The man slowly raises his hand, silently asking permission to touch me. Once again, I’m nearly brought to tears by the simple gesture. I nod, and he cups my cheek, infusing some of his warmth and strength into my weary bones.
“I don’t care where you came from, my little goddess. I only want to be beside you wherever you go next.”
I gasp softly, stunned by the earnestness in his words. The rough pad of his thumb brushes against my cheek as he cradles me, and I close my eyes, letting myself feel safe if only for a moment. I’ve been running for so long, even before this epic failure of a father-daughter reunion. Running from my mom’sshitty boyfriends, running from my feelings, running from drugs and petty crime, running, running, running… running out of options, running out of hope…
“Hey, take a breath for me,” my biker murmurs. “You’re safe with me, Athena. Please give me a chance to prove it.”
“I don’t even know your name.”
“Wraith,” I’m quick to supply.
“Is that supposed to help me trust you?” The spark in her green eyes is the sweetest torture. One day, I’m going to kiss that look off her lovely face.
“It’s the truth. Wraith is my road name. Haven’t gone by anything else since my time in the military.”
“Wraith, the ex-military biker-slash-stalker extraordinaire,” she teases.
“My military training will all go to keeping you safe, and my connections with the club only further secures your protection. Wicked Riders sacrifice everything for each other, and you’ll be part of that family, too.”
“Wow,” I say in a hushed tone. I’m not even sure Wraith heard me. I’m not sure what to think about being part of the “family” of bikers, but I can’t exactly turn down his protection now that my father is back in the picture. “I…” Sighing deeply, I try to focus my thoughts. I’m too exhausted to keep fighting. “Okay,” I finally say, giving into whatever plan he has for us. It does feel nice not having to make all the decisions for once.
“Really?” he asks excitedly. I nod. “Thank Christ.”
His response makes me smile. The man seems so relieved, endearing him even more to me. It almost makes me feel guilty for running away from him for so long.Almost.
5
WRAITH
Athena lets me guide her to the car I’ve been driving the last few days. Not many of us at Wicked Riders own cars, AKA, cages, but they come in handy sometimes. Like when I’m stalking someone and want to remain quiet and unnoticed.
I have the urge to buckle her seatbelt and kiss her forehead, but I know it would be too much.Calm the hell down, I remind myself. I’m going to scare her away with my intensity if I’m not careful.
We pull into the parking lot of the nicest hotel in town, though with a population of four thousand people, that’s not saying a whole lot. Still, it’s leagues above the shit stain of a motel she was kicked out of this morning.
“Oh,” Athena whispers, her eyes widening as she looks up at the building. “I, uh… Well, you probably guessed I’m a little tight on funds right now,” she says, trying to make a self-depreciating joke. I see right through her. One day, she won’t feel the need to lie to me, but for know, I understand.
“We can’t go back to the place you were at last night. It might be compromised. Besides, I’m paying. Don’t worry, I’ll add it to your tab.”
She rolls her eyes but ultimately nods, accepting my answer. It’s not a lie, plus, it’s the only thing I could think of that would get her to agree to me paying.
We head inside and up to the third floor. I specifically asked for a room on the top floor because they’re harder to break into. I don’t truly think Jackson can haul his fat ass through a window whether it’s on the first floor or the fiftieth, but when it comes to Athena, I’ll take every precaution available.
Athena hops in the shower as soon as we step inside, which makes sense. My girl has had a rough go of it. I made sure to hand her some of my clean clothes for her to change into, knowing she likely hasn’t done laundry since leaving West Virginia.
I sit at the small dining table next to the window, trying not to think about rivulets of hot water streaming down her body, the water beading on her soft skin and dripping from her nipples…
Jesus, my thoughts are so inappropriate, especially knowing what the last few days have been like for her. I would never want to make her uncomfortable or push her into anything, and it would make sense if she took a bit of time to warm up to me. One day, I hope she can trust me enough to surrender every part of her soul, mind, and body. For now, I can wait. I think.
My curvy little goddess steps out of the bathroom in a pair of my sweatpants and a t-shirt. Both are far too big, making her look too fucking adorable for her own good. Athena’s wet hair is neatly brushed and hanging over one shoulder, while her skin practically glows from the warm shower and higher quality soap than at her previous motels.
“Hey,” I greet, slowly standing and making my way toward her. I’m aware of my intimidating size, and while I normally use that to my advantage, no part of me wants to scare this woman.Athena may project indifference and a hard outer shell, but I know she’s one breath away from falling apart.
“Hi.” She twists her hands in front of her and shifts her weight from foot to foot in a nervous gesture. “So, uh, thanks. For covering me at the gas station, and for all this.” Athena gestures around the room and then waves her hands up and down her body, referring to the change of clothes. “I’ll pay you back when I get a job. I can do that as soon as my father goes away, and then…”
“Let’s not worry about all of that right now, okay? It’s enough that you’re here and you’re safe. I’m not worried about the money.” What I don’t say is that I’m not worried because soon we’ll be sharing a last name and a bank account, but it’s true nonetheless.
“You say that now, but what about tomorrow? Or next week? It might take me a little bit to find something within walking distance to my home… which I’m just realizing I don’t have. So, okay, I’ll…” Her eyes gloss over and she stares into the distance, calculating how to save every penny. “... first paycheck will go to a deposit for a lease… maybe we can work out a payment plan…” Athena isn’t talking to me so much as she’s spiraling out loud.
