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Shell laid back on the bed next to Toni. “God, I hope Mav’s okay. Shark may be dead, but Copper’s not gonna stop until the whole gang is six feet under.”
A chill skittered down Toni’s spine. Shell stared at the ceiling. She grew up in the club, would know much better than Toni how things worked, so she didn’t doubt Shell’s statement for one minute. Copper’s expression had been murderous. Shit was about to get real.
With a groan, Shell pushed up onto her elbows. “Well, I’d better get back. Beth is sleeping in one of the spare rooms.” She sat up straight and peered down at Toni, who didn’t have the energy to see her friend out. “I’m so sorry for what you went through tonight. But I’m so grateful to you for what you did for Mav and the rest of my family. So, thank you. Regardless of what happens between you and Zach, you have a sister for life.”
“Thanks, Shell.”
“Feel free to raid the kitchen or rec room. Make yourself at home.” She winked. “And I’m sure Zach wouldn’t complain if he came back to find you sleeping in his bed.”
After dropping a kiss on Toni’s forehead, Shell was gone and closing the door softly behind her. Copper had a damn good woman waiting for him when he finally got his head out of his ass.
Quiet filled the room. Used to living alone, Toni usually adored the silent peace of being solo. Not tonight. Tonight, the lack of noise and companionship just allowed her to replay the past day like a film loop in her head.
Everything about that day, from waking in Zach’s arms, to receiving the video file, to spilling her guts about the past filtered through her brain. Especially the part where she murdered a man.
Fuck. She’d killed someone.
Killed someone.
Killed…
Granted, the man she killed would have raped her for sure and probably tortured her before possibly killing her, but still... She’d taken a life. Ended it. There was a person who would no longer get to live on earth thanks to her.
It was a lot to process.
Too much.
Toni toed off her shoes and climbed under the brown comforter in Zach’s very utilitarian bedroom. No pictures, no color, not much of anything besides a bed, bookcase, and big screen TV.
Boring.
But it smelled of Zach, which was comforting, and she had high hopes she would just pass out and begin the process of putting the events of the day behind her.
An hour later, she’d counted to three hundred and twenty-four, rearranged her closet in her mind, and planned her outfit for the next day. Oh, and she’d obsessed.
Suddenly, the bedding was smothering her, shrinking down around her and cutting off her air. She threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. Maybe some kind of snack would settle her nerves.
The clubhouse was easy to navigate, with the kitchen being at the bottom of the stairs and to the right. It was deadly quiet, almost creepy. No one was partying. Most of the men were probably dealing with the fallout of her killing Shark, while the rest waited for news of Mav. A few were left there to guard the clubhouse, but they were on post outside.
Just as she reached for the freezer in hopes of finding some ice cream, footsteps sounded behind her. Toni gasped and spun, her back hitting the refrigerator and her hand flying up to her racing heart.
“Zach,” she breathed. “How’s Maverick?” One of the things she’d been obsessing about.
“Fucking beat to shit. Infected arm. But he’s getting good care. He’ll be okay.”
She nodded. “Good. That’s good.”
Zach didn’t say anything else and apprehension crawled through Toni. He looked exhausted, hair mussed, circles under his eyes, clothes a mess. But there was a tension about him that had her uncertain how to proceed. Holding himself rigid, he clenched his jaw and the blue eyes she loved so much had darkened with what she could only assume was displeasure.
“Um, do—”
“What the fuck, Toni?” he suddenly roared, making her jerk and smack her head on the freezer.
“Zach?”
He stormed toward her, stopping only when his palms slapped against the freezer on either side of her head.
“I swear to Christ, woman, if you ever do that again, if you ever offer yourself up to some fucking psycho, I’ll take you over my knee and tan your ass until it’s redder than your pussy.”
Toni’s eyes widened and she gasped. But not in fear or horror. Was it sick if her core clenched and the cheeks of her ass tingled in anticipation? Because if it was, she’d never tell a soul, but if not…
“I had to,” she whispered. “I saw Maverick and just…had to.”
Zach groaned and dropped his head into the curve of Toni’s neck. When he sighed, his warm breath ticked her collar bone. “I get it, baby. I do. But shit, when I saw you walking toward him and Rocket held me back…” He rolled his forehead back and forth across her shoulder. “Fuck.”
