Finally.
I didn’t regret riding all night to get back to her. She was mine, after all. Protecting her was my responsibility. Fuck, that’s what I thought I’d been doing in the first place by leaving. Now, I realized the best way to do that was to keep her close.
It was a hell of a better option.
Christ, the woman got under my skin like no other. I’d fought my every instinct for as long as I could remember. It was only now, finally claiming her, that I felt… right.
“You went after him,” Max stated, his expression neutral but his clenched jaw betraying the emotion underneath. Max was as close to a brother as I’d ever have and one of the few that knew of my nearly lifelong mission for vengeance.
“I did,” I agreed. “Got a line on him just south of here. It’s the only thing I would have left town for. But the man’s like a goddamn ghost.” I growled in frustration. “I went solo because I didn’t want to pull you guys into my shit.”
“There’s no such thing as just your shit,” Cole reminded me. “There’s just ours. It’s how we operate. You know this.”
I did know it. But I’d held back a part of myself from the club all along, knowing this vendetta was mine alone.
But maybe it didn’t have to be. Maybe it shouldn’t be.
“If I had known, I would have never left Emmie,” I lamented.
“You took precautions. We had it covered,” Max assured me. “She was never in danger. I think the main danger is to you, trying to convince my sister to trust you.” He grinned, clearly enjoying himself. “Can’t protect you from that, brother.”
“I’m more than aware of what I’m up against,” I assured him. “She is mine, after all.”
Cole raised an inquiring brow. “She know that?”
A rumble of laughter followed from the surrounding men. Half of them had been in a similar situation with their women at one point.
“If she doesn’t already, she will,” I assured him, unbothered by their ribbing and sure it wouldn’t be the last of it. As much as it came across as lighthearted now, I also knew they needed reassurance, and to that end, I offered it. “I’m going to take care of her.”
Cole nodded. “Glad to hear that. She deserves it. What’s your next move?”
“Other than sleep?” I chuckled. “I’ll get Emmie and me sorted. I’m gonna stay at the house,” I explained, referring to my childhood home, “take a few days. I need to share everything with Em, but I think her head’s still reeling. Then,” I shrugged, “I keep hunting.”
“You mean, we,” Cole corrected.
I met his solemn gaze. “We,” I agreed. “I’ll get you all briefed in a few days.”
“I’m gonna give you some advice you’re not asking for.” Max spoke up. “Em is stubborn. You know this. When it comes to you, you’ve been part of causing that,” he added seriously, stating something I deserved to hear. “She’s gonna put walls up; she’s gonna try to box you out. You need to push through, push hard, and don’t give up.”
“I won’t,” I swore, knowing this wasn’t my best friend talking to me. It was my girl’s older brother.
“Sounds good.” Max clapped me on the back, lecture complete. “Glad you’re back, brother.”
“Me too,” I agreed, turning to head for the main room to get my stubborn, incredibly gorgeous, passionate woman and prove I was ready to deal with all that was her.
Chapter 8
EMMIE
“I’m sorry, what?” I demanded incredulously as I looked up at Gunner from my seat on the couch at the club.
His dark eyes flashed. “I said, you’re staying with me,” he repeated. “And, baby, gotta say, love your stubborn streak, but I’m tired as hell. Can we fight about this later?”
“How about you drop me at Max’s and we don’t fight about this at all?” I challenged with a raised brow. I knew it was too much to hope I could go back home.
Max cleared his throat, and I shot him a glare, predicting that I wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. “Em, you’re always welcome. But if you stay, I have a feeling that means Gun’s staying too. Which means we’ll have another night of four mastiffs and Rosie under one roof.”
“I’m not staying where you aren’t,” Gunner confirmed, his eyes on me.
For a moment I looked around me in bafflement, taking in the stifled grins of Cole and Max and the wink Wren shot me.
“Is there anyone on my side?” I demanded in frustration.
Gunner kneeled down so he was eye to eye with me. “Me. Always me.”
His quiet declaration, so simple yet raw and in front of two of my brothers no less, gave me no choice but to agree. It was quite possibly more pivotal than anything we’d shared that morning,
His expression warmed at my silent nod. “Alright, baby, let’s hit it.” He stood up, taking my hand before delivering a chin lift to my brothers and guiding me out to his massive black truck where Shadow and Ripper waited.
“My truck….” I pointed to where my truck, so small compared to his, sat parked.
“Don’t need it.” He shook his head, walking me over to the passenger side and guiding me in. He put his hand to the back of my neck and kissed me, fast and firm. “You’re not leaving my sight.”
My stunned silence lasted most of the drive as we took the interstate and headed north.
His gaze shot continually to the rearview mirror, undoubtedly ensuring we weren’t being followed. I didn’t need to ask him if we were safe; I trusted him to make it so.
When we pulled down the driveway of his childhood home, I looked over at him questioningly.
“Got rid of my place in town. I’ve already got security set up here but will be beefing it up the next few days. I’ve moved a lot of my shit in already. You okay with this?”
“The house? Yeah,” I answered. The living situation, not as much.
“You’re quiet,” he observed as we walked in through the kitchen, an open-concept space with outdated appliances and a butcher block counter. He disarmed the alarm before turning his full attention back to me.
“I’m just trying to figure out who you are,” I murmured truthfully as I began wandering the space. I hadn’t been inside the house for years and admired the large living room before wandering down the hall, where I discovered an office behind the first door on the right outfitted like a command center, with what looked like enough security cameras to protect the queen. The second bedroom was fairly sparse, with some workout equipment and a futon. The door at the end of the hall revealed the master, a large bedroom with a king-sized bed and en-suite bathroom. The room was feminine, and I assumed unchanged from when his mother had lived here.
“I’m the same man I’ve always been.” His deep voice rumbled from behind me, his lips skimming my neck as I shivered in response.
“I don’t think I know who that is,” I admitted.
He turned me to face him, his large hands framing my face as he stared down at me. “You’re the only one that I want to.”
I put my hands over his, taking in his tired eyes. There was so much to talk about, but now wasn’t the time. Not when he was dead on his feet. “Why don’t you sleep for a while? I can go watch some TV or something.”
He took my hand, pulling me toward the bed. “Lie down with me.” He pulled the comforter back before sitting on the edge of the bed to unlace his boots.
“I think I’ll just—” I squeaked as his arms shot out, pulling me down onto the bed and into his arms.
I breathed in his delicious scent, his strong arms enveloping me as my face pressed to his firm chest, and I lost all desire to argue. I had a million questions—everything had seemingly changed overnight between us—but being in his arms felt right in a way nothing else did.
My body softened against his, and I told myself I’d just lie there for a few minutes. But as his breathing slowed, his chest rising and falling against my cheek, I was soon following him into sleep.
* * *
<
br /> When I woke up, I couldn’t remember where I was. Then I took in the wallpapered walls and the strong, warm body behind me.
Gunner’s arm was draped over my waist, keeping me close even in sleep. I had no idea what time it was, but the muted light led me to believe it was close to evening. I couldn’t believe how long we’d slept. My rumbling belly reminded me that I’d barely eaten all day.
I carefully extracted myself from his embrace, sitting on the edge of the bed and staring down at his handsome face, softened with sleep.
I shook my head, looking to clear the Gunner fog, and stood on stiff legs, hoping the kitchen was stocked.
A quick glance out the window showed both dogs wandering the property, taking their job as guard dogs seriously as I made my way to the fridge. I wasn’t surprised to find it mostly empty; he’d just gotten back in town. After rummaging in the pantry, I found the makings for rice and beans. Simple, but my growling belly didn’t seem to care.
I popped open one of the beers in the fridge and set about making enough dinner for the both of us.
“You didn’t have to cook.” His voice had me jumping in surprise just as I was about to check on the rice. I looked over, finding him leaning against the doorframe, a slow smile spreading across his face.
“You scared me,” I accused, hand over my heart.
“I can see that.” He chuckled as he pushed off the doorframe and stalked in my direction. “You should have woken me up,” he chided.
“Seemed like you needed your sleep,” I murmured, watching as he disarmed the alarm and opened the door to let the dogs in. “I would have done that, but I didn’t know the code,” I explained.
He nodded in understanding before looking curiously at the pots and pans. “Wondering what you could have possibly come up with. There’s nothing here. I haven’t had a chance to get to the store.”
I shrugged. “Rice and beans. And you’ve got beer. As far as I’m concerned, all the major food groups are covered.”
He laughed again, the sound low and rich. I’d forgotten how much I loved it. “True. And I think I even have coffee. As long as you can drink it black, we’ll survive long enough to get into town tomorrow.”
“How long do you think I’ll need to stay here?” I asked absently as I stirred the beans. Having been raised in the club, I was accustomed to danger cropping up now and then. That was familiar territory. Gunner taking a claim on keeping me safe was not.
“So anxious to escape?” he asked as he grabbed his own beer from the fridge.
His question, so close to what I’d just endured, to the nightmares that still plagued me, had me dropping the spoon, ice sliding through my veins as my mind drifted to a nightmare far beyond his four walls.
The acrid smell stung my nostrils. Layla’s panicked face was my focus as the plan we’d hatched came to a speedy reality.
Footsteps sounded outside the shed.
Layla stood up and positioned herself behind the door as I lay prone on the ground in plain sight.
When the door opened and Marty’s accomplice stepped fully into the shed, Layla waited a beat and then swung with all her might, cracking him across the back of his head. He grunted, collapsing on the ground.
“We have to run,” she commanded urgently as I scrambled to stand up.
We emerged into the dwindling daylight, a quick sweep of the area revealing us to be in some sort of remote wooded area.
We didn’t spare longer than a second before we were off running.
“Stop!” Marty’s irate bellow sounded as gunfire cracked through the air, a bullet whizzing past my head.
“Em? Emmie?” Gunner’s demand was distant, as though through water, as I blinked rapidly, trying to shake myself from the realm I’d been transported to.
I looked at him, tears swimming in my eyes. “I left her. I can’t believe I left her.”
His gaze softened with sympathy as he took me in his arms. “Baby, it wasn’t your fault. You went to find help. You saved her.”
I shook my head frantically. “I could have fought harder. I could have done more. It’s what haunts me more than anything,” I lamented.
He pressed the back of my head more firmly into his chest. “Baby, if you had stayed, you both could have died,” he argued, his chin resting at the top of my head as he held me close. “You did the right thing.” For a moment he just held me, subtly swaying us back and forth. “Have you seen her?” he asked finally.
“Layla? No.” I sniffled. “We’ve texted, but I haven’t seen her. I guess I’ve avoided her out of guilt. And then, with you gone, her husband had to tail me all over the place… taking him away from her and Riley,” I exclaimed in frustration.
“Cash was happy to do it,” he replied evenly. “It’s why you slept so long today,” he surmised. “You haven’t been sleeping.”
“Not well,” I admitted grudgingly as the timer dinged, alerting me that the rice was done.
“Let’s eat,” I declared, sensing he needed the distraction. “I’m starving.”
His dark eyes shot to me with concern, and he nodded. “I’ll get the bowls.”
We situated ourselves on the couch, bowls in hand, and Gunner found the remote, flipping on the TV.
We ate our dinner in silence, watching the random movie he’d flipped to.
“Are you moving in here permanently?” I asked after I’d set my bowl on the coffee table and couldn’t bear the weight of the questions in my mind any longer. I figured I’d start with the easiest.
He set his own bowl on the coffee table before leaning back against the couch, his muscular thighs spread, eyes on me.
“Em, you have questions, but I gotta know. Are you really ready for the answers?”
I looked at the mindless action movie on the screen. “Maybe not, but does it really matter at this point?”
“Yes, it fucking matters,” he snarled, turning the TV off as I looked over at him in surprise. “You were just kidnapped. You’re not sleeping, having nightmares. You clearly don’t trust me yet—not that I’ve done anything to help that. So, yes, it fucking matters. I’ve had a lot of time to think about this. Maybe too much time,” he muttered to himself, “and what I know is that I’m done pretending. I’m done keeping space between us. That doesn’t fucking work for either of us. But I also know that we might not be on the same page yet. That doesn’t leave you with much control. So, the pace we go from here is up to you. We have time, Emmie. I’ll make sure of it.”
His declaration, so fierce with sincerity, served as a needle pulling at my thread. “I do trust you, Gunner,” I shared honestly. “Maybe that’s part of what scares me so much.”
“Why?” he demanded.
I snorted. “Why? Maybe because all you ever did was criticize or tease me? Maybe because you’ve chased every suitable boyfriend away but treated me like shit yourself until recently. Then I find out you have this past—something I know nothing about—and who knows what else, and still I sleep better than I have in years because I’m with you!” I exploded.
I didn’t get another word out before his body was overtaking mine, pressing me into the couch as his mouth took mine.
“I love you, Emmie. I’ve always fucking loved you,” he breathed between searing kisses that made my heart pound and knees weak.
Had he just said he loved me? Holy hell. The things he was doing to me made it hard to process his words.
My thighs opened to him, my ankles pressing against his calves as he pressed into me, groaning with pleasure and restraint. “I won’t take you until you trust me, until you understand.”
“Please,” I begged, needing him to ease the ache inside me.
“Come here,” he commanded, knifing off the couch and pulling me into his arms. He stalked to the bedroom and laid me down on the bed with a care that opposed the intensity of his gaze.
I looked up at him, lost to need and confusion and wanting him to take the lead. Luckily, I didn’t need to wait long.
<
br /> Before I could utter a word, he was sliding my jeans down my legs, followed by my panties.
When he kneeled on the floor, his face at my core, I was too far gone to feel shy. I just needed him.
“Fuck, I’ve waited so long to taste you, baby,” he revealed before I felt his tongue take a long, luxurious lick.
My hips rose from the bed as a keening sound left my lips, his hands coming to either side of my waist, holding me in place as he devoured me.
I’d never been this wanton, this undone as my fingers dug into his forearms, begging for more.
His tongue was pure sin as it swept over my core, focusing on my bundle of nerves, causing a deep flush to break out over my entire body.
“Give it to me. Fuck, but I need it,” he breathed against my center as my thighs squeezed around his head, needing more friction.
Luckily, he answered, taking my clit between his lips and sucking greedily, taking me over the edge so quickly, I could only cry out in shock and relief as I spiraled into orgasm.
He licked at my inner thighs, biting gently as I fought for breath, staring up at the ceiling as I recovered.
He moved up my body, collapsing at my side, slinging an arm over my belly and pulling me close. “You taste better than I could have ever fucking hoped. Goddamn,” he rumbled, his lips on my neck.
“Do you… um….” I trailed off uncertainly. The hardness pressed to my hip made it clear he was still raring to go.
“We’ll get to me. Just not tonight. I told you I wanted you to trust me, and I meant it.”
“And I said I did,” I argued.
He chuckled affectionately. “Yeah, well you saying that and then yelling at me about all the other shit I’ve done led me to believe I still have some work to do. And that’s okay. I’m up for it.”
For a moment we lay side by side, staring up at the ceiling. I was grateful for the silence, until I knew I had to break it with an offering of my own.
“I haven’t helped,” I admitted quietly. He made a sound as though to argue, but I held up a hand to stop him. “No, it’s true. I haven’t. You might have tried to keep space between us, you might have chased would-be boyfriends away or given me shit, but I took any inch you created and forced a mile. It just felt… safer. Even though Grace, Liv, all of them have been pointing out what they’ve seen as the obvious for years.”
Gunner (Ride Series Second Generation Book 4) Page 6