“Sometimes I feel like I’m old enough to have already lived a few lifetimes.”
“Tell me about them.” I rested my cheek on his chest and waited, ready for a distraction to pull me away from the lingering panic my dream had brought on.
“I left for the Marines right out of high school. Spent twenty years on active duty, including the last fifteen deployed overseas. When I officially retired, I came home.”
Retired from the military? Maybe he was a little older than he looked. I did the math in my head… he had to be at least forty. That put at least sixteen years between us.
“See? Too old for you, Little Deer. But still young enough to keep you safe.” His voice rumbled through his chest against the soothing background of thethump-thump-thumpof his heart. “Now tell me what you know about the Bones. I need to stop them from hurting anyone else.”
I picked up where I’d left off the night before and told him how Snake Eyes had my brother bring me to a secluded cabin in the woods. I didn’t know exactly where it was since it was dark when we drove in. I’d been expecting a New Year’s Eve party with a couple of my brother’s friends he knew from high school. He’d told me he was thinking about getting out of Savage Bones and wanted to reconnect with some of his old friends. Instead, I’d been strapped down to a kitchen table and inked against my will.
“There was water nearby. I had to cross a stream right after I escaped the cabin.” Dredging up memories of that night made my stomach roll. I’d never felt so helpless and so out of control in my life.
“That could be anywhere. Can you think of anything else?”
I didn’t want to go back in time and relive that night, but I tried to remember anything that stood out. The more I dug around in my mind, the more nauseous I became.
Six must have sensed the trauma was taking over. “Stay with me, Little Deer. I’m right here with you.”
“It had an outhouse. Bright yellow with green stripes.”
His eyes lit up. “I know the place. Belonged to a Bears fan and he painted the outhouse the color of the Packers to piss off his brother-in-law who grew up in Green Bay. I need to go tell the guys so we can come up with a plan.”
“What are you going to do?” As much as I hated my brother for using me as a bargaining chip, he was the only family I had. I didn’t want Six to hurt him.
“I’m not sure yet, but I promise they’ll get what they deserve.”
I reached out and wrapped my fingers around his arm. “Do what you want with Snake Eyes, but don’t be too hard on my brother?”
“After what he did to you, he’ll be lucky if he remembers his own name when I’m done with him.”
“Please?”
He leaned over and smoothed the hair away from my face. “Is that what you want?”
Nodding, I slid my hand behind his neck and pulled him closer. “Yes.”
His eyes searched mine, then he closed the little distance between us. The moment our lips touched, my entire world tilted. I had to grip his shoulder to keep from spinning out of control.
Six’s palms cupped my cheeks, and he took charge of the kiss. His tongue pressed against the seam of my lips, and I willingly opened for him. Sparks exploded behind my eyes as his tongue tangled with mine. I wanted the kiss to last forever, to go on and on and on and on with no end.
A loud knock on the door had him pulling back. “Yeah?”
Bear cracked open the door. “Bad news, bro. Just got off the phone with Sheriff Cade and he said the Bones are on their way. They know she’s here and are coming to get her.”
I dug my nails into Six’s shoulder.
He lifted my hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss in the center of my palm. “Nothing is going to happen to you, Little Deer.”
“We’ve got about three minutes to decide if we’re going to hunker down or if you want to get her out of here before they start turning our clubhouse into a piece of Swiss cheese.” Bear didn’t look too worried for a guy who’d just found out an entire MC was headed straight toward him.
Six held my gaze. “I’m going to take you somewhere safe.”
“The cabin?” Bear asked.
“Yeah. Where Dean and Holly stayed. It’s far enough out, they probably don’t even know it’s there. Do we have a few guys who can run point until we get off the main road?”
I didn’t know what they were talking about, but I wouldn’t have anyone risk their own life to save mine. “This is my battle to fight. I don’t want any of you to get hurt while trying to protect me. Just give me the keys to your truck. I’ll head out, and you can tell them you never even saw me.”
