Claiming Her Beasts #2 by Dia Cole
Lee
“Ugh. Why did we have to sit in the top row of the bleachers?” complained Sai through a mouthful of sunflower seeds. “It’ll take us at least another half an hour to get out of here.” The handsome man waved at the line of people waiting to speak to Darcy.
I gave him an apologetic smile as I rested my head against Reed’s shoulder. It sucked that we’d be the last ones out of the gym, but on the plus side, Kiara and her boyfriend had moved several rows down, so we had most of this section of the bleachers to ourselves now. With the rain beating against the large square windows behind our heads, it was almost relaxing.
Besides, I wanted to spend more time with Reed before being separated from him again.
Letting out a deep sigh, Sai looked between me and Reed. Then he lolled his head back on the legs of his sleeping older brother. “It just adds insult to injury.”
I wasn’t sure if he was talking about our situation or me being with Reed.
Dev looked at Sai from over the thick rims of his glasses. “We can deal you into the next game.”
“Yeah, you’d be more of a challenge,” Zara announced, throwing down her cards in front of Dev. “Ah ha! Royal flush, you lose. Pony up your seeds.”
Dev groaned and pushed some of his sunflower seeds at Zara.
“Be glad we’re not playing for bullets,” Zara chortled as Dev gathered the cards and shuffled them.
The siblings’ camaraderie had me thinking of Eden and wondering where she was. She’d stormed down the steps of the bleachers as soon as Dominic finished his lecture and had gotten the first assignment from Darcy.
I knew Eden was furious at me because I’d stopped her from trying to intervene with Danika. But I didn’t want her getting exiled from the school along with the stupid dentist’s wife.
I couldn’t believe Danika would try to bring a dog here. And taking out the front gate—the only barrier between us and the monsters—was unforgivable.
Eden would get over her anger with me. She always did. In the meantime, it didn’t hurt to give her a little space. Especially since I knew she couldn’t go anywhere.
After the Blooms’ actions, Dominic’s squad would have the school locked down tighter than Reed’s bongo drums.
“I’m just glad Avi had playing cards and snacks in his backpack,” Dev said, motioning at his eldest brother who lay on the top row behind us.
Zara scoffed. “Avi is always prepared for everything. Even the apocalypse.” She glanced at me. “Lee, you want in this round?”
“No, thanks,” I said, rubbing my face against the soft fabric of Reed’s sweatshirt. Inhaling his earthy clove scent was soothing and I could really use the calm. It’d been hours since we’d been paraded into the gym and asked to choose between staying and leaving. After having heard Dominic’s exhaustive list of rules, I’d been left wondering if we’d made the right choice by staying.
The sergeant was essentially demanding we trade our freedom for his protection. In return for staying at the school, he’d control every waking moment of our lives including what and when we ate, and even when we slept.
As someone who’d been on their own since eighteen, I found the idea troubling. But it might be the only way to keep Eden and Reed safe.
I squeezed Reed’s arm, hoping he’d wake up. “Come back to me, honey.”
Vincent who’d nodded off a few feet away woke with a start. “The Queen is coming. We honor and worship her immortal glory in this realm and all others. May she bless her disciples with her undying power and righteous rule, and may the Kingdom of the Kindred be without end. Amen.”
He chanted his weird prayer over and over, his voice getting louder.
Zara, Dev, and Sai stared at the raving man.
Mario spun around in his seat several rows down. “Hey loco, shut the fuck up.”
Vincent acted as if Mario had called him over. He climbed down to where Mario sat with Kiara. “You’re a disciple too, pray with me.”
Mario raised one of his tattooed fists. “I’ll give you something to pray about.”
“Not here, papi.” Kiara dragged her boyfriend down the bleachers while Vincent followed after them.
I guess I should feel grateful Reed wasn’t that far gone. Or is he? Sighing, I rested my face against his shoulder.
“Lee?” Reed said, in a voice so faint, I wondered if I’d imagined it. He slowly turned his head to look at me.
Relieved to see recognition in his gorgeous blue eyes, I hugged him as hard as I could.
“Ouch,” he said, pulling back. One cut near his lip opened and bled.
“Sorry,” I said, reminding myself to be gentle with him. “I’m just so glad you’re… yourself. You scared me there for a while.”
“You were acting like a zombie,” Zara said, glancing at Reed over her cards. She caught herself and winced. “Sorry, bad choice of words.”
“No need to apologize.” Reed rubbed his head. “The drugs make me really out of it, but they stop him from talking to me.”
Zara frowned and exchanged uneasy looks with Dev and Sai.
My stomach sank. I’d hoped that Reed’s episode in the locker room had been a one-time thing. Lowering my voice, I said, “Are you still hearing the voices in your head?”
“There’s only one voice.” Reed blotted his bloody lip with the cuff of his sweatshirt. “And no, I’m not hearing Hunter right now, thank Jesus.”
Hunter?I didn’t think naming imaginary voices was a good sign, but I focused on the fact that Reed seemed back to normal. Leaning over, I rubbed his leg. “I missed you.”
Reed drew me into his arms. “I missed you too.”
My head fit perfectly under his chin. As I listened to his heart thudding against my ear, a lot of the tension I’d been carrying evaporated.
“What a crazy few days, eh? Who would have thought we’d ever be in a real zombie apocalypse?” Reed kissed the top of my head. “How are you holding up?”
It was the simplest of questions and it should have been the easiest thing in the world to lie and tell Reed I was fine. But a softball lodged in my throat and my eyes watered. Things were not fine. Uncle Duncan was dead. The city had fallen, and Dominic had all but admitted we weren’t getting evacuated any time soon. I felt my face crumble before a sob escaped my lips.
Reed dragged me into his lap and gave me one of those bear hugs I’d missed so badly. “It’s okay, honey. You don’t always have to be the strong one.”
But I did. For his sake. For Eden’s sake. It was the way it had always been, and it was the way it’d always be. Taking a shuddering breath, I wiped my eyes. “I’m okay. We’re all going to be okay.”
“Maybe we’d be better off if we left this place though. I don’t trust G.I. Joe,” Reed nodded down at Dominic.
The dark-haired sergeant stood at the bottom of the bleachers glaring directly at us. The menace in Dominic’s black eyes curdled my stomach. He looked as if he wanted to kill something, possibly us.
“I don’t trust him either,” I said, forcing my gaze from the man. Despite the strange way Dominic made me feel, or maybe because of it, I sensed he was a threat. The emotionless way he’d knifed Dr. Bloom and then kicked the dentist’s wife out of the school had been chilling.
I took a deep breath and let it out. “On the other hand, I think he and his soldiers may be our best chance of survival… for now.”
Reed nodded slowly as we touched our foreheads together. “Then we stay… for now.”
“For now,” I echoed.
He brushed his nose against mine.
This new intimacy between us felt strange, but good. Really good. I snuggled closer wondering how he still managed to look sexy. “How can you look so hot with a black eye?” I blurted out.
His lips curved up. “You’re looking hot, too.” He tapped the top button of the flannel shirt I was wearing. “You look good wearing my clothes.”
The devil made me say, “I look better wearing no clothes.”
Reed inhaled sharply, and I felt his muscles and other parts of his body tighten.
Memories of what we’d been doing in the locker room before he’d gone psycho made my skin heat. Even though I had no conscious thought of kissing him, suddenly my lips were pressed against his.
“Lee,” he groaned, his tongue sweeping into my mouth.
I invited him in, sucking on his tongue while I rocked against him. Heat pulsed low in my body and my breasts ached for his touch.
As if reading my mind, he caressed my nipple through my shirt.
I moaned, sliding my hand under his sweatshirt. He wore nothing underneath and his skin warmed my fingers.
“Damn, this is better than any movie,” Zara said, bursting my romantic bubble.
Sai made a sound of agreement. “Especially if it turns X-rated.”
Ah hell.For a moment, I’d forgotten we weren’t alone. Taking a ragged breath, I broke away from Reed.
Sai, Dev, and Zara were staring at us with way too much interest.
“Please continue,” Sai said, kicking his expensive loafers up on the bench in front of him. “Dev needs some sex education.”
The teenager’s face turned beet red. “I do not.”
Sai snorted. “You’ve been raised by this thirty-year-old virgin.” He tapped his older brother’s leg. “Of course, you do.”
“Who are they?” Reed whispered in my ear.
“The Sighn family,” I whispered back.
Zara giggled. “You’re not being fair, Sai. I’m sure Avi told Dev all about the birds and the bees, or at least showed him some good porn sites, right?” She gave Dev a pointed look.
The poor guy looked as if he wanted the bleachers to swallow him whole. “We’re not having this conversation.”
Sai leaned forward and clapped him on his back. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I was inexperienced when I was your age too.”
Zara rolled her eyes. “When you were his age, you’d signed your first multi-million-dollar contract and had been with more women than currently occupy this zip code.”
Sai pursed his lips. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m not counting the dead ones,” Zara retorted.
“Ah, you may be right,” Sai looked over his sister’s head to give me a sheepish grin. “In my defense, I’ve been searching for my perfect women. Maybe you’re one of them, Lee.”
Reed jerked upright and twisted around to look at Sai.
Oh, crap. This could be bad. The old Reed rarely lost his temper. But I didn't know how this unstable version would respond to another guy blatantly hitting on me.
Reed practically shoved me out of his lap and scrambled into Sai’s row.
“Reed!” I called out, trying to grab him before he attacked Sai.
But Reed only sat down next to him. “You’re Sai Sighn. The Sai Sighn.”
“The one and only.” Sai gave a theatrical half-bow.
Reed’s expression turned to amazement. “Lee, this is the lead singer of the Cocktail Kings.” He grabbed Sai’s hand and shook it wildly.
Sai gave him a dazzling smile, clearly enjoying the reaction. “I take it you’re a fan.”
Reed sputtered. “Jesus. Yes. I have all your albums. Lee likes your music too.” At my blank look he said, “Remember he’s the guy that won America’s Top Singer years ago?”
I didn’t, but I nodded anyway.
Reed stared at Sai with a look of wonder. “My friend Ronnie and I were going to drive to Vegas to see your show before all the canine flu crap happened.”
Sai’s smile dimmed. “The canine flu ruined a lot of things.”
Reed, still holding Sai’s hand, continued staring at him. “What’s a super star like you doing in Saguaro Valley?”
Sai dragged his hand away. “I was visiting family for Christmas.” He gave Zara and Dev affectionate looks.
“And we’re so glad you did,” Zara said, smacking him on his leg. “Can you imagine if you hadn’t taken me up on my invitation?”
Sai stroked his goatee. “Hmm. Instead of sitting in a crowded gym being threatened by soldiers, I’d be in my LA mansion with my supermodels.”
“Your supermodels?” I repeated with a laugh.
“He dates a flock of them at a time,” Zara said rolling her eyes. “They’re all skanky hos.”
“They are not,” Sai said with mock offense. “And, I have to admit, I’d much rather ride out the apocalypse with them than you.”
Zara flicked a sunflower seed at him.
Sai ducked, and the seed landed on Avi’s face.
Avi bolted upright, blinking his eyes. “Is it our turn?”
“Actually, it looks like it,” Dev said, motioning down at the few remaining people waiting for Darcy.
“Good,” Avi said, brushing off his jeans. He noticed Reed sitting next to Sai and his eyes narrowed. “The sooner we leave the company of these lunatics, the better.”
“Avi!” Zara said, sounding shocked and annoyed. “That’s rude, even for you.”
I glared at the big guy wondering how I ever thought he was attractive.
“No worries,” Reed said with one of those easy grins that squeezed my heart. He turned to Sai. “You’ve got to jam with me sometime, man.”
Sai gave him a dimpled smile. “Oh, are you a musician?”
Reed nodded. “I’m a bassist, but I also know my way around a guitar and keyboard.”
“He’s self-taught,” I added. Although I’d never encouraged Reed’s musician dreams, I’d always been proud of his natural talent. He was amazing at everything he did. From baseball to music, to making love.
My breath grew choppy and for a moment I fantasized about dragging Reed somewhere private to finish what we’d started earlier.
Avi sniffed the air and gave me an intense look that made me shiver.
Sai grinned at Reed. “Sure. Why not? There has to be a music room in this school. Let’s find ourselves some instruments and see what you’ve got.”
“There won’t be time for that,” Dominic said in a clipped tone.
All six of us jumped at the sight of the massive soldier staring up at us from three rows down.
Crap! Where did he come from?The sergeant definitely hadn’t been there a moment ago. How the hell could he have climbed the bleachers so fast without us seeing him?
Avi was the only one who didn’t seem taken aback. He stood and straightened his shoulders. “Is it time for our assignments, sir?”
Dominic seemed to thaw a bit at Avi’s respectful tone. “Yes, please speak with Corporal Ross.”
We all stood, not needing further prompting.
Reed swayed as if the quick movement was a little disorienting for him.
Sai reached out to steady him, an action that made me like the rock star even more.
Reed gave him a grateful look as Zara gathered the playing cards and snacks to give back to her oldest brother.
Dominic intercepted the handoff. “Safe house rule number five, no unauthorized consumption of food.” He snatched the bag of sunflower seeds from her grasp.
Zara glared at him. “What the hell?”
Avi pushed her aside. “We’re sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t,” Dominic warned.
Zara looked as if she wanted to spit glass, but she allowed Avi to steer her into the aisle and follow Dev down to the gym floor.
Sai descended after his siblings with Reed on his heels.
It seemed my lover had all but forgotten about me. Wondering if I should be jealous of Reed’s obvious man-crush on Sai, I moved into the aisle.
Dominic stepped in front of me. “I need to speak with you, Ms. Walker.”