Page 5 of His Claim

“Uh, you want me to bring this with?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yes. We need anything we can get our hands on for a weapon.”

She looked down at the board in her hands. “Hit them with the side with the nails sticking out?”

I blinked rapidly. “Uh, well, that is a very good suggestion. I was just going to say hit them anyway you can, but if you can get them with the nails, then good.” Here I was worried that Tatum might not be able to keep up.

She gripped the board in her hands and held it like she was ready to swing it like a bat. “Are you taking the last one with us?” She nodded to the last board over the window.

I ripped it out of the wall and braced it on my shoulder. “I break the glass, I jump out, you follow right behind me.”

She nodded. “Got it.”

Five years ago, I had been worried about Tatum getting caught up in my mess of a life, and now she was firmly in the middle of chaos breaking out.

I took a deep breath and reached out to wrap my hand around the back of her neck.

“What are you–” she started, but I cut her off.

I pulled her close. My lips pressed against hers, and she yielded to my touch instantly.

This was what I missed about Tatum.

Well, I missed a whole hell of a lot about Tatum, but her kisses were at the top of the list.

She never hesitated when I touched her. She gave in to me as if it was second nature. She gave in as if there weren’t five years between us.

“What was that for?” she whispered when I pulled away. Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at me with her doe eyes.

“Just in case I don’t make it, baby girl. I want my last moments to be good.”

She blinked slowly, and her lips parted. “Okay.”

I thought about Tatum often these past five years. Wondering what she was doing, and if she had found someone else. Someone who could give her the type of life she deserved.

“Is... is there...” Did I want to die knowing that Tatum had moved on from us?

“Don’t you think you should have asked that before you kissed me?” she whispered.

I brushed my thumb over her cheek.

“It’s always just been you, Murphy. You stole my heart and never gave it back to me. Not even when you broke it.”

Jesus.

“We make it through this–”

She pressed a finger to my lips. “When we make it through this,” she corrected me. “When we make it through this, we’re going to talk.”

I nodded and pressed a kiss to the pad of her finger.

I didn’t know if it was the adrenalin pumping through my veins, the danger in the air, or the very good possibility I wasn’t going to see tomorrow, but I didn’t want to die without kissing Tatum one last time.

“We’re gonna make it, Murphy.” She smiled softly. “Now break that glass, and let’s see if this all-state track star can beat you to the trees,” she smirked.

I shook my head. “Not a chance, baby girl.” I pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Tatum stepped back, her board at the ready, and I turned to the window.

It was now or never.

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