That got another round of laughter from everyone in the room.
“So much for brothers having each other’s back,” Gunnar grumbled, then he gave his brothers an evil grin.“I’m tellin’ Mom.”
More laughter.
“Boys,” Cain replied, his tone neutral but his eyes warming slightly.“Glad you could make it.Finally.”
“Gunnar called Stunner first.”Cyclone shrugged.“You had a head start.”
“Actually,” Gunnar interrupted.“I calledSuziefirst.Because I knew Suzie would tell both Stunner and Cain.”
Stunner snorted.“He knew Angel wouldn’t be mad at Suzie for telling Cain.That way, he knew Cain would come and he wouldn’t get in trouble with Angel.”
By now, we were all cracking up.Even I found myself smiling.Ada clung to me while she laughed.I recognized the situation as a bonding moment with both Gunnar’s blood family and his found family.He was the younger brother getting picked on good-naturedly.
“All right, let’s get to it.”Knuckles raised his voice to be heard over the other men, calling them all to order.
Everyone took a seat, focusing on Knuckles.This wasn’t church, so several of the old ladies and club girls were listening at the edge of the group or sitting with their men.
Knuckles sat back in his chair, his muscled arms crossed over his chest.“We all know why we’re here,” he began, his voice low and steady.“Last night, someone lobbed a container of Tannerite over the wall, then shot it.We’re speculating whoever shot the container did so to target either Jag or Ada.Maybe both.We also know Rat Man wants to go after Gunnar to get back at Cain,” Knuckles continued.“We’re assuming Rat Man is the son of a bitch responsible for last night.”
“What about your women’s shelter?”Cain asked.“Haven.”
“I’ve already increased security and made arrangements to move the residents we have to another safe place today.”Knight gave the report without hesitation.
The conversation continued, the gist being Knight was on this shit and would find Rat Man in a few hours.All I cared about right now, though, was Ada.I needed to get her alone.To hold her.
“Let’s go.”I took her hand and tugged, not giving her an opportunity to protest.As we walked out, I acknowledged I felt better about the whole situation but couldn’t shake the feeling something was still coming for us.I pulled Ada closer to my side, the weight of her against me both a comfort and a reminder of everything I stood to lose.
I steered her away from the others, not sure how much longer I could stay in the room with so many unfamiliar people.Not with the stress of knowing Rat Man was still out there.Right now, my need to be alone with Ada was stronger than my need to be part of any planning.I could follow orders with the best of them when I had to.All I cared about was protecting Ada.
“Jag?”She looked up at me, concern etching lines between her brows.
“Home,” I muttered, guiding her through the building to the back exit under the camo netting which covered the paths between buildings.A couple of minutes later, we entered our building and I had her in the lift headed to our floor.
When we reached our room, I ushered her inside quickly, locking the door behind us with a decisiveclick.
Ada watched me, her eyes tracking my movements as I checked the windows, drew the blinds, swept the room with my gaze.
“You’re scaring me a little,” she said quietly.“Not because I think you’re being paranoid, but because I can see how much this bothers you.”
I stopped, my back to her, hands braced on the wall in front of me.“What if that explosion really had been meant to target us?Or you, since we already knew he was following you.Do you understand what that means?”
She nodded, her face serious.“Of course I do.”
“I can’t lose you, Ada.”The words came out raw, unfiltered.“I fucking can’t.”
Ada crossed the room to me, placing one palm against my cheek, the other on my chest.Her touch burned through me like a brand.“You won’t.”
“You don’t know that.Nobody knows that.”I caught her wrist, my thumb finding her pulse point.“All it takes is one mistake.One fucking second where I’m not paying attention, and --”
She silenced me with a kiss, fierce and demanding.When she pulled back, her eyes were bright with unshed tears.“Then don’t waste the time we have now being afraid of what might happen.”
Something broke loose in my chest, a flood of need I couldn’t contain.I scooped her up, carrying her to the bathroom, kicking the door open with my foot.Setting her down, I reached into the shower and cranked the hot water.Steam began to fill the small space almost immediately.
When I turned back to her, Ada was already pulling her shirt over her head, her movements quick but deliberate.I watched, transfixed, as she revealed herself to me inch by inch.The curves of her body, the smooth expanse of her skin, the small marks and scars that made her real.Mine.
“Your turn,” she whispered, reaching for my cut with gentle fingers.She pushed the leather from my shoulders and folded it carefully, placing it on the counter.
