Page 68 of Bones
“Good ’cause I’m off duty.”
He stepped closer, scanning my bruised face. “Damn, I saw the newsboard but?—”
An arm snaked around my ribs and pulled me back until I was pressed up against a broad chest.
“Hey, Hawk,” Zip said, his voice a low warning.
The realization dawned on Hawk’s face, the flirtatious smile vanishing. “Hey, Zip.”
“Bones, you want another drink?” Zip asked.
“Have a good night, you two,” Hawk said before vanishing back into the crowd.
"I don't share, Doc," Zip said low into my hair, the threat clear. "Now c'mon, I'll get you another drink."
I went with him, letting him hold onto me like he feared someone would snatch me away. I hated it, but I knew how to play this role. I’d wagered he would be jealous and possessive, which meant if I was with Zip, nobody would mess with me either.
Well, except for Zip.
I practically chugged my next drink.
Zip started playing a game of cards with me perched in his lap. As I glanced over Zip’s shoulder, I met flinty grey eyes and froze. Mac and Griz sat across the room at a table. They each had a drink in front of them, but both of them watched me with narrowed eyes. I looked away, my temper rising. Gods, why couldn’t they just leave me alone?
Zip laid down his cards and swore when he lost again. Even with my dulled senses, I could tell a fight was brewing, and I didn't want to patch him up again.
“C’mon, Zip,” I caught his face to get his attention, “let’s go.”
Zip's bleary gaze landed on me, startled like he'd forgotten I was even there. A wicked smile curled under his beard.
“Keep yer cards, Blaze,” he slurred, standing. “I got better things to do.”
I slid off his lap when he stood, but then he grabbed me and jerked me up into his arms to kiss me hard. Blaze and his buddies jeered and heckled him, but Zip just pulled back with a grin and steered us toward the door, his hand on my ass. Mac and Griz watched us go. I pretended not to see them.
Zip led me out of the dive and then roughly pressed me up against a shack, his lips hard and demanding against mine. The moonshine made it easy to surrender as his hands roamed down my body. Gods, I hoped Mac and Griz hadn’t followed us out. I forced my thoughts away from them as I dug my nails into Zip’s shoulders hard enough to make him growl. I didn’t want him to be gentle. For once I wasn’t trying to forget about other rough hands. I wanted to forget the gentle ones that had held me last night. I didn’t want to think about Trey. I didn’t want to think at all.
* * *
I woke up with a start.
Next to me, Zip snored, his naked body half draped over mine. I didn't recognize the tiny shack I'd woken up in, and I scanned the room. There wasn't much to see, a few pieces of homemade wooden furniture, a dirt floor, and the pile of furs we were laying on. I slid out from under Zip, waves of nausea rolling over me. My head pounded as I collected my clothes. There were several new bruises on my body. I hadn't wanted gentle, and from the bits and pieces I could remember, I’d gotten my wish. Hopefully, he'd been too drunk to notice the brand on my chest.
I dressed as quickly and quietly as I could manage. Thank the gods, Zip didn’t even stir. When I stepped outside, the sun hadn’t even fully risen yet, but the light sent stabbing pains through my head. I made it a few steps before puking into the frosty grass.
Wolf stayed silent in my head. I debated poking at him, demanding he express his disapproval, but I couldn’t find the energy. I stumbled back to my clinic, stopping to retch a few more times. Gods, what did Mootzie put in that shit? When I opened the door to the clinic, my heart skipped a beat in my chest at the sight of Trey sitting on the chair by the door, still dressed and awake. I forced myself to continue inside. He stared at me as I toed off my boots, his jaw tight.
“You look like shit,” he said.
I flashed a vulgar hand signal as I went around him to collapse onto my bed. The silence felt full of tension. I wished he would leave.
“Why you doin' this, Bones?” he finally asked.
I swallowed hard, refusing to lift my face from the lumpy mattress. I needed him to be mad. I could deal with mad. I could not deal with the hurt in his voice.
“Go away,” I mumbled.
“You gotta know,” Trey continued like I hadn’t even spoken, “dammit, Bones, you gotta know I care about you. I’m sorry you feel like I took advantage of you. I was trying real hard to make sure you didn’t?—”
“Go. Away.” I lifted my head enough to spit the words at him.
