I followed his gaze.
And there it was.
His motorcycle sat dead center, the key still in the ignition.
“Is that—” I started.
“Yes,” he said, already moving toward it. “Wait here.”
Not likely. I stayed on his heels, heart pounding.
Beck glared at me but kept moving.
He approached cautiously and slowly backed the bike up, pushing it closer to the road. He swung his leg over the seat and motioned for me to get on.
I didn’t hesitate. As soon as I was secure, with my arms wrapped around his waist, he cranked it up, and we were gone. The tires were spitting gravel as we tore back onto the road.
I had maybe two minutes to breathe before I noticed headlights. “We’ve got company.”
“Fuck.” Beck’s back went rigid beneath my hands, his speed staying steady.
“Who are they?”
“The Beasts of Prey. The assholes probably recognized my bike back at the diner.” He cursed again.
“I’m assuming they’re not friends?” I sighed.
He huffed, “Not fucking hardly.”
Beck slowed suddenly when we came upon an SUV that sat sideways across both lanes. He swore under his breath and stopped, scanning for another way around.
That’s when the figure stepped out of the trees.
He moved in a strangely disjointed way, and his clothes were torn and bloody. Another figure joined him… then another.
Beck didn’t hesitate.
He swung the bike sideways and put himself between them and me, shoving me off behind the wrecked SUV.
“Stay down,” he ordered, already moving.
I reached for my pack, fingers brushing the familiar weight inside, but Beck was already engaging—boot slamming into one of the infected’s chest, sending it sprawling. Another rushed him, teeth snapping.
Gunshots cracked the air.
The bikers following us had dismounted now, shouting, and firing, chaos coming from every direction. For this moment in time, it didn’t matter who hated who—we were all just trying to stay alive.
An infected got past Beck and lunged for me.
I raised my pack and swung violently, catching it on the side of the head. It went down hard.
A large redheaded biker shot the infected in the head, then proceeded to kill the other two.
“Behind you!” I screamed at Beck, who was still busy with the infected.
He turned?—
But it was too late.
