Page 47 of Tabitha

I’m not pouting.

I’m pissed.

And I don’t buy for a second that the others aren’t just as worried. I chew my lip, then decide not to waste the opportunity now that I have the guys alone. “I just want you all to know that I have every intention of pursuing Tabitha.”

Absolute silence fills the interior of the vehicle, and I feel smug at being the first to lay claim.

“Excuse me?” Pierce glances at me with a lethal look in his crystal blue eyes. I tense, suddenly wondering if I would survive a confrontation with the man.

“Look, I have no intention of stepping on your toes.” I hold up my hands to show that I mean no offense. “It’s just…she’s mine too. I’m not going to give up my claim to you or anyone.”

Pierce sits so still that I brace for him to pounce. “You mean sharing her?”

“Yes.” To my surprise, he doesn’t shoot me in the head, but I don’t relax yet. “The three of us don’t have the time or energy needed for a full relationship. Most of the time, the girl feels neglected if we go days or weeks without contact. We discovered that, if we find a girl that we all like, we can split our time with her.”

Pierce drums his fingers on his knee. “And does that work?”

I barely resist smiling at his curiosity. “With a girl like Tabitha? Absolutely. She’s the type of girl who needs more than one man to keep her interested or she’ll get bored. As for us? We’re the perfect men for someone like her. We have the skills to keep her out of trouble. And I have a feeling that Tabitha is the kind of girl that takes to trouble like a fish to water.”

Pierce snorts and leans back in his seat, muttering under his breath, “You have no idea.”

I turn toward Bast and Gage, waiting for their vote.

I don’t just want Tabitha, Ineedher for my continual survival.

Without her, I fear the darkness in my soul will consume me.

As much as I want her for myself, I’m well aware that I’m not enough, not for someone like her. Without the support of the men in my squad, I’m very much afraid that I won’t have a shot with her.

Not on my own.

“Well?” I chew on my lip, barely able to sit still.

Not with my future on the line.

Just when I think I’m going to explode, Bast finally speaks, sounding cautious. “She will have to agree first.”

I glance at Pierce questioningly. “You know her best. What are our chances?”

“Separately? Absolutely none.” A smirk plays around his lips. “But I believe, with all of us, we’ll be able to break down the walls she’s built around herself. Truthfully, she needs us as much as we need her. I’m sure you’ve noticed that Tabitha is…different. People aren’t very forgiving of her unique quirks. Without us to buffer her from the outside world, I’m afraid she won’t last long. She takes too many risks. She needs us to temper her natural…enthusiasm.”

Gage snorts, turning to look back at us with a dubious expression. “You mean her complete lack of self-preservation? Common sense? And possible sanity?”

While part of me wants to beat the smug asshole into the ground, I toss him a smirk and lean back in my seat. “I know. She’s perfect, right? Good luck winning her over, dickhead, when you finally figure it out for yourself.”

As we pull into town, I lean toward my window, my face practically smashed against the glass, eager for the sight of my girl. Ignoring the eyes watching us, I search the town, my stomach sinking when I don’t see any sign of her or the car. “Where the hell is she?”

Bast parks the truck in front of the café. We don’t leave the truck, all of us peering out the windows in search of our girl, but she’s gone. Just as my sanity starts to slip, battling the nearly overwhelming need to leap out of the truck and demand answers, the squeal of tires catches my attention, and I whirl to see the Mustang fly around the corner sideways.

Tabitha is sitting behind the wheel, zipping past us with barely a glance, then she slams on the brakes, flips the car around in a smooth move, and slides right into the parking spot behind our truck.

Pierce smirks, and Bast’s eyes are wide, while Gage can only gape at her, torn between admiration and exasperation.

I can’t hold back a giddy laugh.

It’s no wonder I’m so head over heels for her.

“Whoop!! Now that’s my girl!” I don’t wait for the others as I open the door and fling myself outside.

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