It just so happened that what Gage wanted was to give me multiple orgasms.
And I was totally okay with that.
The next day, I figured out why he’d taken the money so easily.
Well, easily for Gage, at least.
There was a strange man inside my apartment when I got home from work last night. And he wasn’t there to try to kill or kidnap me like Amy was convinced someone would “eventually, because you two have been together for weeks without it happening. It’s an enigma that it’s been this long.”
I’d always thought someone trying to kill or kidnap me was an enigma, not an eventuality. But I hadn’t missed how Gage was always looking around, always checking in. He was waiting for something. Bracing.
I understood it. Because of the club’s past.
They expected the drama.
But for me, Gage was the drama. Living through him. Surviving him.
But obviously he was expecting more. Hence the strange man in my apartment installing the alarm system.
I hadn’t screamed because it was rather obvious what he was doing and who’d directed him to do so. The man sitting casually in my living room reading leisurely.
I dropped my purse to the floor with a thump to get his attention. Though I knew I’d had his attention the second I entered the room.
“Seriously?” I snapped at him as he dog-eared the book and put it down.
“What?”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t play innocent, Gage. You know what.”
He was on his feet and across the room in a blur. “I never play innocent, Will. You know that better than anyone.”
He gripped my hips tightly, his mouth on mine and hungrily kissing me before I could answer.
I blinked a few times once he’d let me go. “You can’t silence me with a kiss,” I snapped, my voice free of the bite I’d intended.
He raised his brow. “Oh, baby, a kiss is the only thing I can silence you with. As soon as my cock is inside you, there’s no silencing you.”
His words were a punch to my stomach. But a good one.
“Gage,” I hissed. “Stop trying to distract me. There’s a man downstairs installing an alarm that I didn’t order or pay for.”
“You did pay for it.”
I jerked. “What do you mean?”
Gage pressed his body against mine so there was no air between us. “I mean I took the check you gave me and gave it to him to purchase the security shit, then install it.”
I gritted my teeth. “You’re impossible.”
The teasing left his eyes with a quickness that chilled my insides. “No, what’s impossible is me trying to live in a world where something happens to you and knowing I didn’t do every fucking thing in my power to prevent that. I’ve seen my brothers go through this shit, babe, and I’m bracing to go through it too. Because with the way we live, bitter and ugly, sweet and beautiful don’t come easy. Without a fight. Without a fucking battle. You’re my battle, and I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure you’re the only battle. So let me fucking install the alarm.”
I let him fucking install the alarm. Because each of his words hit me. Hard. They were saturated in fear. For me.
So I knew me writing a story about one of the biggest drug dealers in Hope and then publishing that story wouldn’t do much for his fear.
But it was something I had to do.
For David.
And I was sure Gage would understand that.
But he would want to do it for me. And he would do it with blood.
That was his vengeance.
The roaring bike acted as an omen.
I’d been so busy fearing his reaction that I didn’t notice the police cruiser pull up half on the sidewalk until the slam of the door drew my attention.
Troy was stalking toward me with a hard jaw and a purpose.
A purpose that was obviously clutching my arms and shaking me.
“Are you insane?” he hissed.
I didn’t answer immediately, shocked at such behavior from Troy.
It wasn’t the pressure but the grip itself. Troy wasn’t a man to touch a woman without permission. I was pretty sure police officers weren’t allowed to do that.
I guessed Troy had read my story too.
The roar of Gage’s motorcycle was louder now, and I didn’t think this was going to end well.
“Lauren,” Troy demanded, shaking me once more.
I tried to wrench from his arms but his grip tightened. “Troy, let me go.”
“Are you determined to end up like all those other women?” he demanded. “I told you I would take care of the dealer. Told you not to do something to put yourself in danger.”
The roar of the bike was now chattering my teeth. I wanted to glance toward it, but I forced myself to meet Troy’s eyes. “I’m not the one in danger right now,” I said, forcing my voice to calm as I saw a flash of black out of the corner of my eye and the roar of the motorcycle was snatched away. “You are if you don’t let me go.”