Page 78

Diego

Fuck me.

Izzy’s story is playing on repeat in my mind as I drive into the clubhouse parking lot, just like it has been during the entire drive back to the compound, and each time it makes the loop start all over again, I feel my anger grow. It’s like magma bubbling under the surface; hot, fierce, and ready to erupt. No matter how many times I replay everything she told me in my mind, each time is like a kick to the gut. Her words, her broken voice, echo inside my head, urging me to take action and do something to make this right for her. Gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white, I clench my teeth to keep myself from asking any more questions that I’m not sure I want the answers to. One thing is for sure, though, as soon as we’re done with church, I’m going to get Streak alone and ask him to track down this Conner kid so I can kill him with my bare hands.

The way her voice cracked as she told me about the things he said and did to her makes my blood boil. It’s not as obvious as the usual assholes that the club deals with but the mental abuse he inflicted on her is probably even more insidious than if he had used his fists to knock her around. I mean, Jesus… she’s been carrying this around for fourteen fucking years and the way he treated her is so vile and disgusting that I’m not even sure he’s really human. If he is, he desperately needs to be taught a fucking lesson and I’m all too eager to teach him one.

As I pull into a parking spot near the front door, I peek over at her and she meets my eyes, pasting a smile on her face that isn’t even trying to be sincere. My heart fucking aches as I think about the pain that was radiating off of her as she told me her story, the way her body sagged like it took every ounce of energy she had to force the words out of her mouth. And all I want to do is make it go away. Back when I was a cocky kid, I had this girlfriend who always told me that I couldn’t fix anyone that didn’t want to be fixed but that’s bullshit. Not that Izzy needs to be fixed. She’s perfect. She just needs someone to help her heal and I’m single-minded in my new mission to do just that.

Tearing my gaze from hers, I look up at the clubhouse and sigh as my stomach sinks. I hate to leave her right now, when I know she needs me, but I’m eager to hear what Streak has found. Besides, the sooner we can put an end to all this, the sooner I can turn my full focus to Izzy and healing the deep wounds that are still causing her all this pain.

“Diego,” she whispers and I turn back to her as she slides across the seat and places her hand on my chest. My eyes close and I soak up her touch, never able to get enough. The haunting, aching sadness in my chest flares when she leans in and presses her lips to mine, so fucking soft and sweet that I want to wrap her up in my arms and take her somewhere safe, somewhere that she’ll never get hurt again. So much makes sense to me now, so many things that made my head spin are finally clear, and I’m torn between being her guardian or her avenging angel. She pulls away just enough to meet my eyes and smiles again, this one a little more genuine. “I’m okay.”

I shake my head. “I’m not.”

“God, I’m so sor….”

“No,” I growl, reaching up and playing with a lock of her dark curly hair as I shake my head. “You will not apologize for the shit that was done to you. I don’t ever want to hear you do that, understand?”

She arches a brow. “You’re getting awfully bossy all of a sudden.”

“You like me bossy. Or did you forget?”

“I didn’t forget,” she replies, her gaze going soft as she shifts next to me on the seat, dragging her teeth along her bottom lip. Glancing down, I barely hold back a groan at the sight of her nipples pressing against my t-shirt, begging for my touch. Fuck. That’s exactly what we need right now. We need to shut out the rest of the world and lose ourselves in each other until we pass out from exhaustion. My dick fully agrees, jerking in my jeans at the idea.

“Let me deal with this shit and then we’ll head home, okay?” I say, dragging my thumb down the center of her bottom lip. My tongue darts out, desperate for another taste of her and she sucks in a breath, peeking up at me with a look that could melt steel. “Maybe make us both feel better.”

“What if I can’t wait?” she whispers, a frantic need in her voice that makes my cock jerk as I close my eyes and try to keep a firm grip on my control. A soft moan fills the cab of the truck a second before she seals her lips over mine. I groan, fisting her hair and she gasps, opening up to me. Flicking my tongue against hers, I drag her closer. Her hands slip underneath my shirt, skating down my abs and I rip my mouth from hers, shaking my head as I struggle to catch my breath.

“Fuck, baby. You have no idea how badly I want to take you home and throw you down on the bed but I need ten minutes. Fifteen, tops. Can you give me that?”

She nods, her hands still trailing down my flesh as she licks her lips and looks up at me. “Fine. But if you’re not back in fifteen minutes, I’m coming in to get you.”

“I’d love to see Storm’s face if you did that but you know you can’t,” I tell her and she rolls her eyes.

“Fine, but you’ll have to make it up to me later for every minute you make me wait.”

A grin stretches across my face. “Shit. I don’t know if I like the sound of that or not. What are you going to do to me?”

“I’ll never tell,” she teases, kissing me again before she pulls away. As she moves toward the passenger door, I debate pulling her back to me but we need to deal with whatever Streak found before I can lose myself in the woman I love. With a sigh, I open my door and climb out, meeting Izzy at the front of the truck and grabbing her hand. She leans into me as we walk into the clubhouse and I kiss the top of her head as we pass by the war room. Everyone else is already sitting around the table, waiting for me so I reluctantly release her.

“Hey, Ali,” I call and Ali glances up from her phone. “Hang out with my girl for a bit, will ya?”

She nods. “Of course.”

Izzy gives me a smile and a wink as she walks away from me and I can’t take my eyes off of her until she and Ali disappear into the living room around the corner. Once they’re gone, I turn to the war room and step inside, closing the door behind me before slipping into my chair. Glancing down at the end of the table, opposite Storm, I notice Streak isn’t here yet and lean back in my chair, my mind instantly going back to the story I heard twenty minutes ago.

There are so many similarities between our story thus far and her parents that it’s no wonder it took her so long to tell me about the pregnancy. I can only imagine that she thought the worst when she found out she was pregnant and when you add in the fact that she’s never even experienced a healthy, normal relationship, I can’t blame her for what she did. She probably thought she was reliving history and I’m sure it scared the hell out of her. Not that I ever really did blame her but it kills me that she thought I wouldn’t be happy about her pregnancy. What’s even worse is the possibility that she was scared I would react the same way her father did and resent her for getting pregnant.

I grew up with a man just like that and I would never treat her the way her father did. I also can’t help noticing that her story sounds an awful lot like my parents. My mom and dad didn’t get married because they were pregnant with me but that didn’t really seem to matter all that much. The man who raised me has always been a miserable bastard and will continue to be one until the day he dies so I can relate to that part of her story a little too well.

The door to the war room opens and Streak rushes in with his laptop in his hand and Storm scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Nice of you to join us, Streak.”

He holds up his middle finger. “Fuck off. I got caught up with something.”

“Yeah?” Jumper asks. “Does this something have long dark hair and…”