A Darker Shade of Dead by Bianca D'Arc Read Free Book Online Page A

would have thought his little sister would get mixed up with zombies after all, much less that her involvement would lead to his being taken from his post at the CIA to join the top secret zombie-hunting team?
    He was sure stranger things had happened, but he didn’t know where or when.
    â€œJohnny!” A petite fireball rocketed across the room and into his arms for a bone-crushing hug.
    â€œHey, sis.” John realized they were causing a bit of a scene, but he didn’t care.
    He’d learned only recently that Sarah had been savaged by zombies and had turned into some kind of GI Jane, working with the Special Forces to hunt the creatures down. Frankly, he couldn’t believe it. He had felt so much better when he’d thought her work as a county cop involved nothing more dangerous than writing speeding tickets. Now, of course, he knew differently.
    He hugged her close for a long moment. “Are you okay, punkin?” He eased away to meet her gaze.
    â€œI’m great. I bet you didn’t expect to find me here.” He never could stay mad at his baby sister when she looked at him with those big puppy-dog eyes.
    â€œYou can say that again.”
    â€œPunkin?” Another man’s voice broke into their reunion. John looked up to meet the gaze of a soldier standing a few feet behind his sister. The guy had a decidedly amused look on his face as Sarah drew out of John’s arms.
    She turned and stubbed one pointed finger in the man’s chest, a huge grin on her face. “That goes no further, Xavier. I mean it.”
    The army guy lifted both hands palms outward in a gesture of surrender, a wide smile on his face.
    â€œI see your friend knows when it’s wise to retreat.” John stuck his hand out to the other man for a shake. “I’m John Petit.”
    â€œXavier Beauvoir.” The soldier returned the gesture.
    â€œXavier, this is my brother, Johnny,” Sarah added unnecessarily. She looked uncomfortable and that well-remembered expression immediately set alarms bells ringing internally. Something was up.
    â€œI figured that out, Sarah,” the Green Beret answered a little too familiarly. John bristled. They looked just a little too comfortable together.
    â€œJohn, I spoke to Dad earlier. He wants you to call home tonight if you can. I expect he’ll want your report on Xavier.” She touched the soldier’s arm and laughed up at the other man. He was definitely missing something here.
    â€œWhy’s that?” John included both of them in his challenge.
    Sarah smiled at him in that disarming way she had perfected over the years. “Because he’s my fiancé. We’re getting married.”
    That set John back on his heels. His baby sister engaged? To this…soldier? What was she thinking? Who was this guy?
    â€œIsn’t this kind of sudden?” John didn’t know what else to say. He’d been blindsided.
    â€œJeez. You sound just like Dad. He said the exact same thing.” She made a tsking sound but soon relented. “Actually, you’re probably the only one in the family who’ll understand exactly what drew us together so quickly.”
    Then it dawned on him where they were and what they were doing here. A top secret briefing about the zombie problem. Holy shit. His little sister had been roaming around the woods hunting zombies with her Green Beret friend—scratch that, fiancé—for the past couple of weeks. No wonder they’d grown so close. Combat situations often spawned deep and lasting friendships. You didn’t really get to know a person until you faced death with them.
    Realization dawned. His little sister was nobody’s fool. If she felt so strongly about this guy, she had to have good reason. John stepped up and made an effort to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. They’d be working together now. John could observe firsthand how the big Green Beret treated