bad.” She started to say more but was caught by a wide yawn.
Duncan pressed his mouth to her temple. “All right, that’s enough for now. Let’s get some sleep.”
Kimber turned onto her side and snuggled against him, her rear settling against his groin. His body perked up in interest, and she wiggled again until his hand clamped down on her hip. “Stop,” he groaned. “We can get up to speed on this, too, after we’ve rested.”
She grinned and closed her eyes. It was enough that he wanted her. After that dream, she needed all the assurance she could get.
* * *
Duncan stared down at the love of his life and felt the ache in his chest ease. Kimber was so fiercely independent and one of the strongest people, emotionally, he knew. He wasn’t sure how much of that was from what she used to do for a living and how much of it came from being on her own. She had no family, not since her parents had been killed by vampires. It made him feel a bit primitive to think she needed him…for anything, but especially to make her feel more secure.
He’d made it his mission to protect her all those months ago, and he would never regret it, nor would he give her up. She was his to love, to protect.
And he was hers, even if it meant letting her use him for the zombie cure. If it came to that, he had little hope he would survive. But if he could make the world a safer place for Kimber, his death would be a small price to pay.
Chapter Eight
N atalie held up one hand, cutting Big Tom’s tirade off mid-rant. “If you would just let me finish a sentence?” She waited until he clamped his lips together and gave a red-faced nod. His color wasn’t due to embarrassment, she knew. He was royally pissed off. At least he wasn’t swinging his fists. Yet.
“Until we can set up some sort of enclosed corridor, no one leaves the compound except scouting and raiding parties,” she finished. “So the answer isn’t an outright no. It’s a wait. Please.”
“Yeah. I’ll believe it when I see it.” He mumbled a few curses and turned away, a half-dozen men following behind and grousing under their breath.
“You know, Natalie, Tom doesn’t speak for all of us,” a man standing behind her said. “Most of us appreciate what we have here.”
Before she could respond, Tom and his minions came barreling across the room. “You appreciate being a captive?” Tom shouted, getting in the guy’s face. “You’re nothing but a pansy-ass.”
Natalie tried to move between the men, speaking in the most placating tone of voice she could. “Now, Tom—”
The big man shot her a glare. “You stay out of this, missy. Vampire lover,” he snarled as he shoved her aside. His big fist shot out and slammed into the other man’s face, sending him sprawling to the floor.
Then it was a free-for-all, and the only thing Natalie could do was try to stay out of everyone’s way as the vampire guards waded in to break things up. When they got Tom settled into a chair, their sharp fangs and glares kept him in place. She went over to him. “Whatever else you may think, Duncan hasn’t set rules in place arbitrarily. They’re for our safety. All of us, human and vampire alike.”
He snorted, then winced, gingerly touching his bleeding nose. “We’re not allowed to go anywhere without an escort. How is that fair?”
“And other than Duncan, Atticus, and the guards assigned to this area, no other vampires are allowed down here. Tell me how that’s not fair.”
She got nowhere with the hardheaded jerk, finally throwing up her hands in defeat and leaving. As she made her way to her room, Natalie heaved a sigh of relief. Twenty minutes later, she finished writing her report and set the legal tablet aside on the coffee table. Even after all these months it still felt weird to handwrite something that before the Outbreak would have been done on a computer. Her report detailed this latest run-in with Big Tom. She’d wanted to get her thoughts
Duncan pressed his mouth to her temple. “All right, that’s enough for now. Let’s get some sleep.”
Kimber turned onto her side and snuggled against him, her rear settling against his groin. His body perked up in interest, and she wiggled again until his hand clamped down on her hip. “Stop,” he groaned. “We can get up to speed on this, too, after we’ve rested.”
She grinned and closed her eyes. It was enough that he wanted her. After that dream, she needed all the assurance she could get.
* * *
Duncan stared down at the love of his life and felt the ache in his chest ease. Kimber was so fiercely independent and one of the strongest people, emotionally, he knew. He wasn’t sure how much of that was from what she used to do for a living and how much of it came from being on her own. She had no family, not since her parents had been killed by vampires. It made him feel a bit primitive to think she needed him…for anything, but especially to make her feel more secure.
He’d made it his mission to protect her all those months ago, and he would never regret it, nor would he give her up. She was his to love, to protect.
And he was hers, even if it meant letting her use him for the zombie cure. If it came to that, he had little hope he would survive. But if he could make the world a safer place for Kimber, his death would be a small price to pay.
Chapter Eight
N atalie held up one hand, cutting Big Tom’s tirade off mid-rant. “If you would just let me finish a sentence?” She waited until he clamped his lips together and gave a red-faced nod. His color wasn’t due to embarrassment, she knew. He was royally pissed off. At least he wasn’t swinging his fists. Yet.
“Until we can set up some sort of enclosed corridor, no one leaves the compound except scouting and raiding parties,” she finished. “So the answer isn’t an outright no. It’s a wait. Please.”
“Yeah. I’ll believe it when I see it.” He mumbled a few curses and turned away, a half-dozen men following behind and grousing under their breath.
“You know, Natalie, Tom doesn’t speak for all of us,” a man standing behind her said. “Most of us appreciate what we have here.”
Before she could respond, Tom and his minions came barreling across the room. “You appreciate being a captive?” Tom shouted, getting in the guy’s face. “You’re nothing but a pansy-ass.”
Natalie tried to move between the men, speaking in the most placating tone of voice she could. “Now, Tom—”
The big man shot her a glare. “You stay out of this, missy. Vampire lover,” he snarled as he shoved her aside. His big fist shot out and slammed into the other man’s face, sending him sprawling to the floor.
Then it was a free-for-all, and the only thing Natalie could do was try to stay out of everyone’s way as the vampire guards waded in to break things up. When they got Tom settled into a chair, their sharp fangs and glares kept him in place. She went over to him. “Whatever else you may think, Duncan hasn’t set rules in place arbitrarily. They’re for our safety. All of us, human and vampire alike.”
He snorted, then winced, gingerly touching his bleeding nose. “We’re not allowed to go anywhere without an escort. How is that fair?”
“And other than Duncan, Atticus, and the guards assigned to this area, no other vampires are allowed down here. Tell me how that’s not fair.”
She got nowhere with the hardheaded jerk, finally throwing up her hands in defeat and leaving. As she made her way to her room, Natalie heaved a sigh of relief. Twenty minutes later, she finished writing her report and set the legal tablet aside on the coffee table. Even after all these months it still felt weird to handwrite something that before the Outbreak would have been done on a computer. Her report detailed this latest run-in with Big Tom. She’d wanted to get her thoughts
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