Captive: A Bodyguard Romance (Hollywood Guardians Book 1)

by Heather Ashley

  Connor's friend—Ronin—bailed back to the hotel with the other guys from his team, so after this impromptu meeting, we were getting the hell out of here. Butterflies had been fluttering in my stomach all day, knowing I'm only hours away from getting the hell out of here for good. Someday, I might come back if only to see my brother. Lola and Tiffany want to be here, and while I'm sad to leave them behind, they can come to visit me at the beach if they want to hang out.

  If I never have to step foot in this place again, I'll be one happy camper. Benson’s just going to have to deal with meeting me somewhere if I ever visit.

  "You've all seen Shadow around the clubhouse, but he's not actually a patched-in member." A low murmur started up, and Ruin's glare narrowed. Grim's hand came to rest on the gun strapped to his thigh. Now that I took a second to look him over, he's in what looks like a tactical outfit—black pants with cargo pockets and a thigh holster with his gun inside. He's in a black henley-style shirt, too, and looks ready and willing to jump into the fray if violence breaks out.

  "Who is he then?" Lyric asks from the front of the room. I've noticed he's sticking close to my brother and his crew, and it makes me happy. I always had a feeling he was a good guy. There are so many who are indifferent, who just want to have a good time, but they're loyal and will absolutely have my brother's back if the situation calls for it.

  This discord the disgraced officers have been injecting into the club is just a goddamn travesty. Even though I hate this place, and the only real fond memories I have are when Connor walked into my life and when I found out Savage—Benson—is my brother, I know it means a lot to him. I don't want to see it fall apart. I'd much rather see it change into something better, and I think Benson can do it.

  I'm shocked to find I not only believe in him but that I'm rooting for him, too.

  Even though he's now the center of attention, Connor's eyes haven't left me once. They're heated but also possessive and protective, and I know if anyone gets too close, he'll be at my side in a second. It gives me such a sense of peace that I can finally relax. I'm not used to it yet, and I have a feeling it might take a while for me to come around to the idea that I can let my guard down sometimes, and I don't always have to assume someone's about to put their hands on me or humiliate or undermine me.

  "He's private security I brought in to help me with a situation that came up," Savage says, simplifying the actual truth of what happened by a lot, but it's really the best way to explain it to everyone. If he told them Connor snuck in here with the help of a member from another chapter, shit would hit the fan.

  There's a different energy in the room when everyone looks at Connor. I don't think they know what to make of him, knowing he's here and in so deep with their club but not one of them. He stands up straighter and, for the first time, moves his eyes off of me while he meets the challenging stares of the other men crowded around Savage and his officers.

  "You don't have to worry about what his presence here means for you because he's done with what he came to do, and he's leaving as soon as this meeting's over." I swear a collective sigh of relief worked through the room, and Connor's lips tilted up in a smirk before he cut his gaze back over to me. I grinned over at him, warmth spreading through my chest as I watched him.

  All these big, bad men thought they were so tough, but my sexy as sin boyfriend and his connections could destroy this place if he wanted to. They were right to be uneasy in his presence. It's because of that I know if anyone dares to try to come for me when we leave here so they can use me against my brother, Connor will make sure they regret it.

  "A couple of months ago, I noticed our runs were short. Money started to dry up when it shouldn't, and as much as I didn't want to admit it, it was clear to me someone inside my own club was fucking us over. At the time, I had no idea who was behind it, so I brought in outside help. It didn't take long for us to figure out it was some of the people who used to lead this club—who should've been the most loyal to what we stand for. Yet, they were the ones stealing from us, undermining the changes that would lessen the risks we take and bring us into the current times instead of living in the past."

  Savage's voice took on a hard quality as he got further into the story, and if I were one of the guys in his club, I'd never even consider screwing with him. He looks scary as fuck up there towering over everyone else with a dark glint in his eye and his whole body coiled and ready to strike.

  His presence combined with Connor and my brother's three officers standing in a row make for a formidable force you'd have to be a moron to mess with.

  "So, as you can see, we're missing a few members. Brutal, Bomber, Poison, and Vandal decided to turn their back on this club and join forces with the Death Kings. We may be known as the Reign of Chaos, but they were trying to stir that shit up within our ranks and undermine my authority as your president so they could take over. That's not fucking happening." He sweeps another glare over the silent crowd.

  I take a quick look at the faces in the room, and people are staring up at him with shock. I don't think anyone expected to hear all the bombs he's dropping on them when they stepped into this room today.

  "As of now, the four traitors to our club are no longer members. You know our traditions, and I hope you all brought your blades," he says, and an enthusiastic shout goes up that makes me wince. Connor raises his eyebrow because he's still watching me, and I shake my head. I'll have to explain later that club tradition for a brother that betrays them means everyone gets their strip of flesh, starting with the ink every member gets when he patches in. If there's anything left of them by the time the president steps up, he takes his literal pound of flesh.

  It's horrifying and bloody, but that's the point. It's supposed to be to discourage people from doing exactly what the four ex-officers did. Too bad I can't even muster up a tiny bit of sympathy for them. They were the leaders of this club once and knew exactly what would happen if they got caught. They thought they were invincible and could take Savage out before it ever got to this point, but my brother's a good leader with a smart and capable team around him. I'm proud to call him family and proud of what he's going to do moving forward.

  Hell, as much as I don't want to see it for myself, I'm proud of him for upholding tradition and giving those pieces of shit exactly what they deserve.

  When the room quiets down again, there's a more feral energy in the air. These guys wouldn't be in this club if they didn't enjoy bloodshed, and it's like they can sense once Savage's speech is over, they get to go unleash their monsters.

  "From now on, we're out of the skin business. We're done with drugs. We make money with guns, and we funnel it into more legitimate shit. I'm not spending the rest of my life in a fucking cell, and you shouldn't want that either. If you have a problem with the changes, too fucking bad. You signed up for this shit for life, and that means you're with us until the end. I suggest you accept what is and reap the rewards of being a member of the Reign of Chaos."

  "ROC! ROC!" the guys chant, and I roll my eyes. Men.

  Savage finds me in the crowd, and while his face is still bathed in shadows, his eyes shine with amusement. I've told him how much I hate this rah-rah club bullshit. He quiets them down by holding up his hand, and the silence is immediate. "One last thing. In case you hadn't heard, Gigi is my sister."

  I shift my weight from foot to foot while dozens of pairs of eyes swivel over to me. Connor immediately starts pushing through the crowd, and he's at my side in less than ten seconds, his hand on my hip and his body shielding my back. When I look up, he's glaring at the entire room like he has no issues taking every single one of them on if they try anything.

  "So, she has the protection of the club, but she's no longer going to be living on club property. If any of you decide to share that information with someone outside of this club or think it would be a good idea to try and use her as leverage over me, let me be the first to tell you you'll find yourself in the shop, hanging by a ho
ok with my knife carving into your skin because you'll be a traitor to this club. Are we fucking clear?" That last bit came out as a half-yell, half-growl that was intimidating as hell. A shiver runs down my spine, and the tiny hairs on my arms stand up. Sometimes I forget about the weight Savage carries around on his shoulders. We're close to the same age, yet he somehow seems so much older with all the responsibility of the club that falls solely on him.

  Shouts of agreement went out, and then Savage jumped down off his box. The crowd parted to let him, Grim, Saint, and Ruin through and out the door to go deliver club justice. I didn't really want to think about it, just grateful that I wasn't ever going to have to deal with Brutal's fists or Poison's leering again.

  "You ready to get the fuck out of here?" Connor asks, leaning down so his lips brush against my ear when he speaks, and a shiver zips down my spine for an entirely different reason this time.

  I spin in his arms and smile up at him, and his eyes shine with amusement and unrestrained want as he watches me. He looks lighter, happier and it's a mirror of what I feel. I can't wait to start my new life with him.

  "More than you can possibly imagine," I say. My fingers find his and weave together, taking off at nearly a jog to go back to my room and finish packing. Connor's already done, and his bags are sitting in my room waiting for us to load them into his truck. His bike's already been lifted into the truck bed, and all we need now is my stuff and to say goodbye to my brother.

  I had my goodbyes with the girls over breakfast. While I don't think I'll be seeing them anytime soon, they know there's an open invitation for them to come visit whenever they want. Even the Cunt Club were cordial this morning, two of them having shared something with me I don't think any of us will ever forget. Even though I don't think we'll ever be friends, we have a bond now from shared trauma that helps us at least understand each other a little bit better.

  When we get to my room, Connor drops down onto the bed, lounging back like we have all the time in the world. Maybe we do; it's not like we have anywhere we really have to be, but I'm anxious to get out of here. Today's the first day I've been in control of where I go and what I do, and I'm itching to exercise my ability to do whatever I want.

  As I shove the last of my clothes in a duffle bag, my eyes wander over Connor's impressive physique, the muscles of his chest and biceps straining his t-shirt. I grin as I imagine all the things I want to do and will now be able to do once we get home and unpack.

  Home. It's weird to say, but it's true. The day I spent in Connor's house on the beach felt more like where I belonged than any other place I'd ever been. I think it had more to do with the company rather than the place, but the ocean view and homey vibe didn't hurt.

  Connor stands up and wraps me in a tight hug like he can read my mind and knows how my heart has decided home is wherever he is. He lowers his lips to mine, brushing a light kiss across my mouth before straightening up and looking around the room. He doesn't let me go, though, and I snuggle in closer, inhaling deeply and basking in his woodsy scent. We have a long drive ahead of us, and I need to get my fill of him before we go.

  "If you forget anything, I'm sure Benson will ship it to you." His gravelly voice rumbles, and I can feel it in my cheek where it rests against his chest.

  He peels himself away, stepping back and looking down into my eyes. He stares at me like he's searching for the answer to a question he hasn't asked yet. "You're sure you want to do this with me? I could take you anywhere you want to go, no strings."

  He's saying the right things, or maybe the things he thinks are right, but his eyes are guarded and hopeful. I know he wants this relationship between us, and honestly, I want it, too. I don't think I've ever wanted anything more, and that includes getting out of this place. If I had to choose between being with Connor but having to stay here forever or getting to be free but having to let him go, well, I'd be living my life in a shitty motorcycle clubhouse in the middle of the desert, and I'd find a way to be happy about it.

  Like I said, home is wherever Connor is.

  "I've been trapped my whole life, but being with you isn't a trap. It's freedom. It's indulgence and liberation, and salvation. You're my salvation, Connor. I love you, and there is nothing in this world that I would choose over a life with you. So, yes, I'm sure I want to go home with you and start our life together, and I swear to God if you ask me again, I'm going to take you down to that basement of yours and show you exactly how much we have in common." I narrow my eyes at him, daring him to call my bluff, and all I get in return is a low chuckle and a gleam in his eye that makes my thighs clench in anticipation.

  "Fair enough," he finally says and leans down to lift my bag up onto his shoulder. Almost everything else was loaded into the truck this morning, so there's not much to carry downstairs. I'm anxious to get on the road, and when we get downstairs, and I look around and don't see my brother, I'm tempted to just say fuck it and go.

  It's not like I'm never going to see him again. Really, this isn't goodbye, more like see you later. Connor must see the expression on my face because he shakes his head. "Savage will be pissed if you leave and don't at least say goodbye."

  I scowl at his back as he carries my bag outside, but I know he's right. Torturing and murdering your enemies can't take that long, right?

  On that note, I pretend I don't hear the screams coming out of the shop, and not for the first time in my time here do I see how ideal it is for the Reign of Chaos to have their headquarters so far out here in the desert.

  "Are you sure you have to go?" Lola asks, coming up beside me and looking out the window toward the garage, where I was lost in thought.

  I snort, and it makes her giggle. "Okay, I know you do, but I'm really going to miss you. Who's going to keep the three Cs plus Jade in line? We need your feistiness to stand a chance."

  "You know how it works, Lola. My brother will need some new girls to offset all this negative drama and bring some positivity back into the club. You'll have fresh meat soon, and when you do, you make sure to take them under your wing before the Cunt Club get their claws in them."

  She gives me a watery smile, and I wrap her up in a tight hug, feeling grateful I've had her for the past couple of years. Before Lola came along, my life was a whole lot more lonely. "You'll text me, right? And come for a visit?"

  "Be careful, Gigi. Living right on the beach, you're going to end up with a new roommate if you keep offering for me to come stay with you. I might never go home." She stands up and winks before sauntering off toward the bar. A pang of guilt hits me in the gut as I realize Lola's going to have to pick up my slack when I'm gone, and I decide to talk to my brother before we go about getting some new girls to help out. It's not fair she should have to suffer because I'm leaving.

  My gaze drifts back out the window, and I wonder what's going on out in the garage, but I can't bring myself to go out there. I know whatever it is, once I see it, I won't be able to forget, so I'm choosing not to look. Connor doesn't seem to have the same reservations as I do because I watch him move from his truck over to the building and slip inside. I know he's out for blood for the things the four of them did to me, and maybe it'll ease some of his guilt to see them punished for everything they did.

  I'm caught up in daydreaming about sitting on the beach, sketching the sunset tonight when all the ROC guys start filing out of the garage. I'm assuming they're done, and the last ones out are Savage and Connor followed by Grim, Ruin, and Saint. Not one of the men who exit the building is clean, all of them soaked in blood, including my boyfriend.

  It's an odd contradiction—splashes of blood and satisfied smiles. My brother has a lightness about him that all his officers and Connor seem to share now that it's done, and the men who've been betraying him in the worst way for months have been dealt with.

  The bar fills up quickly, and the men take turns in the bathroom scrubbing the blood from their fingers, but no one bothers to change their clothes. It's like a badge of ho
nor to wear a traitor's blood, and they toast each other in a rowdy celebration. Tonight will get loud and obnoxious, and I can't wait to get out of here.

  Savage walks across the room with a swagger and confidence I'm glad to see on him again. It's been a while, and now that it's gone, I can see how much tension he's been carrying since Devil died. Connor follows behind him but, after a quick kiss to my temple, excuses himself to the bathroom to scrub his hands. I raise my eyebrow at my brother, surprised they let him participate in a club ritual.

  He shrugs. "He earned it."

  I roll my eyes because I don't think I'll ever understand the unwritten rules men like my brother and Connor live by when it comes to things like honor, loyalty, and retribution. "Promise me you'll get more of your club girls in here. It's not right that Lola's going to have to pick up the slack when I'm gone. You know the other girls never help out."

  It's his turn to roll his eyes, and it makes me laugh. Savage isn't usually the type to show attitude like this. "Fine, but only as long as you text me when you get there and once a day so I know you're alive."

  I narrow my eyes at him because we both know he's going to be keeping tabs on me through Connor, but I'll let him keep pretending I don't know that he's massively overprotective, and I won't admit that I secretly like it. "Deal." I hold out my hand for him to shake but quickly pull it back, remembering the blood coating his fingers.

  He holds up his hand, and we both look at it. "Their pleading was pathetic after everything they did to this club and to you. I like to think they were filled with regret at the end." The smile he gives me is all death and vengeance wrapped in a handsome facade.

  "Thank you for that," I say, gesturing to his hand, and he chuckles darkly, the way I imagine the devil would if he were real. Then again, maybe he is, and he's standing right in front of me. It's hard to say.