Page 60 of Bitten By Zombie

“The whole…”

“Yep. We were just discussing purchasing it and letting Walt stay on to manage it. If you want, you can turn the whole damn thing into a shelter as the current tenants move out.”

She burst into tears. Zombie was around the counter before too many fell.

“Heidi? I thought you’d be happy.”

“I am, Wayne. I’m so happy. Like, so happy it’s spilling out of my eyes.” She barely got the words out doing that hiccup talk thing. And her sobs rose with her last words.

A few more sniffles and she tried to pull away, but he held fast. The sound of dishes clinking in the sink drew his gaze. Outlaw gave him a thumbs-up before exiting.

“You promise these are happy tears, Rabbit?”

She nodded against his chest. “I’ve just. Never felt so loved and cared for. Not even when I was young.” She pulled back again, and Zombie allowed her the space.

He’d learned to read her a little bit and knew when to hold tight and when to let her have some space. Heidi didn’t do emotions, not like he did. The fact she was even tearing up spoke about her level of comfort with them.

She laughed and dashed away her tears. “I swear to god, Wayne, if you tell anyone I’ve become a watering pot, I’ll cut you in your sleep.”

She turned and washed the dishes in the sink.

“Noted.”

The whole getting in touch with her emotions thing was a work in progress, but he understood. He’d always been loved and cared for. At least until his mom had her mental break. But even then, she thought in her twisted process that she was doing what was best for him.

Heidi had never had anyone put her needs and wants first. It was always about them, even her mother was motivated by her church in every aspect of parenting.

Outlaw and Heidi were a lot alike in that aspect. Patience was the key. Also not pushing her or making a production out of the whole thing.

With that in mind, he hugged her from behind. “Love you, Heidi.” Short and simple.

She tilted her cheek to him, and he kissed it.

“Love you too.” The words fed his soul.

With a smile on his face, he left her with her emotions and a sink of dirty dishes.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

HEIDI

Heidi looked up from the piece she was working on when Zombie pulled up with a covered car on the flatbed.

She’d taken the Bastards up on his offer to do her art at the junkyard and do random welding. It not only made sense, but it also morphed her art into something completely different.

Her pieces had taken on a blue-collar steampunk vibe and they were a hit. She wasn’t buying material; she was scrounging the yard for it.

In the months that passed, she’d carved out her place in the world, in Zombie’s world. A world with love and purpose.

Her brother was still considered a missing person but also a suspect in the old prophet’s death. The ballistics on the gun matched the bullets that killed him. The police were focused on Ezekiel’s Children to find Stan, so they couldn’t really help anyone wanting to leave them just yet, but she knew it would come in time.

Zombie hopped out of the cab as she doffed her face shield. Just the sight of him left her breathless and she feared it always would.

She was hopelessly and utterly in love with him. Most people would say that the day their brother tried to kill them was the worst, but for her, it brought her Zombie and the rest of the Royal Bastards. It was the best thing that happened to her.

He caught her up in an embrace that gave her all the feels. Wrapping her legs around him, he kissed her stupid before pulling his lips just out of her reach.

“I swear, Rabbit. Every damn time I see you in this”—he indicated her property cut—“I get a raging fucking hard-on.”

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