Kage

We gas up the vehicles, stashing away any extra gas for when we need to fill up again during the day, and then make sure to grab whatever supplies we’ve scavenged. Of course, I’m driving with Tamar, since there’s no chance I’ll let her out of my sight. Especially not while that asshole, Benji, is still breathing. I get why she’s kept him around, and it shows how loyal she is. But even she knows there’s a limit, and that fucker crossed it a long time ago, and is now running on borrowed time.

I double check Cashwell’s bindings before stuffing him into the backseat, buckling him in, and shutting the door. I’m not sure how the guy’s managed to stay alive as long as he has, given that he doesn’t exactly look equipped to defend himself. I’m not sure what Huntington wants with him, but that’s not really my concern. I just want us to get paid, while I kill Huntington in the process so that this shithole of an apocalypse can get a whole lot more tolerable and safe.

Cashwell’s still a nervous wreck, and I can’t blame him since we’re taking him back to Huntington, who likely won’t be happy that he was forced to put out a bounty. Yet that means Cashwell’s valuable in some way, and I’m curious to know how.

I turn to Tamar, closing the distance between us, though I have to fight the urge to reach out and pull her close, knowing that the others might see us, and that would no doubt put her on edge. “Let me take the first leg of the drive so you can get some sleep.”

“Are you sure? I’m good for a bit.” Except that she’s got circles under her eyes, and she looks exhausted.

“You need to sleep since I need you in top form, alert and ready to fight.” Ready to fuck. “I have no doubt you could push yourself to stay awake, but I’d rather you rest. If I need to switch, I’ll wake you.”

“Fair enough, Sherlock. I’ll take you up on the offer.” She gives me a crooked smile that makes me want to kiss her, though before I give in to the urge, she’s pulling away and hopping into the front passenger seat, leaving me to climb in behind the wheel.

We drive down the dirt path and pull out onto the road, as I get ready to make good time. The faster we get Cashwell off our hands, the better, since there’s no guarantee other bounty hunters won’t try to steal our prize. And the faster we get our prize, the faster I’ll find myself sinking into Tamar’s tight little body, fucking her until she’s screaming my name loud enough for everyone to know that she’s now mine.

Cashwell leans forward as far as he can, given his restraints and the seat belt. “Please. I need you to listen to me. You can’t—”

“Let me stop you right there,” I cut him off, already knowing what he’s going to say. “I can and will hand you over to Huntington. If there’s anyone you need to convince to let you go, it’ll be him.”

Though if I have my way, Huntington will be too dead to make any sort of decision regarding Cashwell’s freedom.

Yet Cashwell shakes his head no, and there’s no shutting him up while I’m driving. “I have a way to get the power grids up and running again. That’s why Huntington wants me.”

Could he really do that?

Tamar turns in her seat and reaches into the back, grabbing him, his shirt tight in her fists. “If I find out you’re lying to us about any of this, I’m going to cut off your cock and feed it to you. Am I making myself clear?”

“I swear, I’m not lying. I was a professor at Caltech before the solar flare hit, working on exactly this problem. The last large solar flare had hit in the late eighteen hundreds and had knocked out what little electricity there was at the time. Because so little relied on electricity back then, the effect was negligible. But it was clear that it’d have a crippling effect these days, and I knew it was only a matter of time before another solar flare hit.”

Fucking hell. “And you just happen to have a way to bring the systems back online?”

“No, not really. I mean, anything that got fried by the surge is dead. But I was working on a system that would run far more efficiently, making it possible to bypass a lot of the equipment that was destroyed. It’s really quite innovative the way it all comes together.” Cashwell was practically out of his seat with excitement, his words now tumbling out as he came into his element, clearly knowledgeable, though most of it went over my head as he rambled on about stuff I didn’t have a clue about.

“So, Huntington wants you back because if he has you, then he’s got a way to control the power.” Fuck. Another reason why I need to kill Huntington. No fucking way I can let him control the grid. Damn. We might finally have a fighting chance at getting our world back.

Tamar’s eyes meet mine, and it’s clear we’re having the same thought. She turns back to face Cashwell, her body tense. “How sure are you that you can get things back up and running?”

“I’m sure I can. I’ve been trying to stall with Huntington, knowing that he has no intention of helping anyone but himself. It’s a miracle I managed to escape. If my guard hadn’t found himself a bottle of whiskey, then I’d still be there, stuck working for that maniac.” Cashwell lets out a sigh of relief and finally sits back in his seat.

I need to talk to Tamar—alone.

Something about this guy’s story is ringing true for me. Maybe it’s because I desperately want to have a normal life again. Yet I know that if we hand Cashwell over to Huntington, then we may very well be screwing everyone who’s managed to survive this nightmare. But that also means I’ll lose my chance to get close enough to Huntington so I can kill him. Fuck. Decisions need to be made. Cause if we’re not going to hand Cashwell over, then there’s no way we should be heading in Huntington’s direction.

Maybe it’d be a good thing to get some more backup, swing by the MC’s clubhouse. Felix, the President, knows my background and has a good thing going over at his place. Something that might benefit all of us.

I let out a ragged breath, and can’t quite believe I’m going to go down this fucking road, as I shift my gaze to Tamar. “Change of plans?”

“We need to speak to our teams. Let them know what’s going on.” She shakes her head, and I already know that there’s a problem. “Benji’s going to be a pain in the ass.”

“Benji can shut the fuck up and behave himself, or I’m going to put a bullet between his eyes.” That man is grating on my very last nerve. And though I don’t usually resort to violence without being provoked, I’ll make an exception for him. “He needs to listen to you. And if he shows you any disrespect, it’ll be the last thing he does.”

“You’re awfully cute when you get protective.” Her teasing smile makes my cock hard, even though I want to argue and tell her that cute isn’t exactly a description that anyone would use to describe me. Scary? Maybe. Sexy? Damn right. But cute? I’m not some damn fuzzy puppy. Yet I let it slide as she continues. “Let’s just keep driving for now. We’ll eventually have to stop, and we can tell our teams then.”

“I guess. Though we may want to detour away from Huntington. Might even want to swing by a local charter and get some backup if we’re going to try and keep Huntington from controlling the power grid.” I’m liking that plan more and more, since it means Huntington will be taking his last breath.

“Fair enough—though I’m not splitting the bounty with a dozen other people.” She’s got a point, though if we get the power back, then none of it matters.

“We’ll get the house, kitten. Don’t you worry.” I shoot her an easy smile.

“Good.” Yet instead of sitting back in her seat, she nestles herself against my side, leaning her head against my shoulder.

Keeping my attention on the road, I drape my arm over her body, holding her close, and before long, her eyes are slipping shut, sleep finally taking her, as I’m left to contemplate my achingly hard cock, and what protecting Cashwell from Huntington might mean.

I glance at the backseat to find the brilliant scientist sound asleep and shake my head. He’s the one who’s supposed to save the world? Fuck. We’re all doomed.

Yet the thought of getting back even a fraction of the life I’d been living before the shit hit the fan—and with Tamar at my side, no less? Hell, that’s not something I can walk away from, even if this ends up being a long shot.

Because there’s something about Tamar, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make her mine and keep her safe and happy. It doesn’t matter that I barely know her because I know enough. I’m going with my gut, and it’s yet to steer me wrong, even if I’ve never felt this way about anyone else before. Maybe that’s part of it. Maybe I know she’s the one, not just because she’s gorgeous, smart, and can kick some serious ass, but because she sends my heart racing every time she looks at me. She makes me want to do better. Makes me want to throw caution to the wind, and most of all, she makes me want to do right by her.

Maybe I’m fucked in the head and she’ll break my heart.

But it’s a chance I’m willing to take, since walking away from her stopped being an option the moment she leapt into my life.

I just have to make her mine. Good thing I can be damn convincing when I want to be.