“I’m not really sure why Kal didn’t call church for this. Maybe he just wanted you to know,” he says before standing and pulling his hand from mine. I stand next to him and watch as bags are brought into the room. The guys set them on the tables and unzip them. I’m almost shocked when I see the number of guns inside each bag. Patch moves toward one as the others do the same. They pull them out, check them over, and then start shoving them into holsters or the back of their jeans.
“Is that safe? To just stuff it in there?” I ask when Patch does the same. He chuckles and nods his head.
“The safety is on, darlin’. I’m not gonna blow my cock off.”
“It just seems unsafe,” I repeat as he pulls another gun from the bag. I watch him check it over before sliding it into the back of his jeans this time.
“We’re safe,” he says.
“What if something goes wrong?” I ask him. He turns to fully face me now, his hand coming to cup my cheek.
“Nothin’ is gonna happen to me. And if it does, know that I’ll end this shit first.” Tears burn the back of my eyes at his words.
“I can’t lose you,” I tell him as they fall down my cheeks.
“I’m makin’ sure you’re safe. I’m makin’ sure those motherfuckers will never get near you again. If that means I’m layin’ my life on the line, then so be it. You mean more to me than my life, Anika. Understand that.” The tears flow freely now as I watch him go back to the guns. What if something does happen to him? Then what? What will I do?
“He’s gonna be fine.” I turn my head to look at Binker as he stands next to me.
“How can you be so sure?”
“He has somethin’ to come home to now,” he says.
“Me.”
“Yeah. You. He’ll come back,” he tells me once more. I nod my head, hoping to hell that he’s right. I don’t know what I’d do without Patch. I don’t know how I’d get through each day.
When he’s got his guns situated, he grabs my hand and pulls me back toward the rooms. Before I know it, we’re inside his with the door closed behind us.
“No second thoughts, Anika. You did this once,” he says, running his finger along the scar on my wrist. “You tried to leave me forever. You’ll never do that again. You hear me?”
“What if-” I begin, but he cuts me off.
“There are no what-ifs. This,” he says, holding my arm up in front of me. “Will never happen again.” His words stern, his tone lethal. I know he isn’t playing.
“It won’t happen again,” I repeat.
“Even if somethin’ happens to me, Anika. You don’t get a free pass just because I’m not here,” he tells me. My eyes still water with tears as I nod my head.
“I won’t do it again,” I tell him truthfully. I can’t lie to him. I wouldn’t want to.
“Good girl.”
“It’s been a long time since you called me that.”
“A good girl?”
“Yeah.”
“You like it?” I nod my head.
“Good. I’m gonna keep sayin’ it. You’re my little train wreck, yeah?” A laugh rips from my lips, and a smile crosses his face. It’s not often that I see Patch smile, but when I do, it takes my breath away.
“Your little train wreck,” I repeat. He pullsme into his arms and presses his lips to the top of my head.
“I know anything can happen. I know that I might not make it back here,” he tells me.
“Don’t say that.”
