Page 156 of After the Burn

Colson pushed Finley, who was holding Rory behind him, and Wren stepped to his side, her knife at the ready.

“Stay here,” Adrian motioned for me to stand with Wren and Colson.

I gave him a look and started forward before Lucas had the balls to grab the back of my shirt and pull me back.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I raised an eyebrow in question.

“You heard him.” He nodded toward Adrian.

“Yeah, so?”

“He wants you to stay here while we clear the building.” Lucas man-splained.

“And again… yeah, so?” I repeated, annoyed at the delay.

“You messed up,” Beck said in a singsong voice. “I guess you didn’t dickmatize her after all.”

“Idiot.” Lucas narrowed his eyes at him.

“He’s not as big an idiot as you two are,” I said to him and Adrian. “I can take care of myself, as both of you know. Colson and Wren are more than capable of protecting Rory.” I headed toward the open door.

Lucas immediately followed, with Beck and Adrian close behind.

The closer we got, the stronger the smell became.

Rot.

I’d started smelling it a while back, but I’d hoped it was something in the woods.

No such luck.

Adrian stepped in front of me and pried the door wider with his knife. It squealed against the floor, but nothing moved.

Beck stepped inside first, with Lucas behind him, while Adrian peeled off to circle around to the rear of the building.

I waited a few seconds before following Beck and Lucas into the office.

I didn’t have to lead, but these men needed to learn I wasn’t a princess to be guarded. I was every inch the evil queen Beck had dubbed me, and I could take care of myself.

And maybe I was a tad defensive after hearing those fuckers talk about women the way they had.

The room was small and dim. A metal desk, two rusted filing cabinets, a torn vinyl chair, and an old mattress crowded the space. Mouse droppings covered the floor, and dust coated everything, including a calendar still stuck on a month that no longer mattered.

“Maybe Wren can pick herself up another guy?” Lucas pointed to the old mattress.

I heard something move behind the desk, so faint that if my hearing hadn’t been enhanced, I would’ve missed it.

The guys stiffened next to me, so I knew they’d heard it too.

I raised my bat.

A gray hand emerged, followed by an arm, as the rotter dragged itself into sight on its elbows. Its legs ended in ragged stumps below the knees, with grimy denim trailing behind. Yellowed fingernails scraped the concrete as it pulled itself forward, revealing a mouth with broken teeth.

“Fucking disgusting.” Lucas wrinkled his nose.

Beck snorted. “What a pussy?”

Lucas stepped forward and drove his hatchet through the rotter’s head. The hatchet hit with a wet crunch, burying itself nearly to the handle. When Lucas yanked it free, the skull released it with a nauseating schlurp, spraying blackened blood and something chunky across his boots.