New Title 6 (6 page)

 “Either
you done her last night, and done her good, or she's high,” Deanna said.

 I wish
. I could go for a bit of both,
actually.

 “Deanna,
hun. Whatever do you mean?” I turned to look at her.

 “
Zee
,
sweet chops, I know you.”

 “Huh?
What's that got to do with anything? A-a-a-anyway, thanks for staying last
night, but, uh, y'all better get going. Isn't there work to get to? And I gotta
get ready for mine. So, uh, thanks.”

 “And
there we have our answer,” Deanna said smugly, leaning back in her chair.

 “What?”
Talon asked. I still hadn't looked at him; my eyes stayed on Deanna or the
floor.

 “She
wants us gone, so she has the chance to run and hide with her head up her ass.”

 I
stiffened, my cup half raised to my lips. Stuff Deanna and her knowing me too
well.

 Talon's
head fell back, and he let out a deep rumble of laughter, sending goose bumps
all over my body.

 He
shook his head and then looked at me...no, I should've said glared at me.
Hoo-boy.

 He
pushed away from the sink and slowly, sensually, moved toward me. He took my
cup from my hands and placed it on the bench behind me. Which gave me a chance
to take a good whiff of him, causing my body to respond. My hands went to his
chest; his went to my waist. I looked up at him.

 “Let's
get one thing straight right now, kitten,” I nodded. “I won't have you runnin'.
This is your fuckin' place; nothing is runnin' you off. I won't fuckin' let it.
You get me, woman?” This time I shook my head. He sighed. “Even though my dick
ain't been in you—yet, I still classed you mine once my mouth touched yours.
You have my protection, kitten. My boys’ protection. Nothin' is gonna fuckin'
happen to you, Maya, or Hell Mouth there.”

 “Thanks,”
Deanna grinned.

 Wow!
What was I supposed to say to that? Was he like this for all his hoochy mamas?
Not that I was his H.M. We hadn't even slept together.

 Still,
no matter how his words made me feel, the urge to run and hide was higher than
anything else. Not for my sake, but for Maya's, and to keep those who wanted to
protect me safe.

 “No.”

 His
eyebrows rose. “What?” he growled.

 “I
can't let you do that. I won't have any harm come to you and your boys because
of me; and you can't ask that of them either. Promise, I'm really not that good
of a lay.”

 He
leaned his forehead against mine. “For fuck’s sake, kitten.” I could hear the
smile in his voice.

 “Too
damned considerate,” Deanna grumbled.

 Griz
stood abruptly. We all watched him leave the room and heard the front door slam
seconds later.

 “What's
his problem?” Deanna asked.

 “Nothin',”
Talon said. He kissed me quickly—way too quick if you ask me—stepped back and
said, “We got shit to talk about. Finish your coffee, babe, and then both of
you get your asses in the living room.” With that, he stalked out, down the
hall, and—no doubt—into my room to use my en-suite.

 “I'm
upset with you, bitch,” Deanna said, crossing her arms over her chest.

 “Yeah,
well, I'm upset with you too, whore.” I glared. “Why'd ya have to tell them
what I was going to do?”

 “'Cause
I see the way P.P. man looks at you, and I knew he'd put a stop to your fucked
up plan.” She got up from the table and came over. Deanna gently took my face
between both her hands, holding my gaze with the strength of her own. “I can't
lose you, woman. I'd be in a fuckin' mental home if it weren't for you. I need
you to listen to me; you need to stay and fight. You have people willing to fight
at your side with you, or for you for that fuckin' matter. Don't run. Please,
please, don't run.” Tears formed in her eyes. I had never seen Deanna like this
in all the years I'd known her.

 I
grabbed her in a tight hug, fighting my own tears. “Honey, you know that's not
me. I can't have people fight my own battles.”

 “We
want to. If that's what'll keep you and Maya here, we will.”

 “I
know
you
do. I know, buttercup. And Talon, maybe. God only knows why.
But Talon's boys?” I shook my head on her shoulder. “You know what dickface was
like; if one of Talon's boys got hurt, or worse, because of me, I couldn't live
with myself.”

 “Lounge,
now,” Talon's gruff voice ordered.

 We
pulled apart, wiping our faces, and saw Talon leaning against the doorframe. He
had wet hair, jeans, and a black tee. How long had he been there? I wasn't
sure. But God almighty, he looked good enough to eat.

 “I
hate you,” Deanna said to me before she left the room.

 “And
I hate you, too.” I smiled at her back as I followed her into the lounge.
Finally, I knew she understood.

 We
both sat on my couch. Talon grabbed a kitchen chair, dragging it in to sit
opposite us across the wooden chest. The front door opened, scaring the crap
out of me, nearly causing me to jump in Deanna's lap. Griz stomped back in, but
it didn't stop there; about ten other bikers walked in behind him. They made
themselves comfortable standing or sitting where they could, while Deanna and I
stared on with slack jaws.

 What's going on?

 “Man,
I wish to fuck I'd had a shower now before this,” Deanna grunted. I giggled. I
would have felt the same way if I was still in the clothes I had on yesterday,
and the massive bed hair she had going on. Still, she looked beautiful. The nut
sucker.

 “Kitten.
Start explaining.” It wasn't a question, it was an order.

 “What?
Now?”

 He
rolled his eyes. “Yes, now.”

 I
looked around the room wondering why Talon wanted me to tell my sob story in
front of so many badass bikers. However, I knew if I kicked up a stink, I'd end
up regretting it, in one way or another.

 “
Kitten,
”
Talon growled.

 “All
right, all right. Gosh, you are damned bossy; has anyone ever told you that?”

 “All
the time,” he said. His boys laughed.

 “Yeah,
well, it'll only work on me so many times; in the end, you'll have no chance to
get in my knickers.”

 He
smirked. The guys laughed again.

 “I'm
willing to think otherwise.” He grinned; then it disappeared. “We don't have
all day, babe. Some of us have to work.”

 I
sat up straighter. “Speaking of which, I gotta call my boss. She'll be
wondering where I am.”

 “Already
done,” Deanna said. I turned to her in time to see her shrug. “I said you
wouldn't be in. She asked why; I told her to mind her own fuckin' business.”

 My
hand went to my mouth. “You didn't.”

 “She
did,” Griz said.

 “Jesus,
Deanna—” I went to tell her off good and proper, but there was a knock on the
door.

 “Better
not be another fuckin' suitor,” Talon said through clenched teeth.

 Pick
was the closest to the door and opened it. I saw Warden's tall form over everyone’s
heads. “I'm after Zara,” Warden barked.

 “Who
the fuck are you?” Pick asked.

 Talon
stood, his fists clenched at his sides. I could read the look he was giving me:
'not another fuckin' one.'

 “None
of your damned business.” Warden took a step forward and leaned down to get in
Pick's face.

 I
stood quickly and waved over everyone. “Hey, Warden. Over here.” Out the corner
of my mouth, I whispered to Talon, “I work with him.”

 Warden
stalked through the many bikers, came right up to me, and pulled me into a
tight hug. I patted his back, and then waved Talon off when I saw him approach
behind us.

 “Get
ya fuckin' hands off her,” Talon growled.

 Warden
being Warden, how nothing phased him because he was big enough to take on all
of them, simply ignored Talon. He pulled back from the hug and gently grabbed
my face between his palms, then said, “Looks like we made it here in time.”

 “We?”

 “Violet's
parking the car. She saw all the bikers comin' in and she told me to get my ass
in here. Lucky I did. Now, what the hell's going on?”

 “Shit!”
Talon hissed. “You need to back the fuck up or we're gonna have problems.”

 Warden
stiffened. He removed his hands, turned, and placed me directly behind him. He
was trying to protect me.
Awww, isn't that sweet? My co-worker likes me and
we haven’t even been working together long.

 The
front door swung open, and there stood Violet in a fighting stance, holding a
gun to the room. She kinda looked funny, not that I would tell her that. She's
tiny; not only short, but she’s slim, with long black hair that was always in a
ponytail, and dark green eyes. However she looked, I still knew not to mess
with her. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if she shot someone and thought
nothing of it.

 “Who
do I have to shoot first?”

 See.

 “Vi,”
Talon said with a low voice. On hearing it, Violet stiffened; her eyes found
him through the mountain of bikers (one that I wouldn't mind climbing) and she
straightened.

 “Brother,”
she sneered her contempt.

 What
was that? Did I hear right? I think I went deaf there for a second and my mind
made up its own word.

 Violet
walked into the room, kicked the door closed, holstered her gun, and strutted
her way over to stand next to Warden.

 “Really,
Talon. I didn't expect you here. Zara's not your type—”

 “That's
what I said,” I added.

 “She's
too good for you.”

 “Well,
I don't know about that,” I shrugged.

 “What
the fuck're you doing here?” Deanna asked from
still
sitting on the
couch.

 
By
all means, Deanna, don't get up. There's going to be one hell of a fight. All.
Because. Of. Me. But just sit back and enjoy the show, Deanna. Want some
popcorn?

 “Well,
Barbie, I knew something was up when you and your foul mouth called. I know
Zara isn't one to not call herself. So I had to pop in and find out what.”

 “And
you thought it had something to do with me, right?” Talon glared.

 “Couldn't
be too careful. Imagine my surprise when Zara walked into my office one day
asking for a job, and I just happened to see her address on her resumé. I knew
it was fate; it was up to me to keep an eye on her—from the likes of you. But
look-see here; you've already got your claws into her. Now tell me what's going
on?”

 “Violet—”
I started.

 “Kitten,”
Talon warned. I looked over to him; he shook his head and held his hand outstretched.
“Come 'ere.”

 Damn,
this was a test. Like those ones people put on dogs when one master stood on
one side of the room and the other on the opposite side and they both called
the dog to see which one was the favorite master. Actually, you know what? That
was a bad example. I was not the dog in this scenario.

 But
I did feel I had to choose, and my gut, head, and heart only had one answer.

 I
stepped around Warden and made my way to Talon. I placed my hand in his; he
pulled me tightly against his side with a smirk on his lips.

 I
punched him in the side. “Don't go all Alpha on me and be a smartass. Violet,
Warden, you may have different opinions of Talon, but he ain't all that bad.
And now just finding out you're his sister, I'm sure you've got some stories to
tell me.” I leaned forward and whispered, “I look forward to hearing them and
getting some dirt on him.

 “And
sure he's as bossy as a shithead sometimes, but you've gotta look at his good
side as well. Okay, it may be hard to find, and you have to really squint your
eyes to see it, but it's there and I kinda like it.”

 The
room burst out laughing. Talon gripped my waist, so I looked up at him. He was
smiling as he ran his knuckles down my cheek, and then proceeded to kiss me in
front of everyone. There were some hoots and hollers.

 His
took his lips away from mine and I think I complained a bit, but then he
whispered, “You'll pay for that shithead comment, kitten. And next time, do not
say this crap in front of my boys. I'm a badass motherfucker.”

 He
straightened and announced to the room. “Let’s get this shit sorted.”

 “We're
staying,” Violet said.

 Talon
gave her a chin lift and continued, “Kitten, sit down and start explaining...”
Talon's phone rang. He answered it, and whatever he heard on the other end made
his smile turn upside-down and he growled deep, “Bring the fucker in.”