“I’m not looking forward to it,” I breathed out. I lifted my arms over my head once again, keeping my eyes shut. With great care, Quinn pulled on my shirt. Then she began the tedious process of cutting off what remained of my jeans. She was extra careful not to jostle my leg or cut me with the knife. Such a good woman. I couldn’t say that enough.
“You ready?”
“Not really, but give it a go.” With slow and precise movements, she lifted my injured leg and eased my shorts over the wound. Then I picked up my other leg and she pulled them up mid-thigh. I growled out several obscenities and she paused every time I did. “Just hurry,” I pled. Sweat poured off of me, dampening the shirt she just put on me. I used my good leg to lift my body off of the bed and she pulled my shorts over me. “Thank fuck that’s over with.” She wiped the sweat off my brow.
We heard another knock on the door and I was close to snapping. “Come in,” Quinn said as she was helping me with the pillows. She swiped her thumb across my lips as Levi opened the door.
“Just coming to check on things. I heard some harsh words, so I wanted to make sure your bandage is still in place.” Levi sat down on the bed, grabbed the lantern, and held it close to my leg. “Well, it doesn’t seem to be oozing too much at the moment. You need to keep it elevated and rest. A lot of rest. I don’t want you walking on it for a few days.”
“I have to stay in bed?”
“That would be preferable.”
“I can’t fucking lie here and do nothing,” I whined. “I’ll go nuts.” Levi looked at Quinn.
“Gunther…if that is what the doctor says, then that is what you do.” She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.
“I’ll try,” I grumbled, noting how bloody foxy she looked with that stern look.
“More like you will,” Quinn quipped. Levi chuckled.
“Thanks for helping me out,” I mumbled to him, a little embarrassed by the emasculation.
“No problem.” Levi stood up and tucked his hands in his pockets. “Would it be too much to ask for us to stay here for the night? In the morning, we will go out and get firewood for your family since you weren’t able to collect any.” I glanced over at Quinn and she gave me a quirked brow.
“Let me have a chat about it with Quinn.” Levi nodded and left the room.
“I’m not cool with this, Gunther,” she whispered.
“I get you, love, but…” I sighed and rubbed my face. I didn’t realize how truly exhausted I was until that moment. “Maybe just a day or so, until I’m up and around and we know that I don’t have an infection.”
She glared at me. “I don’t trust them,” she growled.
“Frankly, Quinn, neither do I, but if I get an infection, he might be my only hope.” She exhaled rather loudly and crossed her arms in front of her amazing chest. What I wouldn’t have given for the energy to have a bit of fun.
“Fine. I will go talk to them.” She turned on her heels and stormed out of the bedroom door. I had a feeling she was more than a little angry with me. I decided to listen in to what she was saying.
“Levi, per your request…” Quinn looked over at Josie, who was pressed up against the wall. “We will honor that. Gunther said you can stay until he’s up on his feet.”
“What?! No! They shot him!” Josie raged.
“Josie, I know what happened, but with Gunther down, we will need extra help. And Levi was kind enough to take care of his leg. I’m not overly thrilled with it, either, but Gunther feels it’s a necessity right now.”
“I will continue to care for him medically while we are here. And we will help with everything that’s needed.” Levi looked around the room and everyone agreed.
“Sounds good,” Quinn replied firmly.
“But Quinn…,” Josie pleaded.
“Enough, Josie.” Quinn glared at her. Josie snarled back, crossed her arms, and sat down by the fireplace.
“Well, let me introduce everyone then,” Levi murmured. “This is my wife, Janny. This is Reid and his wife, Shannon. You know Mitch and that’s his wife, Eve. We all met up along our travels.”
“Very good then. Well, I have an injured man to tend to. Josie, do you want to stay in here or with us?” Josie looked around the room, leveling a nasty glare at Mitch. She scooped up all of her bedding and marched into the bedroom.
Josie stumbled into the bedroom with a snarl plastered across her face. Grumbling, she threw the blankets down on the floor. I heard her drop a few “fucks” and “bullshits”. I quirked a brow, listening to her grumble on and on.
“Something bothering you, lass?”
“Oh, shut the hell up,” she growled while adjusting her bedding. I was taken aback a bit. She stood and faced me, her hands balled into fists. “I don’t understand why you are allowing them to stay! That idiot shot you!”
“There two reasons, Josie. Number one, Levi fixed my wound and I feel I owe them for that. And two, I need the doctor to stick around to care for my leg. There is a method to my madness.”
“But that douche shot you!”
“Believe me, more than anyone, I understand I was shot. So bite your tongue and get some rest.” She snarled at me, plopping down on her blankets on the floor at the foot of the bed.
Quinn walked back in with an armload of supplies and shut the door with her foot. After she set everything down, she locked it. I’m sure she could feel the tension in the room. It was thicker than it needed to be.
“How are you doing?” she purred as she walked up to me. She was so bloody sexy in the muted lantern light.
I flashed back to her coming apart under me. My J.T. responded to my thoughts. I had to shake it off since we weren’t alone. “Well…I don’t think I will be participating in a triathlon anytime soon.” I smirked, but that faded. “Quinn, I can’t stay in this bed. I’ll turn into a nutter.”
“Who’s to say you aren’t already a nutter?” She smirked at me.
“Thanks.” I shook my head.
“I was just kidding.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Here…” I rubbed the mattress next to me. She sat down gingerly so she wouldn’t disturb my leg. “I promise to stay in bed as long you promise me a sponge bath once a day.”
“Oh, my god! Shut up! You two are so fucking disgusting.” Quinn and I laughed at Josie’s response. Then I hissed when the sudden onset of laughter jostled my leg. Quinn took my hand and rubbed her thumb over the back.
“I’m sure we can work out something like that.” She leaned in and gave me a kiss, causing me to groan. It was an uncontrollable reaction to her. She made everything in my body dance.
“Please, don’t mind the other person in the room,” Josie snarled. I shrugged and gave Quinn another kiss. “You know, I’m still not thrilled with you.”
“Let’s discuss my sponge baths later, once we’re alone again,” I murmured with our lips touching. I looked past Quinn’s shoulder at Josie, holding my finger up to my lips to indicate for her to shut the fuck up.
“I can’t believe you had sex with him,” Josie let out in an angry whisper.
Then Quinn whipped around. She was furious, as was I. “This is my life, and if I want to be with him, I will. Don’t you dare pass judgment on me. It is my choice to do as I wish with my body, which is none of your concern.” I ran my fingers down her arm.
“How can you? Look what he did to you…to me…to everyone!”
“I know what he did! Don’t you think I realize what’s going on? I’ve lost people, too, Josie.”
“I think you are stupid.”
Quinn’s jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe the disrespect she was getting. “You are out of line, young lady,” Quinn warned.
Josie rolled her eyes. “Well, I think you are insane.” And that’s what did it for me.
“Watch your mouth, lass,” I harshly whispered. I was livid that she was speaking to Quinn in that manner. I didn’t want anyone to disrespect her, let alone someone who was getting cared for as if
she was her own daughter. “If you have an issue with our relationship, you need to speak to me about it, instead of acting like a defiant child.” Josie glared into my eyes. I could feel the daggers she was throwing.
She was seething, but I held my ground. Damn it, I wasn’t going to give in. I was thankful that the other crew was being so noisy, they couldn’t hear the confrontation that was happening.
“You took advantage of her in her weakened state. Besides, I would rather not talk to you about your sex life.” Her words were quiet, but so venomous. I could barely hear them, but I could feel them—every single fucking one of them.
“You are sadly mistaken. She initiated tonight. However, what Quinn and I do in private is not anything for you to be concerned about.”
“You could have said no. And it was hardly private.” Josie rolled her eyes. “You are both mental.”
“Apologize to her for your obnoxious tone and obstinate behavior,” I said.
Josie grumbled under her breath. She looked over at Quinn, who was standing next to the bed with her arms crossed. “I refuse to apologize for how I feel.”
“It’s not worth it, Gunther,” Quinn murmured.
“Whatever,” Josie growled. Teenage angst was proving to be very unentertaining for me. It reminded me of the attitude I used to get back in the program. I always took care of it with a few punches, but I would never do that to Josie.
“Come on. Let’s try to get you comfortable.” Quinn started peeling back the blankets that were under me. “You are going to have to lift up.”
“Fuck…” My shirt clung to me from all of my sweating just from thinking about moving my body.
“As slow as you need to.” I nodded. I took a deep breath and lifted my body up using my good leg. As soon as I lifted my big arse off the bed, Quinn yanked the blankets down. “I’m going to lift your leg.” I wiped the sweat off my brow. “I wish I had pain killers for you. I don’t like seeing you this way.”
That made my heart jump. She really did care about me. I still couldn’t believe it. “Thanks, love. I appreciate the thought.” She gently took my ankle and lifted my leg just enough to pull the blankets out from underneath.
“Jesus suffering fuck,” I growled.
“Slide down so you can lie down.” I braced myself for the pain and, with my arms, pushed myself down.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I barked out.
“Shhh…” Quinn hushed me, putting her hand over my mouth.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. She grabbed a few extra blankets and folded them up. She laid a towel on them and, with precision, put them under my wounded leg. Then, because she was brill, she pulled up the blankets around me, leaving my leg uncovered.
Then I watched Quinn strip off a layer or two and crawl into bed with me. What I wouldn’t have given to take her again, but someone was in the room.
“Are you all right?” She ran her fingers over my lips. I nodded and wiped my forehead again. She curled up into my body and laid her head on my chest.
It felt so good to have her cuddled up at my side. I trailed my fingertips over her shoulder and laid there listening to the night, the pain radiating through my body. I hadn’t been in that much agony since the last beating I had at the complex.
Quinn shifted, then looked up at me. We laid there, staring at each other. I couldn’t believe I was actually lying with her. I was still in shock over what was happening between us. It was fucking glorious.
There was so much to discuss, but I couldn’t bring myself to talk about what occurred out in the woods. I scared the hell out of her and, quite frankly, I scared myself. I never had an urge like that before. I had thought about it several times, but was never that close to actually doing it.
I nearly ate a bullet. I ran out far enough, hoping she wouldn’t catch up to me. I didn’t want her to see it or find me.
I sat down against the tree and put the business end of my Sig in my mouth three times before I heard the undead coming. Off in the distance, I heard Quinn screaming for me. Then I held it up to my temple, knowing that if I shot myself, I would have been a snack.
What the fuck am I doing? I thought. My chest ached, my mind felt scrambled, and my body felt like I was run over by a fucking tank. Quinn’s voice was getting closer. I needed to make a choice.
I chose her. I lifted my arm and shot the undead stumbling toward me. I sagged against the tree and she appeared in front of me a mere minute later.
I sat straight up in bed and sucked in a sharp breath.
“What? What’s wrong? Is it your leg?” Quinn grabbed me.
“Sorry. Thinking too much.”
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” I turned and looked at her. The moonlight pouring in the window lit up her stunning face. She couldn’t possibly look more beautiful than she did at that moment.
I needed her again. I grabbed her face, pulling her up to me, and aggressively crammed my tongue into her mouth. She moaned softly. Her upper thigh gently landed in just right the spot. A few rubs and I was as hard as a bloody rock.
I ran my hands up and down her body. “Gunther, we can’t,” she whispered.
“Why?”
“Josie…”
Shit. Caught up in the moment. “Right. Sorry.” Then we heard a soft snore coming from the floor. She reached up inside my t-shirt and started tracing my abdomen with her fingertips. It felt so good for her to touch me. Her hand moved down until she grabbed onto me. I let out a gasp.
“Shh…” Then she slithered under the blankets.
Oh fuck, no. No, she isn’t… Oh, yes, she is. She pulled my shorts down just below my bollocks. Her warm mouth wrapped around J.T. How does she expect me to be quiet when she is giving me a blow job?
I guess I was going to have to learn how to be because she was working me big time. Then she raked her teeth up my shaft and nipped my tip. I just about came off the bed, it felt so bloody good. “Jesus Christ…”
Then she tapped my rock hard thigh. My muscles were so tense, I could have cracked a walnut with them. I grabbed the pillow from behind my head and covered my face, hoping that it would stifle anything that came out of my mouth.
She continued to rake her teeth up me again and again. My good leg started trembling and I bit into the pillow. If I had suffocated myself or had a heart attack right then, I would have died a happy man.
The panting began and I was about to come. I reached down, grabbing at her so she knew what was about to happen. The only thing I could grab was her hair, so I fisted it. As I thrust my hips up into her brill mouth a couple times, forgetting about my wounded leg, I exploded. Pulse after pulse, I didn’t think I was going to stop. She took me amazingly well.
Once my body shuddered for the last time, I relaxed back into the mattress. I resituated my pillow before she crawled back up and laid her head on my chest. Stunned, I laid there, running my fingers up and down her back.
My Quinn—such an amazing woman. I was in shock for quite some time before I finally drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 27
Quinn woke up, still lying on Gunther’s chest. She was embarrassed when she saw the giant wet spot on his t-shirt where her head was resting. He moaned and brushed at his chest. She waited until he seemed to be settled again before getting out of bed. She didn’t want to disturb him because he needed to rest.
She quietly pulled on her pants and shook Josie awake. “Wha’?” she groaned.
“Shh… Let’s get up and do some stuff around the house. I want to let Gunther sleep. We need to collect firewood.”
Josie rubbed her heavy eyes. “Okay,” she whispered.
With finesse, Quinn opened the bedroom door and snuck out, Josie following. Everyone else was already awake. “Morning,” Quinn said as she shuffled to one of her bags and pulled a brush out. She quickly brushed out her brown locks and tied them back.
“Morning.” Eve had a smile plastered on her face.
Quinn still missed having coffee.
She hoped to find something soon, even the instant, dirty water flavored stuff would have been a blessing.
“You all sleep okay?” Quinn walked over and sat down on the floor next to the fireplace.
“Yes, we did,” Eve murmured. “Thank you for letting us stay. Mitch and I were just talking about going out to find some firewood. Is Gunther still sleeping?”
“Yeah. Let me get a sweater and shoes on and we can head out.”
Minutes later, everyone had geared up and headed out the front door.
The sun warmed my body. Cracking open one eye, I felt around the bed, looking for Quinn. Discovering that it she wasn’t there made me groan. I wanted her next to me all the time. I tried to sit up, but my leg hurt so bad, moving wasn’t an option.
“Quinn?” I said in a gritty rasp. No answer. I tried to see if Josie was on the floor at the foot of the bed, but even the slightest movement made me want to die three times over. My entire body was drenched in sweat. I was pretty sure I had a fever. “Quinn?! Josie?! What the fuck?”
I struggled, pulling myself into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard. I tried to look down at my leg, but I wasn’t able to lean forward that far. Even breathing hurt.
“Quinn?” Where was she? A cell phone would have been really useful, but I fucked that up, as well.
Running my hand over my head, I touched the stitches Quinn had used to close up the jagged split from the pistol. That had been all but forgotten with everything else that had happened. Feeling around my scalp, everywhere I touched made me want to piss myself. I called out for Quinn again and again, to no avail. She must’ve been off gallivanting somewhere. Maybe she finally realized I was bad for her.
I waited several minutes, willing myself to get up. It wasn’t working. I was pretty much stuck. Finally, I heard voices. Listening carefully, I could hear Quinn and one of the other women talking.
I was losing my strength at a rapid rate. I kept calling out for Quinn, but my voice was growing weaker and weaker by the second. I heard someone come through the front door and I hoped with everything that it was her.
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