Chapter Twenty-Two #3
“I’m not Nashville. You will not get me talking about her or what is going on between us.”
“No need to, you walking in here with her the way you did spoke loud and clear. Not to mention throwing yourself in front of her when bullets are flying.”
He is mad about that, and not because I was doing it to save an innocent woman.
“I’m touched.”
“Don’t get used to it,” he sits down in his seat and leans back. “What does she know?”
By the time the others arrive, Nero is up to speed. Beast sits down on Nero’s right, and he asks how the women are.
“Oh, they’re great, best of friends.”
“Is Raven there?” I ask, remembering I’ve not heard from my sister in a while.
“She’s at the hospital. Taylor and Kinsley want to go, I said I’d make sure it was okay.”
“Tell Ronin to go with them. Hold off on calling Atom,” Nero tells me now that Taylor will be there.
“I’ll handle it, you fill them in.”
“Thanks for the suggestion,” Nero narrows his eyes, but he won’t stop me.
I ignore everyone else’s questioning stares and jog downstairs and into the bar through the back entrance. Kinsley is sitting at the table usually reserved for me and Nero, there is some kind of poetic irony in that, but I push it aside.
Beast is right, they’re chatting like they’re the best of friends. Kinsley doesn’t look the least bit concerned I’m staring at her like I’m either going to lock her up or fuck her. I’m not sure which one it is myself.
“Go to the hospital, Raven is already there. I’ll call you later.”
“That’s all?” she leans back.
“For now.”
I’m not about to lie to her, but what she wants, she can’t have. It doesn’t matter that Nero will never let her be there to see us kill the Sinners. I won’t ever let her bear witness to that side of us.
Ronin appears at the door and nods at me. Taylor sees him too and gets to her feet. While Kinsley grabs her things, Nero’s old lady reaches out and squeezes my arm, letting me know she’ll do what she can to explain club business.
I had my doubts about her when Nero first got involved with Jesse’s nurse, but Taylor has proven herself. Kinsley will be safe with her, and the brothers will be with them the whole time.
“I’ll just go sort out Oscar and the puppy from hell. Meet you out front Kinsley, if you want to go and get your things from across the street?”
“She’s nice,” Kinsley says after Taylor disappears into the hallway at the back. “I figured whoever fell for Nero would be more… of a bitch.”
“You’ve watched too many TV shows.”
“Maybe. I need to go to the annex and get my things.”
Kinsley goes to pack a bag with clothes, underwear, and some of her drawing things.
She’s gone for longer than necessary, has she climbed out the window?
That would be something Kinsley would do.
when I go inside, I find her in the middle of the room, staring at the canvases.
Both the completed portrait of me and the half-finished one of Stryker are uncovered.
“When I came home,” she says without turning around, sensing I’m behind her. “I’d put all the violence and fear behind me.”
My stomach clenches, not knowing where this is going.
“I thought I could take back control by being there when those assholes who shot Marisol and Colt were… handled for what he did.”
“You don’t need to witness that to know it’s done.”
She nods slowly. It feels like there is a dark chasm forming between us, and I won’t allow it.
Kinsley doesn’t jump or try to move away when I crowd in behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and tugging her into me.
After a few seconds, her arms rest on top of mine and she clasps her fingers with mine.
“How did this happen?” she asks.
We both stare at my portrait. She doesn’t mean the shooting, she means us.
“Because we are two people looking for something that no one else can give us.” As I say the words, I know it’s the truth. “It won’t be easy with me, little villain.”
“You know I live for the fight, Rebel.”
Her eyes close when I press my lips to her temple. “Then let’s keep fighting.” The tone of my voice deepens and regret filters through my words. “You can’t get involved in club business. Anything else, and I will always give you what you need.”
“You’ll always keep things from me.”
“It has to be that way, if you really want to be with me.”
Kinsley twists in my arms and looks up at me, her palms press against my chest. “I didn’t expect this,” she whispers.
“What?”
“Falling for a rebel.” Her lip twitches.
“You’re falling for me?”
“Oh, fuck, I regret saying it already.”
She pushes me, hard enough to make me take a step back, but my arms are still around her, so she comes right along with me and we almost stumble.
No more words are said as she wraps her arms around my neck, gives me a quick squeeze, then pulls away.
I’m not ready to voice my feelings, and the way she stares into my eyes, to my soul, she lets me know I don’t have to.
“Come on,” she whirls around and hefts up her bag, which I quickly take out of her hands, making her eyes roll. “I need to get to the hospital, and you’ve got some murdering to take care of.”