Page 38 of Chaos Destiny
“I’m a married man, Dana,” I reminded her. At this point, it was like an echo. “Plus, there are plenty of other men here.”
“Yeah, but there’s something about you. Something that makes me want to drop to my knees,” she smirked, “and worship.”
“Don’t you mean ‘in’ worship?”
“No, I don’t.”
I took several steps back.
“Keep an eye on my ladies, will you?” I asked. “I won’t be long, but I’ll worry about them while I’m gone.”
Was it not necessary, I wouldn’t have left them behind. There was no guarantee that I would make it back, but whatever I could find on this supply run meant an easier time for my ladies going forward.
All three of them.
“Seriously, Gage?” She went to poke my stomach, but I moved further out of reach. “What if I promise not to say anything to your wife?”
“What if I offer to bring back a man for you?”
She chuckled.
I’d gotten to know a few people outside of Tayler, and what Tayler told me that first night proved true; virtually all of them were decent. Even Dana, despite her raging hormones, was stillone of the “good” ones compared to the types Ari and I had encountered over time.
The most amusing part of the situation was that Icouldsleep with Dana if I wanted to. She was offering, and I was faking. But she wasn’t the one who stayed on my mind like a handprint stamped in concrete.
Fingertips tapped the back of my arm, and the main character of my dreams stepped into my line of vision like a flower in the morning sunlight.
“Omar wants to take the truck,” Tayler said.
I forced myself to look up from where I’d gotten hypnotized by the movement of her mouth. “Truck? It’s still good? Hasn’t it been sitting in the lot for a while now?”
“He said that diesel lasts longer than gas, and there’s still a good bit in the tank. He’s also pissed nobody told him it was diesel, but that’s neither here nor there.”
“Should I be prepared to hear about this on the ride?”
She smiled.
Good lord, woman.
Ari had given me the green light. She didn’t need to, but it made things strangely more acceptable that she did. There was virtually nothing stopping me from pursuing Tayler, considering I gave zero fucks about Allen. Tayler deserved someone in her life who wanted her for more than to nurture an underdeveloped ego. A sexual relationship didn’t have to be complicated, but my gut told me that having sex with Tayler would return me to lethal when I’d managed to be companionable all this time.
Friendly, even.
“You’ll probably hear about it for weeks, to be honest,” she said, the smile growing. “But, just so you know, we’ve been scouring this area for a while and haven’t found much. Know that you don’t have to bring back a steer or something forusto be proud of you.”
“We’re proud of you for existing,” Dana chimed in.
Dana, who I’d forgotten existed.
I reached for Tayler’s hand. I wanted to slide her fingers between mine and pull her toward the building, specifically the supply closet, but I squeezed instead. In more than one dream, I’d done things with and to her in that supply closet that would probably taint all the meds inside. Our bodies had produced enough energy to power the mini-fridge where the vials were stored.
“Take care of my girls, okay?” I asked.
She nodded. “I promise.”
“Is Ari still moping?”
“Yes, but I get it. She wants to feel useful, and in a few days, I think she’ll be strong enough to help out somewhere. Light duty only, though. Right now, she’s doing plenty by taking care of Thandie.”
