Chapter 19
NINETEEN
LAURA
There was a warm hand on my bare stomach.
My shirt was lifted, and Killian’s massive arm was twisted around me, his hand planted across my ribs as if he were worried I’d try to move in the middle of the night or something. I stared at the white wall, seeing the daylight pouring in. We fell asleep?
Not only that, we slept all night?
It was barely seven when I had run upstairs and burst outside, seeing the Death Raiders on our property.
My rage had sputtered and flared when the leader pulled Sadie from the crowd and placed a gun near her temple.
One shot had already gone off, but it might have just been a warning, as no one was down from what I could tell.
Killian thought they had given me up, but I was already in the leader’s face, practically begging him to look at me and leave them alone.
The fucking psychopath. All I wanted in that moment was Killian.
I wanted the wolf, to see him tear through the Death Raiders and maim the man who dared step foot in his kingdom and threaten his people.
But then Killian arrived with Natty on his bike and he looked… scared.
I’ll never forget the way his features pinched, his dark brows dipped as if he couldn’t figure out a way to get me out of his enemy’s lap.
As if there wasn’t anything he could do to guard his heart from feeling the pain of losing me.
It was in that moment that I realized why Killian was so terrified of falling in love.
The great wolf was afraid of a tiny rock, one that could bring his whole world down.
I didn’t want him to regret me, and from what I knew of Killian, the very last thing he wanted was a weakness. And I’d become exactly that.
He stirred behind me, and I shifted forward, trying to break his hold on me.
I’d taken my headphones off sometime during the night, or he had…
but they were gone now. My hair was frizzy, my eyes were dry and cracked from crying and keeping my contacts in all night.
I just needed a second to myself before I dealt with him.
“Where are you going?” he rumbled behind me.
Tucking a few stray strands of hair behind my ears, I moved to sit up.
“Bathroom.”
He seemed to accept that, drifting off to sleep. I moved to my knees so I could crawl over him to get free but right as my left leg swung over his hip, his hand came out and gripped my ass.
“Killian.”
His grip turned into a soothing stroke, his fingers curling in until he was tracing a line down my crack.
“Daisy.”
He was so gentle like this, all sleepy with his hair messy and his soft white t-shirt warm under my touch. I hadn’t even realized my hands were braced on his bicep for support.
“I need to get up.”
He made a sound, his eyes still closed as he held on to me.
“No, we need to have a conversation about why the fuck you’re here instead of the apartment.”
I wouldn’t allow myself to hope he still wanted me there.
“I don’t—”
A knock came from the door and Giles pushed in with his head down.
“Prez, I need to talk to you.”
Killian made some kind of annoyed growling sound from under me, and then he twisted, pulling me back down to the bed while lifting on his elbow.
“What?”
Giles lifted his head, still hanging by the door. “Members want to go to Death Raiders club and make an example out of them for just showing up here.”
Killian groaned, his hand still on my ass while I laid next to him.
“Tell them I’m taking care of it, but no one else rides.”
My head snapped over, taking in Killian’s face.
His eyes were finally fluttering open, his green stare on the ceiling as the hand under me continued to stroke gently.
My mind threw images from those folders at me.
How many of those atrocities was he a part of?
How many more would there be once there was new space in those file cabinets?
“I can tell them, but they haven’t seen you since you took off last night. You came straight down here. They need to—”
I chose that moment to take my leave. Whatever was going on was not my business, and I really didn’t need any more images in my head to haunt me at night.
Killian moved too, now sitting up, his head cradled in his hands.
I shoved down what it did to me to see him like that, exhausted from a night spent curled up on a twin bed with me.
He had that new huge bed back in his apartment and he’d chosen to stay with me.
Not only that but his men had to have been foaming at the mouth last night, desperate for an encouraging word from their president, but he’d come down here instead.
This wasn’t good. Killian’s focus was supposed to be the club, not me.
I grabbed my things and darted for the bathroom around the corner. Locking myself inside, I took out my contacts, showered, and then got dressed. Wearing blue jeans and a cropped sweater, I left my hair wet, laying against my back.
Checking the mirror, I winced at my reflection.
My face was pale, and my eyes were puffy.
Letting out a sigh, I crouched to the ground to dig through my duffel and pulled my cosmetic bag free.
After doing a whole skin regiment and swiping some mascara onto my lashes, I felt better.
Then I braided a piece of my hair, small and right at my hairline, letting it hang free while my ends began to curl.
It was the most natural I’d been since arriving, and it felt good.
Finally done, I pulled open the door, only to stop short.
“Daisy.” Killian bracketed the doorframe with his long arms, his intense stare fixated on me, taking in every detail of my appearance. When his eyes tracked the tiny braid, a small smile lifted his lips.
I tried to push past him, but he wouldn’t move.
“Excuse me.”
His fingers went to my neck, tipping my head back while he brought his body flush with mine. “We need to talk about last night.”
“We don’t.” Because really there was nothing left to be said. I pushed at him again, but his hand tightened around my neck, possessively.
I looked up, and his gaze told me we would be discussing the Natty situation. I really didn’t want to, so I blurted—
“You said everything that needed to be said when you handed Natty your jacket and left with her on your bike. I’m not playing these games anymore, Killian. Move.”
Pulling myself free from his grip, I tried to shove him off again, but he moved with me.
“So that’s it? You won’t hear me out? You pretending not to care again, Daisy?”
My face was red, my chest flushed. A flash of hurt and pain was still laced around my heart, making patchwork out of my fears. He knew I cared for him, and now he was making jokes of it.
“Go deal with your club, Killian.”
“Not until we talk. Now I can follow you and carry your things for you, like a gentleman. Or I can throw you over my shoulder and take you where I want to go. Choice is yours, either way we’re talking.”
I scowled up at him, and realized he wasn’t moving and regardless of what was going on with his club, and all of its members, he was going to deal with this first. Some tiny thrill shot through me as the reality of his actions sank into my heart.
It felt like quicksand, and this stupid feeling wasn’t going to budge no matter what.
“Fine, lead the way.” I crossed my arms, still feeling defiant.
With another smirk, he dipped to grab my duffel, pulling it up on his shoulder.
Turning, he veered for the stairs, and I followed, taking the steps one at a time.
Once we made it to the main level, sunlight crept in through the tall windows, stroking the hardwood bar top and floors.
Red was in the kitchen somewhere, prepping food, so was Natty.
She saw me and paled.
I turned to leave, but she was rounding the bar, heading right for me.
“Laura, wait.”
I didn’t want to. I couldn’t stand there and hear from the two of them about something that might have been going on for far longer that I even realized.
I saw Sadie gathering her coat, still wearing those ridiculous shorts. Her friends Jasmine and Tess were with her.
Killian continued moving toward the front, and I knew we were headed to the apartment. I was a few feet behind him with the girls all gathered in a group and Sadie shot her arm out, gripping my wrist.
“Laura?”
I turned, which made Killian stop by the front door. I didn’t catch his expression, but Sadie flicked a nervous glance his way before stepping closer and pulling me into a hug.
I didn’t want to talk to her at the moment, but I knew I would eventually hear her out. She had rejected his jacket, that meant something, and she was important to me.
Empathy had me peeking over my shoulder at Natty. Her face looked stricken as she searched my face.
“Later, okay?” I said quietly before returning my attention to Sadie.
“We just wanted to thank you. No one has ever protected us like that…none of us have property patches, we know our role and where we rank. But we like this life, and we like this club. So, thank you for standing up for us.”
Tess stepped up and threw her arms around me. “You’re our girl, Laura. Whatever you need, we got you.”
Jasmine was next, looking a little misty-eyed. “He could have killed us if he wanted to. Everyone seemed so scared of him…but not you. I’ve never seen anyone storm out there like you weren’t afraid of anything, and even if he shot you, it was like you didn’t care.”