I feel a hand wrap around my ankle before I’m jerked down the bed. I don’t even bother making a sound. I’m not startled by the movement. When I open my eyes, I see Egan leaning over me. “A little warning would be nice.”
He bares his teeth at me in a playful snarl, and I know I wasted my breath. If I’m telling the truth, I love the way he takes what he wants, allowing me to give myself over to him completely, but only because I give it freely. I lift my arms in the air, expecting him to pull me from the bed, but he leans in and slides his arms under me instead, scooping me up.
I lay my head on his shoulder after wrapping my legs around his waist. “To the shower,” I order as if he’s my servant while nuzzling his neck. His long fingers knead my ass, but he listens.
For the next twenty minutes, we stand under the spray and go through the motions of a normal shower, but more often than not, I’m wrapped around his body, absorbing every bit of sweet affection he’s offering.
When he finally shuts the water off, I begin getting ready. After brushing my hair, I plait it into two braids, and then I pull on my favorite pair of leather pants and a snug T-shirt. It doesn’t matter what I wear, because when I shift, it will all disappear anyway. My knives go on last. I debate leaving my vest, since my patches would advertise exactly who I am to those who don’t know me, and I do love to be underestimated, but it’s not like my anonymity would last long anyway.
“Can I speak with you?” Cyrus asks the moment I step one foot out of the bathroom. His brow is creased, but his eyes are dodgy, as if he doesn’t know if he should look at me.
“Sure. What’s up?” I keep my tone light, even though I feel like this might be a heavy conversation.
He looks behind me, seeing Egan how I left him—naked and imposing. Cyrus shifts his weight from left to right, stalling, but then he blurts out, “This is dangerous.”
I almost make a flippant reply and tell him I get dressed and face the day all the time, purposely misunderstanding him, but I rein in the desire at the last second. “I know,” I agree instead.
“You could get hurt, and it scares the fuck out of me.” His voice is raised, but I keep mine calm.
“That’s a very real possibility.”
“We’re all supposed to just be okay with that?” Cyrus looks around, including Modeus and Egan in the conversation.
“I don’t know about being okay, but you’re going to have to accept it. You could always wait here for us to return,” I offer, and it must be the wrong thing to say, because Cyrus’ eyes go wide and his nostrils flare as if he’s about to breathe fire.
“Is that supposed to be a joke? There’s no way in hell I would wait here!” he snarls. “Will you agree to let us handle all the challenges?”
“No.” I take a step forward. I was trying to be understanding, but now he’s just pissing me off. “One of them killed my father, a man who was like an uncle to me, and nearly the founder. I will not sit idly by on the sidelines.”
Before I know it, I’m close enough to him to jab a finger into his chest. “Here’s a question for you, Cyrus. Why are you so afraid? We have a plan. I’ve already agreed to allow you and Egan to take on challengers. It’s a smart, strategic decision,andI’m not afraid of what might happen to either of you because I’m confident you can take care of yourselves.” I was actually kind of looking forward to watching them eliminate my competition.
Egan strolls past me, making sure he gets my attention with a swat to my rear and a wink over his shoulder. Seeing him make such casual gestures is a bit alarming, but not unwelcome. And why do I feel like he lives in my head and can hear everything I think?
Cyrus reaches up and runs his hand over his beard while his eyes become unfocused. “It’s not that I’m not confident in you or your abilities, it’s that I feel like we’re your protectors and we should always be able to protect you.” He again looks around for support from the others.
That’s so sweet and naïve, it tamps down the outrage I was building up to. I pull his hand away from his beard before he tugs the damn thing off—I like the way it feels running up my back when he kisses my neck—and then I tell him, “I need your support, not your protection.” Cyrus’ eyes drop as his brow furrows again.
Modeus slaps his hand on my gargoyle’s back. “Don’t forget you’re cooking tomorrow.” He’s trying to distract Cyrus. I really hope it works. I can’t offer him any more promises.
I run my hand over Modeus’ arm in thanks as I move through the room. Egan is dressed in his usual style of loose-fitting pants, but his long hair is pulled back from his face, showing off the angular lines of his jaw and his black eyes. He pauses mid-movement when he catches me staring. I don’t shy away from his gaze, as he’s almost too beautiful for words.
The corner of his lips lift. It’s too tiny to be a smile, but it shows his amusement. I tap my hand over my own heart twice. It might not be the same as saying I love you out loud, but it means the same, and I trust he would know that.
His mouth slips open. I think I shocked him, which makes me toss back my head and laugh. I feel his arms wrap around me before I even lower my head. His lips are against my throat like he’s feeling my joy as I continue to chuckle.
Only you.I hear his words in my mind and know he means he has only and will only ever love me. That makes a girl feel pretty damn special.
CHAPTER25
Lore
We encounterbike traffic all the way to the gates of the estate. I avoid it by traveling in the oncoming lane, speeding past all the riders. Most of them are wearing Obsidian colors, the plum is easy to spot, but I do notice a few patchless rockers and even some other club colors.
The entrance to the estate is manned by several club enforcers. I slow to a crawl but pass through the gates unencumbered.
The roar of pipes blazes to life behind me, but it’s quickly squelched by the sound of grinding metal. “Wait your goddamned turn, nomad,” rings clear through the air, even over the sound of our idling bikes.
“She went through,” a rider snaps in outrage. I lower my boot and skid my bike to the side so I can see the fool who tried to follow me.
