Page 52 of The Boy With The Sharp Teeth
"Mmm,"Zach grunted before casting her a sharp meaningful look. "But I'm comingover tomorrow evening." It was not a question, it was a statement of fact.
Knowingit would be pointless to argue his presumptuous edict, Sana reached over to himand slid her hand into his. As if waiting for her to touch him, Zach enclosedhis long fingers around hers and held her firmly. She could see his shouldersrelax and was surprised to feel the last remaining traces of doubt within herfade away. Were they really back, just like that? She asked herself. Afteryears of separation by a misunderstanding, without a word or any sort of updateon the other’s wellbeing, could they really just fall seamlessly back togetheragain? God, she hoped so. Her heart twisted in agony every time she let herthoughts slink back to that memory of him and that girl to recall the feelingof betrayal that had caused so much damage. Tightening her hand in his, Sanalooked out her window into the darkness, willing the memories to fade away oncemore.
"Ineed to get some gas," Zach announced.
Lettinggo of his hand, Sana looked up to see them approaching the brightly lit gasstation that welcomed all travelers into Tarki.
"Whyis it we always find ourselves here at night?" she muttered, lookingaround the station and stiffening as she caught sight of the creepy old manthat walked around from the back of the building.
"Sittight," Zach flashed her a wickedly sharp grin before getting out of thetruck, not seeming to care about his partial nudity on the cold night.
Notthat she could go anywhere if she wanted, she thought with a wild blush. Shewas completely naked under his shirt, and if she shifted, she could still feellittle gushes of fluid seeping from her. She was really going to have to do athorough cleanse when she got home.
Lookingthrough the driver's side window, she watched the man get closer to theirvehicle as Zach began pumping the gas. The glugging sounds of the fuel fillingthe tank was the only sound inside the silent cab as she kept her eyes on theman.
Hiscold dark eyes traveled over the car and stopped as his eyes found hers throughthe dark tint. Sana shifted nervously in her seat. Movement from the backwindows took her and the man's attention, and Sana watched as Zach stepped awayfrom the pumping nozzle and closer to the man. Was he saying something to him?She couldn't tell, but she knew Zach was looking at the man.
Ahatred so bright and so blatant glittered for the briefest second in the oldman's eyes as he stared at Zach but disappeared in a blink. Like a mask beingslipped down over his face, the older man wore the same blank expression as hetook the money from Zach and turned around.
Fora moment, Zach did not get back into the truck. He just stood there with hisbroad back to the driver's side door, watching the man walk back to thestation. Finally, after a few seconds, Zach opened the door and slid back intohis seat. Sana's stomach clenched at the sight of him. Like a pair of sparklinggold coins, Zach's eyes glittered with an anger she had never seen.
"Idon’t think he likes either of us," she admitted into the quiet spacebetween them. "And I am positive he does not like me."
Fora moment, Zach said nothing. He just sat there with his head turned and lookingout his window, watching the door where the man had just disappeared through.After a few lingering seconds, Zach finally sat straight, his shoulders andchest still tense with unexpressed anger as he started the engine and put thetruck in gear.
"I'lltake care of it," he said tersely.
"Whatdo you mean by that?" She waited for him to answer, but she could see hehad no intention to as he guided the truck across the deserted intersectiontowards their neighborhood. "Please don't do anything. I didn't meananything by it. I was just-"
"No,you're right. I sensed the guy's anger, he tried to hide it, but I saw it,hell, I smelled it," he said sternly. "No, that shit isn't going towork for me. I need to know you feel comfortable getting gas whenever you want,and I don't know what the fuck that guy's problem is. I will talk toNoah."
Sanachewed on her bottom lip at the anger in his tone. "I don’t want him toget in trouble, Zach," she protested.
Zachlifted one big shoulder and gave her a cold, flinty smirk. "Better he getin trouble with Noah instead of me, sweetheart."
Chapter 11
"Ok,I'll go get both and bring both boxes back," Elijah called back to herbefore jogging across the wide empty field where all their cars were parked.
Today,she and a portion of the Waatese crew were out at the solar farm measuring andsetting up additional panels. Unlike the first time she came out, Sana wasprepared for the muddy terrain. Wearing a pair of work boots she bought fromthe sporting goods store along with a pair of jeans and a plain black sweater,and her blue raincoat, she felt ready for anything nature through her way.Well, almost anything, she thought, as she felt the heat creep up the back ofher neck and into her ears. That morning Zach had dropped her off at the siteagainst all her protests. While she had tried to argue that her little SUVcould indeed handle the thick mud, he had simply given her that sharp,predatory smile before hauling her against him and planting a devastating kissto her lips, making her forget all about her protests as she responded to hiskiss.
Feelingmore like a child than a grown woman as he dropped her off, she barely resistedcrossing her arms in a show of petulance as the other Waatese men watched withlarge smiles as Zach handed her her bag and equipment before pulling her in foryet another fierce kiss. Although that kiss had been different. Possessive andclaiming, he worked his mouth masterfully over hers, demanding her to respondand forcing her brain to forget their audience as he held both of her elbows ather side, locking her arms in place. Stunned and out of breath, she watched theevil man hop back into his truck with a satisfied look and a wink, promising tosee her later tonight. Thankfully when she had turned around, all the Waatesemen had been conveniently turned away and working on bringing out the panelsfrom their trucks.
Justthinking of it made her blush return along with memories from last night.Turning her face up to the dreary gray sky, Sana inhaled at the cold windbuffeting against her face. She still couldn’t believe half the things she saidlast night. She had spoken of being pregnant and having his children, forgoodness sakes! Placing a hand over her throat, she could feel the heat fromher skin against her hand and knew her face no doubt looked flushed. Yet, ithadn't just been her last night who responded to those erotic words. Zach'sjeweled eyes had glowed brightly in the darkness as he lifted and dropped herbody against his arousal. She had seen the muscles in his strong neck and wideshoulder tense when she described herself swollen with child, she had seen his unmistakableneed for those words to come true. Sana bit her lip at the thought. Even now,her breasts felt suddenly heavy, and her sex warmed at the memory. Knowing thatZach wanted that—wanted her and a future with her, made her want to cry withjoy.
Openingher eyes with a start, Sana quickly looked around. Good Lord, when had sheclosed her eyes? Thankfully it seemed no one was watching her. Pushing backmore strands of her windswept hair that seemed determined to escape herponytail, Sana focused her mind back on the present and off of Zach. Therewould be plenty of time to concern herself with Zach when he got back tonight.
Walkingaround the measuring tape she had laid out on the ground, her boots sank withan audible squish on the muddy terrain as she looked at her tablet, and shebrushed a few loose strands of hair back from around her face again. Followingthe notification for her email, Sana quickly read the short message and sighedin relief. The man from Gaulding she had been considering, Jax Beranek,accepted the job and wrote that he would come out tomorrow to help install andproperly integrate the remainder of the panels.
Well,that made everything so much easier. Looking up to where Elijah ran off to, shewondered if she called out would he hear her. She could see him in the distancestanding next to his father's truck reaching over the side for the heavy boxes.If the new engineer was coming out tomorrow, there would really be no point forher to try to install the control panel now. It would make much more sense towait to have it all done by the same guy who would have all three citiesrunning along the same installation.
Makingher decision, Sana began to walk over to the vehicles but stopped at therustling sound to her right. Having been cut out of the existing forest, theclearing they were working in was surrounded by a wall of thick trees. Steppingout of those trees was a face she thought she would never see again—EarlSamons.
Withthe same look of contempt he had always worn for anyone of color in Tarki, EarlSamons stopped and stood a few yards from her. The years had not been kind tohim, she noted, his rotund gut that once sat high on his large frame nowdrooped low past his belt and settled before him like a big soft sack. Andthough he was no longer the city's Sheriff, a position since filled by UnaWaatese, he wore a pair of dark jeans and a matching denim long sleeve shirt,an outfit eerily reminiscent of the uniform he once wore.
"So,you came back, did ya? Didn't think you'd have the nerve after you got thoseboys killed,” he sneered at her with narrowed eyes, as if he was examining abug underneath his foot.
Ahollow feeling spread from Sana's chest and into her veins as unwelcomememories crept into her mind. "What?" she breathed, hoping shemisheard him.
