Chapter 1 #2
Kayleigh, bless her, changed the subject. “Do you have a motorcycle out there?”
Slash’s mouth curved. Not quite a smile, he didn’t seem like a man who smiled often. But a twitch. “I own two, actually. But you’ll ride safe in my truck tonight. But, I’ll show you the motorcycles when we get back home. Maybe, your mom will let you ride around the compound at some point.”
Kayleigh’s eyes widened like he’d just promised her a pony.
Nicole’s throat tightened. Damn him.
Damn him for being harsh and bossy and terrifying one second, and… gentle the next.
“I’ll grab the rest of the stuff,” she muttered, fleeing back into the bedroom before Slash could see her cheeks flush. As she hurried down the hallway, Kayleigh’s words stopped her in her tracks.
“Are there really bad guys who want to get us?”
Before she could turn around, she heard his voice, quiet, protective, absolute.
“Don’t worry, princess. Nobody’s touching you or your mama while I’m around.”
She moved as fast as she could, looking around her room and making sure she had everything she needed. Seeing her e-book reader sitting on the nightstand, she unplugged it and threw the cord and reader into her bag.
"Ready," she said, coming back into the hallway.
Slash bent down to Kayleigh's level, his massive frame somehow less intimidating when he made himself small. "Do you want to see my friend’s motorcycle, little one? It's going to be loud."
Kayleigh's eyes went wide with excitement rather than fear. "Really?"
"Really," Slash confirmed. "But then you need to get into my truck and get all buckled in. Can you do that?"
"I promise!" Kayleigh bounced on her toes. "This is the best adventure ever!"
Nicole wished she shared her daughter's enthusiasm. As they walked toward the vehicles, every shadow seemed to hide a threat. Every sound made her jump. She kept expecting her ex to appear, to try to stop them from leaving.
But the parking lot remained empty except for Slash and Blade, who stepped forward as they approached.
"Ma'am," Blade nodded to Nicole, his voice clipped and professional. "We'll get you to Grand Ridge safe and sound."
"Thank you," Nicole managed, though the words felt inadequate.
Slash was already working on securing Kayleigh's car seat into his truck.
When had he learned to install car seats?
The sight of this scarred, dangerous man carefully checking the straps and buckles made something flutter in Nicole's chest. Blade picked up Kayleigh and put her on the motorcycle, Nicole realized how gentle the large man was being.
"Okay, Kayleigh," Slash said, lifting her daughter like she weighed nothing off the bike and set her into her carseat. "Ready to go?"
As he buckled her into the car seat, Nicole watched her little girl transform from sleepy child to excited adventurer. Kayleigh chattered happily about motorcycles and adventures, completely trusting this stranger with her life.
Maybe Nicole could learn to do the same.
"Don't look so worried," Slash said quietly, appearing beside her. "Your sister wouldn't have sent us if she didn't think we could protect you."
"It's not that," Nicole said, then paused. Maybe it was, partially. "I just... I've been taking care of us alone for so long. It's hard to let someone else..."
"Take control?" Slash supplied, and something in his tone made her look up sharply. His expression was unreadable, but there was an intensity there that made her breath catch.
She'd read enough romance novels to recognize that look. Had experimented enough at the BDSM club with Savannah to know what it meant when a man looked at a woman like that.
Like he could see straight through to the part of her that craved exactly what he was offering.
"The ride to Grand Ridge is four hours," Slash said, his voice dropping to a rumble that seemed to vibrate through her. "Long enough for you to start learning that some things are better left to people who know how to handle them."
Nicole's pulse kicked up, but not from fear this time. "And you know how to handle things?"
Slash's scarred mouth curved in something that might have been a smile. "Little girl, I know how to handle everything."
The endearment should have offended her. Should have made her bristle with independence and feminist outrage. Instead, it sent warmth flooding through her veins and made her knees weak.
God help her, but after a year of being strong for everyone, the idea of letting someone else take charge was more tempting than it should have been.
"Mommy, come on!" Kayleigh called. "I want to go on the adventure!"
"Coming, baby," Nicole called back, though she didn't move immediately.
Slash was still watching her with those storm-gray eyes, reading her in a way that should have been invasive but felt almost... caring. Like he could see how tired she was, how desperately she needed someone else to carry the weight for a while.
"Trust me," he said simply.
Two words. A promise or a command, Nicole couldn't tell which. Maybe both.
But as she settled into the front seat of Slash’s truck, Kayleigh squealing with delight in the seat behind them, Nicole found herself thinking that maybe, just maybe, she was ready to try.
The last thing she saw as they pulled out of the parking lot was her apartment building disappearing into the pre-dawn darkness. Behind them, the past. Ahead of them, Grand Ridge and whatever came next.
For the first time in a year, Nicole wasn't facing it alone.