Aurora stirred as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Everything okay?” she murmured, voice thick with sleep.
He brushed his knuckles gently over her cheek. “Yeah,” he lied softly. “Just club stuff.”
She studied him through half-lidded eyes, seeing more than he wanted her to. “You’re tense.”
“Occupational hazard,” he said.
She shifted closer, resting her head against his thigh. “You don’t have to protect me.”
Nitro swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Maybe not,” he said, “but I will.” She didn’t argue. She just reached for his hand and held it.
Nitro looked down at her—this woman who’d walked into his life like a match tossed into gasoline—and he knew the truth with brutal clarity—whoever was hunting Aurora hadn’t just crossed a line. They’d stepped into Iron Vipers territory, and Nitro Jackson didn’t lose what he chose to protect.
AURORA
Aurora woke to the quiet,and for just a second, she had forgotten where she was. It was a problem that she had often, with moving around so much. Living life on the run had never gotten any easier than it had been on day one.
It wasn’t a good kind of quiet either. It was the kind that settled after violence and after decisions had been made without her consent. The safe house felt too still, the air heavy with the weight of secrets she’d been avoiding since the moment Nitro walked her across its threshold to keep her safe.
She lay there for a long moment, staring at the ceiling, listening to the steady rhythm of Nitro’s breathing beside her. He was awake. She could tell by the way his body held tension even in stillness, like a coiled snake pretending to rest.
She rolled onto her side. “Nitro,” she whispered.
He turned to face her, and she could tell that he probably hadn’t slept at all overnight. “You okay?” She wasn’t, but she lied and nodded anyway. Aurora wasn’t sure that she’d be okay any time soon. Hell, she couldn’t remember the last time that she actually was okay.
“I need to tell you something,” she said, “before someone else does.”
That got his full attention. He sat up slightly, giving her space. “All right,” he said quietly. “I’m listening.”
Aurora drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around them like armor. Her throat tightened, and the words felt as though they were clawing their way out. “The men who came to my apartment,” she began, “they were hired muscle.” Nitro didn’t interrupt. He just waited her out and listened.
“I wasn’t always Aurora,” she continued. “You know that much. Before I was taken, I was Renee. And before that,” her voice faltered, but she forced it to steady. “Before that, I was my father’s responsibility.” Nitro’s jaw clenched, and she knew that her story had hit a nerve.
“He drank,” she said, “and had a gambling problem. He owed money to the wrong people. An MC that didn’t care about laws, age, or consent.” She swallowed hard. “When he couldn’t pay them with money, he paid them with me.” The silence that followed was thick and dangerous.
“He told me that I’d be better off with them,” Aurora whispered. “He said that they’d take care of me, and that it was only temporary.” A bitter laugh escaped her. “Funny how men lie best when it benefits them.” Nitro’s hands curled into fists, but he stayed silent, letting her control the story.
“They kept me for years,” she said. “Not chained in a basement like people might imagine. That would’ve been easier to explain. I was paraded around during parties with other clubs. They traded me to other men for favors and money. They taught me how to behave so I wouldn’t get hurt worse than I usually was.” Her eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears fall. “They called me club property.” Nitro sucked in a slow, controlled breath that sounded painful.
“I learned how to survive,” Aurora went on. “I learned how to smile when I wanted to scream. And how to disappear inside myself when things got bad. And when one of the guys in theclub finally got sloppy enough to trust me,” she said, lifting her chin. “I ran.”
“How did you get out of there?” Nitro asked, voice tight.
“I waited until it was safe,” she said simply. “It took years to find a safe way out. I had to be patient, and it nearly killed me. They used me,” she said, her voice breaking. “I promised myself that one day, I’d be free from those assholes, but that was just a pipe dream.
She turned her gaze at him then, fear threading through her resolve. “The MC I escaped from doesn’t forgive debts. And my father?” Her mouth twisted. “He made sure they knew exactly where to look for me, to save his own ass.”
Nitro surged to his feet before he could stop himself, pacing the room like a caged animal. “Your father sold you to the club that kept you prisoner?” he asked, each word razor-edged.
“Yes,” she breathed.
“And then helped them hunt you down after you escaped?” he questioned.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Nitro dragged his hand down his face, the weight of fury barely contained. “If he’s still breathing?”
“Yes, but I don’t want revenge,” Aurora said quickly. “I want my freedom.”
