Read Broken World (Book 3): Mad World for Free Online Page B

screw himself.
    On the other hand, he wants to get his sister out and he obviously needs help. This could be the answer I was looking for. Our ticket out of here. But can I trust him? Will he even know what to do to get us out? He doesn’t look like it. At the moment, he doesn’t look like he could handle a fly, let alone a hotel full of armed men. But maybe he can get word to Axl…
    Yes! My heart jumps, and I blurt out, “What’s your sister’s name?”
    Jon swallows, and when he looks up, his eyes are brimming with tears. “Her name’s Megan. She has dark hair and green eyes. She’s only sixteen.” His voice is thick with unshed tears. He clears his throat and looks back down. Like he can’t look at me any longer. I’m not sure if he’s ashamed of his tears or ashamed of himself for dragging me here, but I don’t care.
    Megan. The girl with the black eye. Crap. This guy is fragile enough without knowing any of that. Should I tell him? Probably, but first I want some information. I want to know what the hell is going on here, and with the way he’s acting, he’s liable to fall apart at the first sign of bad news. We need to get some things out in the open before that happens.
    “I know who your sister is.” His head snaps up, but I shake my head. “First, I want you to tell me what all this is about. None of these bastards will talk, and the girls in the room are all either too scared or too damaged to explain. We’re in the dark here, and I don’t like it. I need to be prepared, which I can’t do without information.”
    Hope flashes in his eyes, and he jumps to his feet. He takes a step toward me. “You know her? She’s okay then?”
    I keep my face blank and press my lips together. No way in hell am I going to say another word until he tells me what’s going on.
    “Shit!” He shakes his head and stares at the floor. When he looks back up, there are more tears in his eyes. He knows it’s not good news. “Fine. Sit down and I’ll tell you what I know.”
    I sit on the edge of the bed, and he starts pacing the room, playing with the hem of his shirt. “One man started this whole thing. He got a few people together, armed them, and took over the casino. They cleared out the dead and fortified it so no more zombies could get in. They knew they were safe inside, and as long as they had supplies, they could live here forever. But the stuff in the casino wouldn’t last long. The boss didn’t want to risk his own ass, so he started recruiting other men. But he needed a way to pay them. Money’s worth shit now, and the promise of a room in the casino wasn’t enough motivation. There’s only one thing these kind of men would be willing to risk their lives for: sex.”
    I exhale as some of the pieces of the puzzle slowly come together. It makes perfect sense. There are no laws now. No right or wrong. Women have always been easy prey for assholes, so of course something like this would happen.
    My throat tightens when I think about all those women up in the suite and all the men down in the lobby. Damn. “So that’s why we’re here? As payment for the men who bring in supplies.”
    Jon nods and looks at me apologetically. I want to punch him. “I’m sorry. I really am. I didn’t want to help them, but it was the only way to get in and look for my sister. This place is secure and heavily guarded.”
    My fist tightens. He can shove his sorry up his ass. “How does it work? These payments?”
    “They get any woman they can find. Young, old, fat, thin, ugly, pretty—anything goes. The women are separated into three tiers. Tier one is the older, less attractive women. They’re payment for smaller scavenges. Things like water bottles from the other casinos or snacks from the vending machines. Anything easy to get and less of a risk. Tier two are the women in better shape. You get them by bringing in bigger hauls of food and supplies. Tier three would be the more attractive girls. They’re harder