Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
AMbrOS
After having dinner and drinks—well, drinks for Citi—I realize I may have made a little mistake. It’s easy to take certain things for granted, like people knowing their limits and drinking responsibly. Of course, that’s not true of, say, people who were abducted as children.
Still, as I wrap my arms around a giggling Citi and lead her back to my bike, I can’t help but smile at how fucking adorable she is.
“You gonna be alright riding back? If I’d known what a lightweight you were, I’d have brought my truck,” I tease.
She swings her arm and hits me lightly in the chest, and somehow almost punches herself in the face at the same time. “Don’t be mean.”
“Never.” I turn her into me, slide my hands into her hair, and kiss her like I’ve wanted to all evening.
She melts into me, moaning into my mouth before rubbing herself all over me.
Which is right around the time I realize I’ve made another rookie fucking error.
Drunk Citi is a horny Citi, and I’m not sure I’m emotionally strong enough to fight her off.
This woman is my kryptonite, but the last thing I want to do is anything that she may regret or resent me for in the morning.
Reluctantly, I pull myself away and take her hand, ignoring my throbbing cock as I lead her to the bike.
I grab the helmet I brought for her and slip it over her head, fastening the strap beneath her chin before I slip my own on.
Her hands reach out to grab my cut, holding me in place for a second. “Ambros?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“If I forget to tell you tomorrow, thank you for tonight. It felt good to let my hair down, which I can only do because you make me feel safe. Thanks for looking after me, giving me a job, and making me feel…”
“Happy?” I hope that’s her answer anyway, because that’s all I want, to make her happy.
“Worthy. You make me feel like I’m worth something.”
“Jesus, Citi, don’t you get it? You’re worth everything. I’d beg, borrow, and steal for a chance to make you mine.”
She reaches up and cups my jaw, her eyes glassy from the alcohol. “I think I might already be yours. Sober me is just a little scared to admit it,” she whispers.
“Why? I won’t hurt you, angel. I don’t have it in me.”
“Until Star, I lost every single thing that I loved. And every facet of what made me me began to disappear with each fading memory. I’m not scared you’ll hurt me, Ambros. I’m scared I’ll lose you, and in turn lose even more of myself.”
“Then let me fill you up…Okay, I admit that sounded much dirtier than I intended it to.”
She cracks up laughing, her eyes shining with mirth as I slip my fingers in her visor and tug her closer until our helmets are pressed together.
“I’m talking about letting me help you fill all those empty spaces.
I never want you to wake up a single day and feel lonely.
I want you to open your eyes and taste me on your lips, smell me on your skin, and feel where I’ve been inside you—and I don’t just mean with my cock.
Because if you let me, I’ll bury myself inside you so deep you’ll never dig me out.
” I let out a sigh, wishing we didn’t have the helmets separating us.
“I understand fading away. I watched my sister fade away for years as she fought like a fucking warrior in a battle she had no chance of winning. She didn’t give up, though, and as much as I’m so fucking proud of her courage and tenacity, it gave me false hope.
I honestly thought, right up until the end, that she’d be that miracle that beat the odds.
But then she was gone, and I was so fucking lost.” I press my lips to her visor before pulling back so she can read the truth in my eyes.
“Then there was you. I was dying right along with Ella, and yet you refused to let me go. You breathed life back into me, first with your letters, then with your phone calls. You were the one to catch me on the worst day of my life. How the hell can I not want to do the same for you?”
“So you feel obligated?”
“No, not at all. Did you feel obligated to help me because I carried you out of that house?”
She thinks over my words before shaking her head, her shoulders relaxing before she answers. “No. I just didn’t want you to feel alone.”
“Exactly.”
We stand there for a moment, absorbing each other, completely locked in each other’s orbit, which feels somehow both fragile and indestructible.
“Take me home, Ambros,” she whispers huskily.
I wink at her. “Yes, ma’am.”
It takes us a couple of tries to get her on the bike and find her balance.
I hold back my chuckle when she gets frustrated, sliding my hand up her thigh and giving her a reassuring squeeze as I rev the engine.
She wraps her arms tightly around me, which I take as confirmation that she’s ready, and head back home.
I take one of the back roads I know will be quieter.
It might take a little longer, but less traffic means dealing with fewer assholes, and as I have special—albeit drunk—cargo, I’d rather take it easy.
It doesn’t take us long to get back. Though her hold has loosened, she’s still gripping tight enough for me not to worry that she’s fallen asleep.
When we pull up outside her place, I park next to Havoc’s bike and shut off the engine.
I hold out my hand to steady Citi so she can climb off.
She gets off far easier than she got on, making me wonder if the cool evening air helped sober her up a little.
The second I let her go, she sways and hiccups, making me laugh.
I guess that’s my answer. I climb off, take off my helmet, and hook it to the bike before unfastening Citi’s and placing it on the seat.
“How you feeling, angel?”
“Awesome.” She taps my cheek. “Why are you so pretty?”
I grin, leaning down so my nose slides down hers. “Shouldn’t that be my line?”
She huffs before spinning around and stumbling over the curb. I catch her before she face-plants into the concrete.
“Okay, drunko. Let’s get you inside before you knock your teeth out.”
“It wasn’t my fault. The curb jumped out and attacked me. You saw that, right?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll avenge you.”
“Well, thank you, kind sir.” She startles when the door opens and Nevaeh stands in the doorway tapping her foot. “Who put a mirror there? Wow, I really need to wax my upper lip,” she mutters,
Tink gasps. “You bitch. I do not have a hairy lip.”
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the hairiest of them all?”
I laugh as Tink stomps toward us, Havoc appearing in the spot she just vacated with an amused grin on his face.
“Wait, is she drunk?” Tink looks at me before turning back to Citi, who holds up her fingers in a pinching motion.
“A teeny, tiny bit.”
Nevaeh narrows her eyes at me. “You got my sister drunk?” she yells.
“Not on purpose. But Citi’s a grown-ass woman, Tink. She’s allowed to get drunk.”
“I didn’t say she wasn’t, but is it wise? Anything could have happened.”
“I wasn’t drunk last time I was kidnapped, if that helps,” Citi adds, walking around her sister and heading for Havoc. “Hey, pres. How’s my girl?”
“Fast asleep, thankfully. I’m not sure I could handle watching—”
“Don’t say it.” She cuts him off. “If you say it out loud, it will summon her.”
He grins before stepping aside to let her in. “You have fun?”
“So much. And Ambros is so pretty to look at, don’t you think?” She twirls to point at me and crashes into him.
“Jesus, Ambros, she could hurt herself.”
I grit my teeth and turn to face Tink. “Know this is coming from a place of love and concern, so I’m gonna let this slide, because you know me better than that, Nevaeh.”
She sighs and crosses her arms over her chest, her eyes on Citi, who Havoc is helping through the door.
“You don’t know what it was like, the not knowing what happened.
And now that I do know, I sometimes wonder if the not knowing was actually a blessing.
I’m so scared I’m going to wake up one day and this will all have been just a crazy dream.
That she’s gone, and this was just my subconscious way of saying goodbye. ”
I move closer and pull her in for a one-armed hug. “I get that you’re scared, but you can’t let your fear of losing her stop Citi from living her life. Isn’t that exactly what your dad did to you?”
She hisses and pulls back, tears in her eyes from the unexpected blow my words landed.
“Sorry, that wasn’t cool.”
“Maybe not, but it doesn’t make it any less true, does it?”
She swipes her tears away before face-planting against my chest. “I’m trying so hard not to push and mess everything up, and yet I’m still doing it anyway. What is wrong with me, Ambros? Why can’t I just be what she needs?”
“Hey.” I grip her shoulders lightly and ease her back so she has to look up at me.
“There is nothing wrong with you, Tink. Stop trying to be the perfect sister and just be yourself. She loves you as you are, and she needs you to love her as she is right now, too. Neither of you are the same little girls you once were. You’re stronger, wiser—well, mostly.
” I wink, thinking of that damn dinosaur onesie of hers.
“And braver than most of the MC brothers put together.”
She smirks at me through her tears, but I press on.
“As much as it pains me to say this, the Citi that was abducted all those years ago is gone. She died, and as sad as that is, it’s also a good thing because that little girl wouldn’t have survived a monster like Jasper.
But that woman in there, she did. Grieve what you lost, Tink.
You’re allowed to be sad. But then bury it and move on, because the woman that came home to you has a whole lot of love to give if you just let her. ”
“I’m just so scared of losing her again.”
I shake my head, not surprised Nevaeh’s feelings eerily echo Citi’s own. “Of course you are. You just have to take a leaf out of your sister’s book.”
“What, get drunk?”
“Be brave.”
She sighs but nods. “Okay. Who would have thought when we became airplane buddies you’d end up becoming my life guru.”
I grin, wrapping my arm around her and leading her inside. “I am pretty wisdomus,” I tease, quoting a character from one of her favorite TV shows.
She laughs, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tight. “That you are Ambros. That you are. Thanks for looking after her. I mean it.”
“It’s my pleasure, trust me.”
She bites her lip. I can see she wants to say more, but for now, she lets it go because she does trust me. And that’s not something I take lightly.
We walk into the living room where Citi is sprawled across the sofa. Havoc walks in from the kitchen with a bottle of water and a couple of painkillers in his hand. He looks from me to Tink, his eyes moving over her to make sure she’s okay before he walks over and hands Citi the bottle.
“Here, drink this or you’ll feel shitty tomorrow.”
She sighs and sits up. “It would still have been worth it,” she replies, her eyes moving to me.
“I’m gonna remind you you said that,” Tink tells her, walking over to sit beside her. Tink rests her head on Citi’s shoulder as she throws back the pills and gulps down the water before handing the bottle back to Havoc.
“So you had fun, huh?” Tink asks as Citi settles back and snuggles into her.
“Of course. Ambros is the best.”
Tink looks at me with a soft smile. “He is, isn’t he?”
“What the fuck am I, chopped liver?” Havoc huffs, making both girls laugh.
“You jealous, Mr. President?” Tink teases, only for it to quickly turn into a yelp when Havoc reaches down for her and tosses her over his shoulder.
“Nope, I know you only have eyes for my dick.”
“Havoc!” she screeches, slapping his back as he carries her out. Citi is laughing her head off, offering her sister no help at all.
“Have fun,” I call out as Havoc salutes me before yanking the door open and walking out.
“Bye, Ambros, bye, Citi. I love you,” Tink yells.
“Love you too,” Citi yells back before Havoc pulls the door closed.
“Funny,” she mutters as she starts to tip over. I reach her before she does and scoop her up.
“Let’s get you ready for bed.”
She perks up instantly. “Are you going to fuck me now, Ambros?”
I trip and almost drop her in the process. I stare at her in surprise, but that wicked little grin on her face tells me she knows exactly what she’s doing.
“When I finally slide my dick home, it won’t be when you’re drunk. I don’t want you to forget a single second of me being inside you.”
She cups my face as I carry her up the stairs. “Silly boy, how could I ever forget you?” she whispers before passing out in my arms.