“But there will always be some semblance of threat in my life, Daisy.” Hazel eyes burned into me through our reflection.
“How could my safety be more important than someone else’s? What you guys do…”
Over the week, Cash had told me a bunch of stories about the women and children they helped. How gutting it was for him when he discovered how horrible the abuses went.
“It’s so incredibly important. I would never ask you not to be a part of it.”
Did it scare me? To know what he was involved in? That he could be hurt? That he could go to prison?
Of course.
But I could never take hope away from those women and children.
“Want you to know that I won’t be up for hire any longer.” His jaw clenched as he offered it.
My stomach fisted. I knew what he was referring to.
To the killing that he did.
The killing he did for purpose. Because he believed he could use his wickedness for good. I still struggled to understand the brutality he spoke of. I still struggled to comprehend that part of him. Maybe I would never fully be able to. Maybe I didn’t want to. Maybe I didn’t need to. Maybe the only thing that mattered was him, right there, right then.
“Is that what you want?” It tremored out of me.
His nod was slow, and he tucked me even closer, beginning to sway us in the fading light of the room. “Yeah. Only thing I want is to take care of you. These kids. The women and children who are stuck and need someone to stand for them. But beyond that, I have too much to be living for.” He pressed his lips to the delicate flesh behind my ear and murmured, “Because who I’m living for is you.”
Night was all around as we traveled down the winding road. The air whipping at our faces and our hearts beating in sync.
My arms were curled around his waist, and the skirt of my dress rode up high around my thighs where I was tucked against him, his big body trembling with power as he hugged the curves.
Stars sprinkled the blackened sky, the air cool yet warm.
The moment as close to perfect as it could be.
Cash kept a careful pace, though to me, it was entirely exhilarating, the road blipping by beneath us and sending my pulse scattering. Pumping it into a gleeful anticipation as we headed for our party.
He slowed when we hit the bottom of the mountain. The sign for Kane’s blinked red. Cash made a left turn into the lot, then eased his bike around to the nearly full side parking lot.
A slew of motorcycles were parked facing out along the wall, and Cash pulled up in front of them, stopped, then used his feet to back us into an open spot.
He killed the engine, and instantly, my ears were filled with the muted sounds of the club. Music and the dull drone of voices and laughter seeped through the cracks. There were a few loud shrieks of it from the parking lot as a blond-haired girl wearing cute short shorts and cowboy boots was tossed over the shoulder of her partner.
The man laughed loudly as he carried her toward the door, and it somehow had me squeezing Cash a little tighter around the waist. Just breathing him in. So thankful that for once in my life, I had joy like that.
As if he felt it, he set his hand over both of mine, then he shifted around with one of those rare smirks on his face. “You want me to throw you over my shoulder and carry you inside, my Little Wallflower?”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
His chuckle was rough. Skating over me like a caress. The same as the moonlight that poured down from above.
He took my hand to help me off. “I wouldn’t dare, huh?”
He was all lighthearted tonight, and it sent mine to racing. He didn’t wait for an answer before he shifted around to help me off. I swung from the seat. The dress rode up so high there was no chance he didn’t get a peep show of my panties.
The growl that came out of him was plenty proof of that.
“You teasing me with that sweet body, baby? Second you put that on, I knew I was in trouble tonight.”
I cocked a hip, floating into the tease. “Serves you right for making me want you every day of my life.”
