Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 57341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Sam sighed, already sensing we had a problem. “What’s going on?”
“Red is in town.” He scowled. “You’re trailing me back to the clubhouse, and Adelaide isn’t to be left alone until he’s fucking gone and taken care of.”
I wished I could just put a bullet through his skull, but as long as my dad was still alive, that shit wasn’t happening. My old man and I might butt heads a lot, but the man didn’t have many more years left to live. I wouldn’t make him miserable in his last years by killing his son.
“He got something for your woman?” Sam asked me.
I shrugged. “Possibly.” And that possibility left a sour, bitter taste in my mouth. “He’s the reason Grim found out I fucked Adelaide. He watched me fuck her, apparently.” Sam’s face twisted in disgust. “And he knows I care about her. I don’t know what the fuck he wants right now, but I won’t take a chance that he’ll use her to get what he wants.”
Sam nodded in understanding, and I knew he also agreed. Adelaide was our number one priority, and her safety was paramount.
A few minutes later, Adelaide stepped out of the back hallway with a pair of shorts on with a t-shirt that was a couple of sizes too big for her and almost completely covered the shorts. A pair of plain black sneakers were on her feet. She was carrying a small duffel, and she gave me a sheepish smile.
“I figured I could stay with you for a couple of nights instead of you constantly having to stay over here,” she explained when I arched a questioning brow at her.
I grinned as I reached up to cup her cheek. Fuck, she was so perfect, and she had no idea. I hadn’t wanted to ask her to come stay with me, knowing that she needed to make that kind of move on her own, so I was beyond ecstatic that she was deciding to come stay with me of her own volition.
She felt the freedom that I was giving her. I didn’t have to fight to keep her with me.
I took the duffel bag from her and handed it off to Sam. “Darlin’, I’m about to be extremely protective and possessive of you,” I warned her. I didn’t want to alarm her by just becoming overbearing without an explanation. It would only drive her away from me. “I’m just warning you so that I don’t alarm you and you end up trying to pull back from me.” She eyed me warily, her guards going up against me. I stayed calm. I knew they would come back down in a heartbeat once I explained what was going on. “Red is in town,” I informed her.
As predicted, they came crashing back down, and her eyes ran over my face. “Your brother… the same Red that held a gun to the back of my head?” she asked quietly.
I nodded and reached forward to draw her into my arms. I smoothed my hands down her back, holding her with me. “I hope you’ve got a few outfits in that duffel because I’m not letting you leave the protection of my clubhouse until he’s gone,” I cautioned her. “Not without numerous members of my club with you, at the very least.”
She nodded. “Yeah, what I have should be enough.”
I gently pressed my lips to hers, being extra careful of the bruising on her face. “Good. Let’s roll, then,” I said, drawing her tight against my side as I snatched her apartment keys off of the counter.
She drew me to a stop before we could leave. I turned to look down at her, arching a brow. “Thank you,” she whispered.
My eyebrows pulled together in honest confusion. “For what?” I asked, wracking my brain for what I had done to warrant any kind of appreciation.
“For giving me the freedom that I need. No one has ever understood me before,” she confessed, her voice sounding strangely choked up, her emotions almost overwhelming her.
My woman was finally coming out of her shell and opening up to me, and I would cherish every bit of her openness for the rest of our lives.
I cupped the side of her neck, letting my blue eyes meet her beautiful, brown ones. “I stayed back in the shadows, learning all of your quirks, what you needed, and what made you tick,” I confessed. Her eyes widened in surprise. “I was willing to listen to your unspoken needs, and I will always continue to do that.” I brushed my thumb over her jawline. “I never want to smother you, Adelaide. I just want to watch you grow into the woman you’ve always been meant to be.”
Her eyes welled with tears, but she didn’t let a single one drop. I pressed my lips to her forehead, holding them there for a moment before I grabbed her hand in mine again, leading her down to my bike.