Scorched King (Outlaw Justice #5)

Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Sasha

Another long restless night had me clicking through channels in the pre-dawn hours, finding nothing to hold my interest. Reality shows, infomercials, reruns of sitcoms I’d seen a hundred times before—it was all mind-numbing garbage. I was about ready to fling the little piece of plastic across the room, my frustration building with each useless press of the buttons. Even the news channels were recycling the same stories I’d watched yesterday.

I'd fallen asleep under Jeanne's watchful eye. Now she dozed in the chair across from the bed, her medical bag still perched at her feet. Her head was tilted at what had to be an uncomfortable angle, and a small frown creased her forehead even in sleep. I felt a twinge of guilt knowing she was only here because of me, forced to sleep in that stiff-backed chair instead of her own bed at home.

I still couldn’t believe I was in JD’s bed. It seemed like a momentous occasion that he’d allowed me into his inner sanctum like this, but without him here it felt—hollow. The sheets still smelled like him, a mix of leather and that spicy cologne he always wore, but it only served to remind me how absent he was. I ran my fingers over the soft cotton, wondering how many nights he’d spent here alone, planning and scheming for the club. The room itself was surprisingly sparse for a man of his position, but then again, JD had never been one for unnecessary luxuries.

I pushed the covers away and swung my legs over the side, wincing slightly at the movement before looking down at my side. The memory hit me like a slap— I’d been buck fucking naked when the entire MC had basically crashed into my bathroom and stopped Cash from killing me. I flushed deeply at the picture I must have presented, vulnerable and exposed in every possible way.

It shouldn’t have bothered me, not really. As a former stripper at the MC’s club, each and every one of them had seen me without clothes many times, dollar bills tucked into g-strings and all. But this still seemed different, more raw and intimate with my scars on full gory display.

Back then I’d been in control of how and who saw me. I took the job, I chose the outfits, designed the choreography and made damn sure that what they saw of me was the very best— all glitter and grace under carefully controlled lighting. Tonight had been something else entirely.

I glanced at the clock to see it was after five in the morning, the red digital numbers glowing accusingly in the darkness. Make that last night. We were now well into the next day and JD had yet to return from his club business. The silence in his cabin felt heavy, making every small sound seem amplified. I tiptoed across the room into the bathroom, wincing as my bare feet hit the cold tile floor, and quickly took care of business before washing my hands. The face that stared back at me in the mirror looked tired, with dark circles beginning to form under my eyes from the lack of sleep.

When I looked closer, I got the first real look at what had happened to me as evidenced by the ugly purple and blue bruise marks wrapping around my neck like a macabre necklace.

My stomach lurched at how close I'd come to dying, bile burning the back of my throat. I remembered that terrible feeling of not being able to breathe, my lungs burning for air, and the pure, primal fear that came with knowing these might be my final moments. But I also remembered being pissed as hell that it was Cash’s smug, betraying face that I would last see in this world. The memory of his cold eyes and twisted smile made my hands shake with rage, even now.

I'd almost died without telling JD how I really felt. Who was I kidding though—he knew. Had to. I was the worst at keeping secrets, especially when it came to my emotions. I’d always worn them on my sleeve for everyone to see.

All the club ladies used to tease me mercilessly about how my face would light up whenever JD walked into a room, or how I’d stutter and fumble my words if he got too close. Even while working the poker club floor as the perfect hostess, one look from those intense eyes had me blushing like a schoolgirl.

But there was a difference between him knowing and me actually saying the words out loud, letting them hang in the air between us, making them real.

Life was too short for fear. I'd cheated death enough times to know better than to waste it. After the explosion at the casino, and barely making it out alive, I’d realized just how fragile everything was. Each breath was a gift, and here I was, still dancing around my feelings like some timid little mouse. The scars on my body were a constant reminder that tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed, and I was tired of letting fear hold me back.

“You okay, baby girl?”

I sucked in a breath at the sound of JD’s voice as he knocked on the closed bathroom door. My hands gripped the edge of the sink, knuckles turning white as his deep, gravelly tone sent shivers racing down my spine. Even through the solid wood barrier between us, his presence was overwhelming, making my heart race like it always did when he was near.

“Come in here,” I called out, my voice shakier than I wanted it to be.

The door creaked open and JD filled the frame, his massive shoulders blocking most of the light from the bedroom. Blood stained his white t-shirt, and his knuckles were raw and split. The sight of him, dangerous and powerful, should have scared me. Instead, my heart raced for entirely different reasons.

“Cash won’t be a problem anymore.” His eyes fixed on the bruises circling my neck, jaw clenching tight enough to crack teeth.

“Good.” I turned to face him fully. “Are we finally going to talk about us now?”

JD’s shoulders slumped, the tough exterior cracking just enough to show the exhausted man beneath. “Sasha…”

“No.I’m done dancing around this. And if we’ve learned anything today, it’s that we can’t wait anymore. I love you. I’ve loved you since that first night in the club kitchen when you made me that sandwich. Maybe even before that.” I stepped closer, close enough to smell the leather and gunpowder on him. “And I know you feel something too. But it’s time to do something about it. Either we cut and run or stand and face it. Which one is it going to be?”

He shoved his hand in his hair before bringing it down to scrub over his face. “You weren’t supposed to love me. I’m too old for you. Too damaged.” His hand reached up, hovering near my cheek, but not quite touching. “After losing Malia…”

“I’m not Malia.” I caught his hand and pressed it to my face, letting his calloused palm warm my skin. The roughness of his fingers reminded me of everything he was. A warrior, a protector, a man who’d seen too much pain. But also a man who deserved love more than most. “I’m not asking you to forget her,” I said on a whisper. “I’m not asking you to erase the past or pretend it didn’t happen. I’m asking you to make room for me too. To let yourself feel something new, something different because you deserve it. Because I deserve it.”

His thumb stroked across my cheekbone, rough and gentle all at once. “The club?—”

“Is your family. I know. Let me be part of that family. Really part of it, not just as some girl you think you have to protect.”

JD’s other hand found my waist, dragging me closer. “You’ve never been just some girl, Sasha. That’s what scares the hell out of me. Always has, always will.”

I stared up into JD’s dark eyes, my heart hammering against my ribs. His hands were still on me, one cupping my face, the other gripping my waist like he couldn’t decide whether to pull me closer or push me away. The bathroom felt too small with his massive frame taking up most of the space, the air electric between us.

“You scare the hell out of me too,” I whispered, placing my hand over his heart. The steady thump beneath my palm matched the rapid beat of my own. “Every time you leave, I wonder if you’ll come back. Every time you look at me like this, I forget how to breathe.”

His thumb traced along my jaw, lingering at the corner of my mouth like an unspoken promise. “I can’t give you what you deserve.”

“I don’t want what you think I deserve.” I pressed closer, feeling the heat radiating off his body. “I just want you. Just as you are. The good, the bad, all of it.”

“The things I’ve done tonight…” His voice dropped lower, rougher. “The blood on these hands?—”

“Is from protecting your family.” I lifted his other hand from my waist, examining the split knuckles. “From protecting me. If you thought I would question what had to be done about Cash, you’re wrong. I trust you did what was necessary. It’s your business.”

JD’s breath hitched as I pressed my lips to his damaged knuckles, tasting copper and salt. His fingers curled into a fist under my mouth, but I didn’t stop, kissing each bruised knuckle in turn.

“Sasha.” My name came out like a prayer and a curse wrapped into one. “Baby, you need to stop.”

“Why?” I looked up through my lashes, still holding his fist to my lips. “Because you’re afraid you’ll finally give in?”

His other hand slid from my face to the back of my neck, careful of the bruises Cash had left. “Because once I start, I won’t be able to stop. It won’t be the same. I won’t let go.”

JD’s hand tightened around the back of my neck, his grip firm but not harsh. His eyes, those deep, intense pools of heat, bore into mine with a hunger that sent a shiver down my spine. I could feel the tension radiating off him, the struggle between what he wanted and what he thought was right.

“You really think you can handle all of me, Sasha?” His voice was low, a rumble that seemed to vibrate through my very core. “The darkness, the violence, the monster I become when I need to be?”

I swallowed hard, but I didn’t look away. I couldn’t. “I’ve seen your darkness more than once, JD. I’ve felt it. And I’m still here.”

His gaze flicked down to my lips, lingering there for a moment before he leaned in, his breath hot on my face. “You shouldn’t be. You should run, far and fast, before I consume you.”

“I’m not running.” My voice was barely a whisper, but it was steady. Sure. “I’m not afraid of you, JD. I never have been.”

A low growl rumbled from his chest as his mouth crashed down on mine. It wasn’t gentle or soft. It was fierce, demanding, all-consuming. His teeth caught my lower lip, drawing out a gasp. His tongue invaded, claiming, exploring every inch of my mouth like territory he had to conquer.

I melted against him, my fingers digging into his shoulders for support as my knees threatened to buckle. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me tight against him, close enough that I could feel every hard line of his body. Every muscle, every scar, every beat of his heart echoed through me, becoming a part of me.

His mouth left mine, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down my neck, careful to avoid the brutal marks left by Cash. I shivered, not from cold or fear, but from the pure, raw desire that coursed through my veins like wildfire.

“JD,” I breathed, my voice barely more than a sigh. “Please.”

He paused, his lips hovering over the pulse point in my neck. “Please what, Sasha?”

“Don’t stop.” The words were out before I could think, born from a place of pure need. “Don’t ever stop.”

He pulled back, just far enough to look into my eyes. What I saw there stole my breath— not just desire, but something deeper, something more. Something that looked a lot like love.

“I won’t,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “That’s the problem.”

And with those words, he sealed our fate. There was no going back now. No more running, no more hiding. Just us, and the fire that burned between us, threatening to consume everything.