“I got you,” Mercs yells, shoving me into the car. A girl grabs at his shirt, tearing it as he dives in beside me, and the door slams.
I stare at his ripped shirt, my eyes stinging. “Shit, Mercs. I’m s-sorry.”
Raoul climbs in front as the other guards fend off the crowd.
Mercs grabs my hand. “Stop. It’s just a shirt. I only cared about getting you out safely.”
I rest my head on his shoulder, and his arm wraps around me.
Finally, I feel…safe.
“Thank you. For being so understanding.”
He turns to me, his jaw set and eyes fierce. “Effa, I’m not here to play games or watch from the sidelines. When I say I’ve got you, I fucking mean it. No one gets near you unless I let them.”
The quiet intensity in his voice sends a ripple through me. No one’s ever claimed that space in my life with such certainty, not like this.
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” he continues, his gaze unwavering. “I’ve seen this chaos, lived on the edge of it. But I’ve never cared about someone caught in the middle of it. Not until now.”
My chest tightens as he shifts, turning more toward me. His grip around my shoulders firms, grounding me. “I want to be here for you,” he growls, his voice dropping low. “Not just when it’s easy, but when it’s fucked up and loud and messy. I’m all in.”
I let out a shaky breath. “I think I can handle that.”
His hand cups my jaw as he leans in, kissing me with a fierceness that makes my toes curl. It’s a kiss that says I’m not going anywhere.
And I believe him.
Because this man, this alpha force of calm in the middle of madness, gets it.
He gets me.
And I can’t wait to see how far we can go.
Chapter Eleven
MERCS
The Next Day
Last night with Effa was… something else.
Not because it was passionate, unbridled, or wild, though God knows those thoughts haunted me every damn second. I kept replaying all the things I wanted to do to her. How I wanted to bend her over to see how flexible that lithe little body of hers could be, take her hard and deep until she shattered under me in wave after wave of pure bliss.
But we didn’t go there.
We kept it in check.
Went back to her room and talked.
Just fucking talked.
We layed on her bed, tangled together, learning about each other without any rush. It was different for me. Not the usual fast-and-filthy hookup I’ve had on the road. Taking it slow with Effa? It felt…right.And for once, I didn’t want to fuck it up by pushing too hard too soon.
I planned to leave when the night wound down, but when it came to it, I couldn’t walk away. The protector in me had kicked in hard, and while I knew no fans were getting past hotel security, I wasn’t willing to take any chances.
Not with her.
Not after what I saw in that club.
