by J, Bella
Granite pinched his eyes closed, biting his lip. “You knew, Tanit. You knew right from the start that what you and I had, it wasn’t serious. You agreed. I was honest with you from the beginning, and you were okay with it.”
“Because I thought you’d change your mind, that maybe if we spent enough time together, you could love me.”
I glanced from Tanit’s sorrow-filled face, to Onyx lurking by the door. His aim was on her, but Granite was half-blocking his way. It was like Granite knew his brother was there, and he knew Onyx would shoot if he had the opportunity. Through all this, Granite was trying to protect her. He was trying to protect us both.
“Tanit, listen,” Granite slowly started to move toward me, “I’m going to untie her and let her go. Then you and I can talk this through. Alone.”
“Granite,” I whispered, but he shushed me by holding out his hand, not once taking his eyes off Tanit. She seemed confused, frenzied, almost disconnected somehow.
Granite positioned himself between her and me. “Say okay, Tanit. I’m going to untie Alyx, and I need to hear that you’re okay with that.”
My heart had started to claw up my throat, my skin damp and cold. Even if he did manage to untie me, I wasn’t sure my weak legs would have been able to carry me.
Tanit nodded, wiping tears from her cheek. And Granite stepped backward, crouching as he started to untie my legs.
“As soon as Alyx is out of here, you and I are going to talk calmly about this and see if we can sort something out.” He reached behind me and untied my wrists.
“Do not run,” he whispered. “Walk slowly to the door, and then you get the hell out of here with Onyx.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to leave him here. Not with her still holding the gun.
“Do as I say, Alyx.”
“I’m not leaving you here with her.”
Tanit’s glare cut to me, her bewildered look replaced with sheer hate. “You’ll never take your claws out of him, will you?” she shouted, the anger in her voice slamming against my chest.
“Tanit, calm down.” Granite tried to push me out of the way, but she lifted the gun and aimed it straight at me.
“As long as you fucking breathe, you will never let him go. You will never let me. Have. Him." Her arm shook, and I knew she was about to pull the trigger. I saw it in her eyes, the way they darkened, the bloodlust mixed with her scorn. In her mind, I had to die.
“Alyx!” Granite called, and I closed my eyes, seconds suddenly turning into hours.
And then the explosion came, the thunderous crack fracturing the silence. I was expecting the blow, but instead I got slammed into the ground, the wind knocked out of me.
I opened my eyes, blue irises staring down on me. “You okay?”
“Onyx.” I tried to push him off me. “Granite. Is Granite okay?” Finally, Onyx gave way, and I saw Granite standing a few feet away, holding a gun.
I got up to my feet and gasped when I saw Tanit’s body, her back halfway on the desk like she had stumbled back, a blood stain spreading along her white shirt.
Granite shot her.
Granite killed Tanit…so he could save me.
21
Alyx
I watched as they pushed the gurney out of the abandoned warehouse building. It all seemed too surreal, like it was nothing but a dream playing inside my head. The place was swarming with police and paramedics, like a scene out of a thriller movie.
Granite hadn’t left my side since he managed to save me, never standing more than two feet away. “You okay?” I rubbed my hands up and down my arms. “Yeah.” I turned to face him. “I saw him. Slither.”
Granite placed his hand under my chin, lifting my face to his. “Did he hurt you?”
I shook my head. “But he…God, Granite, I’ve never met anyone that vile. The things he said to me, things they did to Neon,” I choked back a tear, “it was enough to make me sick. And the look he had in his eyes when he talked about her, it was like he was in awe of her because she managed to survive.”
I could no longer stop the tears from falling, and Granite wiped them away with his thumb. “I swear to you, Slither will never lay a hand on Neon again. And he sure as fuck will never come near you again.”
“I just don’t get it. Tanit was working with Slither, brought me here to hand me over to him. But then he left, and you showed up.” I took a step back. “How did you find me?”
He placed his hands on my shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re safe. And there’s not a chance in hell I’ll let him near you again.”
I lifted a brow. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Granite let go of me and roughed a hand through his hair. “Listen, Alyx. There’s a lot of shit I can’t tell you about the club and what we do.”
“Granite—”
“Let me finish. It’s not because I want to keep secrets or hide things from you. It’s just the way we do things. I’m not going to pretend we’re saints, because we’re not. But we protect what is ours, and you are mine. The less you know, the safer you are, and that’s what’s most important to me. Keeping you safe. You’ve seen what Slither and his Python fuckers did to Neon.”
A chill ran up my spine just thinking about what they did to her.
“So you need to be okay with that,” he continued. “You need to be okay with the fact that I can’t share everything about my life in the club with you.” He stepped forward, taking my face in his palms. “But as a man without a cut and a patch, you have me one hundred percent, I fucking swear it.”
Our eyes remained fixed on one another. The intensity of his stare and the edge in his words were enough to convince me just how important all of this was to him. The club. His brothers. Me.
I placed my hand over his, still clutching my cheek, and simply nodded before he pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me. Even though I knew who and what he was, I didn’t think I had ever felt so safe as I did right at that moment, in his arms. He might have been a cold, hard as stone president of a motorcycle crew, but he had a heart when he needed one.
I held him tighter. “You tried to stop her without letting her get hurt.”
He didn’t respond, but I could feel his heart beat faster.
“You tried, Granite. It’s not your fault.”
“I know.” He pressed a kiss on my head. “I’m just glad I got here in time, and that you’re safe.”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?” His voice was low, yet calm.
I gazed up at him. “I’m sorry you had to kill her in order to save me.”
He placed a gentle hand below my chin. “I would kill the motherfucking devil for you.”
“Alyx?”
Granite let go of me, and I searched around for the familiar voice. “Dad?”
“Alyx!”
I turned, and my dad came rushing over, sweeping me up in his arms. “Thank God, you’re okay.”
“I’m fine, Dad.”
He placed his palms on my cheek, searching my face like he was looking for any injuries, making double sure I wasn’t hurt. “Jesus. I was so worried about you.”
“I’m fine, Dad. Really.” I pulled him in for a hug, realizing how much I really had missed him. And then everything came tumbling down like a giant rockslide, hitting me so hard I started weeping uncontrollably. Sob after sob, I cried my heart out while my dad had his arms wrapped around me so tight. Everything that had happened the last few weeks completely overwhelmed me, crushing me to a point where I thought I’d never stop sobbing.
“It’s okay, baby girl. You’re safe now.” A gentle hand stroked up my back and through my hair. “Shhh. It’s okay. It’s all over now.”
I didn’t want him to let go. Seeing my dad, hearing his voice, and being able to hug him again was better than I ever could have imagined. The safety I felt, the relief, it was indescribable.
“I’m so glad you’re safe, baby girl,” he cooed into
my hair as he continued to hug me. “If anything had happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”
I sniffed, trying to swallow my tears. If I never cried a single tear again in my life, it would be too soon.
Granite stepped up behind us, his large shadow casting over me. Even among law enforcement authority, Granite still managed to demand all the respect. His presence was too heavy, too dominating to ignore no matter where he went.
“Granite,” my dad started, taking my hand in his, pulling me in beside him, “thank you.”
There was a slight hint of animosity hidden within the words of gratitude. By the way Granite lifted a brow, I knew he picked up on it too.
“I told you I would find your daughter.”
My dad straightened. “Which wouldn’t have been necessary if she hadn’t been taken in the first place.”
“Dad, don’t.”
“Alyx, is he the man who kidnapped you?” My dad didn’t look at me, keeping his eyes on Granite. “Are the American Street Kings responsible for your disappearance in the first place?”
I chewed my lip, feeling the way his grip tightened on my hand, urging me to speak up. Granite’s dark eyes pinned me to the spot, something thick and powerful passing between us. He knew as well as I did that this was the moment it had all come down to. The moment where I would have to choose—where I was free to choose. All this time I was held captive by Granite, by Tanit, and God knew, by my mom as well, it all brought me here to this moment. Right here, right now, I was able to choose for myself.
So much had happened in such a short while. The Granite who took me was cruel, selfish…obsessed. But the Granite who stood before me now was different. So different. He was loyal. Brave. Protective. And most of all…he was mine.
I faced my dad, the realization of what I really wanted making me feel like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. “No,” I answered simply. “It was Tanit, all along. She’s the one who kidnapped me.”
“Alyx—”
“That’s what happened, Dad. That’s the real story.”
He glanced from Granite to me, and back at Granite. The scowl on his face and creases on his forehead were clear indicators he didn’t believe a single word I just said.
“Dad, it’s okay. Granite saved me.” I moved my face in front of him, forcing him to look at me rather than at Granite. “He saved me, Dad. He really…saved me.”
“Alyxandria?”
I stiffened at her voice.
“Alyxandria, my baby.”
“Mother,” I whispered without turning to her.
Hands grabbed my shoulders and spun me around, pulling me against her. The familiar smell of her sweet perfume made my stomach turn, and the first thought that popped into my head was the pancake. The damn pancake I ate before all this happened.
Stretching her arms out, pushing me away so she could study me, her eyes raked over my body. “Thank God, you’re okay. You look perfect. No broken bones, no fractures, no weight. Oh, thank the Lord. I was so worried about you.”
She tried to pull me back in for a hug, but I balked, keeping her from hugging me.
“Alyxandria?” The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes moved as she frowned.
“No broken bones? No fractures?” I clenched my jaw. “No weight? Really, Mother?”
“Alyxandria, I was merely saying how glad I am to see you’re not harmed.”
“You mean, how glad you are to see that I’m still able to dance.”
“That is not—”
“Shut up, Meryl,” my father snapped. “Just shut the hell up before you make it worse.”
Abruptly, she let go of my arms and glared at my father. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
For the first time in my life, I saw my father square his shoulders while confronting my mother, shaking his head and looking her in the eye. “You’ve done enough damage, don’t you think, Meryl?”
“Timothy,” she objected, her eyes wide and confused, “I’m merely saying—”
“We all know what you were merely saying, Meryl. Do us all a favor and shut up.”
I stepped back and moved in next to Granite. My mom’s eyes grew even wider when she saw the way he draped an arm around my shoulder, making it clear he had staked his claim.
Granite glanced down, placing a finger below my chin, lifting my face toward him. “This is the part where you choose.”
“What do you mean?”
His thumb circled the side of my mouth, a tender touch of affection. “This is where you choose. Your old life, or me.”
I shook my head lightly. “You said you’re never letting me go.”
“And if you choose to stay with me now, that’s exactly what will happen. I’ll never let you go. You’ll be a part of the Kings. You’ll be mine. But if you choose to go back home now, I won’t ever interfere with your life again.” His thumb touched my bottom lip. “This is your chance to choose.”
Honestly, if I had to take a minute, or a day, or a week, in the end my heart would always overrule my head. I could try to fight it, try to deny it. But in the end, my heart would choose him, no matter how dark, how messed up and wicked it all was. It was something I would never be able to change because what we had was something that started years ago. It started the moment our eyes met through my bedroom window the very first time.
I cupped his cheek, his beard hard and rough against my palm. “Like you said, I never should have watched you through my window. But I did…and it’s something I’ll never regret.” Turning to face my parents, I tucked myself deeper into Granite’s side. “I’m not going home with you. I’m staying here.”
“Alyxandria—”
“I’m staying with him, Mom.”
“You are throwing your entire future away, your ballet—”
“Your future, Mother. I’m throwing away your future. Not mine.”
My mom glowered at Granite from beneath those thick, mascara-clumped eyelashes. “You filthy beast. What did you do to my daughter?”
“Meryl! For God’s sake. For once in your miserable life, stop ruining your daughter’s life and let her make her own goddamn decisions.” My dad’s outburst silenced my mom immediately, her mouth open and expression stunned.
“Commissioner Green,” a uniform called from behind. “The media is here. You want to handle it?”
“Yes.” He straightened the lapels of his jacket, brushing his palm over his head to make sure his hair was as neat as it could be. “I’ll handle the media,” he said to Granite. “I’ll make sure the media knows the American Street Kings saved my daughter.” He held out his hand, a gesture of good faith from him to the man I loved.
Granite shook his hand, and my father smiled my way. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Timothy?” my mom objected, but he grabbed her wrist and dragged her with him, leaving Granite and me behind.
For the first time in my life, I was free. It was my life, and no longer my mother’s. It was liberating and new. It was going to take some getting used to.
I placed my hand on Granite’s chest, craning my neck to look up at him with a scowl. “Were you really going to let me go if I said I wanted to go home?”
His arms draped around my waist, and he lifted my feet off the ground. “Not a chance. Manic is waiting just up the road to haul your ass right back here if you decided to leave. I told you…I’m never letting you go.”
Epilogue
Granite
There simply wasn’t anything like it.
The feel of fresh air on your skin. The vibration of power between your legs. Nothing but the open road, and your woman holding on tight. For a man like me, this was perfection.
It was just before sunset when I turned off the road into a parking lot. It was days like these when spring teased us with the promises of summer nights, and the beaches were becoming increasingly crowded. But our usual spot didn’t attract many people. For most of the time, it was private, just the way I preferred it.
I switched off the ignition, and Alyx got off, her golden blonde hair blowing in the breeze as she took off her lid. No matter how many times I’d seen her get off my ride, taking off her lid and waving her hair around like on one of those shampoo commercials—it still gave me a fucking hard-on every goddamn time.
She stared out over the ocean, inhaling deeply as she smelled the fresh ocean breeze. “It’s always so beautiful here.”
“It sure is.” I leaned forward on my motorcycle, refusing to take my eyes off her. No sunset and no ocean view could be more gorgeous than she was.
It had been four weeks since everything changed. Four weeks since Alyx decided to stay with me rather than return to her own life. Four weeks of fucking paradise—pun intended. And it amazed me how quickly she adapted to life within in the club as my old lady. After everything that had happened with Slither, and Neon, and Tanit, Alyx managed to breathe new life into the club, and the crew adored her.
I glanced at my watch. “We’re early. He won’t be here for another half hour.”
“That’s okay. I love being out here with you.” She leaned in, pushing her body against my leg while I still straddled my bike, and placed her mouth against mine. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer, pressing that sweet pussy of hers against my hard thigh. She moaned, and my cock ached instantly.
I slipped back on the seat and pulled her over so she straddled both me and the Harley.
It was obvious she had put on some weight the last few weeks. There was still a long way to go for her, as she continued to struggle with the idea that she no longer had to curb her appetite and could eat whenever she was hungry. It was a psychological thing that only time would be able to heal completely. But she looked good, starting to fill out in all the right places.
I pushed my palms up her thighs, over her jeans. “You look good, beautiful.”
She smiled one of those gorgeous smiles that had a direct line to the tip of my dick. “It’s because my man really knows how to take care of me.”
