Stone

by Addy Archer

  Daniela eyes me and asks, “What’s going to happen now?”

  “She needs a place to rest and heal. Then we’ll see.” I shrug.

  Turning at the sound of footsteps, I watch Jace stroll into my room.

  “How is she?” He eyes Rylee, but his eyes quickly go to the woman who he’s been obsessed over ever since he lost a way to contact her when we were removed from the hospital a few months back.

  Daniela’s ex showed up, and we made sure he wouldn’t bother her again. Well, Jace made sure. He claimed her as his old lady in front of her ex to make it clear she was protected at all times by any chapter of Trigger Pull MC.

  I was backing him up, but then security came, and they pissed me off. Jace had to hold me back, and it caused him to lose his phone due to all the struggling and us getting escorted out of the hospital. We waited outside for Daniela to show up, but we found out through a nurse that she was also escorted off the premises.

  Daniela was fired, or she quit, whatever. Point is, Jace lost all way to contact her, and he’s been a complete grouchy ass ever since. Absolutely not the lovestruck fool who had a smile on his face while giving puppy dog eyes to Daniela, that’s for sure. And now I’m kinda regretting the order I gave a few days back when he saw her picking up Rylee, since he’s yet again wearing that lovestruck smile. Fate has a funny way of interfering.

  I clear my throat to get their attention. “You two need to get out of here. There’s not much you can do for her anyway. Rylee needs to rest. I’ll keep an eye on her, and we’ll talk in the morning.”

  Daniela is about to mouth off again. That woman doesn’t know who’s in charge here, but she’d do best to pay attention.

  “I’m not asking, Daniela. I’m telling. If there’s something wrong or if she wakes up and needs you, I’ll text Jace or come get you myself. But I’m assuming Jace won’t let you out of his sight again after months of sulking and pouting about how he fucking missed you.”

  Jace shoots me an angry glare, but I just put a big grin on my face. He wants her, and in my opinion the chick is allowed to know he missed her. Besides, I feel the need to make up for the order I gave him to keep his distance when all he wanted was to drag her off to his cave and ravish her.

  “Ry is going to be hurting—” Daniela tries again, but I’m done.

  “I’ve been in fights loads of times. I know how it feels. Not to mention I’ve pulled some of my brothers through the same shit. I’m telling you this so you’ll know I’m aware how I need to watch her and take care of her. And if I’m not sure or worry about something? Like I said, I’ll come get you. And to ease your mind some more, I have two sisters. As of right now, I have three. There is not a chance in hell I would harm Ry or so much as let anyone near her. Fucking look at her. From what I’ve seen on her arms, she’s been suffering from abuse for a long damn time. That all ends now. She’s under my protection. Even if I have to push her best friend out of the room.”

  “You’re not going to push me out of the damn room,” Daniela growls furiously.

  “No, you’re right. That’s not gonna happen, because I’ll carry you,” Jace mutters, then throws her over his shoulder as Daniela starts to kick and scream.

  I can’t help but chuckle as I close the door behind them and flip the lock. I stalk to the door that leads to a tiny room and open it to let Pike out. He’s a trained black-and-red German shepherd who’s a little on the killer side, meaning he doesn’t like people all that much. It’s the reason I took him in when he was four months old.

  The breeder wanted to put him to sleep because the vet told him the dog would grow up to attack everyone. The vet was wrong and right all at the same time. Pike does in fact want to take a bite out of anyone he doesn’t trust or know. But it also means he’s loyal to the bone, fucking sweet as hell to those he opens up to. Only a handful of people can handle him.

  “Pike, bed,” I order.

  He licks my hand and heads for the bed, jumping on and gently sniffing Ry. I step closer and slide my hand over Ry’s white hair.

  “Treasure,” I tell Pike.

  It’s actually a command I taught him. He knows what I want when I link the command with an object I want him to guard. Pike licks her nose, and it makes the corner of my mouth twitch. My dog curls up to lie beside her at the same time Ry starts to stir. A soft moan slips past her lips, and her whole face contorts with pain.

  “Easy there,” I tell her, then realize she probably can’t hear me, because she doesn’t react at all.

  Another sound falls from her mouth, and Pike instinctively snuggles closer, whining along with her. He places his head on her stomach, and her eyelids fly open, fear flashing within her stunning moss green eyes.

  Ry takes in Pike and then actually takes a calming breath, which is surprising. Most people show fear at the sight of him; he’s not exactly a teddy bear, though he is lying utterly calm and curled up beside her as if he’s a fluffy pup. I shift on my feet, and the movement makes her head whip in my direction. I’m glad to say the fear doesn’t flare back up, recognition settling in her eyes instead.

  Her gaze slides to my lips, and I test my theory that she can read lips, mouthing, “You’re safe here at the clubhouse of Trigger Pull MC. Daniela is here too. She and Jace are—”

  “Getting cozy together?” she finishes for me.

  I can’t help but snort. She tries to sit up, but I can tell every bone in her body is hurting. I squat down next to the bed and put my forearms on the mattress. Our gazes collide once more, and she stops moving.

  “Your dog?” she asks, keeping her eyes pinned on my lips.

  I give her a tight nod. “Pike, and my name is Stone.”

  She quickly glances at Pike before her attention is back on me again. Pike gives a soft whine and nudges her hand with his head, licking her fingers right after. Absently, she lifts her hand and starts to pet his head.

  “Keith… is he…?” She swallows hard, leaving the question hanging in the air.

  I reach out and gently feather my fingertips over her cheek, careful not to touch the bruises. The fucker hit her so hard, both her eyes are almost swollen shut.

  “He won’t ever hurt you again. And I will try my damnedest to make sure no one else will either. You’re safe here. You have my word,” I vow, surprising myself at the venom in my voice.

  It shouldn’t come as such a surprise to feel this way. I’m blaming the protective streak flaring through me on what happened in the past with my baby sister. My dick of a father made a deal with a drug dealer and threw my sister—both sisters, actually—in with it.

  An arranged marriage, or whatever excuse the fucker thought it was. Bottom line? My sister struggled for survival and was tortured, raped…. Darkness rears its ugly head inside my veins, and I need to take a shuddering breath to calm down.

  I couldn’t prevent my sister from getting hurt, and the way I witnessed Ry get beaten, seeing her injuries, her almost getting killed? Fuck. I vow right here, right fucking now, that this woman won’t ever feel pain inflicted by others again.

  “No, I’m not safe,” she murmurs. “I have nowhere to go. I can’t return home. My father will…. I can’t. Daniela wanted to take me away from here and leave everything behind, but I can’t let her do that. She almost got hurt tonight. I won’t be able to live with myself if something happened to her. She has a life here. She shouldn’t give everything up for me.”

  And I fucking swear I hear her add on a whisper, “I’m not worth it.”

  C H A P T E R T H R E E

  – R Y L E E –

  I’m most definitely not worth it, I think instead of whispering it aloud.

  For as long as I can remember, there hasn’t been anyone who would open up their arms and hug me close. I have no recollection of ever feeling safe or treasured. Nothing that compares to what I’ve seen in movies, on the streets when I noticed other families or loved ones, or read about in books. Everything about feeling safe or treasured is foreig
n to me.

  The first few weeks of Dani’s friendship were kinda choppy and awkward. She was the one who gave me no other choice but to let her in, and I’m happy I did. Yet it took me months to completely open up to her. As of now, she truly is the only one left who I depend on. And I can’t risk losing her.

  I bury my fingers in Pike’s thick fur and brace myself for the flares of pain slicing through my body when I lean forward to nuzzle my head against him. I’ve never had a dog, or any pet for that matter, nothing to treasure or seek warmth or friendly comfort and support from.

  My father had a dog guarding the junkyard once, but it was so vicious he always kept it on a leash and would never even go near the dog himself. I was scared of that one, but the large animal snuggling close is warm and soft as he lifts his head and licks away my tears.

  Tears I didn’t even feel start spilling over. Must be all the emotion ripping through me from everything that happened today, and the thought of almost losing Dani, because I swore never to cry again, and I’ve kept that vow until now.

  And even if I’m here in this stranger’s bed, I’ve never felt safer than I do in this moment. I’m about to thank Stone, but the anger painting his face makes me gasp. His lips move to release a string of curses before he lets his head fall back as he stares at the ceiling.

  My fingers dig into Pike’s thick fur, and I take in my surroundings. What’s wrong with me to feel safe with a man who I’ve never met before now? A man who put a bullet in my tormentor? Flashes of what happened enter my head and filter through my aching body. It should be a reminder that people will always turn on you, no matter how close they are.

  Except for Dani. She’s been very kind to me, and though I’ve learned to trust her over the months we became friends, there’s always this nagging feeling that I’m going to either lose her or she’ll become unreal, slipping into the same category as my father and Keith. Screwed-up thinking, but it’s a harsh reality. My reality. Waiting for everything to come crashing down, because it always does.

  I risk another glance in his direction. His expression is now masked, and his thick, muscled arms are crossed in front of his chest. They uncross, and his finger is now pointing up, making my gaze fall to his mouth.

  “First thing I’m going to make you aware of is that you are fucking worth it. Second, I’ll make sure you won’t end up on the ground ever again. I’ll teach you self-defense, and we’ll work out some kind of schedule to train you to get some strength to back up the skills I’ll be teaching you. But before we can do that, you have to heal completely. And you’ll be able to do that while under my protection and living under my roof.”

  “You don’t understand,” I croak. “My father, he’ll—”

  “I know exactly who your father is. He’s an asshole who I will deal with when the time comes,” he interrupts me.

  Stone doesn’t get it. My father isn’t an honest and kind man. He only thinks about himself and what he can gain in this world. It’s why he gave me to Keith as a bonus, to ensure my father a steady income through this screwed-up retirement plan he thought up while he sits on his ass and does nothing.

  Having a daughter instead of a son was worthless in his eyes. He needed a man to take over the company. And yet in the end, he used me to tie a man to his family by pawning me off.

  My breathing is choppy and painful. Pike snuggles closer, as if he can sense my anxiety. Who am I kidding? He definitely can, because he’s giving me the comfort I need to focus enough to gasp for my next breath. The pinch on my chin makes my eyes flash open.

  “Dammit, Ry, calm the fuck down,” Stone says angrily.

  The way his face is edged with both fury and worry makes me wonder. “No one offers a stranger something from the kindness of their heart. Not in my world, anyway. Please be honest enough to explain why you’re helping me. What do I need to do if you let me stay here? What do you expect?”

  His eyes slide to Pike and back to me, one of his eyebrows rising to get his point across. An insane point, if you ask me. I’m pretty sure he’s implying that Pike offers comfort to a stranger from the kindness of his heart while he, as a person, does the same by offering his care and hospitality.

  Pike is a dog, for crying out loud, one who acts out of pure instinct. “Don’t compare yourself with an animal, because you’re not.”

  “Wait till you get to know me. You’ll change your mind pretty quick, I promise.” The smirk on his face makes him way too handsome. Somehow I think he’s very aware of this little fact.

  “Whatever,” I grumble, then take my next breath a little too deep, which causes pain to flare on the right side of my body.

  Stone is holding out two pills on the palm of one hand and a bottle of water in the other. Careful not to move too much, I take them and let the painkillers slide down my throat. I hope they kick in soon, but I know it’ll be a drop of water on a hot plate and I’m going to be sore for a long time.

  Stone’s face hovers over mine. “Get some sleep. I’ll be right here watching over you. You’re safe, okay?”

  “For now,” I mutter.

  The corner of his mouth twitches. “For now and a long time to come, darlin’.”

  Darlin’? I don’t have time to ponder over the way he said that last word, as if it was an endearment. Something I’m most definitely not used to. Though maybe I’m taking it the wrong way and it’s more out of habit—a word he uses all the time for any female.

  The headache stabbing my brain takes away the effort to give it some more thought. Reluctantly giving in to the drowsiness clouding my head, I close my eyes and fall into a deep sleep.

  Somewhere during the night, Stone wakes me up to make sure I’m okay and to help me to the bathroom and back into bed again. He gives me the privacy I need and has the gentlest touch I’ve ever experienced. Though regardless, every move hurts like hell, from my head down to my toes.

  The next day passes in a blur too, and after a few more days, I’m finally able to move around some more instead of alternating between the bathroom and the bed. My body is still hurting—some places more than others—when I’m able to change into gray sweatpants and a large shirt Dani brought me.

  She mentioned how she went out shopping but told me the both of us would get some other stuff once I was able to go along with her. For now I take comfort in the clean clothes and underwear along with the necessary toiletries she also brought me.

  “Are you coming with me, Pike?” I throw the question at the dog due to my own insecurities.

  Pike lifts his head and swings it in the direction of the door, making my gaze slide there too. Stone is standing in the doorway dressed in black jeans, a white tank, and his leather cut. Everything about this man makes him look fierce, but it’s the vibe radiating from him that screams invincibility.

  I watch his lips move as he says, “Pike doesn’t like being in the main room of the clubhouse. Too crowded with people he doesn’t like.”

  “Why do I have a feeling I should follow his example and stay here with him?” I mutter, snatching up the fluffy socks Dani brought me.

  Stone squats in front of me and makes me glance up at him. My breathing picks up. Not because he’s intimidating—which he obviously is—but because of the way he handles my flaw. My hearing. Or rather the almost lack of it. He makes sure I catch what he says. I don’t know if Dani told him or if he noticed by himself, but he obviously knows. And he cares.

  Normally people will instantly show anger if I don’t hear what they say, or they become frustrated if they need to repeat something if I couldn’t catch it the first time, most times due to them turning their head away from me so I can’t read their lips. But not Stone. He always gives me his full attention along with gentleness, not once losing his patience.

  And believe me, when you see this man with bulging muscles and penetrating dark brown eyes, gentleness is not a word you would use to describe him. And yet that’s what he’s been giving me all these days I’ve spent here i
n his room while he watches over me.

  He patiently gives me small talk, watches movies till deep in the night, and tries to get me to trust him enough to see him as a friend. Or at least that’s what I think he’s been doing by showing me kindness while keeping his distance.

  He’s even started to tell me how I can defend myself, slowly guiding me when I was finally able to move, making me stretch, helping my sore muscles along with it. Somewhat like a brother taking care of his sister—or what I would imagine it to be, since I have no experience or knowledge about any of it.

  “Pike has anxieties. He’ll take a bite out of anyone who comes near him. It’s how he deals with it—attack them before they turn on him. He’s been that way ever since he was a pup. There are only a few here at the clubhouse who can come near him when I’m not around. As you’ve experienced, Pike is very well trained and will follow my every move and command when he’s near me. But I also know it’s very stressful for him if I take him out of this room other than to have some playtime in the backyard. Now you, on the other hand, I don’t see you biting a chunk out of any of my brothers’ asses. Right?”

  I can’t help but smile. “You haven’t allowed me to be around them yet, so who knows,” I tease.

  His head tips back, and laughter thunders out. Or at least I think it does, because it’s only a very faint sound. I hate not being able to hear him, because in this moment he seems completely carefree. I lift my hand and place it on his chest, feeling a slight rumble of his laughter vibrate through my fingers until it suddenly stops.

  His heartbeat is fierce underneath my palm as it picks up. Our gazes collide, and he places his hand over mine, giving it a gentle pat before he steps away to gain some space between us as he says, “Somehow I know you’re gonna be just fine. Come on, I’m sure Daniela is anxious to spend more than a handful of minutes with you.”