Chapter 12
MAREN
Iwoke slowly, sinking deeper into the soft sheets before my eyes opened. For a moment, I forgot the danger Lucas was protecting me from and the fact that someone had tried to shove me into a van a few days ago.
Even without him in bed with me, I still felt like he surrounded me. He’d created a safe bubble where I could work through what had happened. I had no doubt he wouldn’t let anyone hurt me.
The adrenaline from the kidnapping attempt had long since faded. It had been replaced by a deep sense of security I’d found inside the Hounds of Hellfire compound. With Lucas.
I pushed the blanket back and sat up, stretching slowly.
My body felt more rested than ever. Any lingering tension unwound every night I slept in his arms. And with my parents still vacationing in Florida, I didn’t have to worry about them stumbling into any of this.
They were far away, blissfully unaware, and safe.
With them not around, I didn’t need to explain to anyone where I was spending my time.
Except for Susan, who had lots of questions after the kidnapping attempt.
And even more when she noticed Lucas was my ride to and from work each shift.
Not to mention, he sat in that same booth the entire time, except for the rare few occasions when he had another Hound take his place.
The room was quiet when I finally stood and wandered toward the small window, brushing my fingers along the windowsill. Only a few days ago, I would’ve felt like an intruder. Now it felt like this place had become the safest corner of my world.
The door opened behind me, and I turned just as Lucas stepped inside the room. His gaze swept over me, and he crossed the distance between us and lowered his head without a word.
The kiss he pressed to my forehead wasn’t overtly sexual, but it still sent a shiver of awareness up my spine.
“Sorry, baby. Thought I’d be back before you woke up.”
I smiled up at him. “I’m good.”
“Some of the old ladies are hanging out downstairs. Want to join them?”
My grin widened as I nodded. “Yeah, I’d really like that.”
I stayed in his room the first day, spending most of it tangled up in bed with Lucas while I recovered from my scare.
But the past couple of days, I’d had the chance to meet most of his club brothers, along with their wives and a couple of the babies.
I’d spent the most time with Stella and Cadell since King and his family lived in a private addition off the back of the clubhouse.
“Cut stays on,” he reminded me.
I couldn't explain the warm flutter in my stomach. It felt so natural to listen to Lucas and do what he asked. And this was one of my favorite requests. I’d gotten comfortable wearing his extra vest around the clubhouse. When the leather settled on my shoulders, I felt safer.
“Okay,” I whispered.
Something in his eyes softened before he brushed his knuckles down my cheek and stepped past me to grab a pair of jeans and a top.
I’d borrowed clothes from Stella at first, but when I’d insisted on going back to work for my next shift, Lucas had taken me home to pack a bag so I’d have my spare uniform.
I got ready in the bathroom, and when I stepped out, he was waiting. Lucas lifted the vest and settled it over my shoulders himself before we walked out of his room together.
He kept his hand at the small of my back as we walked downstairs toward the kitchen.
Every club brother we passed gave a subtle chin lift.
I got respectful looks with a strange kind of deference and assumed it was because of the leather vest I was wearing.
Although a tiny part of me wondered if it was more than me being under his protection.
Lucas was important to the Hounds, and I was proud to be the woman at his side.
We stepped into the kitchen, and I grinned when I spotted Stella at the long table with Cadell.
The toddler was stuffing pieces of pancake into his mouth by tiny fistfuls.
Cerberus lay sprawled under him, inhaling every dropped crumb.
The Cane Corso was bred to be intimidating, but he looked like a giant, happy puppy at the moment.
Stella looked up with a smile. “Morning!”
Annika sat beside her, resting a hand on her very pregnant belly. “We came so Matteo could meet with King, and I was drawn by the scent of coffee that I can’t even drink. Stupid caffeine.”
“Would a pancake make it a little easier?” I asked, laughing softly.
Annika nodded. “Yeah.”
Stella started to stand, but I waved her off. “Sit. I’ll grab breakfast.”
Annika blinked at me. “Kevlar didn’t bring you into the clubhouse to put you to work.”
Stella lifted a brow and shot Lucas a knowing look. One he ignored completely. Then she winked at me. “Yeah, I’m sure your serving skills are exactly why he brought you here.”
Lucas gave her a deadpan stare that managed to be both warning and bored at the same time. Stella just grinned, unbothered.
He shook his head and brushed his lips against my temple. “Gonna see what Ink and King are up to.”
“Okay,” I murmured, pressing my lips together so I didn’t tease him about escaping from Stella’s ribbing.
After watching him walk away, I heated leftover pancakes in the microwave and plated them to bring to the table. When I set the food down in front of the women, Stella reached for my hand and squeezed. “Thanks.”
“I didn’t do much,” I insisted.
Annika smiled over a forkful of pancake. “But it’s very much appreciated.”
We chatted while eating, and I didn’t mind that Lucas hadn’t returned yet, because I felt like I belonged at that table with them.
When footsteps echoed from across the lounge area, my head lifted before I even thought about it. My pulse sped up, like my body already knew exactly who was coming.
Annika’s soft laughter floated across the table. “See? Completely attuned.”
My cheeks warmed. “I’m not…I mean, it’s not like that.”
Both women gave me a disbelieving look. Then Stella leaned in conspiratorially. “Don’t fool yourself. It’s absolutely like that. My favorite part is watching one of the guys fall just as fast as I did for Connor.”
My breath caught in my chest. “You really think he has?”
“Think?” Annika snorted and rubbed her belly. “I’d bet on it.”
Stella pointed her fork at me. “That’s a bet I wouldn’t take because I’d just lose.”
The footsteps reached the kitchen doorway, and Lucas walked in. His midnight-blue eyes cut immediately to my flushed face.
Annika jumped in, trying to distract him. “Is Matteo almost done with King?”
Lucas didn’t look away from me. “Yeah. They’re finishing up.”
Then softer, meant only for me, he asked, “You okay?”
I swallowed. “I’m fantastic.”
Stella hummed, “Aw.”
Annika murmured, “How sweet.”
Their commentary did not help the color in my cheeks.
Lucas moved toward the table and swept the empty plates into his hands without being asked. Stella and Annika shared a knowing little smile and angled their gazes at me like they were waiting for me to say something.
Annika tilted her head toward Lucas subtly, and my cheeks heated even more.
I wasn’t the least bit surprised by him cleaning up after us.
Lucas might be commanding in and out of bed, but he went out of his way to take care of me in ways big and small.
Making sure I ate. That I slept. Had my things brought here so I was comfortable. Ensuring I was safe.
The certainty of being his priority made my submission feel natural.
After rinsing the dishes and setting them in the sink, he turned toward me. “Come.”
I rose instantly, offering the girls a quick goodbye as I moved to Lucas’s side without a second of hesitation. The quiet approval in his eyes lit something molten in my chest.
He was the only reason I was holding up so well after everything that happened.
I liked how doing what he said made something inside me settle. As though the world made more sense with him steering it. Handing so many of my decisions over to Lucas gave me room to breathe. Let me worry less about what I wanted my future to look like because I was too busy enjoying the present.
And if I were honest with myself, I’d never felt more like me than I did when I was his.