Okay, maybe it was more for me, something on a deep emotional level.
I felt like I knew Storm. His eyes seemed so familiar when he gazed into mine. The worried tone in his voice when he’d said, “I just want to protect you. Okay?” was like déjà vu. I’d heard those exact words before, and they gave me the same fluttery feelings I’d only ever had with one other person. It was crazy.
I ran my hands over the corded muscles of his broad back down to his ass, trying to spur him on—to get to fucking, but it didn’t seem to work. This man was confusing the hell out of me.
A sudden heaviness crushed my chest. I couldn’t breathe. Guilt crashed down on me as if I was betraying my childhood crush, Kaleb, when there was never anything between him and me. Nothing other than friendship. How could there be? Kaleb, or KC as we all called him, was my brother’s best friend and seven years older than me. But I hadn’t cared. I loved him with all my heart.
All these years later, I had never loved any other guy or felt an ounce of guilt when I was with someone else—like Dane—because they never scratched the surface of my heart, which had always belonged to Kaleb.
As Storm rocked into me, kissing me with so much passion, my heart sang for the first time in twelve years. What was worse? I welcomed the feelings blooming inside me when I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t feel any of this for a man who would never give me what I truly wanted.
The president of an MC wasn’t who I ever saw myself settling down with. What the hell was I doing with Storm? How could I let him slip past my walls?
What was I thinking?
I wanted love, marriage, and children. Those were things Storm would never give me.
But right now, with our bodies connected, his lips devouring mine, I shook the past out of my head. I didn’t care about any of it. I didn’t care about my dreams of a husband and babies.
I only wanted Storm and would take whatever he gave me, today.
Tomorrow I would deal with the realities of our situation. Storm would never be mine the way I wanted him to be. Inevitably, I would end up with a broken heart.
19
Storm
Monday morning, we were inchurch. Not a physical one. It was what we called meetings in a large room inside the clubhouse.Churchhad been held thousands of times since KLMC began. Just as many bottles of whiskey had been enjoyed during those meetings. Not much had changed since I arrived here as a pissed-off, guilt-ridden, newly graduated eighteen year old a dozen years ago.
This room reminded me of my time in the Marines. Bland walls, godawful buzzing fluorescent lights on the ceiling, industrial floor tiles. Cold and sterile. Functional. Pictures lined one wall illustrating the club’s evolution dating back to when Uncle Matt started the chapter with Raul and Justin. Across from me, a massive flat-screen television hung. Grizzly’s desk was off to the side of it. I had some deep conversations with Uncle Matt in here before he died. My brothers and I had had a lot of good times in church. Now wasn’t one of them.
“You’re putting her life in danger.” Track exhaled in frustration.
I cut my eyes to Raul and Boxer. I’d only been back at the club a couple of hours. After being with Madeline, I felt on top of the world, then this motherfucker opened his big mouth. Fortunately, Boxer stayed silent, sitting beside Track.
I stared Track down. I couldn’t think of a single thing to say to counter his statement. Iwasputting Madeline in danger. My bike had been parked in her driveway for two days. I’d fuckin’ put a giant target on her.
Fuck. What was I thinking?
Boxer cleared his throat. “Copper and AJ reported a few Hunters passing by her place and slowing down in front of it.” My enforcer’s jaw clenched as if trying to not unload on me.
“Didn’t you hear their engines? Didn’t you think to check it out?” Track sat forward, bracing his elbows on the table, a concerned expression on his face. I felt like I was getting the third degree. “She’s special. You care about her. I get it. I see it. Bring her to the clubhouse where she can be protected.”
I shook my head. Bring her to the clubhouse? Let her stay with me in my bedroom? Doing that would be monumental—a statement. The club would see her as my old lady, and I wasn’t ready to claim her. I mean, I had. She knew it, I knew it. But I wasn’t prepared to publicly announce it.
“You’re right. I should’ve been more careful.” What else was there to say?
“What are you going to do about it? The Hunters are getting bolder every goddamn day in Winters. Some of the locals are nervous.” Track cracked his neck.
“Look Prez. We need to have eyes there twenty-four seven. On the streets, at some businesses on First Street so we can see what those fuckers are up to.” Boxer’s voice was even, likely trying to keep me from getting defensive. I appreciated his levelheadedness. I didn’t need him giving me shit like Track.
“Grizz has been trying to hack into the town’s security cameras. They’re the toughest he’s seen. You know security isn’t his thing. He’s doing his best.” I rocked my chair, frustrated with myself for being careless with Madeline’s safety.
“Well, brother, it ain’t good enough.” Track paused for a moment. I braced myself, sensing I wasn’t going to like what he said next. “Call your old man, have him send his guy to help Grizz.”
I cut my eyes to Track and slowly shook my head. “I don’t need his help.”
Track let out a long sigh. “You’re not going to Garrison. He’d come here. We need help.”