Page 44 of Blood We Steal

He sighed and then looked longingly at his hands. “I definitely need a smoke on that one, but my stash is upstairs, and you know how Rubin feels about that anyway.”

Rubin had a staunch no-drug policy, and I didn’t expect the apocalypse would change that.

“Anyway, he got the…zombies out of here. It was about sixty. They tossed them right into the courtyard. Now they’re working through getting weapons and contraband.”

“Even the pruno?” I smiled.

“What you know about pruno, Simone?”

“I know I’m surprised y’all haven’t killed each other making toilet wine, but if there’s any silver lining to the end of the world, I guess that would be one.”

He laughed. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”

“Don’t I know it,” I muttered. “So what now?”

He shook his head. “You know I like to have a couple plays, but I got a shitty hand, girl. You need to stick with Rubin.” He tilted his head and studied me. “You look surprised,” he said.

“I am surprised. Why would you say that?”

Aaron rubbed his hand on the back of his bald head. “Makes sense. He’s got his shit together.” He shrugged. “He likes you.”

I smiled. “You mean he hates me?”

Aaron rubbed his head again, then looked at me. “He likes you.”

“Why do you say that?”

He held my gaze. “Moni, you’re still alive.”

“Is that all it takes?” I asked.

Rubin’s voice cut in before Aaron could respond.

“Is that all it takes for what?”

TWENTY

Rubin

Simone had the gall to look at me like she was sorry, and even worse, when she spoke, she sounded sincere.

“I apologize, Rubin, for leaving, but I needed to come check on Aaron.”

“You needed to check on Aaron,” I repeated.

It wasn’t like me to fill dead space with words that weren’t necessary, but I needed to do something to maintain a modicum of control.

Because she’d really meant it. She’d needed to check on Aaron, and sincerely believed that was an excuse to disobey me.

“I did. I hadn’t seen him after…and I just…I need him to be okay.”

Her eyes were almost teary, and it was sickening. “You were worried I was going to kill Aaron. Or let one of those things get him?”

I saw Aaron stand up a little straighter. “Rubin,” he said, “it’s cool.”

I kept my gaze on her.

“It’s all right, Aaron,” Simone said.