“Mia, you okay?” Hank’s voice called from down the hall. She raised her hand up, brushing him away.
I stared at my hands, frustrated, appalled that I broke the promise that I wouldn’t hurt her. No, I couldn’t bring her down this road where my mind could snap at any moment.
“I know that look. Come here, Shooter,” she demanded.
“No.”
She cocked her head, “I’m sorry, did you just say no to me?” Her voice was stern.
“Walk away, Amelia.”
“Shooter, get your mother fucking ass over here now.” There was power in her voice, one that sent chills down my spine.
With head down, wrapping around the idea that it was better to leave, I walked over to her. Her eyes gazed into mine. “You are going to listen and follow me to one of the on-call rooms and you’re going to talk to me.”
I couldn’t help but agree as she led us into an empty room, turning on a light. She sat on one of the beds, silently waiting for me to comply with her order. I started to apologize, but she held up her hand stopping me. “What happened?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. I didn’t want to pull her further into this mess. It was bad enough that she knew more than most partners or ol’ ladies in the club, but Amelia wasn’t scared of that. She had worse demons that chased her.
She sucked on her teeth, bobbing her head back and forth, she started to shrug off her cut. “I see. I guess I won’t be needing this cut then since we’re going back on a promise to tell the truth.”
That sparked my attention and compliance. “Go ahead, I’d like to see you try.”
“I thought so.” She pulled it back on. “Now, talk to me.”
I explained what we learned. Dillon, the family coming after him, how he ended up in the hospital. My mind came back to how my hand ended up around her throat, I saw the redness still on her skin.
“You blacked out for a second,” she said, calmly. Too calmly.
“It’s no excuse.”
“You can’t control everything. Shooter.” She tangled her fingers in her hair. “You and I both know that life doesn’t play fair. Our minds can say we’re the strongest, that we can overcome, until something tips that scale and shows us otherwise.” She looked up at me, extending her hand to me. She gestured me to come closer.
I hesitated, afraid of breaking.
One touch of her hand, and I was sinking down to my knees, burying my head into her lap. A shuttered breath shook me.
“Awe, sugar. Even the strongest break. But never beyond repair,” she soothed me, as her fingers trailed along my neck. “That’s what I love about you. I see the real you. The lightness in your heart, the heart that you hide behind blood and violence. The heart that says you care so much that it hurts.”
One little word stole everything from me. “Say that one more time.”
“Uh, the whole thing or…” she trailed off.
I popped my head up. “No, the beginning.”
I could see in that dim light the pink in her cheeks flush. “What I love…”
I stopped her and threw myself on top of her, laying her out of the bed. I kissed her hard and fast. She said it, like it was the easiest to say. “Say it.” I growled between kisses.
She opened her legs a little more, only to wrap them around my waist.
“What you want me to say?” She moaned, before fingers gripping my hair pulling me back. “I love you, you crazy ass man.”
“One more time.”
“I love you,” she said, tilting my chin back to her lips, kissing me back. “As much as I thought I would hate you, you proved me wrong.”
“I love you so much,” I growled out. “I can’t help it. Love wasn’t a possibility with me, but you showed me that love could be a reality. Loving you is like breathing, always needing it to survive.”
