Once Bitten: Twice Mad

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter Fifty-Three: Fights, Making Up and First Times

Colt was drained. Physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted. Silas had stormed away and was no longer speaking to him thanks to what had happened in Lily's room after everyone had left.

As the two men had stood there, contemplating what to do with the dead body, the rabid had come by the droves. Drawn by the scent of fresh blood filling the air, they had begun crowding the back wall and fighting to find a way up to the fourth story window.

Burying Lily was not an option. Neither was leaving her body in this room. The scent would only continue to draw more and more rabid and the monsters would get more desperate in their hunger, eventually tearing down the brothel walls.

Making the hard decisions had always been Colt's least favorite part about being a leader but he supposed someone had to make them.

So he had.

He had cut the blood carpet around Lily's body (cursing the woman for choosing such a bloody way to end her life when surely poison would have been easier and cleaner), and then he had wrapped her body in it before tossing her out the window with Silas staring on in shock.

The other man hadn't spoken, simply shaken his head, turn quickly and walked away.

Colt looked around the now mostly blood free room and shrugged. What else had he been supposed to do with her? There'd been too much blood.

So now with a heavy conscience and a weary mind, Colt made his way to Evangeline. He had heard Ox taking her to the bedroom not too long before. Colt longed to hold her and feel her holding him.

He knew that Lily's suicide had been hard on Evangeline and she would need him to lean on. Colt was more than happy to be her leaning post after all she'd done for him.

He opened the door and stepped into their bedroom, which was dark with only one small candle lit for light. No doubt Ox had lit it before leaving the room since Evangeline was curled into a ball on the bed with her back to the door and the covers pulled over her.

Colt kicked off his boots, pulled off his gun belt and hat and then slid into the bed behind her. He wrapped her up tight in his arms and kissed her temple as he laid his head against hers.

"I'm here, Evangeline." He whispered as he felt her shaking.

"I've never seen anything like that... " Evangeline's voice was quiet and broken and Colt squeezed her tighter.

"I wish you hadn't seen it."

"Me too."

They lay there in silence a few moments before Evangeline spoke again. "I almost got bit saving her life that day on the street. Frankie did die trying to protect her—why would Lily do something so selfish? Why would she make Frankie's death be for nothing?"

Colt sighed, wishing he had all the answers she needed. "I don't know. I reckon we never will."

"I can hear those rabid. Are there a lot of them?"

"Just a few."

"Can they get in?"

"Nope."

"Thank you for lying."

Colt's lips curved in the ghost of a smile against her ear. "That's what us hardened criminals are good for."

He felt her relax a little against him and he took her hand in his, twining their fingers together. "Colt, we have to give her a funeral and a proper burial. I know she committed suicide but she still deserves at least that much respect."