Hades
Thirty-Five
Rory was miles away as I watched the fight in her eyes dissipate.
She came here wanting a distraction, but I refused to continue with her if she wasn’t fully here with me.
At first I was taken aback by seeing her at my place, but as I got my head on straight, I stopped everything.
Rory thought she wanted sex, but she needed an escape.
I wanted to be her strength, just not like that.
“I’m right here when you’re ready to talk.” It was a simple line. I would still be here regardless, whether she was or not.
“I need something to make it stop,” she whispered.
“Rory, I am not touching you when you are in this state. You deserve more than that.” I grabbed her hand, giving her that reassurance. “I’m not going to be a way for you to avoid the pain, but I will be here to help you. Just talk to me. It won’t change anything.”
Rory’s shield shattered and she broke into a sobbing mess.
I collapsed next to her, pulling her into my arms as she cried.
I allowed her the vulnerability to break and let everything out.
It seemed like she needed this more than she realized.
Rory wore a mask to hide her pain, but I could see through the cracks.
I wasn’t going to treat her like she was made of glass, but I would let her fall apart then be there to pick her up, pieces and all.
When her cries turned into hiccups, I grabbed her and half-carried her to my bedroom. She didn’t say a word or argue when I pulled the covers over her and slid in close. Rory wrapped herself around my body, burring her face into my chest. She didn’t need sex; she needed this.
She adjusted herself and started tracing circles on my chest. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Are you okay?”
“Not really…” She buried her face into my chest once more, gathering her composure. I didn’t want to pry, but I wanted to know what happened to trigger this reaction. “My past. I—” She took a shaky breath. “The man who hurt me…someone was with him, and I think they want me.”
“I won’t let anyone hurt you.” I pushed a strand of her pink hair out of her face, my fingers lingering on her cheek and wiping her tears.
“I hate being scared.”
“Fear isn’t a weakness. You’re a warrior. A valkyrie.”
She smiled slightly. “I like that. I’m your valkyrie?”
“My brave valkyrie. No one can control you or bring you down without a fight.”
She cuddled next to me, letting out a soft sigh as I rubbed gentle circles on her skin. Eventually, she dozed off into what I hoped was peaceful sleep as her soft snores filled my bedroom.
I watched her sleep, pushing her pink hair away from her face. There was a soft moonlight glow spilling into my bedroom, illuminating parts of her face. God, she was gorgeous.
Rory wasn’t the type of woman to show vulnerability or fear.
The world got the confident badass I met at Tipsy Throttle.
It was the persona she forged to hide her pain beneath, but I saw a woman who fought and clawed her way out of a dark abyss to become the warrior she was now.
She thought her truth would fracture something between us, but it wouldn’t.
I traced her arm, feeling the indentation of a scar under her tattooed skin.
There was a story behind these scars. It was something I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear solely because I would want to find the bastard who did it and bring him back from the dead, just to torture him once more before I killed him again.
There were a lot of things medical school taught me that I could utilize to torment a sick fuck that put shadows in my girl’s eyes.
My phone vibrated on the nightstand, and I carefully reached for it. Rory didn’t budge as I unlocked it and opened the message.
WEST
You free tonight?
ME
No. I have a friend over.
WEST
*side eye emoji* a ‘friend’ friend?
I rolled my eyes and laughed.
ME
Yes, a friend friend. We can meet in the morning.
West was my best friend. He’d been in Crestview for seven years, and we’d been inseparable.
He traveled for work so he wasn’t home all the time, but he must’ve just got back in from Florida.
Sandy beaches, crystal waters, and alone time with Rory sounded beautiful rather than being in Georgia surrounded by rival MCs and tension.
Maybe I could persuade Rory to go to Florida to get away and relax.
I kissed Rory’s temple, pulling her in tighter to my chest. She was in danger, and I would do everything in my power to protect her. I would break treaties and march onto enemy territory if it meant keeping her safe.
I woke up and turned in my bed only to find it empty. The sheets were cold, which told me Rory had been gone for a while. I picked up my phone to find a message from her waiting for me.
RORY
One day I’ll wake up in your arms. Thank you. I’ll see you soon <3
3:40.
She left in the middle of the night. There was a reason. I briefly remembered her on the phone, trying to be quiet so she wouldn’t wake me, but I didn’t process it. One day I would go to Briarwood and see her, but I didn’t exactly know her address and someone there was bound to recognize me.
SAWYER
I have a problem
ME
You ALWAYS have a problem. I’m about to meet West. What’s up?
SAWYER
Hell's Disciples. They know what we did, and they are pissed.
My dad had a lot of enemies, but the Disciples were Sawyer’s problem, not mine.
Sawyer, Archer, and Hael were unofficial members of the Devils.
They moved to Florida for college, so they were docked part timers until they could fully commit to the club.
My dad would help them if needed, but he had enough on his plate dealing with the Predators and the Vipers.
He didn’t need Sawyer and his buddies’ fuckery in his life. Those three could make a priest drink.
ME
I’ll stop by after I see West.