The sun is beaming hot, but welcomed on my skin as we walk over to the shop. His hand grabs my wrist as he tugs me into atower of tires. His hands cradle my jaw gently as he looks into my eyes.
“I miss you,” he says softly.
Nope, I will not cry. You’re a bad biker bitch, not some weepy Omega.
“I miss you too,” I reply weakly.
“You feelin’ alright?” he asks, pushing my hair out of my face and feeling the temperature of my skin.
I curl my lips between my teeth, holding back all the word vomit that wants to come out; about how I don’t feel alright, that my stomach and head hurt, that the only comfort I’ve found lately is in the arms of my stepbrother, and I don’t know how to handle that. Or that I feel like he and Cash are going to see me as more trouble than I’m worth.
I don’t spew it all over the place, but he must pick up on something written on my face. “Hey, baby. It’s okay,” he reassures, using the knuckle to tip my chin up so I’m looking at him. “You’re my girl. I’m gonna take care of you. When I said I was workin’ on it, I really meant it.”
“Are you going to tell me about your plans?” I whisper back.
“Not yet, but I meant what I said before. There’s no goin’ back. You’re mine, and I take care of what’s mine. You got me?” he asks, his lips leaning down and touching mine. It’s a sweet, gentle kiss that leaves me feeling dizzy. That soft brush of his lips is enough to calm my nerves and remove the illogical sting of rejection.
“I got you,” I reply softly, and he kisses me again, his calloused fingers rubbing against the skin of my face. “You know I’ve been doing some plotting of my own,” I admit proudly.
“Oh, yeah. Whatcha got?” he asks with a grin. God, I love it when he smiles. It’s always laced with a mischievous promise that I can’t get enough of.
“I asked Kurt if I could set up my own dates, and he agreed,” I tell him. His smile drops, and I shake my head. “The date is going to be you, dumbass,” I tease him, and he shakes his head, his smile returning. “I set up a dating profile, but it’s fake. I’ll tell Kurt about the guys I’m meeting, giving him all their information, and have him drop me off, but really I’ll be meeting you and Cash,” I explain.
“Pretty and devious. I’m so lucky,” he jokes, kissing me again before leading me out between the tires and up to Cash’s office in the body shop.
The relief on Cash’s face when he sees me sends a thrill through me. The fact that I have such an effect on the large and logical Alpha makes me feel powerful. Cash stands and holds out his arms, which I easily step into. His scent has the same soothing effect as Tate’s, and I just stand there and let him hold me. I press my arms and the side of my face against his chest. When he leans down, his cheek pressing against the top of my head, I think I about die from satisfaction.
“You been okay?” he asks, and I nod against his chest. “We were worried our night out scared you,” he confesses.
It’s then I realize Tate has kept our nights together a complete secret.Why does that make it feel more wrong?
My cheeks flush as I back away from him. “No, I just haven’t been feeling well,” I say, feeling embarrassed and not wanting to share that I’ve been bleeding so much I’m unsure how I’m still fucking alive.
“Do you need anything?” Cash asks.
“Just some time with you and the puppies before they leave,” I state, and he grabs my wrist, sitting down on the couch before perching me on his lap.
Cash’s lap is quickly becoming my favorite place to sit as Axel grabs my favorite puppy. She’s precious, with blue/gray fur, anda white stripe on her chest, snout, and paws. Her eyes are a soft blue, and she licks my face as soon as Axel places her on my lap.
“Prez ain’t big on having a dog in his house, but she can live in the shop while we get everything sorted,” Cash offers as he rubs circles on my back.
I gasp and look between the two of them. “Seriously, I get to keep her?” I ask.
“Seriously. What are you gonna name her?” Axel asks from where he sits on the ground, petting the mama’s head while the other puppies playfully bite at his pants and shoes. He doesn’t care as he smiles and pets their large, cute heads.
“Winnie,” I say softly, pulling from one of my favorite movies,Tuck Everlasting.
“Winnie it is,” Axel states.
The door to the office swings open, and I nearly jump out of Cash’s lap. I relax when I realize it’s Tate. He doesn’t make eye contact with me as he speaks. “Rescue guy is here,” he announces.
Axel pets the mama dog’s head one more time before gathering her leash, as well as the other puppies’. He hands me a purple one to clip onto Winnie’s collar, and I take it as we head outside.
“How the fuck do people live here? It’s hotter than Satan’s fucking asshole,” I hear the heavily tattooed Beta complain to his two companions. One of them is a blond Alpha, who competes in size against Cash, and the other is probably the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be on a plane back to Connecticut before you know it,” the woman reassures. She smiles widely at the Beta and kisses his cheek.
Her Alpha holds her wrist tightly like she’s on some Omega leash. It makes me smile while also trying to hold back a laugh. Knowing what the club looks like, he’s probably terrified to lether out of his sight. I swear he relaxes his grip some when he sees me walk out alongside the guys with the puppies.
