Barely Alive by Bonnie R. Paulson Read Free Book Online Page A

I’d like to go.” She glanced toward the building. The pounding had stopped. She closed her eyes.
    I wanted to ask her what she was thinking. But we didn’t know each other well enough for that.

 
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
    “ Close the door, Paul.” Dominic leaned against the wall and watched me enter.
    I arched my brow and ignored his command. The creature I’d been the day before would have slapped me for acting so disrespectful, but the creature I’d become wanted to stretch my hand into the past and slap myself for being such a bitch – Dominic’s bitch.
    Heather took my lead and left the door open. She hid behind me, but I didn’t catch fear coming off her, more like an effort to stay out of my way. The chick seemed solid – even for a human. No, the irony wasn’t lost on me that I’d been human two weeks before – but I was smarter and faster and a helluva lot stronger. I could take both humans I was in the room with. If I wanted.
    Dominic didn’t react like I’d hoped. He threw back his head and laughed. Loud. Asshole.
    “ What do you want, Dominic?” I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. “Why’d that happen? That was far from fair.”
    “ I think they deserved the punishment, don’t you?” He slapped his leg. “Plus, I didn’t see you rushing to help them, Paully.” He offered a half-smile dripping with challenge.
    Paully. I hated that nickname. My dad had used it during the divorce. Like I was four. “I didn’t have enough time to react. You seem hell bent on killing everyone. Why?” And more importantly, when was I scheduled to go?
    He peered behind me, at Heather. “Why are you protecting her? She must be clean by now. I was going to give the girls to you guys. But…” He shrugged.
    I copied the shrug to be a dick. “I don’t think you were going to do anything. You’ve been full of nothing but empty promises and orders. Tell me what’s going on, before you piss me off.” My anger had surpassed the fear of anything he might do to me. I was stronger. And he’d just lost his torture basement.
    Dominic shoved away from the wall. “I need to know more about the attacks.”
    “ I don’t know any more. Tom didn’t tell me much as it was and I only went on those three jobs. The first two I was alone and not bringing back girls or food. But guys to recruit, remember?” Dumbass. Those jobs had been the worst with lies spewing from my mouth like citrus-scented vomit. Each time had increased my shame.
    Dominic moved in front of me. “I don’t think the girl behind you needs to be included in this. Why not take a step outside, doll?” He tilted his head toward the door, flashing his teeth.
    Heather clutched at my shirt. I shifted my feet so he couldn’t see her. “She’s fine. Who knows how many more are out there waiting to jump on her, right?”
    “ Right.” His eyes narrowed. “So, what exactly did the news say?”
    I sighed. “They say it’s a gang attacking. Survivors are at the hospital or leaving hospitals. But that’s if they gathered them, right? I mean, that girl changed faster than it would have taken an ambulance to get here.” In reality, who knew how many more of us were out there. “We did one attack last night. Who did the other one? And the ones before that?” I didn’t need sleep, but that didn’t stop fatigue from stealing over my body. I was still hungry which left my body to feed on itself.
    “ The problem is you guys have been biting people, spreading the virus.” He pointed his finger at me.
    “ What virus?” I dropped my chin. He wasn’t going to blame this crap on me. “You injected us with needles. How could we be spreading anything? We didn’t get it being in the same area, so it can’t be like a cold or flu.” Science had been my thing, even though I’d pretended to be the big dumb jock. My microscope alone cost more than my 1965 Mustang Coupe.
    “ I injected you with infected saliva. The virus is spread through the saliva to the