Chapter 35 #2
“Watch where you’re putting your feet, babe. There are rattlers out here, and getting bitten by one would be a pretty fucking shitty ending to an already shitty day.”
“Rattlers?” Zenko immediately looked down at the scrub around his boots. “You couldn’t have mentioned that before I walked my ass out here?”
“We live about two miles that way.” Shaun pointed to the other side of the highway.
“Well, why didn’t you say so before I headed this way?”
“Because I wanted to see if you got lost.”
“Argh, asshole.” Zenko turned around. “We needn’t have gone through all the freaking scrubland.”
“I thought you were bored being at home with nothing to do.” Shaun grinned at Zenko. “I took you out and gave you some excitement.”
“Idiot.”
“You think they will come looking for us?”
“Yeah.” Zenko glanced back toward town. “If I were the cops, I’d want to know who the hell was living in my town too. Noble will be here soon. Hopefully, we can go home to Stromboli.”
Shaun checked both directions along the highway, but for once, the Gods seemed to be looking out for them because there wasn’t a vehicle in sight. Jumping the barriers, they swiftly crossed to the opposite side.
“Fuck.”
Zenko spun around, his attention immediately sweeping over him. “What?”
“We still didn’t get freaking coffee.”
“Ah, damn it.”
“I’ll take the Vulcan out when we get home and head to a gas station. They’ll have something that might pass as coffee.” He nudged Zenko. “I know you hate the bike, but if you come with me, we can grab food from Burger King too.”
“Ugh.” Zenko grimaced. “Ride on the death trap or go hungry and without coffee. Fine, but if you kill us with that thing, I’m going to haunt you for decades.”
“Okay.”
Shaun paused with Zenko at the edge of their property, and for a couple of long minutes, they watched the house and surrounding land for anything that didn’t belong.
His attention kept drifting back to Zenko, checking him over even though he knew damn well his man hadn’t been hurt.
He’d managed to shove that protective shit aside while they were working, but now that the danger was behind them, it was coming back hard.
“Babe, I’m fine.”
“I know.” Shaun looked him over again, his attention catching on the healed wound at the side of Zenko’s neck. “I fucking know you’re fine. You didn’t get hurt back there, but I still need to check you over when we get inside. Every damn inch of you, so don’t even think about arguing with me.”
Zenko studied him for a long moment, then some of the tension eased from his shoulders.
“Wasn’t planning on arguing.”
“Good.” Shaun turned his attention back toward the house, tension still locked through his jaw. “You see anything?”
“Nope.” Zenko dug into his ass pocket for the keys as they crossed the property, then unlocked the front door.
Shaun was on Zenko the second they were through the door, crowding him back against the wall before slamming the door shut with one hand. He caught the collar of Zenko’s shirt and pulled it aside, needing to see the healed wound on his neck for himself.
“Are you okay?” His fingers moved carefully over the scar, checking the same damn place he’d checked more times than he could count since Zenko had been shot. “I know you said you’re fine, but let me fucking look at you.”
Zenko held still beneath his hands, letting Shaun check him without argument. He ran his fingers over the scar once more, then down across Zenko’s shoulder, needing the physical reassurance that his man was standing here whole and unharmed after everything that had happened today.
“I’m good. I promise.” Zenko covered his hand where it rested against his shoulder. “Babe?”
“Hmm?”
Zenko cupped his cheek with his hand. “I promise you, I’m okay. You were with me every second.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to watch you go back to Italy? Back to Red Squadron without me there to watch your back?”
“Come with me?” Zenko nuzzled his nose into the side of Shaun’s neck before pressing a kiss just under his ear. “We can talk to Noble about it.”
“My team…”
“Is on leave pending that investigation.”
“True. You really want me to come with you?”
“Idiot.” Zenko spun them around and kissed him hard. “My idiot.”
“Just don’t let me go because I’m an idiot, ‘kay?”
Zenko’s expression softened, and he pulled him closer. “Never going to let you go, Shaun,” he promised. “You’re as much mine as I am yours.”
“Good.” Shaun stepped forward, pushing Zenko back. “C’mon, we’ll get the bike and go get food and coffee, or neither of us will be sane when Noble gets here.”
Fifteen minutes later, Shaun threw his leg over the saddle of his Kawasaki Vulcan and brought it upright between his thighs, unable to keep the grin off his face as Zenko locked the house behind them. Fuck, he’d missed riding this bike.
“Zenko, hurry your ass up.”
Zenko stopped with his hand still on the lock and slowly turned his head.
Shaun grinned at him, knowing damn well that telling Zenko to hurry his ass up was guaranteed to make him pissy.
It was worth it, especially when riding the Vulcan meant having his man plastered against his back while they took the curves on the road into town.
“Hold your damn horses.” He shut the door, pulled his helmet on as he strode to the bike. “That bike isn’t going anywhere until you tell it to.”
“Climb on, babe.” Shaun hit the starter, and the Vulcan rumbled to life beneath him.
Zenko swung his leg over and settled onto the seat behind him before wrapping both arms tightly around his waist. A shiver ran through him when he pressed against his back, and his grin widened inside his helmet.
Yeah, having his man plastered against him was worth every damn complaint about the bike.
Shaun eased out the clutch and rolled on the throttle, and Zenko tightened his arms around his waist as the Vulcan surged forward beneath them. After the fucking day they’d had, riding off into the sunset with his man sounded like a pretty damn good ending to Shaun.
“Don’t let go!” he yelled over the growling of the bike.
“Never.”