Zombies Ahead (Club Zombie, Book One) (4 page)

“So you have lived here ever since?”

“Yeah, right before they found me, Beau had gotten back this estate from the state. Forged documents showing he was his own grandpa.” Kai didn’t understand why Jasper was laughing, but he smiled politely anyway. “There were enough of us that we needed a place and a purpose.”

“A purpose?”

“To save those that transition.”

“So all the zombies…” he stumbled over that surreal word. “Everyone who has transitioned is here?” Transitioned sounded more believable.

“No, mated pairs usually go out and find others who need assistance.” Jasper shrugged. “We each have a role to play. We have doctors, teachers, and lawyers. You name the profession, and we have someone who has that skill.”

“What role do you fill?” Kai asked curiously.

“I use my counseling skills to assist with adjusting to the transition.”

Kai imagined he was a good counselor because even he found Jasper easy to talk to.

“Your cousin is well?” The abrupt topic change made it clear the discussion of Jasper’s past was over.

Kai nodded. “He’s doing okay.”

“You miss him.”

“Yeah.” Having no clue why, Kai added, “He’s gay. Ulrich hasn’t told me, but he is.”

“How do you feel about that?” Jasper asked, watching his reaction.

“It’s fine. I don’t want you to think I have a problem with people being gay. I don’t.” Jasper’s eyes studying him quietly made him feel an odd need to fill the silence. “Really, I just… I’m not gay.”

Jasper nodded and remained quiet as if he were waiting for more.

“I mean, of course,” Kai lowered his voice a little. “I mean, I have thoughts about it. You know… being with a guy.” Blinking was the only reaction Jasper gave, so he continued spilling his secrets. “I mean all guys think about it, right? That’s normal. I don’t think about it all the time. Just, you know sometimes.” Jasper remained silent and just inclined his head towards Kai to suggest he was listening. “I guess I do dream about it. Not a lot, but sometimes. You know, being with a guy.”

“What do you dream?” Jasper’s voice seemed to ignite a fire inside of him.

Kai’s heart was beating a little harder as he thought about the details he was sharing with him. Something deep inside of Kai seemed to be encouraging him to open up his innermost thoughts to Jasper. It was odd to trust someone who he just met with this much. “Stuff.” His face felt sunburned.

“Stuff?” Jasper encouraged him to continue.

“Being with a guy. Having sex. What that might be like…” His voice trailed off as Jasper’s eyes seemed to capture his.

“Do you enjoy it?” Jasper’s eyes seemed to be touching him. Kai could almost feel them on him.

Lost in those sea-foam-colored eyes, Kai didn’t understand the question. “Huh?”

A slow smile crawled over Jasper’s mouth. “Do you enjoy interacting with the man in your dreams?”

Kai blinked to release himself from the spell he seemed to be under.
Yes!
“Oh, um… I don’t know.” Jasper didn’t look as if he was buying it. Kai shrugged. “I guess.” He glanced away from Jasper’s eyes. The man saw far too much, and Kai realized he had just said far more than he ever meant to speak out loud.

Jasper stood up. “I don’t have a TV. We can get one for your room if you’d like.” He walked into Kai’s new room as Kai followed him.

“No need. I have a computer.”

“Well, I do have a wide selection of books.” Jasper pointed at the shelves. Kai looked at the collection and pulled the one called
Tales from Club Zombie
off the shelf.

Jasper cautioned him. “Oh, you might not want to read that…”

The book seemed to open with a mind of its own. Kai looked down and SHIT! He slammed it shut and returned it to its spot on the shelf.

Grinning at Kai’s reaction, Jasper explained, “One of the guys here decided to try his hand at writing romance, so he has written the stories of the mated pairs.”

“These are all about men with men?” Kai choked on his words. This was a big damned book.

The handsome man smiled sympathetically. “Since zombies only mate to men, yes.” He picked up the dropped book. “It is really quite lovely.”

“Lovely? Lovely? How is that?” Asking as if he didn’t just drink a vial filled to the rim with some stranger’s ejaculate, Kai tried like fuck not to feel how his dick was trying to rip out of his pants after sharing his deepest secrets with a gorgeous man he barely knew.

“Some of the stories are rather romantic.” Jasper thumbed the well-read pages almost wistfully. “Most give a glimpse of the historic past. Zombies are international, so the stories are global.”

Kai nodded, not knowing what to say. He wondered briefly if there were any stories from Germany.

“You might enjoy Lafayette and Beau’s story. It is quite interesting without being too… too much. Sleep well and sweet dreams.”

“Night.”

Kai paced for a moment before making a decision. He pulled the book back off the shelf. Maybe it would be interesting to find out about the others living here. But first he wanted to call his cousin back. The six-hour time zone difference was something he would have to get used to.

He knew his night owl of a cousin would still be up. It didn’t take long for Ulrich to answer his Skype line. Kai was glad it was video so he could see Ulrich with his own eyes.

“And how goes it?” Ulrich asked with a smile.

“It goes?” Kai answered with a frown then looked at his cousin closely. “You doing okay?”

Ulrich grinned and laughed. “Don’t I look okay?” He stood up to twirl in a circle showing off his sleep pants and T-shirt from the concert they went to when Ulrich was twelve. Uncle Franz had gone ballistic, but it was worth it to give Ulrich such happiness.

“You should be sleeping,” Kai said blandly as if his cousin would ever change his sleep pattern. Not even Ulrich’s father’s beatings could make the kid sleep. Luckily Uncle Franz gave up.

“So tell me more of America. I looked up information on South Carolina.”

Kai wasn’t surprised. Now that Ulrich had a computer, if he wasn’t in the field, Kai knew the kid would be online. “Anything interesting?”

“Well, your new home’s motto is ‘While I breathe, I hope.’ Kind of depressing if you ask me.” He shrugged before his face broke into a big grin. “The state dance is called the Shag!” Ulrich snorted and giggled like a little boy. “You know what ‘shag’ means in England…”

The kid’s laughter was contagious. He chuckled and told him, “Yes, of course I do.”

Ulrich stared at him for a moment. “So do you have any friends?” He continued to stare intensely as if he already knew the answer, and with his gift, he probably did.

“Yeah. Everyone’s real nice here.”

“So, how’s the guy you are
living
with?” The kid made it sound like something else was happening.

“I’m not LIVING with him… he’s… um… just letting me stay here.”

Ulrich broke into a grin.

Kai couldn’t have stopped himself responding for a million euro. “Ulrich!”

The kid was the picture of innocence. “What? I didn’t say anything?”

“You didn’t have to! You know what your tone implied.”

“Huh?” The younger guy’s sparkling eyes gave away his mischievous thoughts. Nodding his head as if he were considering something before he asked, “So are you gay?”

“What? Why would you ask that?”

“Because… never mind.” The kid faked an unconvincing yawn and said, “I’m exhausted. Call you tomorrow?”

Kai frowned with annoyance at the fib but nodded. “Yeah, of course.” He didn’t know what to make of Ulrich’s little smile before he ended the connection.

Sighing, he didn’t want to give it any more thought. He seemed to think far too much since he wasn’t exhausted from working the vines. His mind flashed him another image of Jasper. Maybe he should try reading.

Chapter Four: The Romantic Tale of Lafayette & Beau Renou

Kai laid down on his bed and opened the large volume about the mated zombies slowly. He skimmed the table of contents until he located the page number for Lafayette and Beau’s story. Kai turned the pages until he came to the right chapter. He settled in to read at least one chapter of this book.

* * * *

Chapter 1: The Love Story of Beau and Lafayette

I am Beau Renou, and I am mated to Lafayette Renou. Yes, as a grand romantic gesture he took my name. This is our story told by my good friend, Cassidy Frost.

Lafayette was the most beautiful man Beau Renou had ever seen. His beautiful light chocolate-colored skin, his rippling muscles and intelligent eyes turned the young Beau Renou inside out. At fifteen, Beau started to pursue the man. He was young enough to ignore the little obstacles in his way, like slavery or the fact that his father would kill him if it were known that he had designs on a slave. Beau was meant to marry the girl on the next plantation behind his family’s estate, but his naivety allowed him to pretend these things didn’t exist.

Beau would watch Lafayette work for hours as he pretended to study and read. More than once he was threatened with the switch for spoiling his sheets during his nightly emission that accompanied his heated dreams of Lafayette. He learned to take care of that situation while outside watching the object of his lust go about his daily chores.

After months of staring, Beau finally worked up the nerve to speak with Lafayette. The slave was polite but never looked at him directly. After that Beau searched for reasons to speak with him every single day. Each time his heart would race with excitement as he tried to keep his voice from cracking. He longed for Lafayette to look him in the eye so the man could see how much Beau felt for him.

Beau Renou may have only been fifteen, but he knew it was love. Somewhere along the lines between lust and longing, love had developed. It felt overwhelming, wonderful and scary as hell. But Beau wouldn’t let fear stop him from having Lafayette.

It was a typical summer afternoon. He was making up reasons to speak to Lafayette. “So tell me again how the fields are prepared for planting.” Beau tried not to bat his eyes, but just being near this masculine man made him want to simper and whine in need.

“Sir, I think the foreman might be best to explain it to you. I should not be trying to teach you anything. A slave has nothing you need to learn, sir.” Lafayette stepped back from him.

Beau took a step towards him. “No, I want you.” His hand reached out and touched Lafayette’s forearm. It was hard muscle, but the skin was softer than he imagined. It was like touching fine silk. He flushed as he realized what he had said. “I mean, I want you to explain it. You’re the one that actually does the work.”

Lafayette sighed, but he remained polite. He moved back so Beau couldn’t maintain contact with him which was a shame, but at least he was still speaking. Beau had his attention. If only Lafayette would look him in the eye when he spoke.

Beau found himself flirting like one of the girls his mama had thrown in his direction. Beau laughed and leaned towards Lafayette when he was speaking, and tried to make himself as pleasing as possible. He thought he was keeping his love a secret, but apparently his nasty uncle figured it out.

His uncle had told Beau’s father about the flirtation, and the next day Lafayette was whipped for Beau’s inappropriate familiarity with a slave. Silent tears fell down his cheeks as he watched Lafayette’s back get sliced into ribbons under the whip. The man never uttered a cry of complaint; he just took what he was given as if he deserved it.

Beau waited until the foreman had left before he moved out from the shadows that were hiding him.

“I am so sorry.” Wiping away a tear, Beau cleared his throat. “I am going to take care of you.”

“Sir, please go. I don’t want more trouble.” Lafayette looked him in the eye then lowered his head.

With the help of another slave, Lafayette was carried to an abandoned hut on the edge of the plantation. “It’s safe here. The foreman knows if he hurts you too much Mama will raise a fuss which means Daddy will get on him. I will tell him some of the slaves brought you to a healer.”

Everyday Beau visited so he could clean and bandage the man’s wounds. By the second day, Beau held his head while he fed him broth, then pieces of bread, and finally bits of meat and cheese he was able to snatch from the kitchen. Lafayette never objected to the closeness as his head rested in Beau’s lap. The meals would start out tense with his patient being uncomfortably tight, but then as the minutes passed Lafayette allowed himself to sink into relaxation.

On the third day, Lafayette’s eyes found Beau’s and a wealth of all he could not say seemed to be conveyed. Beau didn’t push the advantage, he knew the man was still recovering, but he drank in every moment those beautiful brown eyes were on his.

After only five days, Beau knew Lafayette had to return to the fields. He didn’t like it, but he knew there would be hell to pay if the man didn’t go back to work.

“You shouldn’t risk yourself for me. I am fine.” Lafayette’s eyes met Beau’s for a breathless moment before he lowered his head. “But I do thank you for your kindness.” As an afterthought, he added, “Sir.”

In that moment, Beau saw everything the dark-skinned man didn’t want him to see. He saw desire, want, and heartbreak. Even though Beau didn’t mean to say what he did, the truth came spilling out of his mouth. “I love you, Lafayette.” Beau launched himself at the slave who was still weak. The healing man fell back under Beau’s body.

Beau’s lips pressed into the man’s plump lips as he had seen the servants do when they thought no one was looking. There was a small pause; a hesitation, the man almost accepted the kiss. For one breathless heart stopping seconds, he thought Lafayette would kiss him back.

“Stop. Boy. Sir. Stop!” Pushing Beau off him, the reclining man struggled to sit up.

“No, I won’t. I don’t know how, but we are going to be together,” Beau said with all the passion in his young heart.

Lafayette held his hands up in front of him as if to protect himself from Beau’s unwanted advances. “You must not say such impossible things.”

“But I love you… with all my heart. I do.” He wanted to make him understand the depths of his feelings. Lafayette was everything to him. “I know you felt something. I saw it.”