DAMIEN: Book 2 of The De Luca Brothers Series [COMPLETED]

31:

"Dogs or cats?" Zachary asks me, throwing a piece of popcorn up in the air and catching it with his mouth. We have to past time somehow with basically everyone but Dylan gone.

"Dogs," I nod.

"Cats," Dylan responds flippantly, engrossed in his game boy. He has a thing for collecting Nintendo devices, especially vintage ones. Don't get me started on the games he's bought over the years, from Zelda to Mario- he has it all.

"I like cats as well."

My nose scrunches up. Cats? More like Satan's spawn. I huff and looks at my nails, "You both have poor taste. Cats are disloyal, calculating and evil. Dogs are the opposite, they're blissfully ignorant like all pets should be." I pick up a piece of broccoli and bite it, sighing from the lack of sugar. At fifteen weeks it's advised to focus on Vitamin D, magnesium and calcium so the baby develops well. Therefore I've basically been drowning myself in healthy food whilst craving pickled onions and gherkins- what? I'm pregnant.

"Cats are independent whilst dogs are just fucking annoying. They bark, shit everywhere and are proper smell," Dylan complains, looking up from his device. "Plus they're scary."

"Cats are pure evil," I mumble. "With their scratching, hissing and general plotting... dogs are the best bet."

"I firmly disagree."

"So you're telling me that if you were in an apocalypse, your cat would remain loyal to you?" I question, narrowing my eyes at the late teenager.

"No, I don't want a pet in the apocalypse. A cat would run off a survive on its own. A dog would remain by its owner's side and bark, be noisy, eat toxic and potentially contaminated food- plus if they bite a zombie, depending on which zombie film we're talking about, they'd become a zombie dog. Then you'd have to kill your own pet."

I bite my bottom lip and flip him the bird just as Toro stumbles inside, eyes wide and chest heaving. Instantly Zac throws himself at him, asking questions as Toro brushes his boyfriend aside and moves into the cabin at a purposeful speed. My heartbeat accelerates as he opens a draw revealing a hand gun, a box revealing a rifle and removing cushions from the settee to show another different rifle model. Zac takes one of the rifles and handles it as if he's done it before which surprises me. Dylan begrudgingly takes the other rifle and Toro looks at me with a distressed look before handing me the pistol.

"The Russians have located us."

"The other gang?" Asks Dylan for confirmation.

Toro nods once before signalling for us to move back. A loud bang and the sudden sound of glass breaking causes my breath to catch and I instantly cower down, shielding myself from any possible danger. Fear grasps at my heart and tears prick my eyes as Dylan shoves me forward into the hallway before barrelling the two of us into an office. His brown eyes land on me and an uneasy look appears on his face as he prepares his gun.

I click the safety off my gun and press my finger to the side of the trigger, a lump in my throat forming as breathing becomes difficult due to the sudden panic. I glance at the window and subconsciously move to the wall, out of view. Dylan stands straight, peering out of said window before closing the office door quietly, letting out a ragged breath.

He looks at me as if to say something until his attention snaps back to the window, his eyes widen before bang! His head jolts back on impact and his body collapses beneath him like a rag doll. Glass explodes inwards, clattering I clamp my hands over my mouth and heart drops as I try to muffle the cry and shout that attempts escape. It comes out quietly strangled.

My heart thunders against my ribs as I hear pairs of footsteps walking through the cabin. I react and as quietly as I can, I open the deep cabinet to my left before slipping into it, manoeuvring stationary to my feet before silently closing it. My breaths sound too loud and I hold it as the office door opens.

The sound of heavy footfalls enter the office and a strong wave of nausea hits me hard. The thought of dying flitters through my mind, but I strongly push it back, trying to see hope through the darkness. For once in my life I'm trying to be an optimist.

"Wasn't there supposed to be a girl with him?" Asks a clipped female voice.

"Yes sister," I recognise Rita. "Chloe Stewart. That bitch who thought she knew everything."

My brows furrow but I stop breathing altogether, praying they leave. For fucks sake just leave.

"She might of made a run for it through the woods with the other two boys."

"Nobody reported seeing a third person."

"We must have missed her," Rita snaps. "I know she's here, Gufo couldn't have been so stupid as to have took him with her."

The sister sighs and mutters something in a different language- Russian- before I hear the sound of retreating footsteps. It takes a couple of more seconds before I hear the other footfalls exit the room. I don't dare leave, but I let myself sigh with relief.

I wait, too shaken to actually move outside and I even feel my body begin to go cold despite the heat on my skin. My body begins to shake against my will and my breathing increases as my world shrinks in on me. Tears prick my eyes and I cuddle into myself, my body jittering and rocking side to side. A sob escapes my lips and before I can think, I'm full on having a mental breakdown inside a cupboard. My sobbing becomes louder and I slap a hand over my mouth to muffle it, but I carry on, the heaving rocking my ribcage causing my chest to ache.

"Chlo? Chloe?!"

My breathing becomes harsher and I hear myself whimpering with a raw voice, my hands giving up with my mouth and gripping my hair, pulling against my scalp. The door opens suddenly and I'm bathed in light before I'm pulled out and picked up by strong arms. I scream.

Lashing out I kick blindly and wildly at my attacker before I'm carefully put on the floor. Scattering away into the corner, I glare at the person before I realise it's Toro and Zac staring in horror at the body on the floor.

"I'm sorry," I whisper and my voice cracks. "I'm so so so sorry. I couldn't— I didn't— I hid after be d— I couldn't do anything."

Zachary pulls himself towards me and wraps me in his arms, "You're okay sweetheart. You're not to blame here."

"He's dead Zac. Dylan's dead," my bottom lip trembles and my breathing becomes laboured. "D-dead."

"We need to go," Toro clarifies walking over to me. Gently, he picks me up like a baby and I rest my head on his chest as Zac follows us out.

"We'll meet up with Gufo and Leone to tell them our Haven is compromised," Toro mumbles to Zac as my eyelids begins to droop just as the vision of a car peers in front of me.

"That's good to hear."