Who is it? I was so tired, but I’m pretty sure it was Alpha who crawled into bed with me last night. I don’t think this is him, though. God, I’m already at the point where I don’t know which biker I’ve got in bed with me? What the heck is my life becoming?
But I’m safe and protected. It could be worse.
Sunlight dapples the floor, cutting through the dust covered windows. The smell of wood smoke clings to every surface. It’s past dawn I think, but maybe not by much. All I see outside are the shadows of trees, so who knows? We were all so exhausted last night, it could be morning, could be afternoon, could be two days later.
Whoever’s behind me is big, but he’s not nearly as bulky as Alpha so it has to be Ripper. It’s not like Blade would be in here cuddling with me. I couldn’t even imagine.
Part of me wants to nod off again, to wiggle my backside into the hard body cradling me and pretend we’re on a cabin vacation, not on the run for our lives, but the buzzing anxiety in my brain won’t let me. There’s a violent motorcycle club that’s decided to use me as a tool to get at Dad. No matter how hard I try, I can’t forget, and remembering that makes it hard to go back to sleep, at least now that I’m not completely exhausted.
Soft, sleeping breath stirs my hair, reminding me that I’m not just involved with a biker. I’ve messed around with two! Alpha made me come, and then Ripper and I kissed! Who knows what would’ve happened that morning if Nicky hadn’t called? If Ripper wakes up now, would he do anything with the other guys in the room? He said he’d shared with Alpha before, but with Blade here, they wouldn’t possibly…
Nope, can’t think about that. I gently pull his hand out of my shirt, then roll out of bed before settling it on the mattress behind me. I’m already missing him wrapped around me.
“You’re up.”
I squeak and whirl towards the voice, heart jumping up into my throat at the unexpected voice. Blade’s sitting on a chair in the corner, looking up at me from a worn paperback he took off the cluttered bookshelf in the corner.
He raises an eyebrow. “Did you forget I’m here, too?”
“No! You just startled me. I didn’t think anyone was up.”
“We’ve been taking watch,” he says like I’m stupid. “Our safety depends on each other. Unlike some, we don’t have the luxury of being completely unprepared.”
“I’m not—” Then I remember I’m standing here in just panties and a T-shirt.
His deep blue eyes drag up and down my body. “Looks good, but you’ll get cold riding like that.”
“Oh, shut up. I’m not a biker chick. I run—well,rana bookshop.” I wrinkle my nose at him while I rummage through my bag for a change of underwear. “You might want to turn around if you want me to keep believing you only care about me because Dad gave you an order.”
“I’m loyal, not fucking blind,” he grunts, but he puts his nose back in the book. “I’m just not as easy to lead around by my dick.”
I keep an eye on him while I change, half expecting him to look up right when I’m at my most vulnerable, but he keeps his gaze down until I’m done. “And you think your friends are? You can look now.”
He does, and the look he gives me makes me wonder how I never saw that his smoldering gaze is every bit as hot as Alpha and Ripper’s. “I just know better. Call it experience.”
My stomach rumbles so loud that he raises an eyebrow. “Being on the run sucks. We should’ve grabbed more food.”
He points at his bag with his foot. “There’s a couple bananas and some energy bars in there. Help yourself.”
It’s barely a snack, but we have to share, so I only take one of the bananas and a chocolate chip energy bar. “You’re prepared.”
“Spent a long time alone.”
“I thought you’d been with the Eagles for a long time. How old are you?” I settle into the chair across from him and peel the banana. His eyes flash to my face as I put the tip in mouth. Glaring at him, I snap the tip off with my teeth. His lips curl into a smile, maybe the first I’ve seen. It softens his rough features just a little. Smiling suits him.
“Twenty-eight,” he says with a shrug. “Only been with your dad for about six years.”
“What were you doing before that?”
“Other shit.” He returns his attention to the book.
Fair enough. I’m not about to give him my life story either. I look around the room for something to do until the others wake up. In the corner is one of those ancient TVs that’s as deep as it’s wide, with a big slot underneath it. Wait. “Blade, does that TV work?”
“No fucking idea.”
“But that slot under it, that’s a tape player, right?”
Now he glances up. “Yeah, it is.”