Page 19 of Lost King

"Your face does your talking for you," she chuckles softly.

"Ember and I both want you to know Quinn has never shared our beds. Even though technically you two were not together, we always looked at Quinn as if he was yours and you his."

Ember's admission has me in a state of shock, and it's all I can do to keep from staring at her with my mouth gaped open. I knew they had the respect of all the other old ladies and now they have mine. Continuing Raine adds, "despite what society says about women like us, Ember and I are not the kind of women to act catty nor do we have the desire to break up a family or stand in the way of love. Not only are the married, engaged and involved men off limits but so are the men who are clearly in love with another woman. We both could tell from the very first day we entered this clubhouse Quinn was yours. Therefore he became off limits."

"Thank you both for telling me that," I say sincerely. When Ember and Raine are finished with their confession, Bella, Alba, Mila, and Grace walk back into the room. Bella is the first to take me in her arms hugging me.

Standing from the sofa Ember addresses the old ladies. "Raine and I will go entertain the kids while you all catch up. We picked up a few new board games that we promised them we would get and we've been looking forward to playing with them."

Bella gives her a warm smile. "Thanks, ladies, you're lifesavers, and I know the kids will be happy to see you both."

Once Ember and Raine have left the room I look to the girls. "Damn it's hard not to like them." We all burst out laughing. I laugh until my laughter turns into a full-blown sob. "Fuck being with one of these men sure does bring a lot of chaos doesn't it?" I say to no one in particular, but it's Grace who answers. "No, but being with one of us is no picnic either," she chuckles.

"No, I suppose it's not," I agree.

"They're worth it though," Alba adds softly.

"She's right," Mila chimes in. "Sure, the men and their club come with tons of baggage, but so did all of us. Think about it. Think about how Logan stood by Bella and all she went through. Look at what Alba and Gabriel have overcome. Same goes for my fucked-up family and how Reid stood by my side. Then there is Jake. He not once gave up on Grace and how he stood up to her past. If they can be there for us, then we owe it to be there for them."

"Are you having second thoughts about being with Quinn?" Bella asks with concern.

I snap my head in her direction. "God no! I'm just wondering if maybe he's going to start thinking I'm too much trouble. I mean it's because of me the club is having to go on lockdown."

"What are you talking about because of you?"

"You remember the party the club had a while back to celebrate the arrival of the Louisiana chapter?" When all the ladies nod I continue. "You also remember the asshole prospect of theirs, the one who drugged me and tried to force himself on me?" Looking at Bella, I still see the guilt she carries around for what happened that night.

"Yes, I remember," Bella adds.

"Well, that's the guy who's started this fight with the club. He was at Charley's today with another biker. I'm guessing he's hooked up with another club and now he wants revenge on Quinn and The Kings."

Shaking her head, Bella protests, "None of what happened is your fault, and nobody blames you, Em."

"I won't be able to live with myself if something happens to one of you or the guys because of what went down that night," I cry. I don't think I have cried as much in my life as I have today. This whole week has been such a whirlwind. Mine and Quinn's little tug-of-war has finally come full circle. Taking the club to meet my brother who I miss more than anything, the god-awful dinner at my parent's house last weekend, Quinn taking me to his parent's house, him declaring me his, and then the fiasco at Charley's this afternoon. I don't know how much more my emotions can take.

"What the hell? What's wrong, Sunshine?" Quinn's voice booms which causes me to jump.

"She's had a rough day, Quinn. She's allowed a mental breakdown from time to time. Take it easy," Bella fusses, and by the amused look on her face, she's not at all offended by his outburst.

Squatting down in front of me, Quinn rubs the palms of his hands up and down my legs. "Come on, babe, let's go to my room and get you settled, okay?" Nodding in agreement, I stand and allow him to lead me up the stairs towards the back of the clubhouse and down the hall to his room.

"I'm sorry, Quinn. You know me and I'm not usually a mess like this. It's just the past week has been a lot to take in, and my emotions are playing catch up. As Bella said, I needed a good cry. That and I'm exhausted."

"I'm sure you are, baby. The adrenaline from before has worn off. How about a nap?"

Plopping down on his bed I let out a heavy sigh and rub my tired scratchy eyes with my palms. "A nap sounds good."

Striding towards me, Quinn steps between my legs. "Stand up, babe."

I do as he says.

"Shoes off." Once I've toed off my shoes, Quinn goes down to his knees in front of me, unbuttons my jeans and peels them off. "Arms up, baby." Raising my arms above my head, I allow him to pull my t-shirt off. Next, Quinn reaches around and unhooks my bra and tosses it to the growing pile of clothes on the floor, then pulls back the blanket on the bed. "Climb in, Sunshine."

Crawling into bed, I let my head hit the pillow, and it smells of Quinn—like pine mixed with the crisp smell of laundry detergent and something else I can't explain. All I know is that he has the most addicting scent and once I breathe him in, my body instantly relaxes. The last thing I remember is Quinn kissing my lips before falling asleep.

chapter Eleven

Quinn