Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 42332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
Despite the fact that my woman was here and in danger because he was a fucking idiot, I couldn’t help being a little impressed. Even in his state, he’d managed to get the help we needed rolling out.
We were definitely gonna have Shadow work his magic. The Riverstone cops wouldn’t look twice at this, but we didn’t want to scare anyone.
Finally, I stood, and my eyes sought out Maren.
She hadn’t moved. She was still on the ground, her breath shallow, her hair falling around her face, and the knees of her uniform scraped and dirty. Her eyes were wide, and her lips parted as she looked up and saw me.
All of me.
What I was. The things I’d done. What I was truly capable of.
I expected to see fear or revulsion. Maybe even the kind of horror that said she’d realized the man who’d been kissing her last night could also beat someone to death without blinking.
But she didn’t look away. Didn’t even flinch. Her breath hitched, and understanding filled her beautiful blue eyes.
I stalked toward her, grabbed her gently but firmly by the elbow, and hauled her up, my eyes still locked on hers.
“This is why you do as you're told,” I snarled, the words low and thick, rougher than I meant. But I couldn’t stop the edge in my voice. It was fear echoing through fury. “Because next time, I might not get here in time.”
She blinked, then whispered, “Okay.”
I nodded and went to put my arm around her waist when she put her hand on my chest and murmured, “Thank you.”
Frowning, I looked down at her.
“Don’t thank me for protecting you, baby. It’s my damn job.” I speared her with a look that was full of dark promise. “Doesn’t mean I’m not gonna punish you for disobeying me. Especially when it puts you in danger.”
Maren’s lips parted, and her breath caught. But it wasn’t fear I saw clouding her eyes. She looked like she’d never been more turned on in her life.
Fucking hell.
I wanted to kiss her and shake her all at once. But I knew if I got my lips on her, I’d be taking her virginity in the storage closet of the diner. Not an option. So I settled for gripping her waist and guiding her to my bike, then opening the saddlebag and pulling out a clean rag to press into her scraped palms. Her hands were trembling, and I kissed each scraped palm.
The roar of motorcycles filled me with relief. My brothers were here, which meant I could get Maren the fuck away from this shit.
Without a word, I opened my saddle bag and pulled out the helmet I’d picked up for her. She beamed as I put it on her head and buckled it under her chin. Then I climbed onto the bike and helped her get on behind me.
Giving Blaze a nod as he rode into the parking lot, I gunned it and took off. One hand stayed on her knee the entire ride back—partly to remind me that she was there and safe, partly to anchor myself. If I let go of her right now, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold myself back when I got her home.
The clubhouse gate was already open when I roared in. Rebel, our road captain, Echo, and Cross were waiting outside with a gurney. As I skidded to a stop, a black van raced in behind me. They’d barely hit the brakes when the back doors were flung open, and Razor jumped out, followed by Nora, Ash’s old lady, and an EMT.
Echo pushed a gurney over just as Razor and Blaze began lifting Jace out on a stretcher. He was pale, shaking, and barely conscious. Blood was seeping through his jacket where one of the guys had stuffed gauze against the wound.
“Get him inside,” Razor barked.
Then he started shouting out orders as he, Blaze, Echo, and Cross lifted Jace onto the gurney and rolled him toward the side building that housed the club’s private clinic with Nora at his side. I waited until I knew we wouldn’t be in the way before I got us off my bike, put the helmets where they belonged, and lifted her into my arms.
As I carried her to the door, Maren didn’t argue or demand to be let down. Instead, she rested her head on my chest and sighed as if she’d never felt safer. I wasn’t sure if that calmed me or made me want to be inside her even more. Maybe it was both. I didn’t know…I’d never been in love before.
The smell of antiseptic hit me the second I carried her through the door. But the clinic lobby was decorated in warm colors, meant to be soothing.
Maren’s head turned as they wheeled Jace toward the back. “Is he—”