He pursed his lips and gazed off in the distance. “I take you home. Just you and me.”
“What about Lakota and Melody?”
“They can get a motel.”
“What for?”
Tak turned his head so slowly to look at me that I felt a flutter in my belly. “I’m going to run a hot bath, and we’re going to bathe together.”
My brows arched. “We can’t both fit in that tub.”
“We’ll find a way to fit.”
“Then what?”
Tak continued walking until we reached the truck. I climbed up in the seat and looked through the windshield at my father supervising the cleanup. After they loaded River and Nash into the back of Nash’s van, they sped away.
Tak got into the driver’s side and shut the door. When he started the engine, he blasted the cold air on me, which felt like bliss. Mel hastily gathered my clothes while two men searched the area for more evidence. One woman unscrewed the cap to a large water bottle and doused a bloodstain on the road.
Tak suddenly reached over and turned my chin to face him. “Don’t you want to know what happens next?”
“Animalistic sex? Omelets? A movie? Snuggling? Dinner with my family?”
Tak put the truck in reverse. “All in that order.”
“My father will never allow it.”
He winked. “That’s up for debate.” Tak tenderly brushed my hair out of my eyes. “Do you remember everything from the fight?”
I nodded.
“Good.”
Tak wasn’t subtle with his entries or exits. After he circled around, he hit the gas and we tore off. The fact that no one had questioned my leaving with Tak left me wondering what my family’s opinion was of this man.
Thisincredibleman who had not only saved my life but helped me reclaim it from the ghosts of my past.
He’d taught me that the truth is the hardest obstacle to face, and because of his bravery and unwavering support, I was no longer afraid.
Chapter 31
Isipped my sweet tea while the waitresses in their Howlers T-shirts were buzzing around us like busy little bees, their trays loaded with hamburgers and beer pitchers. Two weeks had flown by since I’d challenged River, and with him gone, life was finally getting back to the way it used to be.
Except for Tak. He had become my new normal.
Mel raised her glass of beer, her jade eyes glazed after too many drinks. “Here’s a toast to air-conditioning. God bless.”
A few of us laughed and nodded in agreement. The air-conditioning and electricity were up and running as of two days ago, one reason we were out celebrating. Closing Moonglow hadn’t impacted sales as drastically as we initially feared. It turned out that selling merchandise on the sidewalk was a creative way to attract new customers. Some folks had heard about the fire and stopped by to show their support. Despite the heat, we made the best of it with the help of neighboring shops and a supportive community.
“Do you think fly Shifters ever existed?” Mel pondered.
Lennon grinned handsomely. “If they did, we swatted them into extinction.”
“Bug Shifters aren’t possible,” Hendrix said matter-of-factly. “It’s physically impossible to get that small.”
“What about large predators?” I interjected. “They’re bigger than our human form.”
“Not the same. They’re what… five times our size? Tops. We’re like a bazillion times bigger than a fly. My junk can’t cram into something that small.”
