Tracking Luxe (Renegade Souls MC Romance Saga Book 3)

by V. Theia

  “My brave girl, scared? Nah. You’re the strongest woman I know, Luxe. Not seeing me again was never an option. Nothing can keep me from you now.”

  “There speaks a kidnapper.” She chuckled, muffled by his arm.

  Her hair smelled just as he remembered. It had only been hours yet felt like that scent hadn’t been in his nose for months. He breathed deeply, fingers flexing around her neck. His voice rough with emotion locking up his throat. “I fucking love you, Luxe. Love my dirty rotten thief so much. I should have told you sooner, I’ve been feeling it a lot longer and you wouldn’t have known had I…” he didn’t finish that sentence but they both knew he could have died so easily tonight and she wouldn’t have known what she meant to him. “I didn’t want to scare you off, cause I knew I’d chase you much further and who would have looked after the kids if I was fucking you all over the country, hm?” she laughed and stroked his neck.

  “Babysitters. Nannies.”

  He liked she was on board. “Baby, climb up here, I really need to hold you.”

  Her eyes went to the machines. “I don’t think-----”

  “Now, Luxe. Or I’ll get out of this bed.”

  ******

  He loves me. It knocked around every surface in her head as she shrugged out of her the stained hoodie, tossing it over the chair. Filled with euphoria, she still scowled at him because he expected it. Look at him, battered to hell and still so handsome. “I’m only giving in because you’re beat the hell up and you look pitiful. Don’t get used to giving me orders, kidnapper.” He lay propped up against pillows, smugly watching while she climbed gingerly onto his bed and hoped like hell she didn’t jar his destroyed body. She needn’t have worried, soon as her knees touched the hospital bed Grinder pulled her down and into his side, sighing as his arm not attached to the drip came around her, tucking her in and gripped her hip. It was a tight uncomfortable fit yet perfect at the same time. He loves me.

  “Baby. Fuck. That feels good. I missed you.”

  Luxe allowed her fingers to roam over his chest, wincing over every bruise and welt, she touched his beard, over his jaw and eyebrows, his poor eyes looked so painful. “Don’t stop.” He groaned. A red-hot fist formed beneath her belly button. Keep it in your pants, she warned herself, he was ill. No time to let lust back into the room now her worry had lessened.

  “I’m so sorry, Nathan. I hate myself this happened to you,” her voice was small yet firm. His head came up, eyes opened, her hand cradled around his skull. “Stay still, you have a concussion, rest.”

  “Stop that shit, you hear? This isn’t on you. You didn’t do this.”

  “But-----”

  “Fuck no, Luxe. I mean it.”

  “Nathan…”

  “Your man has a concussion, you don’t really want to argue with him right now, do you?” oh, that sneaky, smiling gorgeous bastard. So relieved to see him joking with her, smiling and feeling his hand stroking her hip she let it drop but for as long as she lived Luxe knew she’d never get over seeing him in this state all because of her own greed.

  “I see that’s the card you’re going to play, is it? You’ve pretty much guaranteed blowjobs whenever you want them.”

  “Yeah?” oh, how his smile lit her up and soothed some of the hurt inside. “I’m so fucking good with that. But now I want something else.”

  “What can I get you?” she made to slide down off the bed and his surprisingly strong fingers on her hip stopped her. “Are you hungry?”

  “You can give me the words.”

  Oh. Dios. Her heart galloped and gave a silly little flutter of excitement. Luxe bit back her smile, heat prickling the surface of her skin.

  She played dumb. “Qué?”

  “You were going to tell me you loved me and I told you to save them until we were alone. We’re alone baby. You can give me them now.” Slick warmth entered his gaze, unwavering from hers, there was a fire in her belly and a ball of love. He was so sure of her that she smiled in return. His fingers started stroking her waist, up under her shirt he touched her skin and Luxe shivered, cradling the back of his head, she was within a nose distance of his, so close she saw the light in his gray eyes, smiling waiting.

  “Will you rest if I give you them?”

  Warm air chuffed against her nose. “Yes.”

  “And they won’t over excite you? The nurse said you had to rest.”

  “No. I’ll control myself.” His mouth quirked.

  “You can’t get hard.”

  “Too late. Just give me them. I want them, Luxe.”

  She took in a big lungful of air. She’d told him already in Spanish, back in that building, it felt weeks ago now, her foggy brain was so tired. Resting her forehead to Nathan’s, her voice was surprisingly steady. “You know, there are moments … people. There are people who change you. Who save you, really, from yourself, from a life that didn’t feel right, kind of like you’re wearing the wrong socks and just don’t realize it. These people make you question everything, thoughts and feelings and ask yourself; do I want more? Yes. I do. You made me want more.” Gray eyes, bloodshot with his pain, penetrated down to her soul, she felt him there, soothing even as he lay a more subdued man than she was used to. Weak or not, she had a feeling Nathan would still handle shit if he had to. Her kidnapper taking care of her in the way he knew how. “I love you, Nathan. Te quiero, mi secuestrador.” I love you, my kidnapper. That’s how she thought of him now. As hers and kidnapper was a term of endearment only they would understand. It meant she loved him beyond everything, even their shady beginning.

  A great breeze of air left his chest and for a second she wondered if she’d said the wrong thing until his forehead comes to hers. “Never stop.”

  “I won’t.” she swore. “I won’t.”

  “You’re mine.”

  “And you’re mine.”

  He laughed a little, tangling a hand in her hair, speaking against her lips. “Fucking A. Had to chase my girl until she caught me. It was worth it, love. So fucking worth it. I love the fuck out of you.”

  “I love you, Nathan.”

  Was he aware of the beauty of his hands? She wondered as he greedily snatched her closer, brought her in as if he too couldn’t stand even an inch of distance between them, as though it had been weeks and not hours. She picked up a hand, so torn and red and kissed each knuckle.

  Wicked hands that could rip pleasure out of her.

  Strong hands that protected her.

  Loving hands that worshiped.

  These hands had stolen her in the beginning and then seduced her and after that, these hands she loved so dearly kept him alive.

  Luxe kissed each finger in turn and found him grinning at her. “Do you need a minute, love?”

  “I need a lot of minutes, kidnapper. I was thinking a lifetime of them,” his chest heaved. “If you’re agreeable to a deal between us.”

  “Yes.” He gruffed deeply. “Fuck yeah.”

  Luxe smiled and produced a long thin gold chain from her pocket. She saw the second he recognized it, his eyes flashed. “You thought I’d forgotten or was lying? I’ve had it this whole time and delayed giving it back, because.” He kissed her suddenly, his hand wrapped around the back of her nape, holding her steady. Those beautiful hands once again treating her with love and ownership. He had always been possessive. Always would be, probably, and she loved it. It felt kind of nice to own a kidnapper in return. To know Nathan would turn himself inside out to please her, oh, now that was just a wicked rush.

  Love was their shared motivation.

  His love was dazzling. She felt windswept most days, like she was walking around in a dream.

  His love dazzled her.

  She would make him happy. This was her new goal in life.

  Not only to steal nice things and keep them for herself.

  Happiness with a man who tracked and stole her heart.

  “It doesn’t matter, love.”

  “I thought, if I held
onto it, it meant I would see you again and again.” There was his gorgeous smile. He took the chain from her and began fastening it around her neck. She protested. “But…it’s yours.”

  “It was my mom’s, the only thing I had of hers. Not even sure why I kept it. But it brought you to me, didn’t it? I guess now I know why I kept it. Now it’s my girl’s.”

  “Nathan…”

  He grinned and kissed her lips. Sucked on the bottom one making her whimper when he let it go far too soon. “Romance has nothing on me. I’m forgiven, right? We start fresh here and now. Just us, Luxe. I want you to move in.”

  “I love you.” It was the easiest decision. “Yes.”

  “I love you, back,” another lip nip. “I fucking love you.” He sucked on her tongue, she chased his and did some of her own, their bodies pressed together so tightly she could feel the pound of his heart under her hand.

  Every moment together leading up to this point had felt as though they were both shedding armor, trusting each other just that little bit more until they were wide open and accepting of a love neither had felt before.

  Luxe smiled against Nathan’s lips, nuzzling the soft beard she cupped his cheeks.

  “Put me inside you,” his voice rasped. “Put me inside my woman who loves me.”

  Dammit, she laughed and the fog of love was broken. She arched a brow at him. “Behave.” he just gave her that wicked smile of his and gathered her in.

  Sex could wait until she had him home.

  For now, she basked in feeling his heavy, steady heartbeat under her ear.

  She loved him. And he loved her.

  ******

  Some beast-like love settled in his chest. Some caveman shit roared to the front wall of his heart. She was his. Fuck. If Grinder wasn’t weak as a damn kitten and harpooned to a hospital bed by wires and drips he would have hauled her across his lap and be fucked down deep to her stomach by now.

  Happiness; that elusive drug coursed through him.

  “I’m sorry for----” fingers on his sore lips stopped him.

  "None of that. We don’t need it anymore. We can't go back and ask what if, Nathan. What if we'd done something different. What if I hadn't stolen from you and gone home with you instead, would we be a couple already with a solid foundation? What if you hadn't pursued me and turned into a chest beating caveman, would you be in love with someone else? Would I be in a relationship now with Patron from my old neighborhood who taught me how to fight?" Grinder scowled. Fucking Patron. Whatever she saw on his face made her smile because she leaned in and kissed him gently, he couldn't grab onto more before she pulled away and left her hand on his cheek. "We don't need those what ifs anymore. We have to remember sometimes the bad is anchored to the good so we can reach what we were meant to."

  She was his woman.

  Meant for him.

  He knew this deep in his gut. Why else had he quietly obsessed about her every single day. She was here, embedded in his skin, no longer a separate entity, she was his heart and fucking murky soul.

  He'd pulled some terrible shit to get her and likely would have that guilt of kidnapping her for a lifetime, but he'd use that time to show her in every way possible that he was a man who deserved her.

  His thief was a damn miracle is what she was. To give him a second chance and not jail time, she was his miracle. A chance to have happiness in his life, to not walk through the days like his Pop missing the one woman who had destroyed him.

  Grinder wouldn't fuck it up. Not again. He'd had his one strike.

  Her mouth hovered close, yet they didn't kiss. Those eyes, fuck, those eyes of hers were his downfall, he'd do anything for her, this he knew. "I'm gonna fuck up sometimes." He voiced and found her smiling and her eyes rolled next.

  " Sí. It’s a given. But now you have me, kidnapper, to set you straight."

  Fuck. Had he mentioned he loved this girl? he connected their lips, a gentle brushing.

  "I want you to move in, or we can get some place new, that's ours. Our world, Luxe. You're gonna let me take care of you, right?"

  "Yes. And you'll let me take care of you."

  Grinder smirked and nipped the tip of her perfect nose. "You can reach down and take care of me now, if you want to."

  She slapped his arm gently, smiling. "You had to ruin the moment, didn't you?"

  "Fuck. Luxe. I love you." He sighed and turned his head into her palm, kissing it once, twice.

  He groaned against her lips. Nipped. “When you springing me from this place? Need to take you home, it’s been a month since I sank my cock inside you.”

  Now it was her who moaned. Her body reacting to his dirty unfiltered thoughts. “It’s been a day and you’re staying right in this bed. You said you’d rest.”

  They cuddled and shared whispered unused words between them. She tested them on her tongue and he found he liked the flash of possessive heat in her eyes the more she said it.

  “You’ve given me everything I never knew I wanted, Luxe. How the fuck do I thank you for that?”

  “From the way you’re looking at me, I think you just did.”

  “Every part of me belongs to you, from forehead to dick. If you want it.”

  Luxe chuckled. “Has anyone ever accused you of being a smooth romantic? That’s quite the offer. I would have taken the beard.”

  “Not my enormous junk?” he smirked lecherously enough to make her chuckle, his chest over-pouring with love.

  “I see that concussion didn’t dampen your ego.”

  Those words, bigger than anything either have ever spoken before, bounced between them as if they’re the only words they can speak anymore. Fucks sake, he was happy.

  Grinder moaned them.

  Luxe begged them.

  Inside feral kisses that tasted like forever.

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  “My old lady is a volatile thief. I win.” - Grinder

  A burly shadow filled the hospital room doorway several hours later. Grinder had no idea of the time, Luxe had confiscated his cell phone one of the boys dropped off so he’d sleep. With her curled up against his ribs, her bare feet tucked into his calf and her hand rested on his belly he’d only dozed a little.

  He had too much on his aching mind.

  The nurse had checked on him a bit ago to give him pain pills, eyed Luxe on the bed and he only shook his head. There was no removing his woman. He needed her where he could see her. Still not recovered from seeing her there tonight, or was it yesterday now? Fuck knows.

  On one end of the spectrum his girl loved him. The other was going to be the fallout of just what Rider had to agree to for Grinder to be here holding his girl. Fuck.

  There was no panic seeing the body in the doorway. Grinder recognized the man. “Pop. I told you I was good, you didn’t have to come.” He spoke quietly. The only light came from a small yellow lamp hung above his head.

  “I hear my boy is in the hospital, you think I’m staying home to grill steaks? Your uncle is parking the Rig. I had to stop your aunts from coming, they’ll fuss over you at home, fair warned.” Dylan Frazier was a gruff, gentle graying man of sixty and Grinder smiled as his Pop leaned over and kissed his forehead like he was four years old again. “Rider said you’re doing okay. You can tell me all about it.” His eyes flit to Luxe and Grinder found himself inhaling pride for his girl, dying to introduce her but that would have to wait, she was exhausted and he wasn’t waking her if he could help it. “First, you can tell me all about this lovely girl. She’s yours, I take it?”

  Emotion caught at Grinder unexpectedly. His arm tightened around her. She stirred but didn’t wake. “Yeah, she’s mine. This is Luxe, Pop. She’s a firecracker.”

  His dad chuckled pulling the chair nearer to the bed. “The good ones usually are, Son. Keeps you busy.” He smiled sadly. They were both thinking of his mom. Grinder had thought he’d dealt with her leaving them both all those years ago and then dying suddenly in a car accident a few years after t
hat, but it had taken loving Luxe to realize he’d only masked it in the club, in his shady work, booze, women, anything so he didn’t attach himself to anyone else.

  Was that the same way for his dad, he wondered? He’d never remarried. Only had a handful of not so serious girlfriends over the years. Was he still pining for the lost love? Fuck, he hoped not. It twisted his guts. His dad was still young enough to have that someone special in his life. Loving Luxe was opening his damn idiot eyes to a lot of new things.

  “She’s moving in.” He announced.

  “In that tiny shithole you call a condo?” Grinder grinned. His dad said it like it was. The condo wasn’t good enough for his girl, he agreed. “We’ll house hunt for something better. Jerry knows a guy.” His uncle knew a guy for everything. No doubt he’d get Grinder a good deal. And that was fine by him.

  “Despite you looking like ground beef, you look happy.” He noted quietly. Those dad eyes of his saw everything.

  Luxe stirred once again in her sleep, her hand pushing through the blanket he had over her and crawled up his chest until her fingers were touching the side of his neck, she settled and resumed her sleep.

  His dad watched it all.

  “Yeah, I am.” He really was.

  Being in love with a thief never felt so good.

  ******

  A few miles away inside the Renegade Souls compound two serious presidents conversed.

  "I helped get your boy back, I hope you know we're square now, Rider, you don't have a favor to call in anymore."

  Rider's jaw was granite tight, he felt the relief ease from his shoulders that they'd found Grinder relatively in one piece, thankfully still fucking breathing. It could have so easily gone the other way, an all-out bloodbath and high body count. Too much death and carnage this last year without bringing a new gang war.

  He wasn’t ready for that.