I push through right behind him with my stolen knife at the ready. My eye catches movement to the side, and I watch in horror as a large man swings his arm down, hitting a woman underneath him across the face.
Dex roars as he charges at them. Suddenly, we’re surrounded by bikers. One comes at me, and I quickly slice his throat, needing to get my eyes on Wren. Dex punches a guy so hard he flies back and doesn’t get up.
The two of us push through toward the man we saw hit someone, who seemed to be the center of attention, before we came in. Even now, he’s holding someone down, underneath him.That better not be Wren.Pete and Jagger cover our backs as we slice and punch our way through the room.
“No! Stop!” The woman cries, and Dex lunges, knocking one biker out of the way before he manages to tackle the man with a raised fist.
That’s when I see her. Beautiful long black hair, piercing blue eyes, fair skin, and the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She’s also crying and absolutely terrified.
I run to her, scooping her up in my arms, the need to keep her safe fueling every cell in my body.
As I stand, she starts to struggle. “Let me go!”
I hold her closer as I try to avoid her adorably tiny fists. “Shh shh, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.”
She shakes her head, tears rolling down her cheeks as she tries to push me away, causing my heart to ache. “Please, just let me go!”
“Sorry, little bird, but now I’ve found you, I’m neverletting you go,” I whisper, as she smacks me in the chest. She’s so tiny and delicate, I could hold her forever.
My words seem to register as she stops struggling and tilts her head up, finally looking at me. Her tear-filled, beautiful blue eyes are filled with confusion and fear as she stares at me, then I watch them widen with what I pray is hope as she whispers, “Sly?”
“Yeah, baby, it’s me.”
“How are you even here? Am I dreaming?”
“If you are, I hope you never wake up.”
“Me too,” she whispers, her eyes scanning my face in awe, like she can’t believe I’m actually here.Me neither.I never thought I’d get to see her, let alone hold her in my arms.
A loud bang has my head jerking up, remembering we’re in the middle of a battle here, and she’s not safe yet.
“We need to get you out of here.”
I glance back down at her and notice one of her cheeks is bright red, and as I look closer, I can almost make out a hand imprint.
My jaw clenches tight as I grit out, “Who hit you?”
Her eyes widen in surprise, then she points to the man whom Dex is currently punching in the gut.
“Dex!” I yell, and his head whips toward us, his eyes wild until they land on Wren, then he freezes, finally seeing her for the first time. “He hit her,” I yell over the noise.
Slowly, he turns his head back to the man in front of him, rage filling him as his hands clench into fists.
“That’s Dex?” Wren whispers in shock. I don’t answer, afraid my anger will make it come out too aggressively for her delicate ears.
He roars, his fist connecting withthe man’s face and sending him flying onto his back. Dex pounces on him and doesn’t let up, punching his face so hard it quickly becomes just a heap of blood.
I turn Wren away, not wanting her to see it. “Don’t look.”
Pete suddenly lands in front of us, as if he leapt from the other side of the couch. He springs up, his eyes wide as he takes in Wren’s face.
“Is that really you, angel cake?”
“Pete?” she squeaks out in surprise.
He grins, leans down, and licks her cheek so quickly I don’t have a chance to pull her away.
“Christ, Pete, is that really the way you want to greet her after all this time?” I ask in exasperation.
