Josie broke out of her guilt-ridden thoughts and picked her body up off the ground as Quinn continued to call out to her. “Hurry! He’s turning!” Quinn and Josie grabbed him and tried to pull his rigid body up.
“L-leave m-me,” Gunther grumbled. Those two words rattled around through Quinn’s thoughts.
“No! I will not leave you! You fight it! Don’t you give up on me,” Quinn demanded as they hoisted him to his knees. They practically dragged Gunther’s heavy body over to the dead asshole. The rich, metallic bouquet of blood tickled their noses. “Josie, grab his knife!” Quinn barked as she held Gunther steady. He was barely holding on, his life slipping away.
Josie searched Gunther’s vest and pulled out his hunting knife. Quinn let him go, hoping that Josie could wield him on her own. She grabbed the asshole’s dead body and balanced him across her knees. She took the knife from Josie and, without a second thought, she stuck the tip into his neck and dragged it across his carotid.
“Roll him over!” Quinn instructed Josie. She rolled Gunther’s big body over on top of the dead man, who Quinn cradled in her arms. Gunther laid there, fighting the blackness that was sucking him in. “Drink! Come on. Please! You need to drink!” She turned Gunther’s head toward the leaking wound.
Quinn rubbed her fingers into the blood and pushed them into Gunther’s mouth. He groaned and then, with an animal prowess, he began drinking the blood that was oozing from the wound.
After just a few swallows, with each draw of blood flooding into his mouth and down his throat, Gunther grew stronger and stronger. While blood dripped from his lips and chin, he picked his head up and tried to focus on Quinn’s eyes. A tinge of green filled his gray eyes.
She felt some relief, but she knew he needed to keep drinking. She wanted him back to the strong and vital man he was. Quinn didn’t want to have to kill him. She couldn’t ever kill someone she cared about again.
“Keep drinking,” she begged with desperation. “You need to keep drinking!” Her eyes filled with tears. Quinn’s body ached as the fear of his death rumbled through her. She was so scared that she was going to lose him.
Gunther let out a groan, dipped back down and dragged out a few more mouthfuls. Josie stood there, watching him and Quinn. Quinn was desperately trying to save him, and he was desperately drinking to save himself. Gunther sat back, sucking in deep, ragged breaths. He turned away from the body and fell forward, bracing his weight on the road with the palms of his hands.
Quinn pushed the body off of her and crawled to Gunther. She stroked his hair and realized how badly his head was bleeding. He panted, his eyes closed and head down.
“Gunther?” I slowly looked up at her, my eyes closed. I was dizzy. Completely fucked up. My chin and chest were covered in warm blood. “Say something. Open your eyes.” I lifted my heavy lids, hoping I didn’t have double vision. The last thing I needed was for the blood to come back up before it had time to feed my body. “Oh, god!” Quinn pulled me into her chest. She held me tight and rocked me.
I lifted my arms to hug her, but an involuntary hiss sucked down my throat. I still couldn’t move very well.
Quinn cried in relief. “I thought we had lost you.”
She was crying for me. It made me feel amazing, but absolutely guilty at the same time. She continued to shatter into thousands of pieces. I wanted to make her feel better, but I was in no shape to try right now.
“I’m here,” I whispered. I carefully pulled away from Quinn, searching my field of vision for Josie. She walked around to stand in front of me and squatted. “Thank you. I’m in your debt.”
“We’re even. You saved my life and I saved yours. Blank slate.” Those words went so bloody far with me. She had no idea.
“Let’s get him in the truck.” Quinn stood up and grabbed one arm, Josie grabbed the other. They balanced me and slowly walked to the truck. I kept tripping over my own feet and wasn’t much help. I grumbled with every step. I was pretty sure that J.T. was swollen, and not for the reasons I wanted.
Quinn reached out and opened the back driver’s side door. She jumped in and guided me through as Josie hoisted herself up on the step, pushing me all the way in. I cried out in pain.
“I’m so sorry,” Quinn murmured. “Can you drive, Josie?”
“Uh…yeah. I don’t have a license, but I guess that doesn’t really matter, does it?”
“No, I wouldn’t think so. Put that gas in the truck, then let’s get going.” Quinn refocused her attention on me, pulling my body partially onto her lap. “Talk to me. Tell me where it hurts.” Quinn searched behind her for a bottle of water and a towel, then began wiping down my bloodied body. I was thankful that I was able to look up into her beautiful face. Knowing I wasn’t out of the woods yet, if it was the last thing I saw, it was a perfect view.
“Everywhere,” I managed. My breathing was steadying, but I was still grimacing with her movements.
“Okay, bear with me. I’m going to try to check you out the best I can.” I acknowledged her with a moan.
First, Quinn ran her fingers through my hair, checking the gash where I was pistol-whipped. I hissed. I wanted to cry because she was being so kind to me after all I had done. I didn’t deserve her kind and loving attention.
“I’m going to have to stitch this up. It’s too deep and big to leave open. I can see your skull in one spot.” She reached back again, searching through a couple boxes for the sewing kit she put together at the house. I wanted to pass out from the pain.
Quinn cleaned the wound and prepped the needle, watching me. She was worried about me. Did she realize she could no longer disregard her feelings for me when she watched my life nearly slip away? I think she was putting the pieces together in her mind, as well as her heart.
“Ready? It’s a jagged wound so it’s going to take some effort.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. I held a towel over my mouth to stifle my groans of pain while she worked at a quick pace.
Josie got back in the truck and started it. “I don’t have much driving experience,” she said nervously.
“That’s okay. I trust you. You will do fine,” Quinn said as she worked away at the jagged split in my scalp.
Tears rolled down my cheek. The pain was getting to me. At one point, I grabbed Quinn’s hand to take a break.
“I’m so sorry. I wish I had something to give you for your pain. I have to finish it, though.” I took a deep breath, nodding, readying myself for more.
Quinn finished stitching me up and tended to the rest of my wounds. I relaxed into her and she cradled me in her arms. I grabbed her hand and held it for the duration of the ride. It was an amazing feeling having her hold me like that.
I felt…loved.
“We need to find a place to stay,” I mumbled in between my pain-filled shudders. Quinn agreed, looking out the window at our surroundings. She said it didn’t look hopeful. We were in a very rural area.
“Josie, turn down that off-ramp. We need to get somewhere so he can rest properly.” Josie complied. “Just hold tight, Gun. She has to maneuver around a few vehicles.” I moaned in acknowledgment. The truck weaved a few times, and I wanted to die with every sway. Quinn tried to hold me as still as possible, but I was far too big for her to be able to keep me still.
“Which way do I turn?” Josie asked.
Quinn rose up a little to look out the window. “Go right. We can always turn back around.” A short way down road, the gamble paid off. “That place looks abandoned. Pull in there.”
After pulling the truck into the pothole-ridden driveway, she turned around and looked at Quinn. She was holding me to her chest as tight as she could, trying to do her best to keep me from being jostled around. I had closed my eyes once more, relishing in her touch and warmth.
“Do you want to help me clear the house?” Josie asked Quinn.
“Yes.” She eased me up and I groaned. “Hey,” she whispered in my ear. She kissed me on the forehead. Oh god, her lips were so f
ucking soft. “Stay here. I’m putting a gun right next to you.” I groaned again.
Slowly, she helped me lean back into the seat, then she jumped out of the truck.
Chapter 23
Quinn and Josie tentatively approached the front door of the dilapidated shack. It looked like it was abandoned prior to the virus outbreak, but Quinn knocked, just in case. You never knew who might have been occupying a residence.
There was no answer.
The door creaked as she push it open. Her eyes darted around, looking for any sign of life or unlife in the three room shack. The small space consisted of one bedroom, a tiny bathroom, and a common space that had a stone fireplace and a kitchenette off to the side. The floors were covered with a thick film of dust, mixed with dirt and ash. Scattered throughout, there were a few pieces of random furniture, all of which were tattered and trash.
“Looks like this will be okay for a few nights. Let’s go get him.”
Josie stopped Quinn before they went back outside. “Is he okay?”
“I don’t fully know yet. I need to check and see if he has anything broken. He’s in a lot of pain.”
“You love him, don’t you?”
Quinn’s eyes filled with tears and she half-smiled. “I think I do, but I’m still really confused. Thinking he was going to die scared the hell out of me.” Josie nodded and touched her shoulder.
Quinn wasn’t sure if that was her stamp of approval or if she was just trying to comfort her. They walked back outside to the truck to bring Gunther inside.
We made it to the bedroom, Quinn and Josie balancing my big body, my arms wrapped around their shoulders. I imagine it was quite the sight. Me weighing about two forty-five, and their combined weights may have added up to mine.
I groaned and hissed in pain with each step. My John Thomas, as well as the rest of my battered body, was screaming at me. Quinn helped lower me down to the bed. It was lumpy, but it had to be a bit more comfortable than the hard floor, or the back seat of the Tahoe. Although, with Quinn holding me, the truck was tolerable.
When I laid back, I looked up at Quinn and reached for her hand. She turned to Josie. “Uh…I will be out there…,” Josie mumbled, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. Quinn nodded.
When Josie closed the door, Quinn turned back to me. “Hey. Talk to me. Tell me what hurts.”
“My head, face, torso and, uhh…” I pointed to J.T. Quinn worked hard not to let her eyes linger too long where I was pointing. Her cheeks pinked up. She was stunning.
Absolutely bloody stunning.
“Okay, well…” Quinn rubbed her hands together. “Let me check you out and see if we can figure out if anything is broken.” Surely, my J.T. had to be permanently broken. What a depressing thought.
Quinn helped me out of my jacket and the vest-style holster. I wanted to cry. The pain was off the charts. She ended up just cutting off my t-shirt with my knife so I wouldn’t have to lift my arms above my head.
I was being such a fucking baby. She suspected that my pain was intense and paused a few times, taking her time. God, she had the patience of a saint. I was unworthy of her tenderness.
She gasped when she saw the already darkening bruising on my body. She ran her hands down my blood-stained chest. It was almost sensual for me, even though I was sure I was going to vomit. I looked at her.
“Gunther…I’m so sorry.” Quinn broke down and tucked her head into my chest.
I tried to comfort her the best I could in my injured state. I laid my big hand on the back of her head. “Please, don’t cry,” I murmured. “I hate seeing you cry. It kills me.”
“I froze.”
I ran my fingers through her thick, brown locks while she wept. “It’s okay. I deserve a good arse-kicking once in a while.”
She sat up. “This is not a good time for your jokes. You could be dying. Something could be broken or ruptured.” She buried her face in her hands.
“I have been dying for decades, love.” I smiled.
Quinn looked up at me with an angry snarl. “You are not funny. Not one bit, you asshole!”
I laughed, but nearly passed out from the pain that tore through my body. “I’m not trying to be,” I strained. “It’s the truth.”
She began pressing on my ribs, looking for any fractures, while mumbling a few rather colorful words under her breath. I growled in pain with each touch, spitting out matching obscenities. Quinn’s hands were shaking when she reached the massive bruise on my side. She feared she was going to hurt me more than I already was.
That was impossible. She could never hurt me that badly. Her touch was healing to me.
I was breathing heavy, trying to swallow my cries of pain. Then I watched her eyes follow the thin trail of fair hair that went below my low-rise jeans. She reached for the button, but I grabbed her hand. Any further and J.T. might have made a special appearance.
Might was the operative word because I still wasn’t sure if I was “broken” for good. I knew if she touched me and if I was still functional, I would have had to have her right then, even if I was in agony.
“I want to make sure everything is, uh…okay down there.” I nodded. I took a couple of breaths to calm myself and pictured many unattractive things. She unzipped my jeans, noticing I was commando.
She peeled them back and looked around my groin for any signs of damage. Her eyes bugged out, obviously overwhelmed seeing J.T. Most women were. What can I say?
She cleared her throat before she spoke. “You have some bruising, but that seems to be the only problem I see.” She sounded shy and a bit embarrassed. I smirked at the innocence she portrayed.
She realized what she had said and slapped her hand across her mouth. She didn’t intend for her spoken observations to be taken in a sexual manner but, of course, being the kind of man I was, I took it that way.
“You are so not funny right now.”
“I guess I will be out of commission for a while, yeah?” I said with a grin.
“Yeah, maybe… I, uh…I suppose so. I’m not sure.” Quinn was absolutely embarrassed, but she managed to smile.
“I guess we will have to see what pops up then.” I winked at her.
“Okay…well.” She threw her hands down at her sides. “I’m going to have Josie help me unload the truck.” I wasn’t sure if that was a “no”, or if she was just ignoring my comment.
“Can you come back in here when you’re finished?”
“Of course,” she said with her beautiful smile.
Quinn headed out of the small, cozy bedroom. I heard them come in and out of the shack several times. I wanted her to hurry up so she could get back to me.
I needed her and wanted to feel her body close to mine, thinking that I would heal faster if she was tucked into me. I wanted to play with her hair and run my hand over her curvy body. I would give anything to get a kiss from her and not have her push me away again.
Chapter 24
Lying with my back to the door, I could feel her standing in the doorway as she took all of me in. I knew she was admiring my defined physique. My back was cut nicely. My jeans were still pulled down on my hips, just covering my backside. From what I hear, it’s pretty stellar, but I didn’t see it regularly.
“How long are you going to stand there?” I asked softly, turning my head in an attempt to see her. My voice startled Quinn, causing her to jump. I turned my head back to face the wall. “Come here and lie with me.” I rubbed the side of the bed next to me.
“Sorry. I thought you were sleeping. We’re all done unloading the truck. I brought you some food and water.”
“I’m fine for now. Please, come and lie with me.”
Hesitating, Quinn walked into the room. She crawled onto the bed and positioned herself on her side, facing me, careful not to cause me anymore pain. We laid in silence, staring at each other for quite some time.
Quinn was mesmerized by my eyes. Hers didn’t leave mine for the longest time. I rubbed her face wit
h my thumb, then I laid my arm around her waist. I was enjoying every single moment with her and I didn’t want to forget a second of it.
“How are you feeling?” she asked with a gentleness that only she possessed.
“Better now that you are here with me,” I murmured and a flush spread across her face.
I smiled, but it quickly faded. Bloody hell! My newfound emotional side was pissing me off. I was the tough guy, not the fucking sap. I didn’t want to cry twice in her presence, but I couldn’t control it anymore.
My jaw began trembling and my eyes filled with tears. The truth rested on the tip of my tongue and I was scared to fucking death.
“Are you okay? Is it the pain?” I shook my head. She reached up and wiped the tears rolling down my face. “Gun…talk to me.”
I stared into her beautiful brown eyes and wanted to escape into them. I licked my dry, cracked lips, struggling to speak. I knew I had to tell her the truth because she risked her life to save mine. I felt I owed it to her.
The tears continued to fall from my eyes, burning the raw road rash on my face. “This is my fault,” I choked out.
Quinn looked at me in dismay. “No! Don’t say that.” She wrapped her hand around the back of my neck and shifted her body closer to me. Her chest and hips pressed firm against mine. It was bloody glorious. “I should have shot him, but I froze. This is on me.” Her fingers danced across my forehead, clearing away the few strands of hair that laid there.
“I’m not talking about him.”
Quinn looked at me with confusion. She wiped the tears off of my face again with her soft, silky hands. “Then what are you talking about?” She eyed me, waiting for me to respond.
“This whole thing—the virus,” my voice cracked. She reached up and wiped my face again as the tears continued to fall.
“What do you mean?” Her worrisome tone echoed in my head and heart. I just needed to say it and be done with it.
Awakened Desires Page 25