Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Elaina
Iwas alone when I woke up, and the sun was shining around the edges of the curtains. I was acutely aware that I was not in my room, but I was even more aware that Joey’s scent was surrounding me. The pillow smelled like his shampoo, and the blankets smelled like his body wash and cologne.
I never wanted to leave this bed. The scent of him was addicting and heady and comforting. It made me feel safe and secure.
Regardless of if I wanted to or not though, I needed to get up.
If the sun was shining, that meant it was sometime in the morning or near lunchtime, which meant I’d gone hours without eating.
Damn near most of yesterday since I hadn’t been able to stomach anything while Emmanuel was in surgery, and I’d been too tired to eat once he was in a recovery room.
Hell, I didn’t even remember coming home.
Had one of the guys carried me in here and tucked me in?
The image had warmth curling in my veins. I was quickly becoming addicted to how they took care of me.
Alejandro was no doubt ready to shove food down my throat about now. He was anal about making sure I ate three meals a day, and he wanted them to be well-balanced meals at that, whereas Joey was content to just stuff me full of ramen noodles since they made me happy.
They were such an odd combination together, but I had to admit, they balanced each other out and looked really good together. And I couldn’t help but hope that Alejandro managed to wear Joey down.
I wanted to stay. And I wanted to stay with Alejandro and Joey. But I didn’t think the three of us could work if Joey wasn’t willing to be with Alejandro, too. Alejandro wanted him too much to try to keep things platonic between the two of them.
I pushed myself into a sitting position just as the door opened.
Joey and Alejandro stepped inside, and Joey smiled when he noticed I was awake.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” he teased, coming over to the bed and sitting on the side of the mattress, making it dip a little.
He cupped my cheek, turning my head so he had a better look at my face. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” I murmured, leaning my cheek into his hand. He stroked his thumb along my skin, and my eyelids fluttered for a moment as I soaked in the comfort he was offering. Lifting my eyes, I locked them on Alejandro, who was moving to sit on the other side of me. “Any word on Emmanuel?”
“He is fine,” Alejandro assured me. He wrapped an arm around my waist and leaned in to press a kiss to my temple. My chest tightened. I wasn’t much of one for sex. After all the abuse I’d endured, I wasn’t sure that would ever change. But I loved this intimacy.
“I talked to him this morning,” Alejandro continued. “The doctor has him on good pain killers, and in a few days, he should be released. I’ll send him home to Mexico, where his madre will take care of him until he’s well enough to come back to work.”
“He’s not mad at me, is he?” I quietly asked, my gut clenching. It was my fault he’d been shot. If I were him, I’d be angry at me.
“Of course not,” Joey said, frowning at me. “Why would he?”
“He was shot because of me,” I deadpanned, shooting him an annoyed look.
Joey rolled his eyes at me. I liked that he didn’t tread on eggshells around me. If I showed him attitude, he tended to give it right back.
“The first thing Emmanuel asked when Alejandro called him was about you. He wanted to make sure you were okay and safe, which we assured him you were. He’s not mad at you. Being mad at you about this is not even on his radar, sweet girl.”
“Don’t roll your eyes at her,” Alejandro reprimanded.
Joey cut him a disgruntled look. “I’ll do what I damn well please.”
I sucked in a sharp breath when Alejandro suddenly wrapped his hand around Joey’s throat and pulled Joey so close, their noses brushed. The move was so fucking hot, and seeing Joey kind of melt into his touch, no matter how aggressive it’d been… Christ.
“You going to test me this morning?” Alejandro quietly asked. “I’m in the mood for a fight, Joey. So push me a little more.”
I couldn’t look away from the beautiful picture these two men made, and it was happening right in front of me.
I’d honestly never thought Joey would give in to Alejandro, but one look at him as he relaxed even more into Alejandro’s possessive, punishing hold, and I knew he had.
Sometime last night, something had shifted for him, and now, he was sinking into Alejandro just as easily as I did.
My stomach dipped, and warmth pooled between my legs when Joey leaned in and slanted his lips across Alejandro’s.
It was a quick kiss, but there was no mistaking the heat and the need in it.
When he pulled back, he murmured, “I know you’re pissed at me, but I’m the president of this club, Garcia.
You can’t protect me from this aspect of my life. ”
Alejandro made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat and released him. “Deciding to override both me and River on this is a poor decision, Joey.”
“What’s happening?” I demanded, no longer feeling warm. That warmth was quickly becoming replaced with dread, fear, and anxiety. “And not the kiss. What are you two talking about?”
Alejandro arched a brow at Joey. “Want to tell her your hair-brained plan? Your reckless plan?”
I shot my eyes to Joey. He sighed. “We’re riding up to Yeller’s territory.
Going to wipe out whoever we can in his club, try to get our hands on him, and bring him back here.
If we find anyone there who needs rescuing, I’ll call Alejandro and arrange transport.
River will be nearby as backup, but I don’t want him in the center of it. ”
With every word he spoke, my chest tightened more and more with panic. What if something happened to him? What if I lost him? Why did he need to choose such a reckless fucking plan? Had he lost his mind?
“Joey…” I croaked, shaking my head.
He cupped my face in his calloused hands and leaned in, pressing his forehead to mine. “I’m no stranger to war, sweet girl,” he soothed. “My club, while small, knows what they’re doing, and I trust them to have my back, just as they trust me to have theirs.”
“But what if you die?” I asked, my voice trembling.
Tears were threatening, and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep them in.
Not when he was about to just throw himself into the middle of absolute chaos.
My father, his club, and the men he aligned himself with did not play nice.
They played dirty. Was Joey and his club prepared for something like that?
“I’m not going to die,” he promised. “I swear, sweet girl. I’m coming back home to you, and when I do, I’ll be alive and well, understand?”
I shook my head, but he cut me off by erasing the last little bit of distance between us and kissing me soft and slow.
I inhaled sharply before sinking into him, my hands coming up to grip the edges of his cut.
My fingers curled into the leather, and I softly moaned when he abruptly turned my head with his sudden grip on my chin, and my lips then met Alejandro’s.
Joey’s lips brushed my ear, and I shivered, all while Alejandro fucking consumed me. His lips were warm and smooth against mine, and I had to resist the urge to climb into his lap. To take and take and take.
“I’m coming back home to you,” Joey whispered. Alejandro released me, and I looked back at Joey, tears welling in my eyes. “And when I come back home, Alejandro and I are laying you out on this bed and claiming you as our woman.”
“Fuck,” I choked out, my nipples pebbling.
He flashed me a wicked grin before he rose from the bed. He pointed a finger at Alejandro. “Take care of our woman.”
Alejandro sighed, his eyes pinched with stress, but he nodded once. “With my life,” he swore.
“Wait—you’re leaving now?” I asked, panic leeching into my voice. “Joey—”
“I have to go now, sweet girl,” he said, his tone gentle but firm. “If we don’t make a move now, this will only grow more and more out of hand. Your father already took the first two hits. I’m taking the third and final.”
With that, Joey dipped from the room, and my heart followed him all while I clung to Alejandro, terrified for Joey’s safety. “Do you really think he’ll be okay?” I asked quietly, resting my head on Alejandro’s shoulder when he tugged me closer.
“We can only hope,” Alejandro muttered before pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “In the meantime, we’ll keep ourselves busy. Go get a shower, then come meet me to get something to eat. Then, we’ll go see Emmanuel. Okay?”
I nodded and slid from the bed. Keeping myself busy was something I could do. I was good at it, considering all the times I’d had to do it in the past to keep from worrying over the next time some man would put his unwanted hands on me.
Joey, you better fucking keep your promise to me.
I didn’t want to do life without him… without either of them. Not anymore.
Somehow, Joey and Alejandro had become my reasons for living, for pushing on despite my anxiety, my depression, and the constant flashbacks I dealt with. If I lost one of them, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever recover.