We stay frozen for several long moments after they leave, neither of us willing to move in case they return. Finally, Steel relaxes slightly, though he doesn't release his hold on me.
"They're gone," he says quietly. "But we need to wait a few more minutes to be sure."
My hands are clutched in his leather cut, knuckles white from gripping so tightly. When I try to loosen my hold, my fingers refuse to cooperate.
"Hey," Steel says softly, his free hand coming up to cup the back of my head. "You're okay. We're okay."
"I can't... my hands won't..." I struggle to form words around the adrenaline crash beginning to set in.
"Adrenaline," he explains, his voice surprisingly gentle for someone who just witnessed a shooting. "Give it a minute. Just breathe."
I focus on his breathing, trying to match my own to his steady rhythm. In. Out. In. Out. Slowly, my death grip on his vest loosens, and feeling returns to my fingers.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I've never... nothing like this has ever happened to me before."
"Most people never experience something like this," Steel replies. "You did good down there. Kept your head, followed instructions."
"I was terrified."
"Being terrified and doing it anyway… That's bravery." His thumb strokes gently against the back of my head, and I wonder if he realizes he's doing it. "Your brother got to safety. That's what matters."
"Because of you." I finally look up, meeting his brown eyes in the dim light. They're warmer than I expected, lacking the coldness I've seen in the other club members. "You saved us."
"I put you in danger in the first place. If I hadn't been there—"
"They would have killed James over his gambling debts to someone else," I finish for him. "At least your club gave him a chance."
Steel's hand stills against my hair, and I realize how close our faces are. His breath is warm against my cheek, mingling with mine in the small space between us. For one wild, insane moment, I wonder what would happen if I eliminated that space entirely.
"We should check if it's clear," he says suddenly, his voice rougher than before. He releases me and turns to peer over the railing, breaking whatever strange spell had fallen over us.
I take a shaky breath, trying to collect myself. What is wrong with me? Minutes ago, I was running for my life. My apartmentis riddled with bullets. My brother is God knows where. And here I am, thinking about kissing a man who came to collect a debt from my brother, a man who carries a gun and belongs to a motorcycle club.
Shock. It must be shock.
"I think we're clear," Steel says, turning back to me. "But we need to be careful. My crew should be at the store by now. We'll head there, but we'll take a roundabout way, stay in the shadows."
I nod, not trusting my voice.
"You okay to move?" he asks.
"Yes." I straighten my shoulders, determined not to fall apart. "Let's go."
We descend the fire escape slowly, Steel going first, his gun ready. When we reach the ground, he motions for me to stay close behind him as we move deeper into the alley, away from the street where the Iron Eagles had been.
"We'll circle around to the store," he explains in a hushed voice. "It'll take longer, but it's safer."
The alley opens into a narrow side street, dimly lit and thankfully empty. Steel leads me through a maze of back streets I barely recognize, though I've lived in this neighborhood my entire life. These are the hidden pathways of the town, the ones most people never see.
"How do you know these routes so well?" I ask as we slip between two buildings.
"Part of club business is knowing every inch of your territory," he replies without turning. "Escape routes, surveillance points, safe houses."
"Is that what the clubhouse is? A safe house?"
He glances back at me. "Among other things."
We fall silent as we navigate another alley. It strikes me how different this man is from what I expected when he first knocked on our door. He moves with purpose and confidence, but there's none of the gratuitous aggression I associate with the other Savage Riders. He's precise, careful, a man who calculates risk rather than seeking it.
