Fractured Brotherhood (Devil's Knights 2nd Generation 7)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Tess

“Did you tell King about what he s-s-said about Zig?”

Zag nodded his head and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Told them everything Malcom said.”

“Could they figure out w-w-what he meant?” I was pretty clueless when it came to matters of the club. I was hopeful that they would be able to decipher Malcom’s rambling about Zig falling right into his trap.

“No one could figure it out, but we will.” Zag sipped his coffee and held his hand out to me.

I shook my head and wagged my finger at him. I wasn’t going to him until we talked. I knew the second we touched; all talking would be done. “Can’t you guys j-j-just call Zig or something?” I suggested.

“If it were that easy, Tess, we would have done that right away.”

I sighed, and my shoulders sagged. “Then what are you guys going to do?” I asked.

Zag shrugged. “I don’t know. Right now, I think we are all happy that Malcom is being burned at about ten thousand degrees, and we never have to worry about the guy again.”

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.

“Besides, Uncle Leo has been looking for Zig since he turned in his cut.”

“Really?” I asked.

Zag nodded. “Yeah. He had a pretty close relationship with him when we were growing up. He was pretty shocked when King told him what happened.”

“Well, I guess that is good, right? Though I d-d-don’t think it is ever good if you have the m-m-mafia trying to find you.”

Zag chuckled and pushed off the counter. “You would be right about that, babe.”

“How is your mom doing?”

Zag stopped and hung his head. “Babe, all I want to do right now is touch you, and you just keep talking,” he whined.

“Because there is so much to know,” I protested. “How is your mom? Here one s-son is missing, and you just had to kill someone. That seems like a l-l-lot to deal with.”

“Mom has been living this type of life for a while, Tess. She’s doing as best as she can.” He stepped toward me. “Can I touch you now?”

I pursed my lips and stepped toward him. “I mean, I guess we could talk more later, right?”

He nodded, and a smirk spread across his lips. “We most definitely can talk later. Later later.”

He closed the distance between us and wrapped his arms around me.

“I was so scared when I saw Malcom with you, babe,” he whispered into my ear. “My heart stopped.”

“Imagine how I felt when I was getting ready for sexy time with you, and he walks in ready to blow the house up with you and me inside for the second time.”

He pressed a kiss to my lips and smiled. “This time, we were ready for him, Tess. I wasn’t going to let him hurt you.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “Two times now, you have saved my life.”

“I’d do it a hundred times more, Tess. I will never let anyone or anything ever hurt you again,” he promised.

My eyes connected with his. “I know I shouldn’t say this b-because we haven’t even known each other this long, and most people would say I was c-crazy. Or that I’m saying it because I’m caught up in the moment, which I mean, how could I no–.”

“Tess,” Zag interrupted.

“Was I stuttering a lot?” I asked.

Zag shook his head and pressed a soft, sweet kiss to my lips. “You were rambling because you were trying to tell me you love me.”

My jaw dropped. “Uh, what?”

A smirk spread across Zag’s lips. “You’re trying to tell me you love me, and then I will say I love you, too.”

“You are?”

He nodded his head. “I am.”

“I love you,” I blurted.

“I love you, too, Tess. No matter what comes our way, I’ll always love you and protect you.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and jumped up. He grabbed my legs and held me tight against him.

“No matter what happens, it’s you and me, Zag,” I promised.

“Always, Tess. Always.”