by Brook Wilder
And my family? They had come a few times, mostly to check up on me, but also to find out about the woman who had stolen my heart. Never, before Nat, would I have thought I would sit for hours at a bedside, willing for someone to just open their eyes.
“She still not awake?”
I looked up to see Jack in the doorway, holding his baseball cap in his grip.
“Nah, she’s still a sleeping beauty.”
Jack approached the bed, looking at Nat’s battered face.
“Well she does look better today. Swelling is down.”
“That’s what the doc said,” I answered, rolling my shoulders. “How’s things at the club?”
Jack shook his head, chuckling.
“Same as always. Still rallying the troops. The Cazadores have been quiet, but I don’t anticipate them staying that way for long.”
“As soon as she wakes up, I’ll be there,” I said, looking Jack directly in the eye.
I knew he had been carrying a large weight, preparing the legions for war, and I should have been there, helping him the entire way.
Jack waved a hand.
“I know, I know. I’m not worried about it, son. You’re not one to shirk your duties, But this young lady… She comes first for you right now. Not the club, not me. When this mess is long over, it’s gonna be her that is by your side, seeing you through life.”
I looked back at Nat, knowing I didn’t want it any other way. I wasn’t expecting it to be an easy ride, the life she and I were going to have together, but I was expecting it to be fun.
“I never thought this would happen to me.”
Jack chuckled.
“Hell, boy, none of us ever do. All you can do is hop on and hold on for dear life. Your life is gonna change and so is hers, and if you love her like I think you do, then you best be ready to protect her from what’s about to come. We will all be lucky to get out of it alive.”
I clenched my jaw, thinking about what we had already been through. I knew this war wasn’t going to be easy, but I would spend my last breath protecting Nat from whatever it would bring. Over and over I had apologized to her about leaving her that night. If I hadn’t, she would have been safe at my house and asshole wouldn’t have been able to lay a finger on her.
But if she hadn’t been there, he would have attacked her at some other point, maybe even when I couldn’t break it up. What had happened had been the lesser of two evils, but short of killing the bastard myself, he still would have had the opportunity.
Not anymore. She didn’t have to worry about him or anyone else doing her harm.
I was her protector, both as her friend and as the man that was going to love her until the day she died.
**
A few hours later, I woke with a start, my back aching from falling asleep in the chair. In fact, my entire body was fucking sore from sleeping in the chair, but I didn’t care.
The sofa in the room was no better.
Stretching, I looked over at Nat, my heart stopping in my chest as I saw her staring back at me, her luminous eyes bloodshot red.
“N-Nat?”
“Fox,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. “You’re alive.”
I cleared my throat of the emotion that suddenly clogged it.
“The same could be said of you. You need anything? Should I call the nurse?”
She reached out, and I gingerly took her hand in mine, squeezing it lightly. Blood was roaring in my ears, and I felt relief like never before.
Nat was awake.
She licked her lips carefully, her tongue running across the scabs that were formed there.
“W-what happened?”
I rubbed my thumb over hers.
“Nat, I-I don’t know if you want to hear the story right now.”
I didn’t know what she remembered and how she would handle the cold hard truth about what had put her here in the first place.
She looked away, wincing as she lifted her arm.
“It was Bryan.”
Well, maybe she did remember something.
“I tried to get there, I tried to stop him.”
“He was kicking me,” she continued in that small whisper. “And I was trying to get away.”
I closed my eyes briefly, the anger and pain in her voice nearly tearing me in two. I had kinda hoped she wouldn’t remember anything, that her brain would block out the worst parts of what had happened in that room. No one should have to remember that sort of thing.
“He’s going to prison for what he did to you.”
When I opened my eyes again, she was looking at me.
“You saved me. You went through the window.”
I let out a ragged breath.
“Not nearly quick enough. I never should have left you, Nat. I never should have trusted that you would be safe with that asshole running around.”
She shook her head, tears falling on her cheeks.
“Don’t, please. It wasn’t your fault.”
I reached over and gently wiped away her tears, careful to stay away from the healing bruises.
“I’m so damn sorry.”
Her hand squeezed mine.
“I’m just glad you are alive.”
I wished I could climb in the bed with her, take her into my arms and never let her go.
“I-I need to call your father. He told me to let him know when you were awake.”
Nat eyed me, a frown marring her face.
“You look worse than I feel.”
I gave her a grin.
“That’s because you are on pain meds, babe. When they cut your flow off, you will know it.”
She didn’t smile.
“You should be in bed, Adam.”
My name on her lips was like angels singing. I placed my hand on her forehead, stroking it lightly.
“And I can sleep, now that you are awake.”
She nodded, wincing at the movement.
“Call my papa.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I answered, standing with a groan. “I’ll be right back.”
Somehow I found the strength to walk out of the room before collapsing against the wall, my knees buckling. Nat was awake, and her mind seemingly intact. All my prayers, all my hopes, had been answered.
A sob tore through me, and I covered my face with my hands, allowing the tears to fall. After a week of ups and downs, my life was about to be set back on its axis, now that she was awake.
My love was going to make it.
Wiping away the tears, I scrolled through my phone until I found the Russian’s number, not at all surprised to find my hand shaking.
He answered on the first ring.
“What’s wrong.”
“It’s Nat,” I forced out. “She’s awake.”
“I will be right there.”
I placed the phone in my pocket, wiping a hand over my face, attempting to compose myself before I went back into Nat’s room. The next month was going to be tough for her and I would be helping her as much as I could, never leaving her side. Jack had said it right. Nat was going to be around when everyone else was gone, when all the warring was done, and the smoke cleared.
She was my future, not the club, not even my family. Everything I had hoped for, that I hadn’t even known I wanted, was laying in that bed, now on her road to recovery.
I wouldn’t miss a moment of it.
Chapter 21
Nataliya
I opened the dryer and pulled out the laundry, wondering when had been the last time I had found such excitement about warm, freshly laundered clothing.
Probably never. Most of my clothing had been dry-clean only, right down to my underwear.
But Fox’s… There wasn’t a name brand to be seen. Not that I could see him wearing anything but his jeans and t-shirts now. It felt like it was years ago since I had made the joke about his clothing.
Dumping the clothes into the laundry basket, I picked it up and carried it to the bedroom, intending to fold the
mound and put it away. My mother would likely have a stroke if she knew I was folding laundry, but there was a great deal of things that I did nowadays that I hadn’t previously done.
And I was happy to do it. It had been a month since that night in my bedroom, when I had nearly lost my life. After two weeks in the hospital, I had been discharged home, ignoring my father’s plans to have me go back to the mansion and coming home instead with Fox.
What I had pictured was him and I making up for lost time, spending all day and night in his bed worshipping each other’s bodies.
What I had got was him barely touching me, looking at me like I was going to break apart at any moment. Sure, he had kissed me, held my hand, and gingerly held me during the night, but any time I tried to move us into something else, Fox had always backed off, citing he didn’t want to hurt me.
Well, he was hurting me, every day he didn’t touch me or make love to me. I craved him, and the sexual frustration was so thick between us you could cut it with a knife.
But not anymore. I had a plan, and I was going to execute it that day, as soon as he got home. I had all but forced him to go back to the club two days ago, tired of him moping around the house, watching my every move. I knew he had things to do at the club, with the Diablo war starting, and I didn’t want to be the one in his way. Besides, I could handle a gun, and my father had all but supplied his own security to help protect me when Fox was not around.
Currently, there were two bodyguards stationed at the front door, their ever-present eyes watching for any sort of danger. I knew there was a serious threat from the Cazadores and for what my father had done to Hector Chavez, which was what had Fox pacing the floor at night when he thought I was asleep.
For me? Well, I was better. My ribs were healing, the bruises faded and gone. My punctured lung only hurt when I did things fast, which was why I had learned to slow down.
And Fox? He had started to recover as well, his limp not so pronounced now that he was moving around and not sitting in a chair.
Life was moving on, but our sex life had yet to start back up. I had been cleared by my doctor to resume normal activities, but Fox was still treating me like I was this fragile person. Sure, I had nightmares of Bryan coming back to finish the job, his hands around my neck, and I would wake up screaming. But Fox would always be there, telling me that no one was going to hurt me ever again, and I believed him.
I just wished I knew what had set Bryan off like that, to need my money so desperately that he was willing to kill me for it.
But that was in the past and Fox was my future.
The door opening caught my attention, and I quickly put the laundry basket away, fluffing my hair around my shoulders. I had taken a shower, sliding into a pair of panties and one of Fox’s t-shirts, leaving my legs bare.
I was going to seduce my biker.
Butterflies fluttered about in my stomach as I heard Fox’s boots in the hallway, hoping that I could pull this off. I had seduced more than my fair share of men in my lifetime, but never one that I loved, one that only wanted to keep me safe. We hadn’t talked about that night, discussed anything that was even remotely related to it, and in Fox’s eyes pretending like it hadn’t happened.
I, however, wanted to move on with our lives, and this was the first step.
“Hey.”
I turned, putting on my best smile, my eyes roving over his hard body.
“Hey, you. You’re home early.”
He paused in the doorway, his eyes raking over my semi-naked body, and I was glad to see the intensity in his eyes before he shuttered it, giving me a grin.
“Glad to see me?”
“Always,” I answered, as I made my way over to him.
He didn’t say a word as I stood before him, my hand running down the front of his chest.
“Rough day?”
Fox’s jaw was clenched tightly.
“What are you doing, Nat?”
I looked up at him, a tiny smile on my face.
“I’m greeting my man. Do you have a problem with it?”
When my hand reached his belt buckle, he groaned and grabbed at it.
“Nat.”
I shook him off.
“Don’t ‘Nat’ me. I’m dying here, Fox. I want you so badly I can taste it. Do I… I mean, do you still want me?”
He blew out a breath, pulling me hard against him. I felt the bulge nestled in my stomach and was glad that I at least turned him on still.
“Nat,” he said softly, pressing his forehead to mine. “I think about fucking you every minute of every day, but I-I don’t think you are ready.”
I slid my arms around his neck, holding him there.
“Do you know what I thought about when it was happening to me?”
Fox let out a shuddering breath and tried to pull away, but I held him tightly, having wanted to say those words for some time now.
“I thought about you, Adam. I thought about the life I wouldn’t have with you, the future that I know you will give me. But most of all, I thought about how lucky I was to have met you, and that I would do it all over again if it meant that we would have this moment.”
“Nat,” he said brokenly, his arms tightening on my waist. “I nearly lost it when I saw you on that bed, what he did to you. I-I thought I had lost you.”
“But I am here now,” I reminded him as he pressed a kiss to my temple. “I’m not fragile Fox. I-I am fine physically. You can help me work on the emotional parts later.” Grabbing his chin, I forced him to look at me. “Don’t make me beg.”
He stared at me for a moment before a slow, blood-simmering grin crossed his face.
“How did I ever get so lucky to have you?”
I gave him a smile.
“I’m not sure, but I’m glad someone is looking out for the both of us.”
Fox’s hands slid down my body, causing goosebumps to break out over my skin, which was tingling with anticipation.
“Then you won’t be surprised by this.”
Before I knew it, Fox was down on one knee, holding my hand tightly in his. I let out a gasp as he looked up at me, his eyes full of emotion.
“Marry me, Nat. Not for the money, but simply because you want a happy, love-filled life. I love you, no one but you, and will never love anyone else as much as I do you.”
“Fox,” I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my entire life,” he replied, gripping my hand. “I can’t live without you, Nat.”
“Yes,” I sobbed, throwing my arms around him, knocking us both to the floor.
He flipped me over and hovered over me, dipping his head to press a kiss to my lips.
“What were you saying about begging?”
I laughed, my heart full as I pulled him into a deeper kiss, entwining my tongue with his.
Fox growled against my mouth and took over, a rush of heat invading my body.
“You’re killing me Nat.”
“Please,” I said urgently, pulling at the hem of his t-shirt.
He grabbed the back of it and pulled it over his head, my mouth going dry at the sight of his bare chest. I ran my hand down the front of his chest, pausing briefly over his rapid heartbeat.
“I love you,” I said breathlessly.
He bent down until our foreheads touched.
“I love you too.”
And I could feel it, in every word, in every touch. Fox loved me for me.
“Show me.”
He grinned, itching up the t-shirt until he had it over my head.
“Gladly.”
I sucked in a breath as his fingers ran over my ribcage, pausing at the puckered scar from the chest tube before placing a kiss there. I no longer cared about my scars. They were proof that I had survived, fought when there was no hope, and still found my happy ending.