Текст книги "Hard to Break"

Автор книги: Bella Jewel

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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 14 страниц)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

It’s been two weeks since Dad went in and started his long road to recovery. He hasn’t called me. The nurses and doctors have informed me that the first four days were agony, but he’s slowly getting better with each passing day, but it’s still a long process that requires a lot of work. I’m glad that he’s getting through. I’ll call and visit him as soon as I can, but we both need this time.

I’m feeling better about everything, and have tried to push the incident to the back of my mind by keeping busy at work. Tazen has kept me occupied by helping me sort Dad’s house and apartment hunt for my own place. We’re going away tomorrow, back to L.A. to visit his other garage and attend the massive unveiling of a car. Plus we’re going to watch a race with one of his builds, and attend a charity function.

I’m looking forward to it for more reasons than one. Getting away is something I need desperately, and getting away with Tazen I think I might just need even more. Things between us have been good. We’ve been spending time together, we’ve worked together, even though it’s on separate jobs, and we even went out to dinner last night. There’s something between us, a deep spark that’s proving to be rather beautiful.

I’m nervous about going away for a few days, but it’s a good nervous. Being alone with Tazen isn’t something I thought I’d ever be doing. Then there’s the fact that he’s taking me to his original garage. That blows my mind. I’ve wanted to see where he started for so long, ever since I first watched his show on television. There’s something about seeing where someone started out.

“How’s the fix coming along?”

I jerk out of my thoughts and stare over at Toby, who has his arms crossed over his chest. He’s giving me his usual angry look. I still haven’t figured that guy out. Damn him. I will get the better of him eventually. He has me curious, that’s for sure. I give him a bright smile even though he’s giving me a glare.

“It’s fine.”

He raises his brows. “Fine?”

“Yes.” I nod. “It’s fine.”

“Tazen asked when it’ll be complete.”

“Tell my hunk of a boss, that if he wants to know that, he can ask me himself.”

I get back to work and listen to Toby’s grunt. I smile and focus on the task at hand. I might also be thinking about what I’m going to take for our weekend away. We’re going to a charity dinner, which means I’ll need a nice dress. I wonder if I have time to go and buy one before we leave. I’m deep in this thought, when a hard body presses against my back.

“Are you being difficult, angel?”

I grin at the sound of Tazen’s voice. His hand slides around and lands on my stomach, pulling me back into him. “No, I said it’s fine. That’s an answer.”

“I’m thinking you’re pushing me to bend you over another car.”

I shiver. “Maybe I am.”

He presses his lips to my neck and we hear the grunting of the guys around us.

“Fuck, take it outside,” Rick mutters.

I grin and turn, reaching up and hooking my arms around Tazen’s neck. Then I lean in and kiss him. I make it deep and hard, with loads of tongue.

“Jesus,” Drasco yells. “That’s sick.”

“It’s awesome.” Kellan laughs.

“Fuck,” Toby grunts.

I pull back and see Tazen is grinning, obviously impressed by my show of affection.

“I’m going to leave early today. I need to get a dress.”

He shakes his head and I frown.

“We’re going to a charity dinner,” I point out. “I can’t go without a dress.”

His lips quirk. “I already got you one.”

I blink. “You got me one?”

“Yeah, I got you one.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You got me one.”

He chuckles. “Okay, my sister got you one. I gave her your size and she got you one, well, it’s actually three so you can choose.”

My mouth drops open. “Three?”

“Yeah, baby, three.”

“But … I don’t need three.”

He leans down, brushing his lips against mine. “Only the best for my girl.”

His girl.

That feels nice.

“Yes, but … three?”

He leans back with a wolfish grin. “That’s three for me to peel off.”

I slap his chest. “You’re an animal. And … you got your sister to do it!”

He shrugs. “She thought it was fun.”

“Okay, well, I’ll be sure to put them all to good use.”

“You won’t be wearing any of them for long,” he says, spinning me back towards my job and slapping my ass. “Now get back to work.”

“Aye aye, boss.”

He walks away with a chuckle.

I get back to work with a smile.

*   *   *

The plane ride to L.A. isn’t long and we arrive just as the sun is setting. I’ve never been here before, so I’m fascinated as we drive through the busy streets. We arrive at our hotel and check in. Tazen has planned for us to meet his family for dinner, which has my stomach twisting with nerves. I hope they don’t think I’m too … average … for their son.

The hotel is beautiful, but I did notice Tazen didn’t go over the top with the room. I think he did that for me, and the very idea makes my heart swell. He doesn’t want me feeling uncomfortable. It is a nice room, though. It has a massive king bed, a beautiful patio that overlooks the lights of the city and a seriously awesome bath. As soon as we shut the door, I drop my bags and rush out onto the patio.

Tazen is behind me in seconds, wrapping his arms around me.

“You like it?”

“It’s amazing,” I breathe. “So pretty.”

“Yeah, I liked living here.”

“Why did you leave?” I ask, twisting so I’m facing him.

“Florida has better clientele for racing—so therefore more business for me. And more opportunities to build racing cars.”

“You made a good choice. What time is dinner with your family?”

“At seven. We have an hour.”

“An hour?” I cry, turning and rushing back into the room. “Oh no.”

He laughs, sitting on the bed and kicking his boots off. He watches in fascination as I rush around the room, pulling out clothes, showering, doing my hair and getting dressed. He doesn’t move from his spot as I do. When we have only ten minutes to go, he showers and changes, like I’m making a big deal out of nothing. Damn him for being so casual. I’m dying of nerves.

“Ready?” he asks.

I’m pacing by the door, of course I’m ready.

He laughs, I glare.

“Come on,” he says, taking my hand and leading us out. “They’ll love you.”

We get into the elevator and I turn and glance at myself in the mirror. My dress is black, but it’s not tight or short. It’s snugger fitting around the bust, but flares out at my waist and goes to my knees. My shoes are the only pair of heels I own, and they’re sling-back pumps, also black. I left my hair down and did some basic makeup. I look nice, but I feel so out of place.

I don’t do dresses.

“You can get back into your jeans later,” Tazen teases.

My god, he knows me so well. My heart melts.

“Not funny.” I squirm. “I hate dresses.”

“Maybe,” he says, placing a hand on my lower back and leading me out of the elevator. “But baby, they don’t hate you.”

“Dammit,” I grumble. “Why do you have to be so sweet?”

He flashes me a grin and we exit the hotel. We catch a cab to a nice restaurant in the middle of Hollywood. It’s quaint and looks like it serves delicious food. I’m fidgeting like mad as I wait for Tazen to point out his family. He leads me inside and then waves towards a group of four people. I look in their direction and my heartbeat starts thumping harder.

The older woman, who is clearly his mother, Regina, is an attractive, raven-haired beauty. She’s tall and slim, wearing a nice halter dress in red. She’s got a man on her arm, who I’m assuming is Tazen’s stepfather, Josh. He’s handsome, with salt-and-pepper hair and kind, blue eyes. To his left is a younger woman, who I am assuming is Retro. She’s … well … Retro.

Her hair is bright blue. No kidding. She’s wearing a black-and-white polka-dot dress that looks like it belongs in the fifties and she’s got sleeve tattoos up her arms. She’s gorgeous though, there’s no denying that. The man standing next to her must be Tazen’s brother, Kellian. He is as good-looking as his brother, with his long dark hair and dark brown eyes. He’s got a more gentle face than Tazen, not as rugged, but he’s handsome as hell.

We stop in front of them and I’m concerned I’m going to throw up on someone’s shoes. I’ve never met someone’s parents before. What if I say something wrong? What if they hate me and demand that Tazen find someone better? I want to gag. Instead, I force a smile as their eyes take me in. Tazen lets go of my hand and hugs them all, sharing back pats and kisses.

Then he steps back and wraps an arm around me.

“Mom, Josh, Retro and Kell, this is my girl, Quinn.”

Oh boy.

“Oh Tazen,” Regina says, stepping forward. “She’s beautiful. Hi, Quinn, it’s so lovely to meet you.”

She reaches out, pulling me in for a hug. Well, I guess Tazen’s mom likes me. That’s a good start.

“It’s lovely to meet you too, Regina.”

She smiles warmly at me, and Josh extends his hand. “Josh, good to meet you, Quinn.”

“Hi, Josh.”

“Finally, I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Retro says, throwing herself at me. She pulls me in for a hug, then steps back and studies me. “Gosh, you are pretty.”

I laugh softly. “Thanks, so are you!”

She touches her hair and grins. “I know.”

Kell rolls his eyes and extends his hand. “Pleased to meet you, darlin’.”

Oh boy. Charmer like his brother, too.

“You too.” I smile.

“Right, now that’s out of the way, we can let poor Quinn breathe,” Regina says and we all laugh.

The ice is broken. Thank God.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“So you’re a mechanic,” Josh asks, digging into his seafood soup.

I nod, poking my fork into my pasta. “Yes.”

“That’s impressive. How long have you been working on cars?”

“All my life, basically,” I answer.

“Nice.” Josh nods his approval.

“She’s fucking good at it, too,” Tazen sings my praises. “I gave her a hard time at first, but it turns out she’s got more skill than half of my seasoned mechanics.”

My heart swells at his compliment and I smile at him. He winks at me.

“That’s hot,” Kell says. “I wish I could find a girl that wasn’t a ditzy Barbie doll.”

“Then maybe you should stop shopping for them in dollhouses, son.” Josh laughs.

Kell grunts. “Probably right.”

“I’m totally in awe,” Retro says. “I wish I was that bad ass.”

I look at her. “Pretty sure you are.”

She grins. “Yeah, that’s totally true.”

“Love yourself much,” Tazen says, grinning at her.

“Bite me, Taz. You’re no better.”

He smiles knowingly at his sister.

I laugh at their banter.

“So,” Regina says, looking at me. “Do you have siblings, Quinn?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“And your parents?”

Tazen reaches over, squeezing my hand, but I don’t mind answering. I can’t hide from my past any longer, and I’m not going to be ashamed of it. I did nothing to be ashamed of.

“My mom died of cancer when I was younger. It was hard on my dad and he became an alcoholic. He’s getting the help he needs now, though. So we’re getting there.”

I hate the pity in their faces, but I push past it.

“That’s a shame, love. I’m sorry,” Regina says.

“This girl,” Tazen says, pulling me close and pressing a kiss to my temple. “Is tougher than anyone I’ve ever met.”

I turn and smile up at him. He leans down, brushing his lips across mine. When we turn back to everyone, Regina is watching us with a twinkle in her eye. She’s happy her son is happy. My heart swells at that.

“And how’s the garage going, Taz?” Josh asks.

They get into a conversation about the garage and I spend that time getting to know Regina and Retro. When we’re all finished and the night has progressed, they announce they’re leaving. We all stand and say our good-byes, my heart warm that I got to meet Tazen’s family and they’re so amazing. I hug them all and then Tazen and I head back out to the street.

“You tired, baby?” he asks, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

I shake my head. “Nope, why?”

He grins. “Good, I have something you’re going to love.”

*   *   *

Tazen and I stand in his garage that sits right outside L.A. in Glendale. It’s impressive. You can tell it’s been looked after and expanded. It’s massive, eight bays, with cars from one end to the other. The parts room is extensive and they even have a paint bay. Wow, if this is what he plans on doing to the garage back home, I might just admit it was the best thing for it.

“Taz,” I breathe, shocked that I’m even calling him that. “This is amazing.”

“It’s pretty incredible, right,” he says, proudly.

“It truly is.”

He leads me towards a sleek, blue car. “We’re taking this baby out tonight.”

I stare at him. “We are? Isn’t it someone else’s?”

He shakes his head. “No, this one will just go up at an auction. We make good money that way, too. So for now, it’s still mine. I have just the place to take it. You ready?”

I nod and excitement bubbles in my chest as he opens the door for me and I slip into the car. It’s only a two-seater, with bucket seats and black leather interior. It’s beautiful. Tazen gets in the driver’s side and flashes me a shit-eating grin. “We’re going to make the streets of L.A. scream tonight.”

Oh boy.

“And baby,” he says, as he cranks the engine and it roars to life. “We’re going to make sure your panties are soaking fucking wet because of it.”

I flush and cross my legs, already feeling warmth building there. “I look forward to it,” I say in a husky tone.

He grins and pulls a remote from his pocket. He presses a button and the garage door begins to slide open.

“You ready?”

I nod. “Oh, I was ready yesterday.”

He backs the car out, and she’s literally shaking with the power that’s stacked under the hood. When we’re out onto the street, Tazen lays his foot down and we fly forward. I scream happily and press my hands to my knees as we zip past the cars driving at a normal pace. Tazen takes us out of the city and down a long highway. The car shows its true speed when we’re on the open road, she grumbles and soars, like every good car should.

Like at home, Tazen starts leading me to the back streets. I realize he’s taking me to a racetrack when he pulls into a large space loaded with people. This must be where he used to race. It’s heaps bigger than the one at home, and it’s impressive. Lights, people, cars and all the good things a decent racetrack should have. Obviously this isn’t legal racing, but I don’t care. I don’t live here and I’m up for an adventure.

Tazen takes the car down a side road and we pass a few other cars that are lining up to go in. We reach the gates and a man comes out, walking towards us. Tazen lowers the window and the moment the man sees him, a smile lights his face. “Tazen fucking Watts. No way!”

“What’s up, Doug,” Tazen says, putting his hand out and shaking Doug’s hand.

“Fuck all, bro. What brings you back to this side of the world?”

“Visiting my garage. You gonna let me race tonight?”

My heart rate accelerates. Race? Tazen’s going to race? Oh god.

“Yeah, fuck yeah. Always got a spot for you. Line up, fourth bay.”

Tazen nods and shakes his hand again, then we drive down to where all the cars are lining up. I turn to him when we stop. “You’re going to race!”

He grins. “No, baby. You’re going to race.”

I stare with wide eyes. “P-p-p-pardon?”

“You heard me. You said you’ve always wanted to get behind a wheel of one of these, now is your chance.”

“No,” I say quickly. “I’m not driving this. I don’t know how to drive this. I’ll crash it and … no.”

Tazen reaches over, curling his fingers around the back of my neck. “You won’t crash it and you’re going to do some warm-up laps. You can’t go wrong with this, angel. You lose, it doesn’t matter. You win, great.”

“I’m not driving this car.”

His grin turns wicked. “Oh yeah, you are.”

“I can’t.”

“You can.”

He gets out and walks around to my side. “Slide over, we’re taking her for a few rounds.”

“Tazen, no,” I stammer.

He reaches in, lifts me and throws me across the seat. “You’ll never get another chance like this, Quinn. You’ve got it in you, you’ve been around cars all your life. You know how to handle them. Now, start it up.”

He slides into the passenger side and tosses me the keys. I catch them but I can barely breathe through the nerves. “I don’t know…”

“No more hesitation. Start her up.”

I turn and slide the key in, then I kick off my heels and start her up. The engine rumbles to life and my nerves hum in excitement. Oh God, he’s really letting me do this. He’s letting me race his car. Suddenly, I’m a bundle of excited energy. I listen as Tazen goes through everything about the car. I nod and then turn to face the front.

“It’s your time to shine. Away you go.”

He sits back in the chair and I edge the car forward. I can feel the power beneath me, and my heart starts fluttering harder. I slowly pick up speed as I pull onto the racetrack. There are only two other cars doing warm-up laps, so it’s basically all mine. I hit the first two corners quite slowly, scared to let it go and give this car what I know it wants.

Speed.

“Come on, put your foot on it,” Tazen encourages.

I take a deep breath. Then I press the gas pedal to the floor. The engine sparks to life and the car lunges forward. With a happy squeal, I press down further. The loud rumbling fills my ears as the car starts getting faster and faster.

“You know how to take a corner, Quinn,” Tazen yells over the sound. “Slight brake in, but always accelerate out.”

I do as he says, and take my first corner beautifully.

“Fuck yeah, baby!” he shouts.

My adrenaline builds and I pick up speed, taking the corners like a pro. Tazen is laughing beside me and my chest is full of excitement. I’m pumped up and happier than I’ve been in such a long time. When we reach the start, we go around again. This time I get faster. I’m concentrating hard now, trying to memorize the corners as best I can.

When we complete the second round, I pull up and turn to Tazen. “Oh my god!” I scream. “That was amazing.”

“It’s about to get better. The race is starting.”

Suddenly, I feel sick. Tazen must notice because he leans over and makes me look at him. “You’re a natural, baby, give it all you’ve got.”

Then he gets out of the car.

Wait, he’s not coming with me?

He walks around to my side and I lower the window. He’s about to lean in when we hear a familiar voice. “What the hell are they doing here?”

Tazen turns and I look past him to see Sheyenne storming over. Great. Just great. I push the car door open and get out. We don’t have long before the race starts. Sheyenne gives me a once-over, and then stops in front of Tazen with her hands firmly planted on her hips. “You’re going to let this,” she waves a hand at me, “amateur drive one of your cars, but you won’t give me a damned new one!”

Tazen steps up in her face. “That girl right there has more respect and talent in her pinkie finger than you do in your whole body, Sheyenne. I’d give her a thousand cars before I’d ever give you one again.”

Her eyes flare with anger. “You will be giving me one, Tazen. I’ll make sure of it.”

She has the nerve to threaten him. She has no scruples.

“We’ll see about that,” he growls.

She opens her mouth to say something else but the beginning of the race is announced. She glares at me and hisses, “I’ll have the time of my life smashing your little girlfriend here off the track.”

Anger bubbles inside me. I really don’t like this woman. “I’d love to see what you’ve got,” I say.

She laughs, flicking her hair back. “Oh, you’ll see what I’ve got. I have a new car, and it’s amazing. Nothing like that piece of shit you’re driving.”

She did not just insult Tazen’s car.

“Funny,” I say, my voice smooth. “It’s these pieces of shit that you’ve been begging for since Tazen flicked you off his shoe.”

Her chest puffs out. “You better watch yourself out there, bitch.”

I smirk at her and she turns, storming off. Tazen turns to me, his eyes suddenly worried. “I don’t trust her, Quinn.”

I take his hand, squeezing. “You have to let me do this now, Tazen.”

He sighs. “Fuck, yeah, I know I do.”

I lean forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I’ve got this.”

God, I hope I’ve got this.

I get back into the car and he leans in. “You’re in the fourth row, best spot to be. You’re not on the ends, or dead center. Watch out because Sheyenne is always on the end and she’ll try to push you in. You get scared, you pull off. That simple. This is fun, okay?”

I nod, but we both know as soon as Sheyenne challenged me, it became about more than fun.

“Now, get over there and show me what you’re made of.”

He presses a kiss to my lips and then steps back. I wind up the window and pull the car to the starting spot. My palms are sweating and my stomach is twisting as I watch the girl walk out into the middle of the road. She’s got the flags in her hands. She looks around, smiles, and then holds them up in the air. I get the car ready, holding the steering wheel like it’s my lifeline.

When she lowers them, I put my foot down. The car roars forward and the sounds of the other cars zooming off makes it damned loud in here. I bound towards the first corner, with three cars beside me and two in front. We take it easily and I study my opponents. The two cars in front of me are quite close. If I can edge to my right I might be able to get around them.

Deciding that’s my plan of attack, I start edging to my right and picking up speed. I hit the gas when I see a gap, and soar right past them. Pride and desperation compete in my chest as I come up against the car in first place. The two I just passed are close behind me and could make it past me at any second. I study the track and try to remember where the next corner lies. I recall it being a sharp one, so I pull in to my left slightly.

I’m right, and the drivers behind me are forced to slow down because they hit at the wrong angle. This gives me the jerk forward I need. I close in on the car currently in first, excitement building high. It’s then I realize that car belongs to Sheyenne. Great. I don’t focus on that, but instead on the plan of attack.

Another corner is coming up that’s sharp, I need to get around her just after it for me to be able to win this thing. As we approach the corner, I tuck myself in the inner lane and come up beside her. Apparently she does not like this because she swerves her car towards mine, making me jerk my hand and therefore my car to the left. I have to quickly correct it before I spin out of control.

By this time another car has passed me. Anger flares and I hit the gas and bring the car back up near the two at the front. I’ll bring her down for that. I pass the first one and am faced with Sheyenne again. I anticipate her move because I’ve watched her race before, and brake right as she jerks her car towards mine. She pulls too hard and ends up turning the front of the car too much towards the middle. I take this chance to get around her.

Suddenly, I’m in the lead.

My heartbeat picks up and my palms become sweaty as I see the finish line. I glance behind me. There’s a different car coming up close, and any second he’s going to get around me. This is my chance to give it all I’ve got. I drop the car down a gear and I put my foot flat to the ground. She roars and growls, speeding up and screaming towards the finish line.

I cross it two car spaces in front of the other one.

I screech to a stop and am screaming with joy when Tazen opens my door. He’s screaming something too, but I launch out of the car. He lifts me up and my legs wrap around his waist. He holds me tight, yelling something in my ear but I can’t hear it past the roaring of the crowd.

I won.

I fucking won.

“Holy fucking shit,” Tazen yells, putting me down. “Baby, you won!”

“I won!” I scream.

His smile is so big it’s infectious. People are around me, patting my back and congratulating me. The announcer tells the crowd I’ve won, and they erupt into cheers. I’m new, but they know who Tazen Watts is, so therefore, they put their money on his car. They made the right choice.

So did I.

A moment later, I’m being handed a thick bundle of cash. “Your winnings.”

My … winnings?

I stare down at it. There has to be ten thousand dollars here. I stop breathing.

“Baby,” Tazen says into my ear. “You fucking won!”

“Th-th-th-this money is mine?”

“Fuck yeah, it’s yours, and well earned. You little firecracker.”

This money will change my life.

Holy shit.

“You fucking cheated!”

I turn to see Sheyenne storming towards me. She’s furious, enough for Tazen to put his arm at my belly and push me around behind him.

“She fucking cheated, running me off the track. I could have been killed.”

I lean around Tazen. “If I recall, you pushed me first. Don’t be a sore loser, Sheyenne.”

Her body jerks and she roars, “I’ll kick your ass! Let’s do it again, right here, right now.”

I snort. “No thanks, I already won. You go and stroke your pride, it’ll make you feel better.”

Tazen laughs just as Murray approaches Sheyenne.

“It was luck,” Sheyenne spits at me. “Luck!”

“Or,” I say, grinning. “You just suck.”

She lunges forward, skidding to the side to try and get around Tazen and get to me. Tazen puts his foot out and she trips over it, toppling down. She glares up at him when she hits the ground and he leans down, staring her right in the eyes. “No one touches my girl, Sheyenne. If you want to see a bad side of me, try it again.”

“That stupid slut cheated.”

“And,” Tazen growls. “No one calls her names.”

“Sheyenne,” Murray says and for the first time I notice he looks exhausted, like he’s just had enough. He reaches down and lifts her. “Let’s go.”

“This isn’t over!” She screeches at Tazen. “I will destroy you, I know what you’ve done and I am going to take you and your stupid little girlfriend down, Tazen Watts! You’ll pay for all of this.”

Tazen grinds his jaw and flicks his eyes to Murray. “I’m done with this, Murray. Done with her destroying my cars, done with her threats and her bullshit. I swear to you now, if she goes to the cops, I will destroy everything you’ve worked for and take you down with me.”

Murray flinches.

Sheyenne keeps yelling, “You know nothing about him, but I have everything on you, Tazen. I am going to destroy you.”

Murray’s jaw clenches and he spins Sheyenne towards him. “We’re done here, Sheyenne. You won’t be opening your mouth and you won’t be saying a damned word, because if you do I am going to take you down with me.”

She blinks and then screeches, “You won’t do anything of the sort. You’re all crazy!”

She throws her hands up into her hair and screams loudly. For the first time, I see it. What Tazen was talking about. She’s lost it. There’s something clearly wrong with her. Murray watches her, and something flashes across his face. Then he takes her wrist and tugs her hands from her hair. “We’re done here. You’re at the end of the rope, Sheyenne. You need help.”

“Don’t you tell me what I need,” she bellows. Everyone is staring at us now.

“You do as I say,” Murray grunts. “Or I will cut you off. Without me, you will have none of this!”

She stops screaming and blinks at him. “You wouldn’t do that to me, Murray.”

“I fucking will,” he barks. “Now move, or I’ll make true to my threats.”

He doesn’t let her answer; he just wraps his arms around her and looks to Tazen. “Walk away, Tazen. We’re done. You will hear no more from either of us if you hold up your end of the deal.”

The money. Murray might know Sheyenne is nuts, but he still wants a payout. Honestly, people can be such dogs when they want to be.

“Do I have your word, Murray?” Tazen grunts.

Murray reaches a hand out and Tazen shakes it. “You have my word.”

“Good. I’ll be in contact.”

Murray nods again and then drags her off and then Tazen turns to me. There’s definite relief in his eyes, and a smile breaks out across my face as I launch myself into his arms, love and happiness swelling in my chest.

“I love you, Tazen Watts.”

He holds me tight and leans down to my ear. “Fuck, baby, I love you too.”

Best. Night. Ever.