12. Lilah #2
My head spins, my body loose and boneless against the sheets. His hand finds my hair, fisting gently at the nape of my neck, and he kisses my jaw, then my temple, like he can’t quite stop.
He moves onto his back and pulls me with him, tucking me against his side. I trace one of the tattoos on his chest with the tip of my finger, following the black ink without really paying attention to where it goes.
Kai.
I smile against his shoulder and his hand moves lazily up and down my back. "What?" he asks.
"Nothing."
"You're smiling."
"Maybe I'm happy."
His hand stills for a second before continuing. "Good."
Of course that's all I get. I lift my head and look at him. "You hungry?"
"Always."
I laugh. "I can make breakfast."
"You don't have to feed me."
"You're in my bed. I think breakfast is the least I can do."
I start to move, but his arm tightens around my waist and pulls me straight back against him.
A laugh escapes me. "Kai."
His eyes meet mine, and there it is again. That tiny change in his expression when I use his name. I like it.
"What?" he asks.
"We need to get up."
"Do we?"
"Eventually."
"Not what you said." I roll my eyes, but I'm still smiling, and he pushes my hair away from my face. "I meant what I said last night."
My smile fades a little. "I know."
"I'm staying, Lilah."
I look at him, there's no hesitation in his face, no uncertainty. Just Kai. The man who's spent days sleeping on my sofa, checking my locks, and making me safe. The man who let me pull him into my bed last night because I asked him to; and now I know his name.
I lean down and kiss him. "I like you here."
His hand settles at the back of my neck. "Good."
"That's it?"
"What else do you want?"
I grin. "Maybe something a little more romantic."
"You picked the wrong man."
I laugh and push at his chest. He catches my hand before I can pull it away and brings it to his mouth, pressing a kiss against my knuckles.
I stare at him and he raises an eyebrow. "That romantic enough?"
"Getting there."
"Breakfast."
I laugh again and finally climb out of bed. "Bossy."
"Apparently you like that."
I look back at him and see that he's watching me. "Apparently I do."
By the time we make it out of the bedroom, breakfast is more like brunch. We sit across from each other at the kitchen table with eggs, toast, and coffee between us, and I keep catching myself looking at him.
Kai. It's strange how comfortable his name feels in my head now.
"What?"
I take a bite of toast. "You're very observant this morning."
He raises a brow. "You keep staring at me."
"So?"
His mouth twitches. "So nothing."
I smile and reach for my coffee. For a few minutes, we eat in comfortable silence before I glance toward the living room and spot the deck of cards still sitting on the coffee table. "You owe me a rematch."
His fork stops halfway to his mouth. "A rematch?"
"Rummy."
"I don't owe you shit. You won."
"Four times."
"Three."
I stare at him. "Four."
"Last one didn't count."
I gape at him. "Why?"
"Ghost called."
I laugh. "After I won."
"Still disrupted the game."
"The game was over."
"Your opinion."
"It's not an opinion. I had no cards left." He takes another bite of eggs and I wait, but nothing. "You're a terrible loser."
"I'm not a loser."
"You lost four games."
"Three."
I laugh so hard I nearly choke on my coffee. Kai reaches across and slides my glass of water closer toward me without a word. I take it, still laughing. "Thank you."
"Don't die proving a point."
"I wasn't proving a point."
"You usually are."
I narrow my eyes at him but he's smiling now.
I don't think I've ever seen him this relaxed, and God, I like it.
I like sitting here with him, I like knowing what his smile looks like first thing in the morning, and I like that his jeans and T-shirt from yesterday are currently scattered somewhere on my bedroom floor.
I like that there's going to be tonight; the thought slips in so easily that I stop for a second.
Tonight, dinner, another game of cards, maybe him in my bed again. Definitely him in my bed again.
"You're doing it again."
I blink. "What?"
"Staring."
Heat crawls into my cheeks, but I don't bother denying it this time. "I like looking at you."
His eyes hold mine. "Good."
"That's all I get?"
"What do you want?"
I grin. "I don't know. Something."
He leans back in his chair and looks at me, really looks. Then his gaze drops deliberately to my mouth before coming back to my eyes. "I've been looking at you since the day you moved in across the hall."
My stomach flips. "You have?"
"Yeah."
I try not to smile and I fail. "Could've mentioned that."
"Thought I just did."
I shake my head and pick up my coffee. Kai goes back to his breakfast like he hasn't just made it impossible for me to stop smiling.
His phone rings before I can think of something to say; the change in him is immediate. He looks at the screen. "Ghost." And just like that, the outside world comes back.
"Yeah." He listens for a few seconds. "When?" He’s silent for a moment, listening to whatever Ghost is telling him. "Who else knows?" That gets my attention and Kai pushes his plate away. "Yeah. Give me twenty minutes."
"What happened?" I ask once he ends the call.
"Rogue found something."
"Webb?"
"Maybe." He reaches for his phone again. "Ghost wants everyone at the clubhouse."
I nod. "Okay."
"I'm calling Savage."
"For me?"
"Yeah."
I glance at the clock. "Kai, I'm going to work."
"No."
I raise an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Petals stays closed until we know what's going on."
My mouth opens in shock. "Louise might have something to say about that."
"Ghost already spoke to her."
Of course he did.
I sit back in my chair. "And Savage?"
"Stays here until I'm back."
I stare at him. "You're giving me a babysitter."
"I'm giving you Savage."
"That's worse."
His mouth twitches.
I point at him. "Don't smile. I'm annoyed with you."
"You're not."
"I could be."
He smirks. "You were smiling thirty seconds ago."
"Things change."
He gets up and comes around the table.
I tilt my head back as he stops beside me. "You're very annoying this morning."
His hand settles against the side of my neck. "You'll survive."
"Debatable."
He bends and kisses me. For a few seconds, Ghost, Webb and whoever the hell warned him can wait. When Kai pulls back, his thumb brushes my cheek. "I won't be long."
"Okay."
"And Lilah?"
"Hmm?"
"Nobody comes through that door."
I give him a look. "I have managed to live alone before."
"I've seen your locks. I'm aware."
"Then stop worrying."
"Not happening."
I should probably be irritated, instead, I smile. "Go." He kisses me once more before reaching for his cut, I watch him pull it on.
Kai disappears beneath leather and patches so easily that I finally understand what Natalia meant. The club gets Tempest, I get Kai, and apparently, Savage gets stuck babysitting me.
I'm still smiling when I carry the plates into the kitchen.
It's ridiculous. Kai's been gone less than five minutes.
Savage will probably be here before I've finished cleaning up, and then I'll spend however long Kai's gone being watched by another enormous biker who'll pretend he isn't watching me.
I rinse the plates and leave them in the rack, putting his mug beside mine. I look at it and smile again. Jesus Christ, this is embarrassing. My phone buzzes on the counter and I grab it far too quickly.
Not Kai. It’s Natalia.
Natalia: So?
I stare at the message and then three dots appear.
Natalia: Don't you dare pretend you don't know what I'm asking.
I laugh, absolutely not. I put my phone face down without answering. It buzzes again, and I ignore it. She can torture me later.
I wipe down the counter, put the milk back in the fridge and check the time. Savage should be here soon, I take my coffee into the living room and drop onto the couch. The television is still paused on the comedy from last night.
A knock sounds at the door, I glance toward it. "That was quick."
I set my mug down but then stop. Kai's voice is practically inside my head.
Check first.
I reach for my phone and open the hallway camera. The feed loads and I frown. It's not Savage; it’s Jinx standing outside my apartment. For half a second, I'm just confused, but then he turns his head and I see blood running down the side of his face.
I shoot to my feet. "Shit."
I hurry toward the door but stop before touching the lock. Instead, I tap the microphone on the camera. "Jinx?"
His head comes up and he looks straight at the camera. "Lilah."
"What happened?"
He wipes at his face and looks at the blood on his fingers. "Don't open the door."
Every part of me goes cold. "What?"
"Don't fucking open it."
I step back. "Where's Savage?"
His eyes move toward the stairwell. "I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"Call Tempest."
My heart starts hammering. "Jinx, what's happening?"
"Call him. Now."
I grab my phone and dial Kai. It rings, once, then twice, and again.
Jinx looks toward the stairs again.
"Come on, Kai."
Voicemail. I hang up and immediately call again.
"Jinx, talk to me."
Nothing, I look at the camera and see that he's gone.
"Jinx?"
The hallway is empty. I stare at the screen. He was there. He was right fucking there.
"Jinx?"
A sound comes from somewhere outside the apartment. A thud followed by another. I move closer to the door before catching myself. No. Don't open it. I call Savage. It rings and rings. Nothing.
"Fuck."
Ghost—no answer. I try Kai again—voicemail.
My hands are shaking now. I send Kai a message instead.
Jinx is here, he's hurt. He told me not to open the door. I can't see him now. Savage isn't here. Call me.
I hit send, and then I stare at the screen. Delivered.
Another thud sounds outside. Then silence, utter silence. I back away from the door and think.
Kai said Savage was coming but Savage isn't here, but for some reason, Jinx is. Or was. Something is wrong, really fucking wrong. I dial emergency services but before it connects, the fire alarm screams.
I jump. "What the fuck?"