Chapter 6 Zombie
ZOMBIE
“You’ve got a lot of nerve.”
I arch a brow at Michael, contemplating his words. He’s not wrong. What I did, and in a lion’s den no less, took balls. Fortunately, mine are made of steel, and Michael’s are nonexistent.
“Jealous?” I counter.
He bristles, and it’s all I can do not to laugh at him. “I need to get back to the gala.”
Grabbing his arm as he tries to walk past me, I take note of the lions moving closer. “Not so fast,” I snap. “We’ve got shit to discuss.”
Michael darts fear-filled eyes from me to the lions and back again. “Here?”
I’d be lying if I said I’m not a bit apprehensive being so close to creatures that could kill me, but I’ll be damned if I let this pissant know that.
“Good a place as any,” I say with a shrug.
He stares at me incredulously before yanking out of my hold. “If you wanna talk, then you can follow me.”
I let him walk away, slightly grateful for the out he’s providing. I don’t regret my decision to climb the fence and take care of Lucy, but I also don’t have a death wish.
Especially now that I’ve met the sexy Lucy.
Once we’re both on the live-to-see-another-day side of the enclosure, Michael faces me with his arms crossed over his chest. His attempt at intimidation is cute but woefully ineffective.
“What do you want?” he demands.
“Morris Baker.”
He opens and closes his mouth several times before any words come out. “What about him?”
“Little birdie told me you’re working on a deal with him.”
Guilt flashes in his eyes. “So?”
“So,” I begin, dragging out the word and stepping closer to him. “You made a deal with the club that you wouldn’t sell any of the properties surrounding the fucking clubhouse without our permission.”
“The property he’s interested in is a mile down the road from the clubhouse,” he protests.
“And?”
“And you can’t seriously expect me not to sell it. It’s been sitting empty for years, and Morris is—”
“An unknown,” I snap.
“He’s rich,” he counters like the man’s wealth will make a difference. “He’s willing to pay double what the bank is asking and the back taxes due. Do you have any idea the amount I’ll make on commission by selling to him?”
“Do you have any idea how slow and painful your death will be if you sell to him?” The color drains from his face, and I smirk. “What the hell did you think would happen if you went against us?”
“I don’t know.”
“Nobody fucks with the Kings,” I snarl. “And if they do, they certainly don’t get away with it.”
“Zombie.”
At the sound of my name, I look over my shoulder and see Dr. Binks standing a few feet behind me. “Hey, Doc.”
“I don’t know what your business is with Mr. Martin,” he says. “But this isn’t the time or place.”
The retired vet is lucky I like him and that he’s been a great friend to Kings of Anarchy MC, because that’s all that saves him from getting his teeth knocked down his throat for chastising me like a child.
I take a deep breath and release it slowly before facing Michael again. “Get outta here,” I order. “And remember the deal you made.”
Michael practically runs from me, so I turn around and face Dr. Binks. “Thought you were retired,” I comment dryly.
“I did,” he replies, exasperation in his tone. “Doesn’t mean I can’t still support the zoo.”
I heave a sigh. “Did you need me for something?”
“I want to introduce you to someone.”
Tilting my head, I frown. “That couldn’t have waited?”
“Considering it’s the new vet, no, it couldn’t. Unless Kings of Anarchy doesn’t want the same perks from her as they did from me.”
He sneers the word ‘perks’, and annoyance flares. Dr. Binks was always a willing ally. He might not be a biker or understand our methods, but he never shied away from providing what we needed.
Almost as quickly as annoyance hits me, it dissipates when it sinks in that he mentioned the new vet.
Lucy.
I grin. “Lead the way, Doc.”
Following him along the path back to the gala, my thoughts race. Had I known who Lucy was when I offered to help her, I might have thought twice about it.
Liar!
Now I have to be introduced to her like I haven’t touched her cunt, haven’t tasted her release. On top of that, I have to convince her to cooperate with the club like her predecessor.
Normally, I’d force the issue, demand cooperation, but normal isn’t going to work with Lucy. Not now.
Dr. Binks comes to a stop at the edge of the crowd as he scans our surroundings for his replacement. I spot her before he does.
“There she is,” I say, pointing to where she’s standing with Michael, surprised that he’s still here.
Dr. Binks frowns. “How’d you know that’s her?”
Ignoring his question, I start walking toward her, and he quickly falls into step beside me. By the time we reach the couple, my cock strains against my boxer briefs because I can’t get the image of her coming out of my head.
Lucy and Michael are talking heatedly about something and don’t notice our arrival.
“Lucy,” Dr. Binks says to get her attention, and she spares him a glance. “I’d like to introduce you to Brad Conners.”
Lucy finally shifts to look at me, and the second her eyes lock with mine, her cheeks flush. There’s also no mistaking her sharp intake of breath or the way her nostrils flare.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say, holding my hand out for her to shake.
She stares at it like she’s afraid it’ll burn her alive, but then her manners kick in. The second her skin touches mine, electricity ricochets from one nerve ending to another, and I realize that burning alive isn’t out of the question.
As I watch emotion after emotion cross her features, I realize something else:
I’ll gladly burn if we can go up in flames together.