The Living Dead Boy (The Living Dead Boy #1)(43)

The sounds of a scuffle spurred Josh to break into a full run. Ahead was an opening into the living room, and he darted through it. Chad and Corina were struggling at the far end of the room.

“Just a kiss,” Chad said, his hands locked around her wrists. “That’s all. You’ll like it. You’ll see.”

“No I won’t!”

Corina twisted her hands outward and broke his hold. Before Chad could react, she kicked his shin. Howling, Chad hopped on one foot, his face flushing with anger. Corina wrenched the pistol from his belt, and darted across the living room. Not willing to give up, Chad charged after her. She was nearly to Josh when Chad tackled her, his long arms wrapping around her waist. They crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

“Don’t leave me, don’t leave me,” Chad panted, trying to pin her down.

“Let me go!” Corina bucked her hips and kicked at him with her feet.

“Stop it!” Josh ordered, lifting the skillet over his head.

Looking up, Chad’s face flushed with anger. “How’d you get in here, loser?”

“It doesn’t matter. Let her go!”

“What are you going to do, Shorty? Huh? Hit me?”

It was one thing to hit a dead thing wearing a human face, but staring at Chad, Josh realized that he wasn’t certain he could hurt another human being. It felt wrong and ugly in his gut even if that person was Chad.

“Let her go, or I will hurt you!” Josh threatened.

“No, you won’t. You’re a weak, little loser,” Chad said with his trademark sneer. “Get out of my house! Corina wants to stay here, right? You’re just playing hard to get. My dad told me about girls like you.” Stronger and meaner than Corina, Chad dragged her under him, and reached for the gun in her hand.

Corina threw the pistol away from her, and it skittered across the wood floor to Josh’s feet.

“That’s mine!”

Chad launched himself toward Josh, clearly fully expecting the younger kid to make a grab for the gun. Instead, Josh swung the aluminum skillet as hard as he could at Chad’s head. He mostly missed, but the edge caught Chad’s black eye. Screaming in pain, Chad crumpled onto his side, his hand covering his wounded socket.

Scrambling to her feet, Corina said, “Let’s go, Josh.” She hurried over, grabbed the pistol, and ran down the hallway.

Josh trailed after her with the skillet in his hand.

Chad’s screams of agony resounded throughout the house.

When they reached the porch they found the truck waiting for them. Dulce was driving while Danny, Sam and Troy were in the back seat of the cab.

“Hurry! He’s coming!” Troy shouted through the open window.

Corina and Josh jumped off the porch and skirted around the front of the truck. The heat from the engine washed over them and the air smelled like exhaust. To have a working vehicle was a relief, and it flooded Josh with hope.

“You can’t leave me! You need me!” Chad yelled, appearing on the back porch. Pressing his hand against his eye, blood trickled between his fingers. “I’m your leader, you stupid losers! Corina, come back! You can be my girlfriend!”

“Hard pass, loser!” Troy yelled.

“Yeah!” Sam chimed in.

Corina swung the passenger door open and climbed inside, not bothering to answer Chad.

“Corina! Come back! I’m sorry! I thought you wanted to kiss me!”

“Gross,” Sam sniffed.

“Totally,” Danny agreed.

Tossing the skillet away, Josh entered the truck and slammed the door shut.

“You need me, guys!”

Troy shook his head with amusement. “You told us to go away!”

“I didn’t mean it. I would have let you in! I just wanted you to say you need me! We can all stay here! It’s safe here!” Chad waved his free hand toward the house. “We can all stay together. Even the Fatty.”

Sam leaned forward and flipped Chad off.

“Don’t leave me!” Chad screamed, his face contorting with desperation and rage.

Rolling up the windows, Dulce pressed her foot down on the accelerator and the truck took off at a fast clip. She drove past the propane truck and turned up a long drive that hugged the side of the property before emptying out onto the gravel road.

Chad’s cries faded as the truck roared away from the house.

“I hate that guy,” Sam sniffed. “A lot.”

“We all do, Sam,” Corina said in a soft voice. “We all do.”

Josh leaned toward her. “Did he hurt you?”

Corina’s dark gray eyes flicked toward him. “A little, but I knew it was risky. I think he’s dangerous. Not just stupid, but dangerous. Maybe we should have left right away when we saw what he did to the old man.”

Josh didn’t want her to feel guilty about the plan she’d devised. “We got food, water, a truck, and a gun. We’re all alive. So it was as successful mission.”

“But we don’t have ammo,” Corina said with a shallow laugh.

“We have a gun?” Sam asked excitedly.

Carefully removing the magazine from the pistol and pulling back the slide, Corina nodded. “Yes, but no ammo. And you’re not allowed to touch it.” She stored the weapon and the magazine in the glove compartment.