Madaug dialed his phone as everyone belted themselves in. “I can’t get Eric. You don’t think anything’s happened to him, do you?”
“He’l be al right,” Bubba assured him. “Tabitha might be a little out there”—boy, wasn’t that the kettle cal ing the pot black. I guess everyone is someone else’s weirdo. “But she’s good in a fight. They can take anything the zombie world throws at them. Vampires too.”
“Oh, wait!” Nick panicked as he remembered his mom. “I’m supposed to be at my mom’s club. She told me if I wasn’t there by now, she’d come find me.”
“And become a zombie hostage,” Mark said. “I’ve seen it before. Countless times. The wel -meaning hapless woman out to save her kid. Taken and eaten.”
Bubba scoffed. “In the movies, Mark.”
“Yeah, wel , sometimes that happens in real life too, and this is definitely a time for it to happen ’cause that’d be just our luck. They take her and we al die trying to save her because she did something stupid.”
Bubba turned his SUV around. “Let’s go get her. ’Cause Mark’s right.”
Nick checked the time. “She stil has four hours of work left.” Mark held up a gun. “It’s al right. We’l get her one way or another.”
Nick was horrified at the mere suggestion of pul ing a gun on his mom. “You can’t shoot my mom, Mark! Are you out of your mind?”
“I’m not going to shoot her. Calm down. I’m just going to tranq her a little.”
Before Nick could protest, Bubba had the SUV parked.
“Mark. You and the kids stay here.”
Nick shook his head. “It’s my mom, I’m coming.” Bubba started to protest, then must have thought better of it.
“We don’t have any time to waste. C’mon.” Nick led him to the back door of the club and knocked until John answered it.
The bouncer shook his head. “Boy, your mama is going to kil you.”
“Where is she?”
“Green room.”
Nick led Bubba down the narrow hal way until he reached the dressing room. He knocked on the door and waited.
His mom opened it. Her hair was teased out and her makeup thick while she was dressed in her bathrobe. The look on her face made his stomach head south.
“What have you got to say for yourself, Nick Gautier?”
“That I was attacked by zombies?”
She rol ed her eyes. “Don’t hand me that ridiculous story.”
“No, Ma, I swear. Real y!”
But she wasn’t about to believe him. “Do you know what time it is?”
“Obviously time for me to get grounded again.” He let out a deep sigh. Some days, it real y didn’t pay to be honest.
She narrowed her gaze at him. “That’s right. I’m going to ground you until your grandchildren are old.” Bubba stepped forward, cutting her off. “Uh, ma’am? We do have a situation and we need for you to come with us.” She furrowed her brow as she looked at Bubba like he was crazy. “I can’t leave. I have another set in a few minutes.”
“With al due respect, ma’am, the zombies won’t care and they won’t wait.”
“Oh good grief, Bubba. Would you stop fil ing my boy’s head ful of al that garbage? You’ve already got him ful y convinced of everything but the tooth fairy and I’m waiting for him to come home with wings on, tel ing me that even it’s real.” She grabbed Nick’s good arm. “Get in here and sit in the corner until I decide how much restriction I’m giving you.”
“But Mom—”
“Don’t you ‘but Mom’ me.”
Nick looked at Bubba as a wave of helplessness consumed him. Why would he have thought for one minute his mother would listen? Not like she made a habit of it.
Bubba shrugged and before Nick could stop him, he shot her.
“Bubba!”
His mom let out a sharp cry before she staggered back.
Bubba scooped her up in his arms as she swooned. “Dang, Nick, your mom’s a tiny little thing. Weird. When she’s awake, you forget she don’t weigh nothing at al .”
“It’s ’cause she’s so fierce.” He’d seen her stand toe to toe with his father, who could dwarf a mountain, and never blink or back down.
“She’s going to kil us. You know that?” Bubba ignored him as he carried her back toward the entrance.
John scowled at them as they walked past. “What’s going on?”
“She fainted,” he and Bubba said simultaneously.
“We’re taking her to the doctor,” Nick lied as he brushed past John. He hated that he had to say that, but John would never believe the truth and it’d probably get her fired.
“Boss ain’t gonna like this. Not a bit.” Nick shrugged. “Can’t help that she got sick. It happens.” He ran ahead to get the car door for Bubba so that he could put his mom in as quickly as possible.
He fastened her seat belt before he took a seat next to her, while Bubba got back in the front.
Simi frowned. “She picked a fine time to take a nap. Was she real y sleepy?”
Before Nick could answer, Bubba’s phone started ringing.
Bubba pul ed away from the curb before he answered it.