Fuck it. I was done waiting—headache or no headache.
I pulled her in and used that lush ponytail to drag her head back, giving me access to those lush lips.
It wasn’t soft or pretty. It was all heat and breath and the taste of blood where my lip had split earlier, and Taryn didn’t pull back from it—she leaned in, fingers gripping the front of my shirt like she was staking her claim.
I made a sound against her mouth that I didn’t recognize.
One that she echoed.
That did something to me. Something that made me feel dangerous and possessive.
Her nails dug through the cloth of my shirt and into my chest, and I dragged her closer, my other hand sliding to her jaw, my thumb rough against her cheek because I needed to feel that she was real, that she was here, and that we were both still breathing.
“Don’t change, Fox, not for anyone,” I muttered against her lips.
She pulled me back in and kissed me harder, if that were possible. Full of teeth and heat and that stubborn fire she carried like a weapon.
When we finally separated, I didn’t move away. My forehead pressed against hers. We were both breathing heavily, as if we’d just fought our way out of something—and maybe we had.
“Let’s get in there and find out what they’ve seen and what condition the town is in before I get you home.” I pressed my mouth softly to hers.
Taryn sighed heavily. “Okay. Ben will be looking for me. He’s prepared for every eventuality other than this one. I’m sure he has a dozen things for me to do.” She stood on her toes and kissed me lightly once more. “I’m going to miss you, big guy.”
No, she wasn’t, because I fully intended to stay by her side.
There was no way I would abandon her when she needed my protection. And shedidneed it. My Fox was as clever as they come, but she would need muscle to keep her safe, and I planned to be that strength. Nash and Ben would be obstacles I’d gladly remove if they couldn’t be reasoned with. A body or two disappearing now wouldn’t be unusual. Taryn might be upset… or she might not.
Either way, I wasn’t leaving her side.
When we went inside the clubhouse, the smell of sickness and alcohol was strong.
Nash was lounging on a stool at the bar with Lynn in his lap.
“What do we have here?” Lynn smirked at Taryn. “A cheerleader looking to get herself a little biker dick?”
“I doubt there’s anything little about it,” Taryn said as she put her arm around my waist.
Lynn laughed, “I know there isn’t. I’ve had it so deep in my throat I could almost shit it out.”
I winced. That bitch was disgusting. I expected Taryn to drop her arm and look at me in disgust, but, as usual, she surprised me.
“I hope you enjoyed it because it won’t happen again.” Taryn raised a brow at me.
“Nope. I’ve forgotten any other female from the moment you showed up outside the warehouse. I’m a born-again virgin.” I kissed the end of Taryn’s nose.
“Yeah, right.” She snorted, reached down, and pinched my ass.
I threw my head back and laughed, squeezing her tighter to my side. “It’s true, Fox!”
“Enough of this bullshit,” Nash growled, pushing Lynn off him. “We need to come up with a plan.”
“How’s the town?” I leaned down and kissed the top of Taryn’s head.
“Gone to shit but ripe for the picking.” Nash eyed me with disgust. “The police locked a bunch of deadheads in the school on orders. For a while, parents tried to get in, but that didn’t last long.” He grabbed some pretzels from a bowl on the counter and popped them into his mouth. “Now, most people are either holed up in their homes, sick, or trying to head to one of the government quarantine zones.”
“What do you mean by ‘ripe for the picking’?” Taryn eyed him with suspicion.
Nash ignored her question, never taking his eyes off mine. “The bank and stores will be full of money. You need to get some rest and clean up. We’ll hit them tonight.”
