Chapter 26 #2
“Yeah.” I rub my hand across my jaw. “I need you to stay here with me.”
“No. I can’t, and you know why.”
“I need to know you’re safe, Legs.”
“I’ll take every precaution I can.”
“And it still won’t be enough.” I slam my fist down on the edge of the table. “For god’s sake, Legs, think about the baby. Think about the friend you’re staying with. You’ll put them both in danger just to protect your pride?”
She glares at me. “That’s what you think this is? My refusal has nothing to do with pride and everything to do with protecting myself from you. We both know you might not hurt me physically, but I’m far from safe.”
I fight the urge to scream. I have nobody else to blame in this but myself.
“I’ll stay at the clubhouse.”
I grit my teeth and force myself to soften my voice. “You’re not a club girl anymore. The brothers won’t remember that. It’s putting you all in an awkward situation.”
“They’re big boys, Midas. They understand the meaning of the word no.”
“Again. You’re not a club girl.”
She frowns before my meaning becomes clear. She huffs out a laugh, but I can hear the hurt in her voice. “So that’s it? I might be being targeted because of the club, but none of the brothers will protect me because I won’t spread my legs for them anymore? I’m on my own.”
“You’re not on your own. You have me.”
She swipes at a tear that slips free before turning her eyes back to mine—only this time, it’s as if she’s looking right through me.
“I don’t want anything to happen to Del or my baby, so that’s the only reason why I’m agreeing to this. You and me, though, we’re done.”
“No.”
“Fuck you, Midas, you’re not calling the shots when it comes to my heart. Not ever again.”
I lean forward and cup her face with my hands before I kiss her. She loses herself for a minute before pulling back angrily.
“When you can, hand on heart, tell me you feel nothing for me when my lips are on yours, I’ll walk away.”
She opens her mouth, likely to refute my claim right now, but I cover her lips with my finger. “Don’t make liars out of both of us, Legs.”
I kiss the tip of her nose before dropping my hands. “I know this is it for us. I know I’ll never get another chance at proving myself to you. So all I’m asking is that while you’re here, you let me date you.”
She stares at me for a moment before she starts laughing. It’s not the reaction I was expecting, and honestly, I think I’d rather she slap me again.
When her laughter dissolves into sobs, I curse and lean forward, wrapping my arms around her. She surprises me when she doesn’t immediately yank herself away. I hold on for as long as she lets me.
Eventually, once the crying is under control, she pulls back. “These hormones are trying to kill me. I’ve cried more since being pregnant than I have done my entire life. I’m so sick of it.” Her voice drops to a whisper as she pleads with me. “Stop making me cry.”
I press my forehead against hers. “Anything you want, baby.” She growls, making me smile. “Date me. Let me show you what I should have shown you all along—how I’ve been falling in love with you since the day we met.”
“Alright, Midas. I’ll bite. For the time I’m here, I’ll let you date me. But you have to swear to me that when it’s safe for me to leave, if I want nothing more to do with you, you let me go.”
I do the scout’s sign. She rolls her eyes. “You were never a boy scout.”
No, and I’m lying about letting her go. But hopefully, by then, it won’t matter. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that I can make her love me again. I did it before without making any effort. Imagine what I could do if I stopped holding myself back.
“Deal.” I hold out my hand for her to shake.
She reluctantly slips her hand into mine.
I know she’s only agreeing to this because she doesn’t think I can’t do it.
She’s convinced she’ll be able to walk away because I’ll only reinforce all the reasons she’s better off without me.
She doesn’t know me as well as she thinks, if she thinks I’ll let her go.
I tried that once and failed spectacularly.
“I need to work though, Midas.”
“You’ll work at Au.”
“And when I leave, I’ll be jobless again. No thanks.”
“If you leave, I’ll sign this whole place over to you so you never need to worry about finding employment again.”
Her mouth drops open in shock. “What? You can’t do that. This is your livelihood.”
“I have plenty of money, Legs. None of it means anything to me without you, and as you pointed out, my heart is not in this place. It never was. It was only about making money.”
She sighs and rubs her eyes, looking tired again. “I don’t know, Midas. I like my job. I love my boss and the people I work with. I don’t want to leave them in the lurch, especially when they’ve been so good to me. I’m not sure I’d have made it through all this without Del.”
“They care about you.”
She nods.
“Then they’ll want you safe.”
“I know, but she’ll also be the one wanting to keep me safe.
Let’s just say she’s not your biggest fan, She’ll assume I’m here because you manipulated me somehow.
Of course, she’s right, you played on her and my baby getting hurt.
But if I tell her that, she’ll shoot you in your sleep.
She’s already not a fan of MCs as it is. ”
“She?” Legs nods.
“Wait? She doesn’t like MC’s. How come?”
“Bad experience,” she tells me and shuts up, not willing to spill her boss’s secrets. I let it go for now, but I’ll have to push for more later, especially if her boss has links to another MC. For all I know, this trouble could be linked to the boss and not Raven Souls.
“I’ll take you over and explain what’s happening and why.” That way I can feel the woman out.
“No. She won’t speak to you. There is anger against MCs, but there is also fear there, Midas, and I won’t do that to her in her place of business or her home.”
“She has to know not all MCs are bad.”
“Does she? She knows of you guys, and I can’t say that brought her any comfort either. She’s wary, and from what I know, rightfully so.”
I blow out a frustrated breath. “I’m not letting you go alone, Legs. It’s not safe. If this guy snatches you, it’s game over. There are things you can’t come back from.”
“I know, Midas. I know,” she emphasizes, making my blood run cold.
At that moment, I know that she does. We never delved into our histories because of my need to keep her at a distance and not ask reciprocal questions.
Now I know how fucking idiotic that was.
Before I can say anything else, she pushes on.
“You can take me, but you are not coming inside. Take it or leave it.”
I grit my teeth but nod, knowing it’s the best I’m going to get. “Fine. We should probably head out soon before your boss files a missing person’s report,” I snap.
“First smart thing you’ve said all day,” she snaps back.