I shook it. “You have?” I asked in a startled voice.
“Yes. I’m the club’s lawyer, so when Ink told us about the Devil Riders being at the casino, I was on high alert. That’s my domain. Are you okay now?” she asked sincerely.
“Yes, I’m feeling better, more worried about Ink, he’s the one who got messed up,” I said guiltily.
“Don’t worry about Ink, he’s going to be okay. He’s got you covered. He’s really into you, you know.” Mia’s eyes sparkled as she said it.
It made me feel good inside to hear Ink talking about me to his friends. “I’m into him too. He saved my life, and thank you. I don’t know if I deserve it. I messed up and now, I’m in trouble and so are you guys. I don’t know how to repay you.” I sighed with a heavy heart.
Mia leaned towards me. “None of these guys are actually saints, it’s just the name. Nobody is judging. You did what you had to do.” She flashed a huge smile at me.
I felt the weight slide off my back. I was being accepted. I finally I felt like I could stop running.
I played a couple of games of pool and got to meet the infamous Chalk. He was as good as Ink described him. He gave me some pointers to get sharper with my game and I found that I really liked his speed. We talked about tactics for sharking people. A pool hustler and a former card shark. Made sense we would get along.
“I admire you, Jaz. You’re a survivor. Ink talks about you a lot and he doesn’t talk about women, hardly ever,” Chalk admitted.
More indications that Ink cared about me. I looked over at the bar and caught his eye. We had this thing, Ink and I. All we needed was a look to know how we felt inside.
Yeah Jaz, this can be home for you. Try it.
I waited until Ink finished his shift and left with him wrapping my arm around his back as we walked to his bike. His hand tightened around mine as we stopped there.
“I saw you getting to know everyone. You looked perfect tonight, Jaz. You fit in brilliantly.” He slipped his hand around the nape of my neck and massaged it.
“I should be doing that to you,” I mumbled with a groan as I closed my eyes and reveled in his touch.
“You can repay me later, don’t worry,” he said as his sexy eyes lit up under the streetlights.
I giggled. This big, powerful man made me feel secure, sexy and safe. I wanted more with him, but didn’t know how to tell him. I was out of my depth on this one. “Does it hurt, baby?” I lightly touched his jaw as he stroked my arm. I leaned over the back of the bike and he stood in front of me. He smelled of a mixture of leather, soap and the faint scent of alcohol. All of his scents were like heaven to me.
“Not when you touch it. Looks worse than what it is,” he replied quietly.
His piercing eyes burned into my soul. When we arrived back at his house, I sank into the couch beside him and immediately laid my head onto his shoulder.
His large arm wrapped around me like a cradle. “The Devil Riders knew to come after you because the Road Warriors sent them in to look for you. Remember the 100K you fleeced?” Ink relayed the information in a soft, calm voice.
His tone threw me off as my heart started to pound and I tried to sit up. He eased me back down under his arm.
I trembled. “I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know they owned it,” I said in a panicky voice.
“I told you I got you. The whole club has. Kind of my fault too. I triggered them when I asked the casino about you. They must have kept digging after I told them it wasn’t you.” He turned his face to me and kissed my temple. He linked his fingers through mine and pulled one of my fingers into his mouth.
I felt an electrical circuit run through my body with his touch as my finger slipped out of his mouth. I started to pant lightly. “If you say so…” I felt too turned on to be panicked. I guessed that’s why he did it. I composed myself for a minute. “I’m just glad to be on the other side now. I’m ready to catch the bad guys.”
He chuckled. “Are you doing it because you want to Jaz, or because of me?”
I considered this for a moment as I splayed my fingers over his chest. “No, I’m doing it for me.”
“Hey, can I ask you a question?” he asked softly.
“What?” I asked, looking up at him as we laid in one another’s arms.
“If you want to be with me,” he said, gently rubbing his thumb over my hand, as my throat choked up. “Come towards me, Jaz. Not away from me. I know you care about me,” he said passionately.
This was the moment I’d wanted, I just had to get the words out. “I do, I’m just overwhelmed. So much. I want to be with you. I don’t want to mess up your life,” I admitted my insecurities to him, hoping it would be enough.
He tilted my chin to make me look at him. “Hey, there’s nothing you can do to mess it up. It’s my choice to be with you. I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you in the casino. Just took me a little while.” He smirked.
“Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I said softly as I lightly kissed his lips.
“You’re like wildfire to my soul and I love it. Never change, Jaz. Now how about that favor you owe me?”
I giggled as he hoisted me over his shoulder and took me to the bedroom to rumble in the sheets.