Chapter 32 #2
“Don’t you ever say that again!” I cry. “Do you know what it was like that first day with Royce thinking I watched you die? I was destroyed, my whole world felt like it was gone! And then for him to tell me Logan and Ace joined you?”
Law drags me into his body once more, wrapping me in his scent as I cry into his chest. “I’m sorry baby girl, you're right. I’m sorry.”
“I love Ace and Logan, they are everything to me.” I start, keeping my face tucked into his body.
“But Law, do you know who I felt safe with the very second they appeared under that willow tree? You. You are the one who I knew I could trust right away. You’ve always been the steady force between the four of us, the one who I know that no matter what will always be the person I can rely on. ”
Tears start to stream down his face and I press to my tiptoes, gently sweeping my lips over his. “We can keep each other safe in this family, it's not your job to shoulder that alone.”
Our kiss tastes like salt, the tears we both shed intermixing as we kiss and hold onto each other. It's not heated or lust filled, it's healing and claiming in a way that both of us need. As though it's his way of letting out the apology that I refuse to take and my way of reminding him I love him.
“Are we interrupting?” Logan’s teasing voice comes through the barn doors.
Breaking off the kiss I peek around Law’s body and let out a gasp. “What is that?!”
Logan laughs as Law turns to look. Behind Lo is Ace and Ghost, a giant evergreen tree held between them. “It’s a christmas tree! Duh!”
“Princess here wanted to deck the halls and all that bullshit,” Ace says but the grumpy tone he has can’t cover for the twitch in his cheeks.
Ghost groans. “Dude. I have no interest in hearing your pet name for Logan.”
I cover the giggle spilling from my mouth with a gloved hand.
Ever since the rescue I’ve noticed Ghost has hung around more.
Part of me thinks it has something to do with the very fiery best friend of mine who has barely left my side since I was retrieved.
But after hearing about the support the club gave Law in his recovery I’m happy to have him around.
Even if the tension is thicker than mud between Athena and him.
Turns out Reed and Tarin both had been a part of the MC long ago, a charter that had been driven out of Cedar Edge briefly before Ace, Law and Logan managed to violently persuade the MC that drove them out to leave.
And while Reed and Tarin had no interest in rejoining the current charter, they felt they owed a debt to the OG members. Protecting Law was a way to repay.
Logan scoops me up, my legs coming around his center as he plants a long kiss on me. “Fuck I missed you Tink.”
Another giggle escapes me. “You haven't been gone that long.”
“Every second away is too long.” Logan says, a darkness moving through his eyes.
Of the three of them Logan has played it close to his chest on how my kidnapping impacted him.
Ace has made it very well known that he puts partial blame on The Fallen and has been working in conjunction with Axel and Ghost to bring down their operation.
Law has avoided me, until now, but Logan has been a mystery.
Clinging to me day in and day out to the point that I baited him into tattooing me just to get him back to work.
He shifts us around, carrying us over the pasture. From behind I watch as Ace and Ghost drag the tree in our direction with Law laughing and shaking his head. “You know I wasn’t done with the horses yet.”
Logan snorts. “You can go back out later, right now we are decorating this tree so I can fuck you under the lights after.”
A thrill shoots through my core and I lean, letting my teeth scrape his exposed neck. “Do we have to wait? Why not fuck me now?”
“Absolutely not!” My best friend's voice pierces the snowy sky. Logan sets me down once we hit the porch and I turn to look at Athena who is currently shooting daggers at Ghost. “I was promised merriment and peppermint vodka with hot cocoa. No where did anyone say Thane would be here.”
Logan just shrugs, slapping my ass as he moves past. “What can I say? We needed another able body to carry the tree.”
I shrug when she glares at me. “Don’t look at me, I just found out about this. I was about to go for a ride.” Athena huffs. “I can poison him if needed.” I offer up.
She looks over at me with a raised eyebrow. “You are kind of scary, Thea Montgomery." For a second I worry she’s serious before she’s dragging me into a hug. “Glad you are my best friend, thanks for the offer. But I think I’ll torment him on my own.”
“Offer stands forever.” I say as I hug her back.
The sound of the boys nearing us has her pulling away, her cotton candy pink curls tickling my face as she does. With another huff she disappears into the house muttering about needing far more liquor to handle tonight.
Ace, Ghost and Law come up the steps next with the massive tree.
I’m shocked it even manages to get through the door but I stand back watching my family.
Royce’s voice has been silent since I returned home, the poisons and slit jugular doing their job, it seems, and exorcising him from my mind.
For everything I’ve been through I assumed I’d have a harder time moving on but the second I stepped back onto the ranch I felt at peace.
“You coming darlin'?” Law asks from just inside the door.
Glancing once more out at the snowy world I turn back and give him a nod and allow him to pull me into the warmth. Because in the end they may have come for me but it was my own hands that slayed my demons and that turned out to be the most powerful healing of all.