Chapter 33
Kayla
After Roman leaves the gym, I retreat to my room. My lips still burn from his kiss, and the memory of his body pressed against mine sends an electric current racing through me that I can’t quite suppress. But desiring Roman and trusting him again are two completely different things.
Mochi jumps onto the bed beside me, purring as he nudges my arm with his head. I scratch behind his ears automatically, grateful for the distraction.
“What am I doing, Mochi?” I whisper. The cat blinks up at me, entirely unhelpful.
A sharp knock at the door makes me jump. My heart immediately kicks into overdrive because I know it’s Roman. For a brief, cowardly moment, I consider pretending I’m not here, but I’ll need to face him, eventually. May as well be now.
“Coming,” I call, my voice embarrassingly unsteady. I smooth my hair, take a deep breath, and open the door.
Roman stands there, fully clothed this time. His expression is tense, and I’m worried and I just know something is wrong.
“Can I come in?” he asks, and I step aside without a word, my earlier nervousness instantly replaced by a sense of dread.
“We got a lead on Naomi,” he says without preamble. “She’s meeting with her supplier tonight. Remote location, minimal security. It’s our chance to take her down.”
My stomach drops. “You’re going after her.”
It’s not a question, but he nods anyway. “We’re leaving in less than two hours.”
I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the warmth of the room. “And when you find her?”
Roman’s eyes never leave mine. “We end it. Permanently.”
His words should shock me, but they don’t.
I’ve known since that man broke into my house what the endgame would be.
This isn’t a world where you can call the police, where justice comes through courts and laws.
This is Roman’s world, Dragon’s world. A world where problems are solved with violence, where threats are eliminated, not arrested.
“How dangerous is it?” I ask, my voice small despite my effort to keep it steady.
Roman hesitates, and that tells me everything I need to know.
“Sunshine,” he begins, and my heart constricts at the old endearment, “I’m not going to lie to you. Anytime we go up against another club, it’s dangerous. But we’ve got good intel, a solid plan, and the element of surprise.”
“But there’s a chance you won’t come back.” The words tear from my throat before I can stop them.
Roman steps closer, and I don’t back away.
“There’s always that chance,” he admits.
“But I need you to know something. No matter what happens tonight, you’ll be safe.
Dragon’s leaving enough men here to protect you and the clubhouse.
And if—“ he swallows hard, “if I don’t make it back, Dragon will make sure you’re taken care of.
That you can go back to your life without looking over your shoulder. ”
“That’s not—“ My voice breaks, and I have to take a deep breath before I can continue. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”
Understanding dawns in his eyes, and something softens in his expression. “Kayla—“
“No,” I interrupt. “I just… I need you to be careful. I need you to come back.” My voice drops to barely above a whisper. “To me.”
He stares at me for a long moment, his blue eyes intense. Then his hand comes up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing gently across my skin. I lean into his touch, unable to help myself.
“That kiss earlier,” he says softly, “what did it mean?”
I look up at him, this man who was once my entire world, who might still be. “I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “I just know that I can’t lose you again.”
Roman’s expression changes, becomes fierce, almost desperate.
He pulls me to him with one swift movement, his mouth crashing down on mine.
There’s nothing gentle about this kiss; it’s all hunger and heat and maybe a little fear.
His arms wrap around me, crushing me against the solid wall of his chest. I cling to him, pouring everything I can’t say into the press of my lips against his.
When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard. Roman rests his forehead against mine, his eyes closed. “I have to go,” he whispers.
I nod, not trusting myself to speak.
He kisses me one more time, quick and hard, and then he’s gone, walking out the door without looking back, without promising he’ll return.
In Roman’s world, that’s the one promise he can never make.
For a minute, I just stand there, frozen in place. Then I make a decision. I won’t hide in this room, waiting and wondering. I need to see him off, even if it breaks my heart a little more to watch him leave.
I follow the now-familiar path through the clubhouse toward the common room. The hallways seem unusually quiet; everyone has probably gathered to see the team off. As I approach the kitchen, I hear low, urgent voices and slow my steps automatically.
The door is ajar, and before I can pass by, movement catches my eye. I freeze, not meaning to spy but unable to look away from the scene unfolding inside.
Dragon stands in the center of the kitchen, his massive frame curved protectively around Maddie’s much smaller one. His hands cup her face, thumbs stroking her cheeks, which I can now see are wet with tears. The tenderness in his touch makes my breath catch. I’ve never seen Dragon look like this.
“I will come back to you,” he murmurs, his voice so low I can barely hear it. “I swear it.”
Maddie nods, burying her face against his chest. “You’d better,” she whispers back. “Or I’ll follow you to whatever afterlife exists just to kick your ass.”
A smile transforms Dragon’s face, making him look younger, almost boyish. He leans down and kisses her with such tenderness that I have to look away, feeling like I’m intruding on something sacred.
I slip past the door as quietly as possible, moving quickly down the hall before either of them can notice me.
By the time I reach the common room, I’ve composed myself. The space is filled with men checking weapons, strapping on extra clips, adjusting their cuts. The air crackles with tension, a palpable energy that feels like the moment before a thunderstorm breaks.
Roman stands near the center of the room with Gray, going over something on a tablet. He looks up when I enter, our eyes meeting briefly before he returns to the conversation. I find a spot against the wall, out of the way but where I can see everything.
Demon lounges nearby, looking for all the world like he’s preparing for a casual night out rather than a potential gunfight. He catches my eye and winks, the gesture so at odds with the gravity of the situation that I almost laugh.
The relative quiet is shattered when Wrath, and today he is all Wrath, storms in.
“I’m coming with you,” he announces to the room at large, though it’s clear he’s addressing Demon.
Demon doesn’t even look up from the gun he’s examining. “No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. You patched me into your club. I have a right to be there.”
“You’re staying here,” Demon says, finally looking up. There’s an unusual thread of steel in his voice.
“Why?” Wrath demands. “Because you think I can’t handle it?”
“Because I said so,” Demon replies. “That‘s reason enough.”
Wrath’s face darkens with anger, his hands balling into fists at his sides. “I’m not a child.”
“Then stop acting like one.”
Several of the men nearby shift uncomfortably, sensing the brewing storm. Dragon enters the room then, his expression unreadable, all traces of the tender man I saw in the kitchen completely gone. His eyes quickly assess the standoff.
“What’s the problem here?” he asks, his tone making it clear that there better not be one.
“I’m going with you,” Wrath says, turning to Dragon with a desperate sort of defiance.
Dragon looks at Demon, who gives an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
“We need men we can count on here too,” Dragon says, his voice surprisingly gentle. “To protect the clubhouse. To protect the women.”
Wrath’s jaw works as he stares first at Dragon, then at Demon. “That’s bullshit and you know it,” he says finally. “You two just don‘t trust me to have your back.”
Something flickers across Demon’s face. “That’s not true.”
“Prove it, then,” Wrath challenges. “Let me come.”
The room falls silent, everyone waiting to see how this will play out. I notice Roman watching the exchange with a frown, clearly not happy with the delay.
Demon stands, crossing to Wrath in three long strides. He stops just in front of the younger man, studying him with those eerie green-gold eyes that can make even the toughest men squirm. Wrath stares back at him with the same eyes.
“If you come,” Demon says finally, his voice low and serious, “you follow orders. Every single one. No questions, no hesitation. You stay where I put you, do what I tell you to do. Understood?”
Wrath’s face brightens with triumph. “Yes. Absolutely.”
“And,” Demon continues, “if you get yourself killed, I‘ll dig up your corpse and kill you again myself.”
A grin breaks across Wrath’s face. “That’s the most you’ve ever cared about me. I’m touched.”
Demon rolls his eyes, but I catch the faintest hint of a smile before he turns away. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“You won’t,” Wrath promises, already grabbing his bag with renewed energy. “I’ll make you proud.”
“Just try not to die,” Demon mutters. “That would be sufficient.”
Dragon claps his hands once, drawing everyone’s attention. “Alright. We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s move out.”
The room erupts into activity, men grabbing their gear and heading for the door.
I watch, my heart in my throat, as Roman shoulders his own bag.
He looks for me, and when our eyes meet, he holds my gaze for a long moment.
I try to memorize everything about him in that instant; the hard planes of his face, the intensity of his blue eyes. Just in case.
Then he nods once, a silent goodbye, and turns away, following Dragon toward the door.
I feel someone move to stand beside me and glance over to see Maddie, her arms wrapped around her midsection, her face pale but composed as she watches the men file out. Her eyes never leave Dragon’s broad back until he disappears through the door.
“This part never gets easier,” she says softly, and then looks self-conscious, as if she’s revealed too much.
I reach out and squeeze her hand. “No,” I agree, “I don’t imagine it does.”
She seems surprised by the gesture, but squeezes back, a silent acknowledgment passing between us. We stand there together, long after the door has closed behind the men.
Finally, Maddie turns to me, a determined set to her shoulders. “We should find something to keep ourselves occupied,” she says. “Otherwise, we’ll just drive ourselves crazy waiting.”
“What did you have in mind?”
A small smile touches her lips. “Gigi keeps a stash of very good bourbon that she adds to her tea on nights like this. And she knows more stories about these guys than anyone alive.” Her smile widens. “Including some that would make them die of embarrassment if they knew she was telling them.”
Despite everything, I find myself smiling back. “That sounds wonderful, actually.”