by T. O. Smith
She nodded jerkily, frightened tears sliding down her cheeks. "Roll onto your stomach. I'm going to be right behind you. I need you to low crawl to the door over there." I instructed, turning her head towards the direction I was pointing to. "Do it now." I commanded.
With her entire body shaking with fear, she rolled onto her belly, low crawling towards the door like I instructed as gunshots continued to rain down around us. By that point, I couldn't tell who was firing what. I only knew there were numerous automatic rifles going off, and I knew if I didn't get Reina to the panic room soon, I didn't know if I'd be able to protect her as I had promised.
Covering her body with my own once we made it to the door, I put the code in, shoving her inside quickly. I shut the door back, locking her inside. Then, I pulled out my own gun and ran back to my brothers.
"She safe?" Sabotage asked me when I made it to his side.
I nodded once, ducking down behind the turned over table just as a bullet flew over my head. When the gunfire finally stopped and someone yelled out an all clear, we all stood up from our spots. "Someone do a fucking perimeter check. See if you can get identification of who the fuck just shot our fucking clubhouse up. I want church in fucking fifteen minutes!" Sabotage shouted.
Reina was in the care of Scab and Volt up in her room while I was in the chapel. I didn't trust them to take care of her, but I didn't have much of a fucking choice at the moment. All of us were needed in fucking church.
"The men were wearing Jordan's symbol." Sabotage spoke up, cutting right to the chase. Thor clamped a hand on my shoulder instantly, keeping me rooted in my chair. "He knows that Reina is here."
"Told you she was fucking trouble." Ghost snarled, looking right at me. Rage pulsed through my veins. Now wasn’t the fucking time to be trying me. "Look at the shit that she's brought on this fucking club within forty-eight hours of fucking being here."
"Enough!" Sabotage roared at Ghost before I could say or do anything. "Reina deserves some goddamn respect! She's here because Ink fucking wants her here, and everyone at this mother fucking table will respect Ink’s decision! Somebody got a goddamn problem with that," he snarled, looking directly at our Chaplain, "and I'll snatch that cut off your fucking back and cut your goddamn tongue out. Do I make myself clear?"
Everyone at the table gave affirmatives. "Good." Sabotage looked at me. "Ink, you need to get her up to the fucking safe house. You choose two men at this table you trust the most to help keep her safe, and you take them with you."
"Not fair to ask to pull manpower from the club, Prez." I grumbled. Especially not after what had just happened. Jordan wouldn’t give up until he had Reina back. "I'll take Volt and Scab. You need manpower here."
"Brother, we can all see you feel something for this woman." Blink spoke up. I clenched my jaw, hating that they all saw through me so easily. "She's family now, brother. Whether you've claimed her yet or not makes no difference in our eyes. She's fucking family now. Choose two men at this table, and then get your asses on the road ASAP. The rest of us here will keep shit held down. Your main priority is to keep that woman safe and protected, you got me?"
"I got you." I grumbled, feeling a whole new respect for my club. This is what I'd been looking for all my life - the entire fucking reason I'd prospected for this club, put up with all of their shit to get a seat at the table. I wanted a sense of family - something I didn't have growing up.
And I knew each of the men sitting at this table would lay down their lives for me and would lay down their lives for the woman that was currently upstairs that I cared about.
"Who are you taking?" Sabotage asked me.
"Grim and Thor." I grunted.
Sabotage nodded. "Pack your bags. Darkness will be falling in the next thirty minutes. Hatchet will have the SUV ready for you four to leave in. I don't want to know your location. You don't share your location with a damn person. You do what you need to do to keep her safe. Move only when necessary. We'll call you when the issue is fixed here." Sabotage told us.
I nodded once. "We done here?" I asked.
Sabotage nodded at me as he slammed his gavel on the table. I got out of my chair, now on a mission to get to Reina.
It was time to get her to safety, and that meant getting her as far from fucking Hope as possible.
Ink tossed me a pair of sweats and one of his t-shirts when he stormed into the room I was in with Scab and Volt. "Get changed." He commanded. He looked at Scab and Volt. "Out!" He barked at them, making me jump as my heart rate skyrocketed at the booming sound of his voice.
He slammed the door closed behind them. "Penny is packing you some clothes. I need you to change - meet me downstairs when you're done." He commanded, leaving the room almost as fast as he'd come in.
To say my nerves were shot was a damn understatement. But I had to admit that I was pretty damn happy that I had decided to come to Hope and seek out Ink.
Once I was changed into the clothes Ink had given me, I made my way downstairs. Ink was standing by the bar, two small black duffel bags at his feet as he spoke to Grim and Thor. I strode over, sucking in a sharp breath of hair when Ink wrapped his arm around my waist, tugging me against him as he snatched a ball cap off the counter. "Stuff you hair under this. We're going to try to pass you off as a prospect to get you into the van." He told me, not releasing his hold around my waist. My heart was pounding in my chest at his close proximity.
He still affected me just as strongly as he did when we were teenagers.
"Ink," I said, swallowing down my fear as much as I could, "what's going on?"
"Jordan knows we've got you here." He informed me gruffly as I stuffed my dark hair under the baseball cap. "I'm taking you somewhere safe. Grim and Thor will be coming with us."
I looked over at Grim and Thor. Thor shot me an encouraging smile, but Grim only blankly stared at me, his eyes so cold they were basically soulless. A chill ran down my spine. "You're going to be fine, girly." Thor told me. He looked over at Ink. "We ready to hit the road, brother?"
Ink nodded, his jaw clenched. "Keep your head down." He instructed me as Thor walked out in front of me, Grim to the side of me with Ink bringing up the rear. Once I was safely in the back of the van, Ink jumped into the back with me.
I looked up at him, fiddling with my fingers in my lap. "You're not sitting up there with them?" I asked him quietly.
He shook his head at me. "I need to be close to you in case something happens on the drive up."
I nodded in understanding, feeling tears clog my throat. The fear and exhaustion of the past few years were finally catching up to me. "Ink, I'm sorry." I choked out. "I'm so sorry for ever leaving five years ago, and I'm sorry for what I said to you when I left."
Ink sighed. Wordlessly, he lifted me into his lap, one arm under my knees, the other around my back as he held me, his chin resting on the top of my head. Tears rushed down my cheeks. I didn't deserve this. I didn't deserve for him to protect me. I didn't deserve for him to care about me. And I certainly didn’t deserve him holding me.
"It's in the past." Ink grumbled. I bit back my sob. "Just don't ever betray my trust in you again, you got that?" I nodded against his chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "Good. Get some rest. We've got a long drive ahead of us."
The sound of Thor's loud laughter jerked me out of my dreamless, peaceful sleep. At some point while I was sleeping, Ink had laid out in the back of the van and stretched me out with him, my head resting on his chest.
"You’re shittin' me, right?" Thor choked out through his laughter.
Grim grunted. "I'm going to kick you out this vehicle if you don't shut the fuck up."
Ink was laughing softly beneath me. "Thor, it was fucking great. Penny vomited all over his fucking dick."
I sat up, rubbing my eyes sleepily. Thor turned around in his seat, his eyes shining with laughter as he grinned at me. "You drool." He commented.
My cheeks flushed in embarrassment as I quickly reach
ed up to wipe my mouth. Ink and Grim both barked out a laugh. My heart skipped a beat at the sound of Ink’s laughter. I hadn’t heard it in so long. I forgot the effect it had on me.
"Thor's fucking with you, babe." Ink told me. My wide, brown eyes snapped to his in shock at the pet name, but he didn’t even seem fazed. "You don't drool. He's been dying to say that to you since you fell asleep."
I scowled. Ink gently tugged me back down, wrapping his arm around my shoulder, his other arm under his head for support. "Sleep good?" He asked me gruffly.
I blushed and nodded. He lightly ran the tips of his fingers up and down my arm. "We're about fifteen minutes out." Grim informed us from the driver's seat. "When we get there, Thor will go out for some supplies."
"Does the club know where we are?" I asked the men.
Thor shook his head. "No. Sabotage's orders are to keep you safe, and no one is to know our location. He just wants us to check in every couple of days and to call if we encounter trouble." Thor informed me.
"I'm sorry, you guys." I said quietly.
Ink squeezed my shoulder gently. "Look at me." He commanded. I slowly looked up at him, swallowing nervously as I did so. "Stop fucking apologizing.” He ordered. “I don't want to hear it, and my brothers don't either. I’m glad you got the fuck away - glad you came to me. So, I don't want to hear another fucking apology." He snapped.
"But -"
Ink suddenly sat up and grabbed a handful of my hair in his hand. I gasped as he yanked my head backwards before his lips covered mine. His kiss was hard, passionate, demanding. I clutched at his upper arms, my lips opening under his instantly, surrendering myself to him. I had dreamed about kissing Ink a billion times when I was growing up, even when I had been with Jordan.
But nothing could have prepared me for how savage it was, nor how quickly it would take my breath away.
When Ink released me, my chest was heaving up and down, and my lips felt bruised from his kiss. But God, I wanted more.
My breath hitched when my eyes locked on his, and I saw the lust in his eyes - his need for me. Ink gripped my chin gently between his thumb and forefinger. "When I say to do something, just do it." He grumbled.
He released me, turning his attention to Thor and Grim who were locked in their own quiet conversation. The three men began speaking, but I couldn't focus on their conversation. The only thing I could think about was Ink's lips on mine, and how I imagined it would feel to have his lips trailing all over my body.
You would think after the absolute hell and torture I had endured that a man’s touch would repulse me, but Ink’s touch did the exact opposite.
Now, I craved him.
Ink looked down at me at that moment, and a wicked smirk tilted his lips that had my breath hitching in my throat as my lips parted slightly. "Those filthy thoughts better about me and not any other man." He said gruffly.
I blushed red to the roots of my hair, and Ink smirked as he reached up to rub the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip. I closed my eyes, relishing in his touch.
The van eased to a stop, and Ink dropped his hand to push open the back door. He jumped out the back, reaching back in to gently help me out.
My mouth gaped open as I looked at the rundown cabin in front of me. It looked like it was going to blow over at any moment. "This is what we're staying in?" I asked incredulously as I turned to stare at the three men.
Thor grinned at me. "Cheer up, buttercup." He said. Ink quietly growled at the nickname, making Thor's grin widen. "The outside is a front. The inside isn't nearly as bad, promise." He assured me.
Ink placed a hand on the small of my back and led me forward. When he unlocked the door and led me inside, my shoulders sagged in relief. The inside was tastefully decorated with a couple of couches and a coffee table, a television hanging on the wall above the fireplace. The living room led straight into the kitchen, kind of reminding me of what I imagined a studio apartment might look like.
There was a door in the kitchen, and one off to the other side of the living room. "We'll take the bedroom through the kitchen." Ink informed me. I didn’t miss how he said we’ll. "There's a bathroom connected to it. You can get a shower or whatever shit you need to do. Make yourself comfortable. We're going to be here a while, and it's going to be boring as fuck." He warned me.
I would gladly take boring over the past five years of my life, so I had zero complaints.
"I'll take the fucking couch." Grim grumbled.
Thor grinned at his VP. "Sure you don't want to cuddle, Grim?" Thor asked. "I've been told I'm very cuddly." He said as he waggled his eyebrows at Grim.
Grim scowled at him as Thor roared out a laugh. Ink rolled his eyes before he turned his attention back to me. "I'll bring our bags to our room. Get settled in." He commanded, tapping me lightly on the ass. I gasped in shock as I stared at him with wide eyes. With a wink in my direction, he strode back out of the cabin.
I didn't know what had changed in Ink in the time since I'd shown up unwanted at the club house to now, but I sure as hell wasn't going to complain.
I was happy things were changing, and I was hoping and praying that maybe I hadn’t completely ruined everything between me and Ink.
Just don't fuck it all up again, Reina.
"I called and checked in with Sabotage." Grim informed me as I came into the cabin. "Let him know we made it to our location."
I nodded once in understanding. With mine and Reina's duffel bags in my hands, I stepped into our room, my eyes instantly falling on her sleeping form on the bed. I couldn't help the small smile that tilted my lips as I ran my eyes over her.
Christ, she was beautiful. And she really did look damn good in my clothes.
"Heading out to get supplies, brother." Thor said as he stepped up behind me. He let out a low whistle. "She's a damn good lookin' woman, Ink."
I turn to him, a snarl twisting my features. He backed up a step, holding his hands up in a surrendering gesture as he grinned. "I know you said she's off limits, but you claimin' that, brother?"
Hell yes I was. After holding her in my arms for all those hours on the way up here, and then fucking kissing her? No way in fucking hell was I even thinking of allowing another man to have the opportunity I had.
She was fucking mine.
I nodded once at him. "Yeah, I fuckin' am, and you better keep that in fucking mind, Thor. Next time you make another stupid ass remark, I'll knock your teeth out, got that?" I quietly snapped, not wanting to wake Reina up.
"Got it, brother." Thor told me, his expression serious now. "You need anything from town?" He asked as he began walking towards the front door.
"Nah." I told him. "Be careful, brother."
Reina stepped out onto the porch that evening while I was sipping at my beer, staring out over the mountains surrounding us as the sun began to set. Grim and Thor were taking naps to prepare to stand guard tonight. I'd offered, but Grim had made it clear that my job was to be with Reina every night to be the one to get her to safety if shit went downhill.
We were pretty sure we were safe here, but the one thing the Savage Crows didn't do was take chances, especially when innocent lives were at stake.
"You good?" I asked her gruffly as she leaned against the side of the cabin, her beautiful, wide, brown eyes locked on me.
She nodded, taking in the area around us as she slowly moved her eyes from me. "Any idea how long we'll be out here?" She asked.
I shrugged. "Not entirely sure, honestly. Sabotage and the guys will let us know when it's safe to come home. Until then, we hide out – move if we feel threatened or if we feel our location is compromised."
She looked up at me, her tongue flicking out to lick her lips as she did so. My dick sprang to life, my mind imagining those beautiful, fuckable lips wrapping around my cock.
"Reina." I said softly, tightening my hand around my beer to keep myself from reaching out and grabbing her. If I let myself touch her, it would be over from there. I would be clai
ming her for myself tonight if I did.
"Ink." She whispered, stepping closer to me until her breasts pressed against my chest.
That was all it took.
My self-restraint snapped, and with a muttered curse, I tossed my beer aside and wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, smashing my lips against hers. I wasn't gentle. I kissed her roughly with a bruising pressure. Her lips opened beneath mine instantly, and with a groan, I lifted her up, her legs instantly wrapping around my hips.
She moaned softly as my dick pressed against her wet center, and she grinded against me, a needy whimper filling the otherwise silent air around us as her fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of my neck.
