Broken World (Book 3): Mad World by Kate L. Mary

face tenses. Jon puts his hands up and takes a step back. “I didn’t put a finger on her. We just talked.”
    I nod, but I still can’t seem to get my jaw to relax enough to get any words out.
    “Is there a back way into the casino?” Winston asks.
    “Employee entrance is at the rear of the building. There aren’t as many zombies back there.”
    “You gotta get me inside. I gotta see Vivian.”
    Jon frowns my way. Like he thinks I can’t handle it or something. “Not sure if that’s a good idea. Once you’re in, you’ve lost the element of surprise. Not to mention the fact that you can’t just waltz in and get a night with a number three. You’d have to bring in some serious supplies. You have any guns or diesel you’d be willing to give up? That’s what it would take.”
    A light bulb goes off in my head just like a goddamn cartoon. The second tanker truck in Boulder City. We went out there to get some fuel, but we could only take the one truck. We had to leave the other one. “I got diesel.”
    Angus puckers his lips and shakes his head. “You ain’t goin’ in there. It ain’t a good idea.”
    “Screw you, Angus. I ain’t walkin’ away from Vivian. We already talked ‘bout this, and I ain’t changed my mind. I’d rather die tryin’ than just sit back and do nothin’.”
    Angus glares at me before lettin’ off a string of curses that echoes across the dark night. The damn zombies down the Strip can probably hear him. He shakes his head and turns back to face me. “Well, you ain’t givin’ them that tanker of diesel neither. I know what you’re thinkin’, and we can’t give them a truckload of fuel. We need it.”
    I’m ‘bout to argue when Jon steps in front of me. My jaw twitches, and I clench my fist, fightin’ the urge to punch him in his stupid, preppy face again. Harder. I’d love to see his nose broken and his face covered in blood. When I’m done with him, he won’t be nearly as pretty as he is now.
    “It wouldn’t even take the whole truck. A couple gallons would do it,” Jon says.
    Winston scratches at his beard and turns to look at me. “That what you want to do?”
    “I ain’t gonna leave her.”
    “Nobody’s expecting you to. I just want to make sure there isn’t another way. I don’t want to see you get yourself killed if we can do this right and get you all out alive. Plus, I don’t love the idea of handing these animals more fuel when it’s only going to help them keep going.”
    He’s got a point, but I don’t know another way. “We gotta.”
    “If you did go in, what next?” Nathan asks.
    “Meet with Vivian.” It sounds stupid, and I know it. I need more of a plan than that, but I can’t seem to get my brain to think of another one. Vivian is all I can focus on.
    Angus curses and walks away, kickin’ a chair as he heads toward the pool.
    “We need more of a plan than that, Axl,” Trey says. His voice is low, almost cautious.
    He ain’t scared of me, so I ain’t sure why ‘til I look over at him. He’s worried. Just like Angus. Worried I’m gonna get myself killed. It’s a goddamn messed-up world we’re livin’ in.
    “We stake the place out, figure a good way, and meet up with y’all after. We’ll get a plan together and bust ‘em out.” No one looks very happy ‘bout it. “I gotta see what’s goin’ on inside before we do anything else. You gotta know that.”
    “I hate to say it,” Nathan says, “but he’s right. We don’t know what’s happening in there.”
    “It’s not like anyone’s going to be suspicious of him ,” Jon says.
    I glare at him and he takes another step back, bumpin’ into the wall again. I hope he hits his head and knocks himself out.
    When he talks again, he looks like he’s ‘bout to piss his pants. “No offense, but he’ll fit right in. I mean, these aren’t the classiest bunch of men you’ve ever met in your life.”
    “So you’re sayin’ I’m trash, is that it?” I don’t give a