Chapter 23 Grifter
I wake to the warm weight of Georgia, her body curled up tightly against me, my fingers brushing gently into the hair on my chest, like she’s memorizing me.
Her body is soft, her breath tickling the area by my collarbone, and I am completely content.
I could stay like this forever; God, I want to.
I just can’t get enough of this woman. We stayed awake most of the night, making love and then talking—trading stupid stories and secrets in that half-asleep place where it's just us getting closer and learning everything we can about one another. I want to ignore the fact that I should’ve already been awake.
I don’t want to move. I missed her. It’s just as simple as that.
Georgia hums against me and the sound brings nothing but joy. “You never did explain how C almost started a club war,” she says, voice low and sleepy.
I let out a laugh that vibrates in my ribs. “I shouldn’t have taken him to Kentucky. Two days out there and we were supposed to be creating an alliance with the Devil’s Blaze. I tried to get him to help me, but instead he was busy fucking the club princess.” I grin when she shoots me a look.
“Club princess?” she asks, one eyebrow raised.
“That’s what we call the daughter of a ranked member.
She’s spoiled, but well-loved by everyone in the club—hence the term princess.
In this case she’s the former Prez’s niece.
A pretty little blonde named Izzy. C’s got his head all gone on her.
” I turn my face into her hair and breathe her in.
Her sweet scent calms me and slows the world down.
“How pretty?” she mutters.
I kiss the top of her head. “There’s not a woman alive who can hold a candle to you, sweetheart. There never could be. You own me,” I respond and it’s not just simple words. It’s the truth. She grins huge.
“Then I guess it’s okay you think she’s pretty,” she teases.
“I’m going to spank your ass for even thinking I’d look at another woman. It will have to be later though. I have to recuperate from the way you wrung my dick dry earlier. You wore me out.”
“That’s my line,” she says, and I can’t resist giving her another kiss.
When we break apart, I finish what I was saying. “Anyway, baby. C’s gone soft where Izzy’s concerned in a way I’ve never seen. He asked her to come back with him. She told him no.”
“She doesn’t like him,” Georgia asks, sounding sad.
“No, I think she really does, but she is going to college in Kentucky. She told him her life was there and she didn’t want to move.”
Georgia sighs, all sweetness and pity. “So, it’s over and C’s heartbroken,” she says, like she’s narrating a tragedy she hopes won’t happen.
I hold her tighter because she’s too damn kind. “I don’t know if it’s over. If C doesn’t get his head straight, he might go to Kentucky and try to kidnap her, if it comes to that.” I say it like it’s a joke, but it’s not and that’s probably why my voice gets gruff in the end.
Georgia sits up enough to look at me, eyes wide. “Kidnap? He can’t! He could go to jail for that!”
I grin. My Georgia is so sweet and genuine.
Despite the fucking hell that she’s experienced in this damn town, she somehow has the most remarkable loving heart and she’s just innocent.
And mine. My poor girl would probably stroke out if she knew that we break the law often.
Eventually, she will learn that, but for now I want to keep her just like she is.
I want to make sure she’s addicted to me and tied to me in every way possible before she learns the dark side of my life.
“Don’t worry, baby. The law would have to catch him.
We won’t let that happen.” I let the thought sit with her for a minute before I forge on.
“I’m more worried it’ll drag us into a scrap with the Devil’s Blaze.
We already have heat with the War Kings.
I still have no idea who took shots at me.
Having a fight with another club is the last thing we need. ”
Her face tightens. “Did you find out for sure if the War Kings were the ones who shot at you?”
“We don’t think so,” I tell her. I let her feel the weight of my words.
There’s an unidentified threat out there.
No one likes the unknown. “Which means we have a ghost out there, and I’ll be damned if I let it touch you.
That means, sweetheart, I’m going to put a man on you.
” I hate telling her that. I’ve had someone on her anytime I’m not with her.
I just haven’t told her. I didn’t want her to ever feel the taste of fear again.
Now, I can’t keep from it and that pisses me off.
Her fingers tighten in my chest hair. “Griffin, you don’t need to do that. I’m not part of the club—”
“That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart. You are the club. You’re my old lady. If somebody wants to get to me, they could go through you. You’re my biggest weakness.” I watch her process that. It kills me to see the color draining from her beautiful face.
She swallows. “Do you really think that?”
“I do.” I kiss her again, harder this time. When we break away, I can tell she’s still scared, but color is coming back. She’s calm. My girl may be new to this world, but there’s no panic inside of her.
“Griffin, what about Nana? Is she in danger?”
“I’ve got a man on her already, baby.”
“You do?”
“Baby, you have most of my heart, except for one small piece and that belongs to your grandmother. I won’t let anything happen to either one of you. That crochety old woman is my family now.
“Who do you have watching Nana?” she asks.
“Cowboy.”
She nods, relieved. “Who do you want on you?” I ask, even though I have Scorpion on her right now. Sadly, I’m going to have to make changes. Our lives are going to get busy while we restructure the garage and renovate everything.
She frowns. “You mean you haven’t already had someone doing that?”
Damn, she knows me too well. “I’ve had Scorpion watching you and Cowboy watches over both of you at night when we’re not together,” I respond.
“To be honest, however, I’m thinking of switching to Alex and Ollie.
They’re prospects, they have more time. The club is going to be hectic for the next few months and I need to chase down these threats.
I also need someone on you twenty-four seven.
I know you have a history with Alex, though, so I need to know how you feel about that. ”
She looks startled. “Scorpion’s been watching me?”
“Yeah.” I shrug. “Cowboy’s been outside your place at night when I’m not there. Scorpion’s been keeping tabs through the day. I didn’t want to worry you, baby. I was hoping I could take care of this without alerting you.”
She puts her hands on each side of my face. “Griffin, you should have told me.”
“I didn’t want to see fear in your eyes again. I saw it that day when the bullet grazed me. I didn’t want to make you experience that again. I swear to you, Georgie. I can keep you safe,” I vow.
She smiles that small, fierce smile that makes my chest hurt. “I know that, Griffin. I’ve always felt safe with you.”
“Baby …” I swear this woman undoes me.
“Seriously, I don’t care who you put on me, as long as you’re with me at night. Although, Nana needs to be with us, even if we’re spending the night at the club.”
“You’d agree to that?”
“Absolutely. Heck, Nana would love it. She loves Cowboy and C. All I truly need from you is that you always tell me the truth and not keep secrets. I want your honesty. I can handle anything as long as you don’t hide things from me, Griffin.”
I hover over her, letting her feel the weight of my body. “You are so fucking spectacular, Georgie. You continually blow me away—so much that I feel like showing you my appreciation.”
Her face goes soft, her eyes full of hunger. “But how? I mean, you just made love to me for hours before we both passed out.”
“What can I say?” I murmur. “My woman leaves me feeling inspired.” I lean down, mouth finding hers. I need her like air. Sometimes it’s like I’m barely alive until I’m buried deep inside of her.
Our kiss has barely started when I’m forced to pull away because someone is pounding on our door. The sound is hard, urgent, and on the edge of panicked. A voice hollers from the hallway, and it makes my blood run cold. “Prez! We got a fucking problem!”
I roll off Georgia quickly. “Damn it, Scorpion, I’m trying to fuck my woman!” I growl.
Scorpion’s voice is flat and fast. “Someone just threw a Molotov into Georgia’s house.”
For a minute everything goes blank for me. Georgia screams, “Nana!”
My attention snaps to her as I watch her pull the sheet up to her throat. She grips it as if she’s holding on to an invisible lifeline. I’m out of bed in a heartbeat, the floor cold under my feet. “Where’s Nana?” I bark as I open the door.
Scorpion answers quickly. “Cowboy has her. She’s safe, but they took her to the hospital for smoke inhalation, although he said it was just a precaution.”
“I want men on sight, now. Have them do recon. Any video surveillance in the area, I want it, and I want it like yesterday.”
“Already on it, Prez.”
“Have the prospects meet me at the hospital. Make sure they bring the cage,” I instruct, talking about the SUV we keep in the garage.
“I’m not leaving my family there unprotected.
I’ll meet up with the rest of you as soon as I can.
” Relief and fury crash together in my head.
“Lock down everything around the house. I want every person that’s not us detained.
If they showed up after and they have a reason to be there, I still want their fucking names. ”
Scorpion grunts. “Got it. I’ll sweep the perimeter. Meet you there, Prez.”
I turn to find Georgia pulling her clothes off the floor. Her hands are trembling, but she gets dressed damn quick.
“Baby—” I start, but she snaps at me, not letting me finish.
“Griffin, get dressed. I need to get to Nana.”
Reality hits me like a slap to the face. I’m standing in front of her naked, and not doing what I need to do. Fuck, this is new territory to me. I’ve never had so much to lose so I’ve always been calm and cool when trouble hits. Shit, having a woman you love is damn complicated.
Love.
Fuck. I snatch a T-shirt off a chair and stuff my feet into jeans, hands working on autopilot. Rage hums under every movement. Once I’m dressed, I grab Georgia and kiss her forehead, holding her tight. “Let’s go get Nana and bring her here,” I say simply. “I promise I’ll take care of this.”
She pulls back, face pinched, stubborn as always. “I just need to see her …”
“Yeah, baby. Me too,” I tell her the God’s honest truth. I finish dressing, then take her hand in mine. We head to my bike and there’s only one mission I have tonight. I’m going to hunt down whoever did this and when I do, they will learn what I do to people who try to touch my family.