Page 33 of Reese’s Protection

“Should I be worried?” Knox’s amused voice met my ears, and I grinned widely as Layton and I broke our hug. I turned toward where he stood in the living room and shrugged.

“He’s a pretty good hugger. I might leave you for him.” I laughed and bounced over to him, throwing myself into his strong arms for a deep kiss. My stomach fluttered, but that wasn’t anything new around Knox. I never wanted to lose this glow. He made me float. This was what love felt like, not the fear I’d constantly been in around Jeremy.

“Tease,” he murmured against my lips, capturing them for another drawn-out kiss. I moaned into his mouth until Layton cleared his throat loudly.

“You two are both gross and adorable.” He shuffled past us, smacking Knox on the arm as he went, and Knox broke the kiss to laugh. He went to swat Layton back, but Layton ducked out of the way. “Are you going to help get the rest of Reese’s boxes or am I going to do it by myself?”

Knox rolled his eyes and brushed a stray piece of hair away from his face. I loved how long it was—it fit him. He had on another one of his nerdy shirts from the show he loved and had recently made me sit down to watch—What We Do in the Shadows—and while I wasn’t a huge fan like him, I enjoyed it. Mostly, I enjoyed how much he enjoyed it.

“We’ll be out in a second,” Knox said, and Layton gave him a smile and nod before he exited the house to go to Knox’s truck to get more boxes. Knox turned his gorgeous green eyes toward me and brushed a finger along my cheekbone, as though he was mapping my face with his touch. “You’re safe now. You know that, right?”

“Yeah,” I whispered, leaning into him. “You’re here, and I know you wouldn’t let anything happen to me.” I paused, then grinned. “And I’m also friends with a few Kings now, too. They have my back.”

He chuckled and plopped a kiss on the tip of my nose. “Yeah. Bullet adopted you, I think.”

“He’s got a thing for Bower.” I shrugged. “And Reaper’s nice, too.”

He shook his head. “I never thought I’d hear anyone say that. Reaper’s a mean son of a bitch most of the time.”

I knew. Since I’d met Reaper a week after I’d gotten out of the hospital, I’d heard all sorts of rumors about him, but he and his partner, Grant, had been nothing but kind to me. I saw why people got the idea that he was rough around the edges, though. His tattoos were terrifying when you first met him, with a scary skull with glowing eyes inked onto his neck. He wore a scowl like it was a comfortable old shirt he enjoyed. It wasn’t until I’d started to speak to him that I’d realized how gentle he was behind the mean mask.

“He and Grant invited us to their wedding.” I bounced on my toes, excited by the prospect. They were cute together. “And they said we could go to Kings’ events whenever we wanted. Though, I think they’re trying to recruit you.”

Knox hummed and dragged me closer, tucking me against his chest. I nestled my head under his chin, and it was the most comfortable spot I’d ever been in my life. “Yeah, they are, but I’m not interested. I don’t take orders. Plus, being in the Kings would put you in danger. I’d never do that. You and Layton are the most important people to me now. You come first.”

My heart pulsed and my chest went all gooey and warm. Fuck. Was this how love was supposed to feel? If so, I liked it. A lot. I never wanted the feeling to go away.

“I love you.” I shoved myself up against his mouth, and he met me in a fierce kiss.

This was my forever, and I couldn’t be happier. No one could take this away, or if they tried, they’d have to rip it from my cold, dead hands. Jeremy gave me a whole lot of broken promises combined with fear. Knox gave me a future I was excited to experience.

I belonged to Knox Tennant, and he belonged to me.

He grinned as we drifted apart. “I love you, too.”

EPILOGUE

REESE

“You’re a professional.” The tattoo artist—he said his name was Jake—grinned at me from where he was bent over my chest, his ink gun buzzing as he worked. He had intense brown eyes and short dark hair. He was also familiar; although, I couldn’t quite place him. We’d come to the Ink Well because it belonged to one of the Kings of Men and Bullet had suggested it.

I chuckled, leaning my head back against the headrest, the pain of the tattoo he was needling into my chest a familiar sensation. I much preferred this kind of measured agony to the one of being shot, that was for sure. “I’ve done this a few times.”

“I can tell.” Jake winked as he nodded down at the tats on my chest.

The scar beneath the rose blooming on my skin was ugly, a reminder of what I’d been through with Jeremy, and I wanted to transform it for good. Take it back. Make my body mine again.

“The birds are good. Is there a meaning for them?” he asked.

“I love birds?” I laughed.

Knox shook his head from where he lay on the next chair over. He’d only just finished getting a matching design—fluffy birds cuddled into roses, exactly like something Knox had carved into the handcuffs he’d made for me—also courtesy of Jake. Knox watched me with those piercing green eyes, hooded with an emotion that made my insides melt. He knew exactly what he did to me.

“Birds have freedom. They can fly and soar and go wherever they want. It’s poetic,” I said.

The birds represented my freedom with Knox. He never scared me and I was able to fly whenever I needed to. He helped me spread my wings. Getting this tattoo over the bullet scar was a final fuck you to Jeremy. I didn’t want something ugly reminding me of him. He belonged in my past, not my future.

Jake chuckled. “We all have a symbol we attach ourselves to.”