by K E Osborn
She nods as I stand.
Zero bobs his head at me approaching. “So, how’d she take it?”
Rubbing the back of my neck. “She won’t budge. Says she’ll stay at home with me and Phantom protecting her. Says it’s not just her life on the line but her clients, and she needs to be able to access all her files and shit to be able to continue working.”
Zero shakes his head. “It doesn’t feel right. Maxen will come after her. We need her as the club attorney, so I want men on her. And if you want to be that first line of defense, it’s your call, brother. You’re the one putting your life on the line to protect her.”
“I can’t let her be out there on her own, even though she pisses me the hell off.”
Zero smirks. “She might piss you off, but I saw the way you two were getting all cozy on the dance floor. You’re gonna be getting way cozier before all this is through. You mark my words.”
“I think that ship has sailed, well and truly, Pres. I blew it by backing away to protect her. I’m not sure there is a way for me to fit in her life. I can’t exist in her world, and I can’t be who I was before I joined the club.”
“It’s fixable. You’ll get your time… be patient.”
I glance over to see her yawn. “I better get her home. I’ll be in touch if any shit goes down.”
“I want progress reports every hour.”
“Got it! See you soon.” I turn to walk off.
“And Texas?”
I spin around. “Yeah, Pres?”
“You look fucking adorable in a tux,” he teases.
The bastard. I flip him the bird as he breaks out into a full-on fit of uncontrolled laughter. I continue walking over to Fin, Phantom sitting with her, and I let out a long exhale. “Okay, we can go back to your place. But Zero wants hourly progress reports.”
Phantom nods. “Got it.”
“Let’s go home,” Fin murmurs.
“Yeah, let’s go home.”
The Next Afternoon
Last night we came back to Fin’s, and after scoping the house to make sure it was all-clear, we went our separate ways. Fin, to bed, and Phantom and I took turns on patrol.
Today has been quiet so far. Finley has been working in her home office all day, completely avoiding me. I don’t know where we are right now, and that feels fucking shitty.
I want to talk, figure out where we’re at, but this silence and awkward tension is not a place I thought we’d ever be in. Making my way to the kitchen, I want to grab something to drink before my protection round starts. Phantom has just come off his detail, and I’m about to take over for the afternoon.
As I walk into the kitchen, Finley is making herself a coffee, and I stop, watching her. The way her fingers caress the spoon as she stirs makes me hard instantly.
She glances up, catching me staring at her. She pulls the spoon up, placing it in her mouth, sucking off the contents, then places it in the sink. She grabs her coffee and edges past me, heading for her office without saying another word.
Great.
Maybe I should just let whatever this thing is between us go.
She’s clearly not as into it as I thought she was.
So why should I wrack my brain trying to figure out a way for this to work if she isn’t on the same damn page?
She enters her office, leaving me in the kitchen, and I let out a huff.
I’m here on protective detail.
I can’t ignore that fact.
As much as the air around us is thick, I need to be with her.
Just in case.
We already know Maxen is playing mind games with her.
We have already made a move getting all Fin’s money returned.
He’s probably pissed, so we need to be on the lookout even more.
So, I storm into her office. Her eyes shoot up, looking at me from behind her laptop as I take a seat in the swivel chair on the other side of the office. She draws her coffee mug up to her delectable lips, taking a slow sip. The foam covering her lip as she licks it off only makes my cock jerk in my jeans as I watch her. She’s eyeing me as tension swirls around us. She inhales, placing the mug back down on her desk, and her eyes return to her screen. “You know, you don’t have to watch me every second of every day? It’s so damn protective.”
I snort out a laugh. “The entire reason for me being here, Finley, is to be protective. I can leave if you wanna risk being here on your own… waiting for Maxen and his men to show up again. But I do seem to remember you coming to the club begging for my help—”
“The club’s help.”
I narrow my eyes on her. “You know what? You’re spoiled, you’re pompous, and you are a fucking brat!”
Her eyes widen as she stands with her nostrils flaring. “The fuck?”
“You heard me. You’re fucking entitled, and that makes you feel like you can walk all over people because you’re this hotshot attorney. But in the time I’ve known you, Fin, I’ve seen you open up. I saw a glimpse of a woman I thought was fucking amazing, but I’m beginning to think that woman isn’t real. That this woman I’ve seen the last couple of days is the real Finley Knight. The woman all her co-workers are scared of. The woman no other attorney wants to face in court. And it’s because you’re ruthless, uncaring, and fucking heartless.”
She marches around her desk with such force I wonder if she’s going to storm out, but she heads right for me shoving me hard in the chest, though I barely move. “How dare you! I know you sometimes say shit without thinking, Texas. But this? This is beyond ridiculous. What gives you the right to judge me?”
I step right into her space, her jasmine smell invades my senses making it hard for me to think straight, but I glare at her anyway. “The right to judge you? What gives you the right to judge me?”
She huffs, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. “You’re impossible! I can’t believe I thought you were ever a decent guy.”
I snort out a laugh. “Decent? I never claimed to be decent, Fin—”
“Well, now I know for sure. So, I won’t make that mistake again!”
I reach out, grabbing her wrists and spinning her around, then I slam her against the wall. She lets out an “oomph” with force as my body pins hers. My eyes glare into her, burning with lust. “Don’t fucking talk to me like I’m a piece of shit, Fin!”
She wriggles against me, the friction only making my cock strain against her as I push her wrists higher above her head. “Right now, you’re acting like a piece of shit. Let me go, Texas. You have no right to hold me like this.” But the hooded, lust-filled stare in her eyes tells me otherwise.
Our bodies align, connected in every way. Our breaths both increasing with the tension rising between us.
“You sure about that?” I ask, my cock growing against her as I inch my lips closer. The smell of her coffee lingers between us as the energy around us crackles with volcanic magnetism. My heart rapid fires as her breath catches. My eyes focus on her delectable lips as I dip my head, my mouth almost touching hers, I’m so close I can practically taste her. “Because I’d really like to keep holding you up against this wall,” I whisper, just a hair’s breadth away from her kissable lips. My pulse beats rapidly as her hands move up clenching at my shirt pulling me toward her. I move in to kiss her, when a shadow creeping past the sliding door catches my attention.
Fuck, not again!
I pull back from her dramatically, her body sags with the loss of contact as I still, drawing out my gun from the back of my jeans and raise it slowly.
Fin scoffs, like she’s outraged. “Right, so now you’re threatening me with your gun. Real fucking mature, Tex—”
“Shhh,” I warn and gesture for her to get down.
She steps closer to me, her hand gripping onto the back of my shirt, my free hand wrapping around her to keep her close. Any tension that was between us evaporates into thin air as I instantly move into protective mode.
We slowly edge toward the s
liding door, my pulse racing so fast I can hear my heart beating in my ears. The vertical blinds are closed, so I can’t see what’s happening outside. My breathing quickens as I approach the glass doors.
Fin is with me.
Step by step.
As I reach the door, my gun slowly edges one long slat away so I can take a look. Suddenly, the glass shatters, a pair of legs slam through hitting me straight in the stomach. I fly back, and my gun is knocked from my hand, but luckily, I don’t fall. However, Fin falls hard.
The blinds crumple in a heap on the floor as two men—shaved scalps with tattoos—barge into the office. Quickly I clench my fist, throwing it at the guy closest to me, but he blocks it.
“Texas!” Finley screams, making me turn just in time to see the other guy pick up a potted plant and hurl it directly at me. I duck, and it slams right into skinhead number one, breaking apart, right in his face. Dirt and leaves fall to the floor as the skinhead drops to his knees. The asshole scrubs at his bloodied and dirt-laden face while I rush forward. Leaning down, my shoulder slams straight into the plant thrower, and he slams back into the bookcase. It rattles, a candle falls to the floor, the glass breaking as the wax candle rolls off under the chair.
I bring my fist up landing it into this guy’s stomach. He heaves out a heavy breath as I hear scampering and turn to see Fin on all fours, trying to crawl away from skinhead number one. He’s clawing at her ankles as she kicks at his already bloodied head.
I need to get to her, but I have to get rid of the guy on me first.
Reaching for the lamp, I yank it from the wall as the second guy tries to slam me into the floor, but as we fall, I use the strength in my legs to flip him, so I’m on top, and then grab the cord of the lamp, quickly wrapping it around his neck. He grips at the cord, his fingernails tearing frantically at my skin as he gasps for breath that simply isn’t coming. I pull harder, my fingers turning white from the tension as I grit my teeth with the force. His face turns bright red, his lips turn blue, his eyes burst into a bloodshot mess as he kicks and struggles against me.
I need this fucker to fucking pass out so I can get to Finley.
I look over to see the skinhead is now completely over the top of Fin, pinning her down. My chest squeezes as her eyes meet mine and my breathing stops as he lands a fist into the side of her cheek. I can’t wait any longer for this fucker to either pass out or fucking die, so I jump off him just as his bloodshot eyes flutter closed. I race over to the man on top of Finley while her entire body struggles and fights to get him off her. Reaching for my gun, I slide across the floor, picking it up in one swift movement and fire off the round faster than I even thought possible. The bullet flies, landing straight in the guy’s temple. His head ruptures, blood exploding all over Finley as she lets out a loud scream. The guy’s body falls directly on top of her. Dead.
I take a breath then rush to her side, yanking the guy off her. She’s covered in blood and brain matter. Her eyes are wide as saucers as she physically shakes. Her face pale and pasty—she looks like she’s trying not to be physically ill.
Grabbing a bunch of tissues from her desk, I bend and start wiping the blood away from her face. “Fin… Finley, are you okay?”
Her bottom lip trembles as her terrified eyes meet mine. She’s not moving as I clean her up.
She’s in shock.
I glance over my shoulder to make sure lamp guy is still down. Luckily, he is, so I turn back to her. “Fin, I need to know you’re okay? Did he hurt you?”
Her breathing is so rushed and harsh, it’s hard to know if she’s actually getting any air in at all. She shakes her head as I grab her shoulders and help her to sit. Suddenly, a loud thudding echoes from the stairs, and I turn to see another skinhead rolling down them. It looks like his neck is broken as he falls to the floor. Dead.
Obviously, they were upstairs too.
Explains why Phantom didn’t come to our aid.
Footsteps thump down the stairs, then Phantom appears, his shirt ripped, and blood smeared across his legs as his eyes meet mine. “Jesus, is she—”
“It’s not her blood.”
“Her face?”
“She was hit pretty bad.”
He rushes in, dropping to Finley’s side, and he cranes his neck looking at me. “I had two upstairs.”
“We had two down here as well. There could be more coming. We need to get back to the clubhouse.”
Phantom nods. “Agreed. But Texas, she’s in no fit state to even think right now.”
“Fin… Finley, I need you to look at me.”
Her entire body is shaking so vigorously it must hurt as I force her face to look at mine. “Fin, eyes to mine. Now!”
Her eyes dart around everywhere like she’s still trying to see through the chaos.
“Finley Knight!”
Her eyes finally snap to mine, and I stare deeply in hers.
She seems to be focusing on me now. Good.
“I need you to look at me and only me. Do you understand?” She sniffles, but slowly nods. “We need to leave. We’re not coming back. You have to gather everything you need to take with you, and we have to do it fast and effectively.”
She shakes her head, and I grab her chin, stopping her movements, holding her eyes firmly on mine. “Fin, you can do this. I know you’re scared, but I’m going to protect you. I always will. I need you to do this for me. Can you do this… for me?”
Finley bobs her head coming back into the now.
“Good, that’s good. Phantom will get your clothes, but I need you to grab whatever work files you need. Do you understand?”
“Y-Yes,” she finally mumbles.
“I’ll be here with you the entire time. You’re strong, Finley. You can do this.”
A fire lights in her eyes, and she stiffens her shoulders. “I can do this.”
“There’s my girl.” I stand, taking her with me.
My eyes shift to Phantom, tilting my head upstairs, and he takes off to pack a suitcase.
“Okay, now tell me what you need?”
She blinks rapidly like she’s trying to gather her thoughts, then she straightens out her shoulders. “Okay… cupboard… briefcase. The big one, not the brown one.”
I let her go, turning for the cupboard. Opening the door, I grab the large black leather briefcase and take it over to her. She’s already rummaging through her filing cabinet, pulling out documents. Inwardly, I smile knowing she’s so much stronger than I even gave her credit for. I might have been giving her shit about it, but honestly, it’s one of the things I admire about this woman. She slides folder after folder into the briefcase, then grabs a key that’s stuck under her desk. I smirk as she walks around to her bookshelf and slides the key into a little box. It opens and she pulls out four thumb drives.
I’m not even surprised.
She walks over shoving the drives into the briefcase, then grabs her laptop and charger, giving me a curt nod. “We’re good to go.”
“Okay… I know you don’t want to stay at the clubhouse, but right now, after this, I don’t see another option.”
She hesitantly glances down at the two dead men on the floor and her nostrils flare. “I’ve always felt safe in my own home, even when Maxen’s goon put the dead cat on my windshield. Now? Now I don’t feel safe here. He’s taken that from me… my safe haven. So, I need to go somewhere. Somewhere Maxen can’t get to me or these files.”
“Then the clubhouse it is.”
She hesitates, but nods. “The clubhouse it is.”
Phantom strolls back in carrying two suitcases. “I didn’t know what to bring, so I brought what I thought you’d need. If not, one of the club girls can go buy whatever I missed. I called this in to Zero. He’s sending a cleanup crew.”
“Good. But right now, we have to go. I’m sure the heat will be here any minute.”
Finley takes a long look around her office. “Will I ever come back here?”
I reach out, placing a
comforting hand on her shoulder. “I honestly don’t know.”
She frowns lifting her chin, then with one determined step after another, she walks out of her office to an unknown future. I follow with Phantom behind me, heading straight for her car where we load her luggage, and we’ll ride back to the club, flanking her.
Let’s hope we can get to the clubhouse in one piece.
Fucking last thing we need is some kind of roadside ambush. With that thought, I call and give Zero a heads up to be on standby as a safety net.
FINLEY
Pulling up at the clubhouse, I feel all kinds of numb. Honestly, I don’t even really know how I got here. I wasn’t paying any attention to the road. I’ve been through so many things in my life. Seen so much. But I have never lived through something like what I just went through with Texas. I’m just so grateful he was there.
All the bickering seems pointless now.
I would be dead if it weren’t for him.
I turn off the ignition of my car and sit in my seat, staring at the wrought iron fence, my heart still beating rapidly inside my chest as I simply stare.
A light tapping on my window startles me, and I jump. Turning, Texas and Zero are standing by my door. Inhaling deeply, I unbuckle my belt, then open the door to get out. Their sympathetic eyes don’t do me any favors.
I’m usually so fucking strong.
Unbreakable.
Unbeatable.
But I don’t feel that way right now.
Zero looks me up and down, his eyes shifting to Texas—something unspoken being said between them. “Fin, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you like, as long as you need to. You’re a part of our family. We take care of family,” Zero states.
Nodding my head, I reach out gripping his arm. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you guys right now.”
“Well, you won’t have to find out. Texas will take you up to your room and you can get cleaned up.”
I glance back at Texas. “I’d like that.”
“Then, let’s go get you settled,” Texas offers, waving his hand out for me to follow him.
“Thanks again, Zero.”
