Page 60

Jaykob

Riding dick isn’t for the weak.

“Just figure it out! I don’t fucking know,” I bark, then immediately feel like an ass when Beau gives me that too-patient, flower-power bullshit look.

Ever since the raid three days ago, they’ve all been nice , and it’s freaking me out. And yeah, nice for them also means avoiding tripwires and dodging sneak attacks while they try to steal my girl from me, but at least that part is almost... fun.

I’m down for a fight.

I duck my head, looking away from those eyes and mutter, “I’ll figure it out.”

He settles his arms over his chest, still waiting, and I scowl, fighting the urge to scuff my boots on the floor. I glance around the med bay, but there’s no one here to see me turning back into a scolded five-year-old, so I mumble through my teeth, “Sorry.”

See?

I can be nice too.

He shrugs, rolling his eyes. “There’s only so much we can do about it, Jayk.

Their nutrition is poor, and has been for a long time.

We’re already getting reports of fatigue, depression, fluid retention, weakness, dizziness—bad breath.

” Beau eyes me briefly, and I glare at him.

“We’ve also had a few fainters. I have a list of names.

Keep an eye on them? If there’s any way for them to get extra food.

.. well, they’re most at risk. Age. Heart problems.”

Mary Beth was one of those fainters , right in the middle of sparring, and it’s put me in a weird, panicky place all day.

Beau shakes his head, leaning back in his chair.

A pile of loose cloths and random pieces of equipment sits on the desk in front of him.

“It might be best to lay off the sparring until the Reapers actually give up something substantial. We might need to make a deal with them sooner rather than later. It’ll only get worse from here. ”

“We’re waiting for Red Zone. Any deal we make has to work for everyone,” I mutter. “ If we make one.”

I’ve done war. I’m not looking for another one.

Don’t know how the fuck we’re going to avoid it, though.

I swipe the list from him, and there’s a dozen names. The lead fucking weight on my shoulders gets twelve times heavier. I know these people. I even like some of them.

And they’re starving.

God damn it. Why did I make this my problem? The thought of anyone dying because I decided to measure my dick against Dom’s as captain is like a hot pit in my gut.

My eyes drop to the bottom of the page.

Kasey’s name is on the fucking list, right under Ethel’s.

Sweat pools under my pits. Is it really getting that bad? The kid needs to be okay. I can’t... I can’t take losing another Ryan.

Even if it does mean war.

Beau is still eyeing me, and I shrug, crumpling the list. “Whatever. The plan stands. We’ll make a call after we talk to Red Zone. Either we fuck the Reapers off and take the shit they have here, or we join them. Ethel will be back to knitting throw blankets and being a nosey shit again soon.”

“Right.”

I glower at him. “You think I don’t have this? No one’s fucking dying.”

He gives me a dry look, then turns back to sorting through supplies. “If you want an ego stroke, Jayk, you’ve got our girl in your bed, and she’s probably more than willing. But this isn’t dire yet, just something we ought to keep an eye on.”

“Mine. My girl,” I remind him.

It’s been a fucking nightmare keeping them away from each other. Between the five of them, they have too many damn hands.

And Eden is sneaky.

Beau examines a strip of cloth, grimacing over a stain.

“There are more than a few smart heads here. I’m sure it’ll get sorted out.

Eden’s slop won’t hurt anyone—I did check—and I’m taking care of everyone who needs medical help, I promise.

We’ve got your back.” He glances up, then smirks. “About this, anyway.”

I grunt in sour acknowledgement.

Yeah. They’re a real dream.

The assholes were like frags set to blow today after I rerouted the hot water away from their room.

The memory makes me want to smirk. They might have their dicks in a knot over Eden, but they haven’t been completely useless about everything else, thank fuck.

We have a plan—and no one’s shooting at each other, so it’s looking up.

I tuck the list into my pocket. “I’ll deal with it.”

“You will.” Beau looks up from the mess in front of him to level me with a serious stare. “And get some sleep? You spend all night throwing Eden against every loose surface you can find and both of you are going to end up on that list, soon enough.”

Eden’s pale face today slams into my head, and I stiffen. “The shit does that mean?”

His eyes look up to the ceiling, then back to me. “You need small words, asshole? Food good. Rest good. Use too much energy—bad. No energy for smart, sexy librarians and smart, sexy librarians end up here. In the med bay. With me.”

His teeth flash in a smile.

“Funny,” I grit out, and he snorts softly.

I examine his face, trying to tell if this is his latest ploy to keep me away from Eden, but... even I can admit, the doc doesn’t usually fuck around with the medical stuff.

Then again, he was really fucking pissed about his shit getting dumped.

“Whatever. I’m taking care of her now.” I smirk. “In fact, I’m thinking she ain’t going to even be thinking about shitty, forgettable doctors anytime soon.”

Beau’s eyes flash dark. Smug, I rap my knuckles on his desk and turn to leave. I’m two steps from the door when a throaty, husky voice I recognize too fucking well crackles behind me.

“Jayk made me fight him again, poking at me until I did...” There’s a brief buzz, then, “He—he dragged me up his body until I was kneeling over his face.”

I whip around, spotting the tape recorder Beau has in one hand. He fast-forwards again, and Eden is panting—moaning like she does when she’s fucking lost for it.

Beau’s voice crackles from the recorder. “ Now Miss Anderson, do you really expect me to believe this cunt is all torn up because you rode a man’s face and soaked him in your cum?” He tsks. “It is not advised that you lie to your doctor, my girl.”

Eden’s raw, needy voice begs, “Please, Doctor Bennett, there’s more. I’ll tell you. Don’t stop . . . helping me. Please.”

Raw, furious horror floods me. “The fucking shit is that?”

Is she talking about fucking me ?

Beau smirks back at me, crossing his arms behind his head and leaning back in his chair. His thumb presses the play button again.

“Please, Doctor Bennett, help me. It hurts.”

Then again.

“I trust you, Doctor Bennett.”

That one hits me like a gut punch.. . the shaky, vulnerable way she says it.

In front of me, Beau’s grin becomes taunting. “Sounds to me like she enjoys her doctor visits just fine, don’t you think?”

Rage punches through me, horrified and blinding. “You son of a ?—”

“Nah, not my mama, Jayk. Don’t worry. I’ll make you a copy. Lucky already has one, though the little shit edited me out.” His expression turns condescending as fuck. “Eden’s fine with it. In case you missed it, she did make it clear—she’s good with sharing.”

In seconds, I’m on him, hauling him over his desk, deciding whether I’m going to smash his face or the recorder first.

“Jayk! There...” Kasey skids to a stop in the doorway, breathing hard, and I stop, my fist raised to punch Beau in his stupid square jaw. “There you are.”

Beau scrambles to turn the recorder off, just as Eden starts breaking apart.

I drop Beau and move toward the door, looking over Kasey’s shoulder, fear disrupting my rage. “What?—?”

“Eden. Lucky. Took off. Ten minutes ago.”

Relief crashes into me hard.

It takes me a full ten seconds to shrug it off.

Okay, so Eden being with him isn’t as bad as an attack, so what? It’s still not good .

“Nice. Where?” I grill her.

“Aw, come on now, Jayk. Leave ’em be,” Beau bitches.

Kasey shrugs her narrow shoulders. “I didn’t see. I went outside, and I don’t think they were there. Maybe inside somewhere?”

“Jayk. You’re doing too much,” Beau tries again, but I smirk at him.

“Weren’t you just saying how no one should be touching her? Just doing my part.” I point at the recorder. “Delete that fucking shit.”

He grins. “Not going to happen. You take care of our girl.”

I flip him off as I leave, trying to ignore the way the crush in my chest increases.

I fucked Eden a lot last night. A lot . There are rabbits high on pheromones that got railed less than she did, and shit. Is that why she’s been so sleepy? I burned her out, bouncing on my dick?

I haven’t seen her since this morning. Every fucking person had a question, and I had ten thousand things to do today. Kasey had eyes on her, though, she would have said if she looked bad. Even the fucking circus rat can’t break her in ten minutes.

My stomach growls at me as I duck my head into the gym, looking for her—then back out when someone swears and throws a bra in my face.

Whatever. Not in there.

I head toward the kitchen.

My gut has been bitching at me all day over the missed rations, but I’ve ignored it. That shit doesn’t matter. Used to do it all the time for Ryan, too.

She’s not in the kitchen.

I glare at the empty space, then pivot.

I know Eden had shit to do today—and thank fuck she knows what to do with the weird ass collection of ingredients we have left—but this is stupid. I don’t care if she’s with Lucky, doesn’t she know I need to see her?

Damn slippery woman.

My skin starts to itch, and I take the stairs in twos. My temper is starting to get testy when I slam open the library doors... only to see Eden’s skirt around her waist and Lucky’s hands on her ass as he presses her into a heavy bookcase.

Ten minutes is too fucking long.

“Lucky!” She giggles —like he’s pitching stand-up and not trying to sink his dick in her. “Lucky, the shelves! Ah! Oh, careful !”

Several books crash to the floor, and I storm over as he kisses her again.

“Beautiful, you’re really making me question your priorities here. Now, tell me I’m being too loud. Oh! And my library fees are overdue!”

“Wait, why wouldn’t you pay your library fees?”

The blond rat starts cackling into her neck, and I see red.

“They help sustain our programs! Pay your fees, Lucky!”

“How about I work it out in trade?”

“How about you don’t?” Shoving him back, I scoop Eden over my shoulder, then turn and storm back out.

She’s fine. She’s mine, and she’s fine.

“Son of a— Again ?” Lucky shouts after me.

This time, she doesn’t struggle. Hanging over my back, Eden sighs. “Really?”

“You seemed upset.” I shrug, and she bounces as I cross the interior balcony to our room.

She seems better than this morning—steadier—and my resolve strengthens. Sweet cheeks over here needs to rest .

To my ass, she mutters, “Scene of questionable sexiness aside, you know I wasn’t.”

I slam the door shut beside us and dump her on the bed, and she raises one finger, crawling up onto her knees.

“Oh no, if you think we are doing anything after you dragged me away from Lucky, you are dead wrong .”

Crossing my arms, I lean back against the door, and her eyes dip to my chest. She dampens her lips with the tip of her tongue, and I roll my eyes.

Maybe Beau is fucking with me.

But maybe he’s not.

It ain’t a risk I’m taking, not until I have a deal in hand and our pantry fully restocked.

“Unwet your panties, sugar. You and me?” I smirk at her. “We’re going platonic.”