Be Careful What You Wish For: A Zombie Apocalypse
Chapter 85: How To Make Friends And Influence People

Chapter 85: How To Make Friends And Influence People

It didn’t take a genius to figure out who the woman in front of us was. I didn’t even need to see her dressed to the nines to know that this was the ex. The poise and confidence she wore like a second skin was enough to make me intrigued.

Was this what Dante went for? This?

She was so put together, with enough charisma, that she had nine men following her around, their tongues hanging out of their heads. A cross between a sexy librarian and a sexy CEO, she was the female version of the Dante I knew.

On paper, they might look to be the perfect couple, but they were too alike. Where was the chaos to his calm? The fire to his ice? The mercy to his savage?

Okay, so it wasn’t like I had the mercy in spades, but I wasn’t nearly as trigger-happy as Dante was.

But Brittney? Yeah, she and I were going to have problems.

What fun!!

Tapping Tank on the shoulder, I was smoothly put down on the ground. "Dante?" I asked, my voice soft as I strolled forward. The black fur shawl covered my shoulders perfectly and was long enough to reach my waist.

My bright red and black skirt fanned out under the shawl, and I knew exactly what a ’career’ woman like this would think about my outfit.

In fact, it took her less than a minute before her nose wrinkled as if she smelled something bad. That was fine. I was an acquired taste, like a fine wine or something, and it didn’t bother me in the slightest.

"Yes, Ange?" purred Dante, holding out his hand for me to take. "Is everything okay?"

"Why did she say that she knew the boss here?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. Pulling Teddy out of his tattoo, I shifted so that Brittney could see the toy under my furs. She wouldn’t know where he had come from, but Teddy was the frosting on the mind fuck cake.

"I don’t know, Sweetie," smiled Dante as I reached out with my left hand. I contemplated pulling out a lollypop, but then both my hands would be full. Besides, the woman was looking scandalized enough at the moment. "I’ve never seen her before."

"I knew Mathew," interrupted Brittney, once again stepping forward until she was almost pressed against the barrier keeping her on the wrong side of the Dragon’s Lair. "I was under the impression that he had built this."

Dante pulled me toward him until my back was pressing against his front. He dropped his arm so that he wasn’t touching me, but all I had to do was lean back to feel him.

There was a blessing there. Without being connected to someone, my sight blinked out, and the world was plunged into darkness once again. Then again, without my sight, I didn’t have to look at the woman anymore. I might get tainted by something.

"Mathew died almost ten years ago," chuckled Dante. "You are a bit late to attend his funeral."

Chuckling, I continued to look forward, knowing that my eyes would unsettle the woman even more.

Brittney might have stood a chance if she had completely forgotten about Dante, but I guess there were some unresolved issues between them.

I heard the woman inhale, pause, and then let out a long breath as if she were trying to regroup. "I am sorry to disturb you," she said after a moment. "The people here are tired and hungry. There are no safe places to sleep at night now, and I was hoping that you might be able to help us."

"Ah, but you weren’t expecting me," pointed out Dante, not addressing her actual statement.

"I was hoping that Mathew would be able to help out a long-time friend," signed Brittney.

Dante chuckled low, and I felt a delighted shiver travel up and down my spine.

"Make a wish, and maybe Dante will be nice enough to make it come true," interjected Tank, stepping forward until he was almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Dante.

Both Dante and I turned to look at Tank, but the other man didn’t so much as move. He must have made a face or given Dante some clue because I heard Dante clear his throat. "This is the most magical place in the world. You’d be surprised as to what happens inside my walls."

I could feel the piercing gaze of the woman as she stared at my face, but I simply smiled. "All my wishes have come true." Looking up over my shoulder at the man behind me, I left no doubt in the woman’s head just what my wish was.

"Dante, don’t you think she is a little young for you?" interjected a man, clearly not able to hold back anymore. "She is nothing more than a child. I didn’t think your tastes ran that young."

Dante chuckled behind me and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me in closer. "Antoine, it’s been a while."

"It has," growled the other man. It was that hate filled tone that clued me into just who he was more than the name. He was the one so good at whipping. "Ever since you became a coward and skipped out of town, I’ve been the one looking after your mother and sisters. Without me, they would have died a long time ago."

Dante paused, his entire body stiffening at Antoine’s words. "Where are they now?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. "I can’t exactly see anything," I continued, the bright smile on my face never wavering.

I had once heard one of the members of Père’s militia talking about a course in prison that everyone wanted to get. It was called ’How to Make Friends and Influence People.’ Apparently, it was so in demand that some people had managed to serve their entire sentences before even getting to sit in on the lecture.

I always thought it was bullshit. I didn’t want to make friends or influence people. People were much more honest when you kept them off guard and off balance. And besides my look, the next best thing to make someone off balance was to mention my vision... or lack thereof.

"They’re dead."

Huh, I guess I wasn’t the only one not caring about people’s delicate sensibilities.

But I felt Dante flinch at his statement.

You know what? Fuck him and the bitch he rode in on.