Last Night in Hell

Dia Cole

Contents

Summary

1. Sophie

2. Sophie

3. Tore

4. Sophie

5. Jack

6. Sophie

7. Xander

8. Sophie

Afterword

About the Author

Books By Dia Cole

Excerpt from Claiming Her Mates: Book One

Summary

1. Havana

Thank you

Last Night in Hell

All rights reserved.

Published by Black Diamond Press LLC.

Copyright © 2019

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction, electronic sharing, or other unauthorized use of this book is prohibited without the express written permission of the publisher.

Edited by Anne-Marie Rutella

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-946975-16-4

Summary

A night she’ll never forget…

Sophie planned for missing guests and a venue change, but never in her wildest dreams did she foresee the apocalypse happening just days before her wedding. Thankfully, her best men and a dangerous former hitman keep her safe.

Then the unthinkable happens…

Now, innocent Sophie has only hours to live and a decision to make. Will she stay true to her long-lost groom or let her sexy companions give her the wedding night of her dreams?

1

Sophie

“We shouldn’t be here,” I whisper to the spiky-haired guy in the tattered Megadeth T-shirt. “We’re only supposed to check the street, do a head count of the dead, and report back. No scavenging, remember?” My voice seems to reverberate off the empty shelves of the convenience store.

Kevin lets out a noncommittal grunt and steps over an overturned rack. His movements send dust motes dancing into the musty air.

I grit my teeth in frustration. “There could be Biters in here.” I tighten my fingers around the twirling baton in my hands. The razor-sharp knives I’ve attached to each end of the baton turned the old trinket from my majorette days into a lightweight double-bladed spear—perfect for putting down the dead.

Kevin rolls his eyes. “Chill, Sophie. There are no zombies in here.”

He’s right. If there were Biters in here they would’ve attacked us already. I let out the deep breath I’m holding and loosen my death grip on the baton. “There’s no food in here either,” I grumble, looking up at the poster-sized photos of ice cream cones, hot dogs, and candy bars hanging from the water-stained ceiling tiles.

My stomach rumbles reminding me that I haven’t eaten since this time yesterday. The idea of stumbling across a bag of chips missed by the last group of survivors to loot this place keeps me following Kevin down the aisle.

“There’s more to life than food.” Kevin grabs a box off the ground and chucks it at my face.

Somehow I manage to catch it without dropping my baton. It’s a jumbo box of condoms. “Really, Kevin?”

“Why don’t we have a quickie?” Kevin wags his bushy eyebrows suggestively.

As if. I barely resist the temptation to stab him with the baton. “Fuck off.”

“Come on. What are you waiting for? I can pop that cherry of yours, right here, right now.”

My face heats. I can’t believe he knows I’m a virgin. But then again he’s my fiancé’s best friend. He probably knows everything, including the fact that I’ve tried dozens of times to seduce Logan, but each time he pushes me away. Logan is the one who wants to wait until we're married.

I skim my free hand over the engagement ring I’m wearing on a chain around my neck. Sadly, the princess cut solitaire hasn’t fit on my finger for a long time.

Kevin openly leers at the tiny bit of cleavage my navy V-neck sweater shows. “You look good enough to eat.”

I twirl the baton in annoyance. “You know Jack and Xander would kick your ass if they could hear you right now.” Our two childhood friends have always been very protective of me. They, along with Kevin, had rushed to my side when the Z-virus first started turning people into monsters.

Kevin snorts. “That’s just cause they are both dying to screw you. Probably at the same time, you know those motherfuckers are freaky as shit.”

What? The idea that the two gorgeous guys have any romantic interest in me rocks my world. I hide my surprise by stuffing the box of condoms in my backpack. Although I won’t use them, I can barter or trade them for something.

“Come on, Sophie,” Kevin pleads. “Give me a chance to rock your world.”

“I’m engaged to Logan, remember?”

His smirk evaporates. Grief flashes in his hazel eyes. Suddenly, he looks much more like the freckle-faced kid who used to tug on my ponytail when we were kids. “You know Logan is dead, right?”

My heart skips a beat. Emotions I usually keep on lockdown, threaten to drown me. I shake my head, denying his words. “No. Logan is out here somewhere. We’ll find him.” Kevin and the other guys think he’s dead because he didn’t meet up with us at my apartment all those months ago, but there has to be another explanation. Logan could’ve been helping other people battle the dead, or been trying to find his mom, or he could’ve gotten trapped somewhere, or…

Or he could be dead.

I shut my eyes and clench my fist around my ring. The sharp bite of the diamond into the soft flesh of my palm centers me. Logan’s alive and I’m going to find him. I let out a deep breath, open my eyes, and fix Kevin with a look of determination. “I’m not giving up hope.”

Kevin offers me a sad smile and clamps his hand on my shoulder. “Then I won’t either. Forgive my crass words, my lady.” He bows low, making me laugh. When he straightens, his gaze locks on something over my shoulder. “Fucking A! I knew there was treasure here!” He points to a lone carton of cigarettes resting high on a shelf behind the cash register. “Look! That could be the last carton in all Saguaro Valley.”

I shake my head. “Haven’t you given that nasty habit up?” Probably the only good thing to come from the apocalypse is it forced people to give up their addictions. Cigarettes, liquor, and pills had been the first things to vanish from store shelves and people’s homes in the early days of the outbreak.

“I’d die for a cigarette right now.” Kevin rushes over to the counter, clambers on top of it, and tries to grab the carton. The tips of his fingers brush against the side of it.

“Kevin! Seriously, you’re going to hurt yourself. Get down.”

“Just a little more.” He stretches his arms.

Behind the counter, a few feet from the register, is an empty wheelchair and a shaking life-size cardboard cutout of a NASCAR driver holding an energy drink in his hand.

The shaking cardboard snares my attention. Why is it moving?

It takes me half a second to realize the danger my friend is in. Oh, shit! We never looked behind the counter. Fear climbs the back of my throat. Not wanting to startle Kevin, I say, “Kevin, get away from there,” as calmly as I can manage.

“Give me a second. I almost have it.” Kevin rises on the balls of his sneakers.

The cardboard cutout crashes on its side as if a gust of wind hit it.

“What’s that?” Kevin shouts. He twists around and loses his footing. As if in slow motion, I watch him pinwheel his arms in the air and fall back behind the counter—taking the wheelchair down with him. A heartbeat later, Kevin lets out a bloodcurdling shriek.

“Kevin!” I rush to the counter.

He’s on his back trying to fight off a badly decomposed, one-legged zombie. The creature’s jaws are buried in his throat. Blood is everywhere.

Shock freezes me in place. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening.

Kevin’s eyes are wild with panic and pain. He gurgles my name.

I have to help. Shoving away my terror, I bound over the counter and kick the zombie off my friend.

Kevin lets out a scream as the creature takes out a chunk of his throat.

The Biter, still wearing a plastic nametag on a lanyard around its neck, clicks its blood-covered teeth together and reaches for Kevin again.

Oh no you don’t! I stab my baton straight through its diseased white eyes.

With its brain incapacitated, the creature goes lax.

I fall to my knees over Kevin. His eyes are closed and his skin is pale. There’s so much blood. I can’t see how bad the damage is. Fighting back hysteria, I desperately try to recall my first aid training. Have to stop the blood loss.

My breath comes in shallow gasps as I tear off the sweater I’m wearing. It leaves me in my bra, but I don’t care about the cold. All that matters is Kevin.

I quickly press my sweater against his neck and hold it there. Anguish tightens like a noose around my throat. I don’t know what else to do. It’s not as if I can save Kevin at this point. Even if the blood loss doesn’t kill him, he’s been infected. The Z-virus will kill him and reanimate him as a zombie in twenty-four hours. He’s as good as dead.

“Why did you have to go after the cigarettes?” I ask him, my voice cracking. “Why don’t you ever listen to me?”

His eyelids flutter.

“Kevin!”

The spark of hope inside me dies the moment Kevin’s eyes open. His milky white orbs lock on my face at the same time he turns his head and snaps his jaws around my right forearm.

“Aah!” Too shocked to even feel pain, I punch the creature formerly known as Kevin repeatedly with my left hand trying to free my arm.

He clamps his teeth down harder.

“Noooo!” I beat at his head. When that does nothing, I reach my free hand toward the head of the one-legged zombie. As soon as my fingers register the cool metal of my baton, I wrap my hand around it and yank it out of the desiccated skull. Then I swing it down on top of Kevin’s head. The sharp tip of the knife slides straight through his skull with a sickening crunch.

Kevin goes motionless.

Trembling, I shake his jaws off me. Then, cradling my arm against my chest, I collapse onto the bloody linoleum next to the two corpses. Hot tears blur my vision as I inspect my arm. The sliver of hope I have that his teeth didn’t break the skin goes up in smoke once I see the damage. Oh, no. I’m infected.

Sadness and shock give way to rage. “Goddamn you!” I scream at Kevin’s body. But it isn’t his fault. I’m the dumbass that didn’t anticipate him dying and reanimating so quickly.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I clench my engagement ring in my hand. It’s wet with blood. I furiously wipe it until it sparkles like it did when Logan first got down on one knee and presented it to me. Then I let out a hysterical sob.

It’s over now. I’ll never find Logan. I’ll never look into Logan’s charcoal eyes or run my hands through his soft brown hair. I’ll never give him a hard time about wearing sandals and shorts in the winter and he’ll never nag at me to lighten up. There never will be a wedding and we’ll never have the amazing wedding night he promised.

Burying my head in my hands I give myself over to the grief and heartbreak that comes with knowing my life is over.

2

Sophie

Outside the corner office window, dark rain clouds smother the fading sun. “Figures,” I mumble as I toast to my last sunset anyway. Four stories below, a dead man shambles down Main Street dragging his left arm behind him. Somehow he manages to avoid the overturned cars and debris in the weed-choked road.

Will I wander around like him when I’m a zombie?

I take a gulp of sherry from the miniature bottle I found inside the rustic oak desk ages ago. The sickly sweet liquid makes me gag and cough so hard I nearly fall off the squeaky leather office chair. I quickly glance at the floor-to-ceiling glass wall that separates my living space from the main office. Thankfully, I had the presence of mind to close the vertical blinds so none of the other survivors see me with my contraband.

Tore had expressly forbidden anyone from drinking alcohol. “Drinking makes you stupid, and stupid makes you dead,” he’d repeatedly told us in his gruff no-nonsense voice.

Just thinking of the handsome leader of our survivor group makes my chest tighten with a mixture of emotions I don’t want to examine. Trying to push him out of my mind, I look down at the letters resting on the top of the desk. The letter I just finished is for my mom, not that she’ll ever see it.

If I could only turn back time, I would have driven with her to pick up Nana in Phoenix instead of staying in Saguaro Valley to work out the finishing touches of my wedding. How was I supposed to know that the canine flu vaccine would turn everyone into zombies?

In truth, I don’t know if Mom, Nana, or Logan are alive. The last time I saw my mom was the night before she left for Phoenix and the last time I saw Logan was the morning before his bachelor party months ago.

Logan had looked so handsome that day. His mink-brown hair was slightly tousled in that I-just-got-out-of-bed way, and he’d worn a rumpled T-shirt from some indie band I’d never heard of.

“I promise to be on my best behavior tonight,” he’d said giving me a dimpled smile.

“You don’t have to,” I’d said lowering my voice so the other patrons in the coffee shop wouldn’t overhear us.

His eyes widened in shock. “What are you saying?”

“It’s your bachelor party.” I’d fiddled with my paper napkin afraid to meet his gaze. “You should cut loose.”

“Cut loose?” He sounded slightly horrified.

“Would it be so wrong if we each had one night where we…um, experimented a little?” My cheeks felt as if they were on fire, but I wasn’t going to take back my words. Logan and I were about to commit to each other for the rest of our lives. He, like me, had to be curious about what intimacy would be like with other people. Like Xander and Jack, my wicked inner voice whispered. I wasn’t talking about having sex, but maybe playing around a little…

“Are you having second thoughts about marrying me?” he asked softly.

Maybe. I looked down at my engagement ring. It’d been Sophie and Logan since seventh grade when he’d asked me to the school dance by shooting a paper airplane note at my head. I loved him, but I didn’t understand why he was in such a hurry to get married. We hadn’t finished college or even saved enough money for a place of our own. We were going to have to shack up with his freaky mother, a woman I barely tolerated on the best of days.

“Sophie?” He reached across the small table and cupped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “You love me, right?”

Once snared in those familiar gray eyes, my mind blanked and I forgot all about my reservations. “Forget what I said. It’s a terrible idea. I just don’t want you to feel like you’re missing out.”

He smiled. “Missing out? Never. I’m crazy in love with you, woman.” Then he pulled me in for a deep kiss and that had been the end of that conversation. It’d also apparently been the last kiss I’d ever have.

Goodbye, Logan. I rest my hand on Logan’s letter. It sits on top of my notes to Jack and Xander. My heart throbs as their handsome faces flash in my mind. I’ll forever be grateful to them and Kevin for coming to protect me when the outbreak first hit.

Ah, Kevin. Regret claws at me. Maybe if I’d been quicker to warn him, he’d still be alive. Anguish clogs my throat as I rub the bite wound hidden under a bandage and my sweatshirt sleeve. It’s not fair. We’re way too young to die.

Tore’s gruff voice plays in my mind. “Life’s not fucking fair, angel. Remember death’s always waiting around the corner.”

I forgot that and now I’ll pay the price. Taking a shuddering breath, I move my hand from the letters to the loaded pistol sitting in the middle of the desk. Now that I’ve written my goodbyes, it’s time to die.

I slowly place the cold barrel of the gun in my mouth. Ignoring the bitter taste of metal and gun oil, I put my finger on the trigger. Wait. It would be incredibly shitty of me to make the other survivors deal with my dead body and infected blood. I need to go somewhere else to kill myself.

Releasing the breath I’m holding, I stand and stuff the gun into the waistband of my cleanest pair of jeans. It’s a bit ridiculous that I’ve taken the time to give myself a sponge bath and change out of my bloodstained clothes. But since I’m about to meet my maker and all, it probably doesn’t hurt to look my best.

I give one last look around the small office and open the door.

Tore stands on the other side his beefy fist raised in the air as if he’d been about to knock.

My skin grows warm as the tall, muscular, olive-skinned man stares down at me. Can he tell I’m infected? “What’s up?”

“I want to be sure you’re okay. I’m sorry about you losing your friend today.” As he speaks, a lock of chestnut hair falls over his heavy brows. My hands itch to stroke it back, but I wouldn’t dare touch him. No one touches Tore.

“Um…thanks.”

“The others have gone up to the roof. They're having a memorial for Kevin.” He motions above us. “You should go.”

So that’s why it’s so quiet in the office. I peer around Tore’s huge bicep and see that the rows of cubicles behind him are empty. Jack and Xander are probably up there with the others. I’m such a chickenshit for writing them a note instead of saying goodbye in person, but I don't think I can handle their pain along with mine. “Thanks. I’ll pass.”

Tore presses his lips together for a moment. “It’s important to mourn the people you care about. Take it from me.”

Who has he lost? I wonder as I search his beautiful dark eyes. The man is such an enigma. So harsh and menacing at times and so gentle and caring at other times. When I realize that Tore is waiting expectantly for me to say something, I say, “All the same, I’m going to sit this one out.”

An awkward silence stretches between us.

His gaze falls on the gun resting on my hip. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t leave by yourself,” he says as if I don’t know we are always supposed to travel in pairs.

My assigned partner is dead.

Kevin’s face flashes in my mind and a fresh wave of pain crashes over me. “It’s best for everyone if I do,” I mumble.

Suspicion floods his eyes. “You’re infected.” It’s a statement not a question.

My eyes burn as I try to keep my composure. “Yeah. Kevin bit me after he turned. It was my fault. I was so stupid.”

He stands stock still for a moment. “Are you sure you’re infected? Maybe his teeth didn’t break the skin?”

“I wish.” I let out a choked laugh. “I’m so kicking Kevin in the balls when I see him in the afterlife.” Assuming there is an afterlife.

Tore abruptly turns and slams his fist straight through the fabric cubicle wall behind him. “I warned you two not to go scavenging. But you didn’t listen. And now… And now…” It sounds as if he is gasping for air.

My mouth drops open in shock. In all the months I’ve known this man, I’ve never seen him lose control. Not even when a zombie horde invaded our last home and killed half our group.

When Tore finally turns to face me, his eyes are filled with darkness. “We can’t have an infected person in the building. You know I have to kill you.”

3

Tore

Sophie flinches at my words.

I fight the urge to unload my gun into the fucking ceiling. Maybe I’ll get lucky and hit one of those useless whining assholes that somehow glued themselves to my side at the beginning of the apocalypse. I’ll trade every single one of their lives for hers. She’s the only one that matters.

With her huge blue eyes and long ash-blond hair, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. She’s also a dead ringer for the angel on the stained glass window of Saint Christopher’s Church. I grew up staring at that angel. Every Sunday morning, without fail, my mother marched me into the church and forced me to kneel on a hard wooden pew. She was hell-bent that I ask for forgiveness for the sins I hadn’t yet committed. Had my mother known what a monster I’d turn into?

Sophie taps the grip of her handgun bringing me back to the crisis at hand. “There’s no need for you to get blood on your hands. I’ve got it covered.”

She has no idea how bloody my hands are. Already my mind brims with possible ways to kill her. A bullet—too loud. It might attract more dead to our location and that’s the last thing we need. A knife—too painful. I want her death to be merciful. Deciding to snap her neck then stab her in the skull after she passes, I take a step forward.

She must see her death in my eyes. “Tore,” she pleads. Her breathless voice brings to mind images of sweaty bodies tangling in the night. For months I’ve been hoping that she’d stop burning the torch for that fiancé of hers and welcome me into her bed. But now that’s not going to happen. She’s going to die.

I clench my hands—hands that were responsible for taking the lives of so many people. Is that why this is happening to her? Is her death some retribution from God? The one time I let my guard down. The one time I let a woman in and poof the Almighty takes her. Or the devil. Who the fuck knows what’s really going on anymore?

Not her. Ah, fuck. Not her.

My angel wipes her tear-filled eyes and lifts her chin. She’s trying so hard to keep her shit together, the least I can do is the same.

“I didn’t want to put anyone in danger. I only came back to write some goodbyes.” She jabs her thumb back at the desk behind her. “If you could make sure that Jack and Xander get the letters, I’d appreciate it.”

I narrow my eyes at the mention of the two fuckers who actually believed they could keep Sophie alive on their own. If it weren’t for me, all of them would have died. The memory of coming across the four of them—Sophie, Kevin, Xander, and Jack—barricaded inside a Laundromat flashes in my mind. Their pitiful group was under attack by a relentless herd of zombies. I should’ve kept walking, but then I’d spotted Sophie standing in the middle of the men looking exactly like my angel from church. So I’d saved their lives and added them to my tribe. I’ve never regretted that act until this moment. If I hadn’t gotten to know Sophie, I would never have fallen for her and my heart wouldn’t be self-combusting right now.

“Tore?” Sophie says.

I realize I’ve zoned out again. “Yeah, I’ll make sure they get your letters.”

She lets out a sigh of relief. “Thanks.”

“Did you write me a letter?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.

She nibbles her plump lower lip and shakes her head.

“So you weren’t even going to say goodbye?” A mixture of grief and outrage grip me. I march forward, forcing her to back up. We’re standing in the middle of her office by the time I realize I’m acting like a menacing bastard.

She stares at me with a flash of fear in her gaze. “I…um, didn’t know what to say to you.”

Of course she doesn’t know what to say. She doesn’t give a shit about me. My shoulders slump. “You could at least give me a heads-up. I care about you, you know. I don’t care about many people.” Most days I don’t even care about myself. If anyone deserves to die, it’s me.

She surprises the hell out of me by wrapping her arms around my waist. She smells of that lavender body wash she uses. “I care about you too, Tore. Thank you for saving my life all those months ago.”

I bury my face in her neck inhaling her sweet scent. “But I didn’t in the end, did I?” The tightness in my voice betrays me.

She pulls away and looks up at me. “You weren’t responsible for this. This was my fault. I forgot everything you taught me and—” she swallows hard “—and now I’ll die because of it.”

Before I can reply, she rises on the balls of her feet and kisses me on the cheek. It’s a quick peck, but the proximity to her makes me want things I can’t have.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” she says in a husky voice.

I blink in surprise.

She smiles. “Since I’m dying and all, will you finally tell me what you really did before all this? And don’t just say ‘this and that’ like you always do.”

Ah, what the fuck. If it’s her dying wish to know, I should tell her. “I worked for the family.” I don’t tell her which family. Based on her expression, I don’t have to.

Her brows draw together. “What? Like the mafia?”

Exactly like the mafia. “Yeah.”

She chuckles and shakes her head.

The fact that she doesn’t run from the room surprises me. I’m not proud of my past, but it sure prepared me for the shit show the world has become.

Her blue eyes dance with an inner light that drags me in. “Do me a favor, okay?”

“Depends,” is my bullshit response. I’ll do anything for her. Anything.

“Tell Xander he wins the bet.”

Xander? Is he the linebacker or the one that looks like Bruce Lee with a Mohawk? “What bet?”

She laughs again. “We bet on you. What you did before the apocalypse. I thought you were a cop. Xander said you were a wise guy. He wins.”

Stunned, I can only stare at her. “You thought I was one of the good guys?”

“Yeah.” She licks her lips and my cock hardens. “I still think you’re a good guy. If you hadn’t taken us under your wing, we all would’ve died out there.”

She has no idea the kind of man I am. “Do you know why I let your little band of losers stay with me?”

“Because you were feeling charitable.” She rubs her hands nervously on her jeans drawing my attention to the way the tattered denim molds to the mouthwatering curves of her hips and ass.

Lust fogs my mind. “Hardly. It was because you were so goddamn beautiful.” I take a few steps closer, until I’ve all but backed her into the front of the desk. I lower my head to her ear and whisper, “I’ve wanted you since I first saw you.”

She shivers and wets her lips. “You did?”

“I still do.” I put my hands on her hips and lower my head to kiss her.

She inhales sharply and turns her head before I can claim her mouth. “What are you doing?”

“I want to fuck you before you die,” I answer honestly.

“I can’t,” she whispers. “I’m engaged.”

As if that matters now. “Don’t you want to know what it would be like between us? I promise I’ll be the best you’ve ever had.” I boldly press her against me. There is no mistaking my intent, or my raging hard-on.

She jerks away like a skittish colt.

No way. “Don’t tell me you’re a virgin?”

Her eyes drop to her feet. “Of course not.” She’s never been good at lying.

I feel as if I’ve been coldcocked. “Not possible. All you ever talk about is that perfect fiancé of yours.”

She blushes. “Logan wanted to wait until we were married.”

“Your fiancé was a fool. What kind of man wouldn’t fuck you until his eyes crossed every chance he got?”

“He had his reasons,” she says in a small voice that tells me I hit a sore spot.

“It doesn’t matter. He’s dead now.”

She pushes me away. “Don’t say that. Logan's out there. I know it.”

The pain in her eyes cuts me like a stiletto knife. She knows the guy is gone, but she won’t accept it. “It doesn’t matter. Your time is up. Do you really want to die a virgin?” I lean in and brush my mouth against her ear.

She gasps.

My dick is so hard it feels as if it’s going to punch a hole in my jeans. I have to have her. “Don’t you want to know what it would be like?” I can’t be the only one that notices the chemistry between us.

She shakes her head, but there are conflicting emotions playing across her face.

Wanting to tip the scales in my direction, I slide my hand up her sweatshirt.

Her breathing hitches, but she makes no move to stop me.

I trek across her silky smooth skin and cup her breast. Her bare breast. Ah fuck, she’s not wearing a bra. Her nipple stiffens against my palm and I have to fight the urge to throw her down on the desk, rip off her clothes, and mount her like the animal I am.

“We shouldn’t,” she says, but she’s leaning back against the desk arching her body toward mine.

I go all in with both hands caressing her breasts. Her husky moan is pure music. Frustrated with all the fabric in the way, I start to pull her sweatshirt off. It catches on the silver chain around her neck.

“Wait,” she says, breathing hard. She pushes my hands away, shoves down her top, and clenches the ring on the chain.

It’s her fucking engagement ring. Shit. My mood and erection deflate.

“I can’t betray Logan like this even though I want—” She turns away, her breathing ragged.

Hope surges through me. She wants this as badly as I do. That’s all I need to know.

4

Sophie

Tore presses his chest into my back. “How about this? We’ll do a test, I’m going to touch you here.” He cups me between my legs. “If you’re wet for me, we do this. If not…” His voice trails off.

I shake my head. That would be so wrong. But the idea has me growing damp and breathless. Even though I’m trapped between his huge body and the desk, I’m filled with excitement not fear.

He waits as if to see if I’ll make a move to stop him.

I don’t.

He takes my gun and sets it on the desk. Then he slides his hand around my hip, under the waistband of my jeans, and finds the neediest part of my body.

The forbidden touch sends an electric current straight through me.

Tore lets out a shuddering breath. “Ah fuck, you’re drenched.” His big, callused fingers find my clit.

I can’t help moaning loudly. My thighs shake uncontrollably as he strokes me. Pressure builds between my legs. This feels so good.

“Let me fuck you, Sophie,” he pleads.

“And if I say no?” I gasp, trying not to writhe under the erotic onslaught of his fingers.

“Then you die without experiencing this.” He pinches my clit.

I cry out. I’m so close to coming.

He nibbles a trail of fire down my neck. “I’ll make it good for you. So good.”

My knees weaken and my core throbs with need. I glance down at the engagement ring. It shimmers from around my neck as if it senses my indecision.

Just say no, Sophie. It’s not that hard. I know Logan would stay true to me until the end.

But I’m not Logan and I want to experience passion before I die. My fingers are shaky and it takes two tries for me to unclasp the necklace. I toss it on the desk where it ironically lands smack on top of Logan’s letter. I shut my eyes. Out of sight out of mind, right?

Taking a deep breath, I whisper the one word that will change everything. “Yes.”

He nudges my legs farther apart with his muscled thigh and bends me over the desk. “I want to hear you say it.”

“Fuck me,” I moan.

He finds one of my nipples with his free hand and rolls it roughly between his fingers. The pleasure-pain sensation sends me into orbit. My knees buckle and I grab hold of the edge of the desk to keep myself upright.

A low keening noise escapes my lips as he finally moves the hand between my legs. He strokes and teases, building the pleasure until I can’t stand it anymore.

“Please,” I beg.

Tore turns his hand so his palm grinds against me. Electricity sparks through me with every pass of his hand.

“I’m going to come.” I rock against his palm chasing the rapture I know he can give me.

He flicks his thumb across my clit and I detonate in a shock wave of intense pleasure.

It takes a full minute for my mind to reboot.

“I need to be inside you.” He flips me around and sits me on the edge of the desk.

“Clothes off,” he orders. He pulls off my boots and rips my jeans free of my legs.

Excitement thrums through me as he yanks off my sweatshirt. Are we really going to do this?

He pauses for a moment and looks at me.

A sudden burst of shyness makes me want to cover myself. Damn, I wish I hadn’t lost all my curves.

“You’re so beautiful, it almost hurts to look at you,” Tore says, brushing his hand over my breasts. “Touch yourself for me, angel. I want to see what you like.”

It takes a second for my dazed brain to assimilate his meaning and when it does, my face grows hot. “Tore, I—”

“All we have is this moment. Nothing should be off-limits.”

He’s right. I hesitate for only a second. Then I drop my hands to my breasts and cup them in a hand-bra. My nipples pebble instantly. I stroke my hands over the sensitive peaks, tracing the outline of them.

Tore’s pupils dilate. “That’s so fucking hot.” He adjusts the impressive bulge I can’t wait to see.

A heady rush of excitement shoots through me. I’ve never felt this wanton before. I slide my hands down my stomach and between my thighs. My fingers glide through my slick flesh, finding my clit. It’s hypersensitive from my recent orgasm and just the slight caress sends my back arching off the desk.

Tore groans loudly. “I need to taste you.” He presses me down on the desk, dips his head, and draws one of my nipples into his mouth.

I cry out as he flicks his tongue against it and then sucks it deep between his lips. Each pull of his mouth and lash of his tongue sends a spear of exquisite pleasure from my breast straight down to my core.

“More.” I grip the silk of his hair and bury his face against my breast. He rewards me by turning to the other nipple and rasping it against his teeth.

I rub my clit harder. I’m seconds away from flying apart.

His hand covers mine and brushes it aside.

“I’m getting you off tonight, angel.”

My thighs tremble as he roughly pushes them farther apart. Then his fingers are sliding over me. He moves them back and forth, playing with my swollen bud. Liquid heat pools between my legs. Chills race over my body as he slips a finger inside me. His finger is so large and thick. My body clenches around it like a vise.

“Fuck. You’re so tight.” He moves his finger in and out of me.

I hiss at the sensuous invasion. It feels amazing.

He slips a second finger in. It feels even better.

I throw my head back. “Oh, yes.”

He thrusts his fingers in and out while rubbing my clit with his thumb. The sensation sends me spiraling higher and higher.

“That’s it, angel.” He finds a spot that unravels me.

“Right there, Tore. Don’t stop.” I careen over the edge, convulsing around his fingers.

Temporarily losing all executive functioning, I fall back on the desk.

The thud of his boots hitting the floor rouses me. I push up on my elbows to see him yanking off his T-shirt. My mouth dries at the sight of his thickly muscled shoulders and chiseled six-pack.

He shucks his jeans, giving me a tantalizing view of his long, thick cock that seems to grow impossibly huge under my gaze.

I can’t wait to feel it inside me.

Tore steps between my thighs. “I don’t have a condom, but given the circumstances…”

His words splash over me like a glass of ice water. No need to worry about STDs and pregnancy when I’ll be dead in less than twenty-four hours, right? “We shouldn’t even be doing this.” I push against his chest with the palms of my hand. “Tore. This isn’t safe for you. What if—?”

“This is worth dying for, angel. Don’t you want this?” He rubs his cock against me.

I moan brokenly. “Oh, yes.”

He thrusts hard and deep.

I clench my teeth to keep from screaming out in pleasure.

“Are you okay?”

I nod. There’s none of the blood or tearing pain I expected from years of reading romance novels. Only a delicious feeling of fullness.

“Are you sure?” Tore asks in a husky voice.

In answer, I hook my ankles around his waist to fit him even more deeply inside. Oh, yes. The feel of his thick shaft pulsing inside me cranks my desire even higher. I rock against him, urging him on.

He groans and then he’s moving, slowly in and out.

Each pass makes my inner muscles quake. “Faster,” I plead, digging my heels into his ass.

He answers my prayers by increasing his pace. Soon he’s hammering into me, building my pleasure with every slam of his hips.

I writhe in delight. “More!” Wild cries escape my lips as I grind against him.

His thrusts drive me over the desk, sending my letters flying, but I don’t care. The only thing that matters is this—the crush of his muscular body against mine. The feeling of his thick cock deep inside me. The salty taste of the sweat running down his smooth skin.

I never want it to end, but my body betrays me. A tidal wave of pleasure picks me up and hurls me into a mind-shattering orgasm.

Tore rears above me and shouts my name.

I stare into his eyes as he climaxes, savoring his dazed look of wonder. Sex is everything I hoped it would be. I can’t wait to experience more.

5

Jack

Rain beats down on my head as darkness claims the apocalyptic wasteland of my hometown. I lean over the edge of the roof to watch a herd of dead lurch around the base of our building. Biters are more active at night, not that they still won’t try to eat you in the full light of day. Kevin’s death is a case in point.

Ah, fucking K-rod. I take another pull from the tequila bottle someone put in my hands. Although it is nice Tore lifted his ban on alcohol tonight, the liquor doesn't numb the pain of losing another friend.

Grabbing the wet roof ledge to help keep my balance, I turn to the Asian man next to me. “What’s the motherfucking point of it all?”

Xander lifts one of his dark brows. “Jack, you know I don’t answer rhetorical questions.”

“It’s not rheto—whatever.” I run my hands through my sopping wet hair. It’s gotten too long again. I’ll have to ask Sophie to cut it. For the dozenth time, I scan the roof looking for the beautiful blonde woman. Logan’s woman, the voice in my head reminds me.

It’s getting harder and harder to remember that. I’ve been in love with Sophie for years although I’ve never had the balls to tell anyone except Xander who's in the same boat. We’re two sad fuckers in love with the same woman. For all I know Kevin had been in love with her too.

Poor bastard.

We’d all been close friends since elementary school and no doubt seeing Kevin die must’ve been a hard blow for Sophie. I think back to how shaken up she’d looked when she’d run into the building earlier today. She’d been covered in Kevin’s blood, her normally tanned face pale. I scan the sea of faces huddled under the large canopy tent in the middle of the roof again. “Sophie’s not here.”

Xander gives a slight nod. “I noticed. Do you think she’s doing okay?”

Fuck no. She hasn’t been okay in months. “I should check on her.”

I’m halfway to the stairwell door when Xander rushes by me. He’s small, but fast.

Not fast enough.

Even with my reflexes dulled by tequila, years of playing defense allow me to reach out and snag his hoodie.

He jerks to a stop. Then he does some lightning-fast tae kwon do moves that leave me laying on the rooftop holding my stomach.

“Ouch,” I groan. Once again I remind myself not to mess with Xander.

He stands over me with a wide grin on his face. “Why don’t we check on Sophie together?”

“Good idea,” I huff as I get to my feet.

The other survivors glare at us from under the tent, but fuck ‘em. It’s not as if they really knew Kevin. Their tears aren’t for the loss of our friend so much as the idea it’ll one day be them who doesn’t make it back.

Xander and I open the stairwell door and descend to the fourth floor in silence. I grieve the loss of fresh air as we walk into the main office and living area. No matter how many windows we open, the lingering smell of locker-room sweat remains. All in all, it’s not too bad given the number of guys living in this space. The handful of women and children get to sleep in the offices, as it should be. If the dead ever break through our stairwell barricades, they’ll have to get through us to get to them. I’ll gladly fight to the death to save Sophie’s life.

My gaze zeroes in on the door to her office. To my surprise, it opens and Tore walks out. A shirtless Tore.

What the fuck?

While I’m standing there like a dumbass, Xander grabs my arm and pulls me behind the closest cubicle wall.

Tore walks past us wiping his eyes.

Is that big motherfucker crying?

I peer around the cubicle to see him head up to the roof. Confusion clouds my mind. What just happened between them? Needing answers and needing them now, I run toward Sophie’s office.

“Jack, stop!” Xander calls after me.

I pay him no mind and yank open the door. The scent of lavender and sex slaps me in the face. I search the space and find Sophie standing stark naked near the sofa by the window.

There’s a tub of baby wipes on the sofa and it looks as if Sophie is cleaning herself. Her back is to me and her hand is between her legs. She turns her head and her eyes widen. “Jack?”

The sight of her bare body makes me forget everything, even my own damn name. All my fantasies over the years have paled in comparison to the real deal. The light from the battery-operated lantern on the floor presents me with a sizzling view of her perfect ass.

Her beautiful face flushes as I continue to stare at her. I know I’m being rude as fuck, but I can’t seem to make my brain function.

Xander rushes in the room. “Ah, hell. Sorry, Sophie.” He picks a shirt off the floor and hands it to her, all the while keeping his face averted.

Sophie takes the shirt and, keeping her back to us, slides it over her body. The shirt is huge with the hem hitting her midthigh. Other than me, there’s only one guy in the building with shirts that size.

Tore. Motherfucker. My anger returns with backup. “Did Tore rape you? Tell me. If he did, I’ll kill that son of a bitch.”

Sophie spins around. “No. What we did was consensual.”

She fucked him. The realization hits me like a donkey kick to the balls. Once again I’m too late. All this time I’ve been waiting for my moment. Waiting for her to let go of Logan and see what’s right in front of her. To see me. “Why? Why him?” I manage to croak. “Why not me? I love you, Sophie.”

Her mouth drops open and her sky blue eyes widen.

“Real smooth, big guy,” Xander mutters. He walks by me and shuts the door behind us. The click of the door lock sounds like a gun going off.

Sophie looks at me as if seeing me for the first time. “I-I never knew you had feelings for me. Jack, why didn’t you say something?”

“Logan,” I whisper. I’d never betray my friend. But he’s dead now. We all knew and accepted it. Well, all of us except Sophie.

Her face pales and she reaches for that stupid engagement ring she wears around her neck. Only she doesn’t find it. Her eyes dart around the room wildly for a minute before she takes a deep breath. “I wish I would have known.”

Xander clears his throat and stabs his hand through his Mohawk with uncharacteristic agitation. “I’m in love with you too.”

She gasps.

“Seriously, X-lax, you couldn’t let me have my moment?” I reach out to shove him.

He darts out of reach. “What? Feeling jealous because you know Sophie might prefer this—” he waves his hand up and down his wiry torso “—to all your muscles.” I can tell by the tension in his body and the strain around his eyes that he’s as nervous as I am. Neither one of us is the type to spill our guts. But then again, neither one of us thought she’d go and fuck Tore.

“You’re dreaming,” I growl, but there’s no bite to my bark. Not only could I never be pissed at my best friend, but Sophie has already made her choice and it’s neither of us.

Sophie lets out a sob.

Both Xander and I rush to her side.

“What is it?” I crush her to my chest wanting to shelter her from anything and everything that could hurt her.

Xander rubs the back of her shoulders, a look of panic on his face. “Don’t cry, sunflower.”

She sobs harder.

“Talk to us.” I’d prefer facing down a horde of zombies to seeing her cry.

She pulls away, walks back over to the couch, brushes the baby wipes off the cushions, and sits down.

I struggle not to stare at her gorgeous bare legs or focus on the fact she’s not wearing anything under that shirt. “Are you upset about Kevin?” His death must’ve really shaken her up if she sought comfort from Tore of all people.

“Yes. No.” She wraps her arms around herself. For the first time I notice the bandage on her forearm. Is she hurt?

As if hearing my unspoken question, Sophie blurts out, “I’m infected with the Z-virus.”

I stop breathing. No. Anything but that.

“What?” Xander shouts.

Sophie slowly lifts her bandaged arm toward us. “I’m so sorry.” Tears stream down her cheeks.

There’s a roaring sound in my ears, but I still can’t move or draw breath. This can’t be happening. I can’t lose her.

“Was it the same Biter that killed Kevin?” Xander asks, sounding way too calm.

She shakes her head. “It was Kevin. I was applying pressure to his wound. I didn’t know he’d turned and…”

I finally take a deep breath. “That son of a bitch.”

Sophie gives me a chiding look. “It wasn’t his fault.”

I let out a rush of air. “Of course it was his fault. He put you both in danger and got you killed. And for what?”

“Cigarettes,” she says.

Xander makes a tsking sound. “I always told him those cancer sticks would kill him.”

Sophie lets out a strained laugh. The fact that she always laughs at our bad jokes is one of the many reasons I love her.

Ah hell. How can I live without this woman? My throat goes tight as I fight back tears.

Xander sits down next to her on the sofa. “So I guess spending your last night in my arms is out of the question?”

I glare at him. “Back off, X-lax.”

She laughs again. This one sounds more natural. “Well, since it’s my last night and all, I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to be with you and Jack…” She looks up at me briefly.

“Like us two together?” asks Xander, an expression of surprise on his face.

“Yes.” She flushes.

She wants a threesome? I look over at Xander. The two of us have a reputation for sharing women, but I never dreamed we’d share Sophie.

He gives a slight nod of his head to tell me he’s game.

Despite the situation being somber as shit, I can’t help the thrill that shoots up my spine. Fuck Tore. We’ll make her last night unforgettable and then in the morning… I swallow hard. Not thinking about that now.

She wipes her tears and opens her mouth to say something else, but I’ve heard enough. I march over to her, lean down, and kiss her full on the mouth.

Xander scoots up next to her and kisses her shoulder.

Sophie’s luscious pink mouth falls open. “Guys, I —”

“No more talking,” I tell her as I reach down and start to tug off the shirt she’s wearing. “It’s time for loving. We’re going to show you that two men are better than one.”

6

Sophie

Jack’s sinful words wash away my sadness. My core, slightly tender from the encounter with Tore, throbs with renewed excitement. When I’d first heard tales of Xander’s and Jack’s threesomes in high school, I’d secretly wondered what it would be like to be the focus of their passions. And now it can actually happen.

My face warms. Who would’ve thought I’d turn into a nympho? My first time with Tore was amazing. So amazing, in fact, that I’d tried to initiate another round of lovemaking. Unfortunately, he hadn’t seemed interested in a repeat and after zipping up his jeans, he’d all but run out of the office.

Stung by Tore’s abrupt vanishing act, I figured there was nothing else for me to do but clean up and find a nice, quiet place to kill myself. Now I’m getting the chance to have even kinkier sex. Giddiness bubbles inside me. Maybe I’ll go to hell for how I’m spending my last hours on earth, but the temptation of actually living out my darkest fantasies has me raising my hands to help Jack undress me.

Jack yanks my shirt off and tosses it into the corner of the room. The action showcases the incredible definition of his arm and chest muscles visible through his wet T-shirt. Then he turns and looks at me. “You’re beautiful, Sophie.”

“A goddess,” adds Xander, who gives me a wolfish grin.

Jack leans over and kisses me again.

Savoring the tang of tequila on his lips, I give myself over to the erotic dance of his tongue. Jack kisses like a man who knows his way around a woman’s body.

Awash in desire, I lean back as Jack nibbles his way down my neck and chest.

He stops at my breasts and flicks his tongue over my nipples.

It feels so good. Wet heat blooms between my legs. After my time with Tore, I know what comes next and I can’t wait. My fingers tangle in Jack’s curly blond hair, pressing him closer against me.

“Don’t forget about me, sunflower.” Pushing Jack out of the way, Xander cups my face in his hands and gives me the most erotic kiss of my life. His tongue and lips leave me dizzy and gasping for breath.

“Where did you learn to kiss like that?” I pant, breaking away from him.

Xander flashes me an enigmatic smile, his jet-black eyes giving nothing away. He nibbles the bottom of my earlobe, sending a shiver through me. “Just think of what I'll do to your pussy.” He slides to his knees and parts my thighs.

Realizing his intent, I quiver in excitement. I’ve always wondered what this would be like.

Jack, not content to sit and watch, slides his hand between my legs.

I moan brokenly as his fingers unravel me one delicious stroke at a time.

Xander scowls up at Jack. “Hey!”

“Just warming her up for you, bro.”

“I need no warm-up.” Xander pushes Jack’s hand away. The sleek, dark-haired man looks so wickedly handsome kneeling between my legs. The scruff of his goatee scrapes my inner thigh.

I can’t help the giggle that escapes my lips. “That tickles.”

“This won’t.” He winks and blows a hot breath across my damp flesh.

Wow. Bolts of lust curl low in my belly.

Xander blows another breath directly over my clit.

“Oh!” I cry. The musky scent of my arousal mixes with the guys’ fresh rain scent.

Xander pushes my thighs even farther apart. “I’m going to make you scream, sunflower.”

Scream? The memory of Kevin’s scream makes me jerk upright and scoot back on the couch. “You shouldn’t do this. I’m infected, remember?”

Xander clenches his jaw in that stubborn way of his. “Everyone knows the infected aren’t contagious until they reanimate.”

That’s news to me. “Really?”

Xander nods. “But even if that weren’t the case, being with you would be worth it.”

“So worth it,” Jack echoes.

They are both staring at me with such adoration. Tears fill my eyes. How could I have missed this? I must’ve been hiding under a rock not to see their feelings for me.

“No crying.” Jack runs his hand gently down my cheek. “It’s time for loving, remember?”

Before I can formulate a reply, Xander licks his way up my inner thigh and claims my hot, needy flesh.

Oh my! The sensation of his mouth on me is indescribable. He licks and sucks me straight into an orgasm. I can’t even catch my breath, because he pierces me with his tongue over and over—using it like a cock.

As I let out a keening noise, Jack reaches his hand between my legs again and finds my clit.

Xander’s tongue.

Jack’s fingers.

It’s too much.

Crying out, I grab the only thing I can hold on to—Jack.

The big guy kisses me, swallowing each of my screams as he and his friend work me into a soul-splintering orgasm.

As soon as the aftershocks ebb, I sprawl back against the couch cushions feeling shattered. “Wow, I might need a nap after that.”

Jack gathers me into his arms. “None of that. We’re just getting started, honey.”

“Yeah, you’ve seen nothing yet,” adds Xander, wiping away the traces of me from his mouth. He stands and yanks off his black hoodie, baring the lean muscles of his chest. Then he reaches for the buttons of his dark cargo pants.

“Wait!” I push myself off Jack and approach Xander. “I want to touch you.”

Xander stands still as I walk in a circle around him and run my hands down his body. The tips of my breasts graze his chest as I lean over to trace one of his flat, brown nipples. I lick one, then the other. Feeling his body tremble, I draw one into my mouth and suckle it the way he suckled my clit.

He bites back a moan.

I gently stroke the puckered flesh of a scar courtesy of his BMX racing days. We’d all been so glad when he’d given up racing. I bend my head and trace the scar with my tongue, wringing another moan from his lips. Logan never let me play like this. He never let me touch him or taste him. I wonder what Xander tastes like.

I run my fingers down his hard abs, watching how they flex under my fingers.

My eyes lock with Xander’s as I slowly undo the last two buttons of his pants.

He peels them down his hips and kicks them off, his erection springing free. He’s hard and ready. His cock is a tad longer and slightly thinner than Tore’s. I can’t wait to feel it inside me.

I reach out and touch him.

Xander lets out a guttural sound. His engorged cock pulses in my hand, growing even larger.

Another groan pierces the air.

I twist around to see Jack sitting naked on the sofa. He’s watching Xander and me with a heated gaze. His muscles bunch and flex as he strokes himself.

That’s so hot. I can’t wait to touch Jack the way I’m touching Xander. I look between the two men.

For a fleeting minute guilt stabs me in the chest. How can I be doing this? First Tore. Now both Jack and Xander.

“That feels so good, sunflower.” Xander thrusts against my palm bringing my attention back to him. “Don’t stop.”

I don’t want to stop. My eyes fall on the bandage on my arm. I have only hours to live. Do I want to die before experiencing this?

There’s only one answer. Hell no. I want to know everything. I want to do everything. Pushing all my reservations aside, I slide my hand up and down Xander’s cock trying to mimic how Jack is touching himself.

Fluid beads on the smooth purple tip of Xander’s cock. Reacting on pure instinct, I lick it off with a flick of my tongue.

Xander takes a swift intake of breath. He swells even more in my hands.

The salty-sweet taste of his cum intrigues me.

He lets out another ragged moan.

I position my mouth over his shaft and look up at him through my eyelashes. “It’s my turn to make you scream, Xander.”

7

Xander

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Sophie Ann Becker would ever be kneeling in front of me, her lush mouth inches from my mushroom tip.

Her beautiful blue eyes are filled with mischief as she looks up at me. “Is that okay with you, Xander?”

Holy fuck-balls, yeah. I nod, too afraid of saying something that would bring her to her senses. And then those pink lips that I’ve fantasized about for so long are wrapping around me. Hot. Wet. Perfect.

The first lap of her tongue almost does me in. Nothing has ever compared to this. To her.

When I’d first transferred to Saguaro Valley Elementary School, I’d been a sad, lonely shitstain of a kid. I felt like an outsider until Sophie took me under her wing, sitting next to me at lunch and PE. I fell hard for her then and my crush only worsened when she’d kissed me during a spin the bottle game in sixth grade. While the chickenshit that I was worked up the courage to ask her to the school dance in seventh grade, Logan happened. Then I had to settle for being stuck in the friend zone all these years. It was a bitter pill for me to swallow. And for Jack who almost had it as bad as me. Almost.

The long line of lovers we’d taken had never filled the void she’d left though. None of them reached me like she did with a small touch, a hug, a smile—holy shit.

She licks a spot underneath the tip of my shaft.

I can’t help but throw my head back and hiss like some fucking cobra.

Then she starts moving me in and out of her mouth. Slow at first. Then faster.

My balls tighten like fists and I desperately fight to keep from coming. Sliding my hands into her silky soft blond hair, I gently grip the back of her head—forcing her to slow down.

She looks up at me, confusion in her incredible eyes.

“I want it to last,” I tell her. I need it to last forever because I can’t face what will happen after. I can’t face losing her. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn’t it have been me or my man mountain of a best friend?

I glance over at Jack.

He’s furiously working his fuck-stick, giving me this time with her. But I can tell he wants to be part of it. He’s waiting for me to give the word. Since initially deciding we never wanted to be in a he-said-she-said scenario back in high school, we’ve often shared women. I’ve never had a problem with it. Until now.

A dark part of me wants to keep Sophie all for myself, but that would be a dick move. Gritting my teeth, I motion Jack over with my free hand.

With an ecstatic grin, Jack jumps up and approaches us with way more stealth than a guy his size should have. Sophie seems completely unaware of him as he goes to his big hairy knees behind her.

She jumps in surprise when he grips her hip and slides his hand between her legs. Her eyes roll back as he strokes her creamy wet pussy.

I feel her body go rigid, and then she’s coming again with a muffled sob.

She looks fucking magnificent with her thighs spread, her back arched like a bow, and her kick-ass tits shaking.

I feel myself swelling in her mouth.

Her top teeth graze the top of my dick, but she makes it all better by sucking me down her throat.

“Can I?” Jack asks, positioning his cock at her entrance.

She answers by moaning against my dick and opening her thighs even wider.

Murmuring what sounds like a prayer of thanks, Jack slowly enters her. Sweat dots his forehead. He’s clearly trying hard to hold back and not thrust balls-deep into her.

Sophie grabs my legs for support and lets out a low moan. The vibration shoots straight up my root. Fuck!

“Okay?” Jack asks through gritted teeth.

She nods, or tries to with my dick in her mouth.

Jack’s expression is almost euphoric as he slowly pumps in and out of her. We’ve done this dance so many times with so many women, but none of them were Sophie. For the first time in our sexual history together, I envy the shit out of Jack. I long to be the first one inside her, but then again I’m the first to have her mouth. It’s a fucking amazing mouth.

As Jack sets up a steady rhythm, her baseball-size breasts shake hypnotically.

I reach down and pinch her nipples, loving the gasp she lets out. She’s so responsive and wild. She’s everything I’ve ever imagined her to be.

Her blue eyes darken as she rocks against Jack’s cock, taking everything he’s giving her.

The big guy’s control snaps and he’s slamming into her hard and fast.

She takes me along for the ride, working my dick like a melting popsicle.

Damn. Doesn’t she have a gag reflex? Sweat runs down my face as intense pressure builds in my balls. I can’t hold out much longer.

Jack howls her name and thrusts wildly into her one last time. Seeing him cum inside her shoves me over the edge.

With a shout, I explode into her tight wet mouth. Unable to help myself, I grip her head tight forcing her to swallow me down.

And she does. Every last drop.

Asking her to forgive me for being a selfish bastard, I let go of her now-tangled hair. Swaying unsteadily I collapse back on my ass.

She smiles and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “That was amazing.”

“You were amazing.” I lean over and kiss her swollen lips.

We are forced to break apart when Jack wraps his freakishly huge linebacker arms around us and crushes us against his chest. “This is the best moment of my life. I love you guys.”

I pound on his back. “Hey! We need to breathe, buddy.”

He loosens his embrace enough for me to notice that Sophie’s shoulders are shaking. At first I think she’s laughing, then I notice the tears streaming from her eyes. She’s crying again. Ah, hell.

Jack’s eyes fill with sadness. “It’s okay, honey.”

But it’s not okay. It’ll never be okay. The woman we love is dying and there’s nothing we can do about it. My eyes burn and I fight like mad not to break down.

Sophie pushes us away. “I’m sorry, guys. I don’t want to ruin our moment. It’s just that we finally got together and now we have to say goodbye.”

“Maybe we don’t have to.” I look at Jack. We’ve been friends so long he can all but read my mind.

He locks his jaw and gives a curt nod. He’s with me on this like I knew he would be.

I snag my cargo pants off the floor and fish a pill bottle out of one of the pockets.

“What are those?” Sophie asks with a sniff.

“Pain pills.” A supply run at a pharmacy a few months back had been a veritable gold mine. Although I’d avoided drugs prior to the apocalypse, I’m not above bartering pills or anything else to ensure Sophie had all the comforts she needed. My pills are the only reason she’s staying in the corner office, always gets her rations first, and has clean clothes to wear not that she ever needs to know that.

Jack snags the bottle out of my hand and opens it. “Are there enough?”

“There has to be.” It’s my last bottle.

Jack pours the pills onto the floor and divides them into three even piles.

I start to tell him that he’ll need more pills than us, but Sophie interrupts me.

“You’re not killing yourselves. No. That’s not happening.” Her face is flushed and her eyes frantic.

I grab her before she can swat away the pile of pills. “Shh. Calm down. All we’re going to do is take some pills and go to sleep together.”

Jack looks up at her. “We want to be with you, Sophie. Friends to the end, remember?”

Hearing the old saying we used to recite to each other back in elementary school makes my chest tight. “Friends to the end.”

Sophie chokes on her sob, but I can see she’s accepted it. “I-It won’t hurt, will it?”

I push back a lock of blond hair that’s sticking to her tearstained face. “Not at all.”

“Wait.” She stiffens in my arms. “We can’t do it here. I’ll turn into a zombie when I die.” She lifts up her bare arm. The bandage must’ve fallen off during our sexcapades.

No way! “Holy fuck-balls.” I grab her arm. “Is this where Kevin bit you?”

“Yeah. Why?”

I peer down at the teeth marks on her forearm. Over the past three months I’d seen dozens of similar zombie bites, but they all showed immediate signs of the Z-virus. I turned her arm over, inspecting her tanned skin. “You were bitten hours ago, right?”

Sophie nods.

Relief punches me in the gut. “Then you’re not infected.”

Sophie’s eyes widen. “How can that be?”

“Are you sure?” Jack says at the same time.

“There’s no discoloration or dark veins anywhere.” I hold Sophie’s arm up under Jack’s nose so he can see for himself. The telltale black marks that spider out from any infected bite or scratch are missing.

He looks as dumbfounded as I feel.

There’s a loud knock at the door. “Sophie?” It sounds like Tore’s voice. We all ignore him.

Sophie shakes her head. Her eyes are unfocused and she looks dazed.

“You’re immune.” I don’t know how or why she is, but it’s restored my faith in…well just about everything. With a gleeful cry I wrap my arms around her and Jack.

The door crashes open. “What the fuck is this?”

I look up to see Tore standing in the doorway, a murderous look in his eyes.

8

Sophie

Dimly, I’m aware of Tore stalking into the room and shouting at Xander and Jack.

My friends jump to their feet and yell back at Tore.

I know I should intervene before they try to kill each other, but I can’t shake the confusion hijacking my mind.

My breathing quickens as I stare down at my arm. The indentations made by Kevin’s teeth are still visible, but it looks as if the bite has been healing for weeks, not hours. Xander is right. There are no signs of infection. No signs of the Z-virus. How can this be?

Everyone I’ve ever known who was bitten or scratched by a zombie would have been covered in black veins by this point. Why aren’t I? Can I really be immune to the Z-virus? If so, does that mean I might be the key to stopping the apocalypse?

Dots dance in front of my vision and I realize I’m hyperventilating. Slow down, Sophie. I take a deep breath and slowly let it out. Maybe I’m immune, or maybe Kevin hadn’t been a zombie long enough to turn me, or maybe I had guardian angels watching out for me today. Either way, I’m not going to die.

A wave of dizzying relief hits me. I sit back hard on my butt. Something stabs into my skin. I reach underneath me and pull out my engagement ring hanging on the chain. The sparkly stone gleams up at me accusingly.

Logan. I’ve cheated on Logan. I wait for the guilt to hit me, but it doesn’t. It doesn’t because I’ve finally accepted the truth. He’s gone.

Deep in my heart, I’ve known for some time, but it took me facing death to finally accept it and move on. I slowly coil the silver chain into a ball. “Logan’s dead,” I say out loud.

Jack and Xander look at me with mirroring looks of confusion.

Tore levels his dark eyes on me. “You’ll be dead soon too, Sophie.” His gaze turns accusatory. “I thought we were spending your last few hours together.”

“I thought so too, before you ran out of the room,” I fire back.

“I had to check on the others. I didn’t realize you’d replace me so quickly.”

The bite in Tore’s voice raises my hackles. He has no right to be upset. There were no promises between us. “We can still spend time together.”

Tore looks at me as if I’m insane. “You’re out of time, angel.”

Jack makes a sound of aggravation. “We’ve told you. She’s not infected. Sophie, show him.”

I lift my arm to where Tore can see it.

Tore blinks hard. “I thought you said you were bitten by a zombie.”

“I was, but apparently it didn’t give me the virus.”

Tore shakes his head in confusion. “I’ve never heard of that happening.”

“We’ll now you have,” Xander replies. “Why don’t you turn around and leave through that door you just Hulk-smashed through?”

Tore scowls at him through narrowed eyes. “Why don’t you turn around and leave my safe house?”

“Fine. We will.” Jack glares back at Tore. “And Sophie’s coming with us.”

“The hell she is,” Tore hisses.

Enough. I make my own decisions. “No one needs to leave.”

All three men watch me as I push myself to my feet.

“I’ve just gotten a new lease on life and I’m not going to waste it with this male dominance crap. You all have big dicks, okay? Can we move on?” I walk over to the desk, pull out the top drawer and set Logan’s ring inside. Then I slam it closed with enough force that it makes Xander jump.

Jack frowns. “You’re going to have to choose. Us or him.” He points to Tore. “You know how Xander and I feel about you. We’ll protect you with our lives.”

“You can’t protect shit,” growls Tore. “I’m the one who’s kept you all alive.” He looks over at me. “Stay here with me and I’ll protect you.”

Seriously? I laugh. “Boys, the last time I checked, I was the one who just survived a zombie bite. I don’t need protecting, but what I would like is more loving.” I sit down on the edge of the desk. “You all promised me an amazing night and the night’s not over.”

Three pairs of jaws drop.

I swing my legs back and forth enjoying the rush of feminine power. I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this.

Tore is the first to compose himself. “If you’re asking me to share you with these idiots, my answer is no.”

I stroke my hand down the length of my naked body the way he’d asked me to do before. “I thought you said nothing should be off-limits between us.”

“D-did I say that?” Tore wets his lips. He tracks my hand with a hungry gaze.

I give Tore a seductive smile. “How about this? We’ll do a test. I’ll touch you there.” I point between his legs. “If you’re hard for me, we do this. If not…”

Jack steps between us and shakes his head. “No. No fucking way.”

I throw his own logic back at him. “Come on, Jack. You said two is better than one. Why can’t three be better than two?”

“You belong to us, Sophie.” He motions between himself and Xander.

I pause my hand inches from my core, and glare at the former football player. “No, I don’t.” For the first time in years, I belong to no one but myself.

Xander slowly nods seeming to catch on. “You’re your own woman. We respect that.” He gives Jack a meaningful look. “But you have to understand that Jack and I love you. We’ll do everything in our power to convince you to be with us.”

“Then start convincing.” I rest one foot on top of the office chair. It’s a brazen move that bares me to their gazes and it’s something the old me would never have dared to do. But I’m not that virginal girl anymore. I’ve discovered how amazing sex is and now I want to make up for lost time.

Xander crosses over to me and brushes away my hand. His fingers replace mine and I let out a gasp. In seconds, he has me seeing stars.

“Ooh,” I moan, falling back over the desk.

Jack walks over to the other side. “You have no idea how convincing we can be.” He leans over the desk and gives me a hot, wet, upside-down kiss. Somehow his tongue thrusts match the tempo of Xander’s fingers.

Desire rushes through me.

Suddenly, Tore is there too. He pinches one of my nipples.

I shudder, loving the pleasure-pain sensation. “Does this mean you’re on board with this, Tore?” I ask against Jack’s mouth.

Tore’s eyes gleam wickedly. “Only if I’m the first to take your ass, angel.”

I gasp. My ass?

“You’ll love it,” Jack promises, nibbling my bottom lip. “Just think, all of us inside you.”

At his words, Xander slides one finger down to my back hole.

The strange sensation heats my blood and sends excitement racing through me. Something new to try.

“We’ll need to use protection,” Tore announces, taking control like he always does. “Do either of you have condoms?” he asks Xander and Jack.

By their crestfallen expressions, I can see that neither of them does. Good thing I can save the day. “Check my backpack in the bottom desk drawer.”

Xander yanks open the drawer. A moment later, he pulls out the jumbo box of condoms Kevin had thrown at me earlier in the day. He chuckles. “It appears we’re set for a while.”

Good. I flash my men a wicked smile. “Now, don’t just stand there, boys. Give me a night to remember.”

DID YOU ENJOY LAST NIGHT IN HELL?

I’d be so appreciative if you left a review on Amazon or any other reader site or blog you frequent.

For an exclusive super sexy bonus scene from my Claiming Her Mates series click here. WARNING: IT’S SCORCHING HOT!!!

* * *

To continue the adventure, please check out the Claiming Her Mates series that occurs in the same world as this story. A preview follows the About the Author page.

About the Author

Dia wanted to be a writer from the time she could hold a pencil. A lover of paranormal romance, reverse harem, science fiction, urban fantasy, and horror, she writes action-packed stories featuring kick-butt heroines and the alpha male heroes who fall for them.

You can find her books on amazon.

If you want to be notified when the next book in the series releases please sign up for my newsletter.

You can follow Dia on:

Facebook: diacolewrites

https://diacole.com/

Books By Dia Cole

Heaven Before Hell

Lover in Hell

Heaven in Hell: Boxed Set (Episodes 1-4)

Heaven in Hell: Boxed Set (Episodes 5—8)

Undead Worlds 2 Anthology (Breakfast in Hell)

Claiming The Nanny (prequel to Claiming Her Mates)

Claiming Her Mates: Book One

Claiming Her Mates: Book One Bonus Scene FREE!

Claiming Her Mates: Book Two

Claiming Her Mates: Book Three

Last Night in Hell

Excerpt from Claiming Her Mates: Book One

Three Lykos shifters swore to protect Havana. But who will protect them from her?

With everyone bailing on my holiday party, I didn’t think the night could get any worse. Then three scorching hot men storm the club and demand I come with them. Thinking they’re cops, I run only to discover the flu vaccine is turning people into monsters.

Now my survival depends on Mason, Gabriel, and Liam. I should be terrified of their glowing eyes and the way they destroy any threat in our path, but all I can think about is claiming the fierce men as my own. All three of them…

One problem.

My ex has threatened to eviscerate any man who touches me. Too bad the deadly Alpha male isn’t here. He’ll rue the day he broke my heart and ordered his three gorgeous friends to rescue me.

1

Havana

“What do you want for Christmas, you naughty girl?” asked the middle-aged man leering at me. The light from the dusty chandelier reflected off the gold band on his left hand, temporarily blinding me.

He probably told his wife he was working late. Ugh. Years of playing my seductive role prevented me from curling my lip in disdain. Instead, I continued undulating to the beat of the dance music being piped into the small red velvet VIP room.

“Come on, you can tell me,” the man insisted, stroking his Santa-like white beard.

I should’ve been coy with my answer, but the truth sprang from my lips before I could bite back the words. “Someone to share it with.”

The man blinked up at me with blood-shot eyes.

Great, Vana, why don’t you just kill the mood? Trying to salvage the moment, I tossed back my hip-length black hair and winked playfully. “Is that someone you?” With a practiced flick of my fingers, I slowly removed my silver-studded black top and tossed it to the man.

He tried to catch it and missed. The tiny scrap of material slithered to the blood-red carpet as he fixed his gaze on my swaying bare breasts.

“Have you been a bad boy this year?”

“Y-yes,” he stammered. His eyes glazed over as he swayed in his seat.

He must be trashed. Good. A drunk and his money are soon parted. Throwing club rules out the window, I stepped down from the small raised platform I was dancing on and approached his chair. “Then you need to be punished.”

“Yes, Mistress Robin,” he gasped. Unlike most of the club patrons intrigued by my dominatrix persona, this one seemed truly snared by the fantasy. For the right price, I was happy to indulge him.

I cast a furtive glance at the camera nestled at the base of the chandelier. In the past, Max, the club owner, might’ve skinned me alive if he’d caught me doing a little extra on the side. Now he’d only ask for a percentage.

Times were tough for everyone. Strip clubs included. Case in point, this guy managed to secure a private dance from me for a mere seventy bucks, something that would’ve been unheard of before the canine flu hit this past spring. But global pandemics had a way of changing things.

I leaned over the man, my nipples grazing his rumpled tweed vest. “It’ll cost you.”

“I have money.” He reached into his olive dress pants pocket and pulled out a worn leather wallet with trembling hands. “How much?”

I arched an eyebrow. “How much do you have?”

He opened his wallet and out fluttered several receipts.

Sadly, it looked like he had only a handful of twenties, but it was better than going home broke. “That works,” I purred. I wouldn’t have sex with him, of course, but men like him weren’t after that anyway. Years ago, my mom explained some men get off as much on pain and humiliation as they did pleasure. Ah, the joys of having a stripper mom. While other kids were learning how to ride bikes, Mom was giving me crash courses in the various ways to seduce men. Big surprise I ended up at the same club where she used to work.

The man swallowed hard, sweat dripping off him as if he was in a sauna. “Take it all.” He pushed his wallet at me.

I found myself staring at a family photo. Gathered in the arms of a heavyset woman were three young children. I couldn’t help glancing between the professor and the photo. Why isn’t he home with them? Hell, if I’d had kids there’s no way I wouldn’t be with them right now. With a pang, I remembered the big amber eyes of the little girl I’d used to nanny for. I miss Mira so much…

Her father’s handsome face flashed in my mind and my throat tightened. It’d been three months since Nathan shattered my heart, but the pain was still fresh. Trying to put my ex out of my mind, I flipped past the photo and found the twenties. Mentally tallying the money, I pulled out the folded bills and slid them into the top of my thigh-high stiletto boot. A genuine smile tugged at the corner of my lips, it was a better haul than I’d anticipated. “Take off your clothes, Dr. Sullivan.”

He gaped at me for a moment.

I tossed his wallet back at him not bothering to explain that I’d seen his Southern Arizona University ID badge inside. “I said, take off your clothes. Now.”

He jumped to his feet. “Yes, Mistress Robin.” He gazed up at me adoringly.

My five-foot-ten height plus my seven-inch stilettos ensured I towered over nearly everyone I encountered, including the professor.

He fumbled with the top buttons of his oxford shirt before realizing he needed to remove his vest first.

“Fold your clothes and place them over there,” I instructed, pointing at the side table that in better days held ice buckets filled with Cristal. Now a bottle of drugstore champagne swam in a plastic tub of melted ice.

He practically tore off his vest and shirt. As he unbuckled his belt, he turned to face me. “I’ve never done this before.”

I made a noncommittal noise. Right. That’s what they all say. Finally noticing his bare torso, I inhaled sharply. What the hell? Black veins covered the man’s flabby arms and a portion of his silver-haired chest. I’d seen some strange-looking tattoos over the years, but nothing like that. Unable to help myself, I asked, “What’s going on there?”

The man looked down and paled. “My God. Those weren’t there this morning.” He gave me a frantic look as if I had the answers.

I backed up a step studying his bloodshot eyes, pale skin, and sweaty face with new eyes. He’s not just drunk. “You're sick.” And that meant I needed to get as far away from him as possible. I’d never heard of the canine flu causing dark veins like that, but you don’t mess around with a bug that killed a quarter of the world’s population.

He raised his hands. “I’m not. I just got the canine flu vaccine yesterday,” he said, mentioning the coveted shots the CDC had just rolled out. “I-I don’t feel so good.” His knees buckled, and he fell back into his chair.

Shit. “I’ll get help.” Max will know what to do. I turned to grab the curtain.

“No. My wife. She can’t find out…” he gasped sliding to the floor.

Damn. If the guy passed out in my VIP room, I’d never hear the end of it from the other girls. Especially Jess. That nasty redhead would love to get one over on me. She’d been downright venomous since I reported one of her stupid pranks to Max. Who the hell coats the stage steps with baby oil? Seriously. I’d taken a nasty fall and probably fractured my spine, not that I could afford to get my aching back looked at by a doctor.

“Please, don’t call Sharon,” the professor wheezed bringing my focus back to him.

“No one will call your wife. Just relax. I’ll be right back.” I bent down, retrieved my top and tied it back on.

He nodded, flashing me a relieved look.

I blinked. Are more of his veins darkening? Shuddering, I pushed through the heavy velvet curtain door and rushed down a long hallway back into the main club. Immediately I was assaulted by the smell of liquor, cigarette smoke, and the twang of the latest hit country single. On the stage, the new girl, Jade, twirled around the pole in a cowboy hat and crotchless chaps. Poor girl, I thought with a stab of sympathy. Max had wanted me to cover Jess’s country set after she was a no-show for the second time this week, but I’d talked him into having the new girl do it. Good experience and all. Seeing her dance to a sea of empty tables filled me with guilt. No one even watched. Sly, one of the regulars, was already passed out and the group of dark-haired men sitting in the back of the club ignored her.

As if feeling my gaze, one of the heavily tattooed men looked up at me. He gave me a once-over and flashed me a dazzling set of gold teeth. The long-haired man sitting next to him followed his friend’s gaze and leered at me with a predatory intensity that made me glad for the knife hidden in my boot. A girl couldn’t be too careful these days.

I bit back a shiver of fear as the long-haired man beckoned me over. Their gang, the Calaveras, was one of the deadliest in Arizona and I needed their kind of attention like I needed an engineering degree. Ignoring the men and their menacing vibe, I scanned the rest of the near empty club for Max.

He was at the bar, eyes glued to the television along with Donna, the cocktail waitress, and Justin, the gray-haired bartender who looked like he’d been a defensive lineman back in the day. I’d always wondered why he had a television at his bar. I mean who comes to a strip club to watch TV?

Donna looked up as I approached. “Honey, you need to see this. There’s some freaky shit going down.” She ran a hand through her bleach blond hair, knocking aside the felt Santa hat she was wearing.

I shook my head. “Tell me about it. I got a guy covered in black veins about to pass out in the VIP room.”

“What?” Max jerked his bald head up so fast his jowls shook.

“We might need to call an ambulance.” I waited for Max to make an obscene joke, but instead a panicked expression crossed his face.

“You said his veins were black?”

I nodded.

Donna let out a gasp. “The news reporter said to watch out for people with dark veins. Some folks are having bad reactions to the canine flu vaccine. They’re getting sick and…” she lowered her voice, “turning into cannibals.”

I gave her an incredulous look. “What?”

“See for yourself.” She waved at the television hanging above a tower of colorful liquor bottles.

On the screen a flustered news reporter was babbling. “Reports of violent behavior in some of the recently vaccinated are coming in from all across the country.”

The program cut to a clip of dazed-looking people in hospital gowns attacking a young man on the street. The jerky footage must’ve been taken on someone’s cell phone. Whoever was holding the phone kept repeating, “Holy shit,” over and over while the crowd literally tore the screaming man to pieces.

My stomach churned as I watched the deranged crowd gulp down handfuls of the man’s flesh. “That’s horrible. I can’t believe they showed that on television.”

Donna shook her head. “It’s not just happening here. It’s happening all over the world. They rushed the flu vaccine to market without doing the proper tests and now it’s turning people into monsters. Oh, God. And just an hour ago I was cursing the fact that they didn’t have the vaccine available for Gavin.” She let out a sob at the mention of her son who’d died of the flu earlier in the year.

“Don’t cry, muffin,” Max said in a gruff voice. He slung one beefy arm around Donna’s thin shoulder and gave me a hard look. “Get that sick guy out of here. Now.” He used his don’t-argue-with-me voice.

That tone hadn’t worked on me since I’d been ten. “But Max—”

He interrupted me. “I’ll call him a cab. You get him in it. We’re closing early tonight. Donna, go get Sly up. I’ll tell Mr. Diaz and his men that they need to leave.” He looked over at the dark-haired men in back and shuddered. “Let’s hope they don’t kill me,” he muttered under his breath as he headed over to their table.

I’d take the sick professor over throwing deadly gang members out of the club any day. As I turned to walk back to the VIP area, Donna called my name softly.

I spun around to see that the older woman wore an anxious expression on her face.

She smoothed an invisible wrinkle from her short black skirt. “Honey, I’m sorry but Max and I won’t be able to make your Christmas Eve dinner.”

“Oh,” I said, trying not to let my disappointment show. You and everyone else. “That’s too bad.”

“We’re sorry to miss it, it’s just that with everything going on…” She waved weakly at the television set. “And it’s our first Christmas without Gavin.” Her voice hitched.

“I understand.” I reached over and hugged her. I missed that kid something fierce. Pushing the memory of the mischievous little boy out of my mind before I started tearing up too, I looked over at Justin. “You and Sam are still coming, right?”

The big guy shook his head. “Sorry, sweetheart. Sam just wants to do a family thing this year.” He gave me an apologetic smile.

Family thing. Right. “Well, more turkey for me,” I said, hiding my misery with a smile. “Have a good night.”

Donna and Justin waved as I headed back toward the professor. My chest tightened. Bad enough that the anniversary of my mother’s death was Christmas Eve. Now I’d have to endure it alone.

The wail of country music faded as I moved past the stage and through the long, deserted hallway. I stopped at the closed velvet curtain to the room where I’d left the professor. A low moaning sound came from inside. “Dr. Sullivan?” I reached out to pull open the curtain and hesitated. I’d never realized how far from the main club this area was. What if the professor is sick like the people on TV? What if he attacks me?

DID YOU ENJOY THIS PREVIEW OF CLAIMING HER MATES: BOOK ONE?

You can find it available here.

Please don’t forget to leave a review if you enjoyed this work!

Thank you for reading!