ll have your life back, and Laken here will treat you as if you were her own sister. Isn’t that right, Laken?” Hattie glares over at her. She knew just where to place the dig. “Take care of Richard as well.” She straightens. “You did good. When you yield the proper results, we’ll discuss the passage to your loved ones.”
I glance over at Laken. Throw Kara over your shoulder, and whatever you do, don’t let go of my hand.
She offers a firm squeeze. Her eyes light up as if she’s ready for a fight.
“Three!” I shout.
Laken and I snatch up the Tobias siblings and drive down the field, laden with Spectators, as fast as our feet will carry us. Bodies fly as we pick up our pace to supernatural speeds. My foot catches on something, and I send Richard flying through the air like a projectile missile. Laken’s fingers disconnect with mine, and the crowd fills in, pushing and shoving.
“Laken!” I drift further east with my feet off the floor as the Spectators carry me closer to the boulders fully expecting to cross over to the promise land.
We hit the overgrown rock formation and noticeably nothing happens.
Fists pound against the pale blue granite. The stone lays still as the crowd begins to swirl in confusion.
An angry growl penetrates the air and the zombie parade shifts direction.
The entire lot of them, turn and head toward campus.
First stop on the way—Henderson Hall.
Wesley
After scouring every known dorm looking for Coop and Laken, I end up back at the party.
Kresley spent the last twenty minutes teasing me every which way with her stripper routine. No matter how hard I try to avoid her, she manages to pop up in my line of vision with those swollen boobs aching for attention.
“Face it Paxton”—she slithers up from behind and whispers into my ear—“you’re mine tonight, and you know it.”
Shit.
Ironically, despite all of her attention seeking, her periodic nipple flashing, Kresley is the last person on my mind tonight. That picture she showed me of Coop and Laken exchanging a kiss in their coordinated outfits keeps regurgitating itself. What the hell was with the themed costumes, anyway? Is that Laken’s way of giving me the middle finger? I would have sworn on my life that she loved me—that every part of her was genuinely into me—and now she’s off doing who knows what with Cooper.
I bet she spilled the deep dark secrets of her imaginary past, and he chose to play along. In the beginning I considered it. Just something to pass the time until her true memory came back, but I knew it would be dangerous. He’s hurting her in an effort to get into her kick pants. It just proves what an ass Flanders is. And to think, I felt bad about Grayson cheating on him earlier with Fletch. Some part of me wanted to believe Laken tried his blood just the once—one and done. I bet they’re having a good laugh over