Page 7

7

“ I t’s been a long night. I should get some rest.”

Is she fucking kidding me right now?

It’s been a long night?

The urge to hoist her in my arms and kidnap her all over again is strong.

Sure, I have to get past the Marx fuckers and her friends, but I’ll shoot their kneecaps if I have to.

But fuck it, no. I can’t do that. She doesn’t need a fucking caveman controlling her like that anymore. She needs to feel safe. Like she has some say in what happens.

I just need to figure out a way to convince her.

“You’re not safe here, Abs,” I point out, my eyes pleading for her to see reason.

“I’ll be fine.” She waves me off like I’m overreacting, already shifting like she’s about to stand.

No way will I let her walk away from me.

Not again.

“No, you won’t,” I snap, my fists balling as frustration burns through me. “Daniel. Donny. His uncle. They’re all gunning for you, and they won’t stop until they get you. And in case you missed the fucking memo, over my dead fucking body will I let that happen.”

Abbey throws her hands up. Exasperated. “What am I meant to do? Go with you?”

“Yes.”

She fucking scoffs.

“Why the fuck are you scoffing at me?” I snap, my patience hanging by a thread.

She stares at me, defeat clouding those caramel eyes.

“You can’t keep me safe from them, Ringo. No one can.”

“Like fuck!” I slap my hand against my chest, stepping closer. “I’m the only one that can.”

“He’s right.”

We both stiffen, our heads snapping towards the intruding voice.

A chick leans against the partition, arms crossed like she’s been watching this whole time.

Dark hair. Black lips. A smirk that tells me she knows way too fucking much.

“Lexi asked for his help for a reason, Abbey. And it isn’t because he’s easy on the eyes.”

“Who the fuck are you?” I snap before I can stop myself, already irritated that we’re no longer alone.

Abbey shoots me a glare, and the dark-haired girl giggles, her hand outstretched as she approaches .

“I’m Rhys, but you can call me Kitten.”

“No, he fucking can’t.”

The deep menacing voice comes from behind her, a tall man, blond, and fit as fuck, steps around the partition.

Abbey’s eyes widen as she leaps up from the loveseat and squeaks.

“Mr Foster.”

Mr fucking Foster?

“And who the fuck are you?” I snarl.

The tall fucker just smirks, stepping forward to press his palm to Rhys’ still outstretched hand, pushing it down.

Rolling her eyes, Rhys waves him off.

“Shoosh Ty. Let me work my charm.”

Ty smirks, before sliding his hand to her back, tugging her into his side.

Okay… so he’s not her dad, not that I thought he was since he looks closer in age to me, but he’s obviously her fella.

I wanted alone time with my Angel, but maybe a buffer will help.

After all, Rhys was kind of on my side, right? Maybe she can convince Abbey to come with me.

“I’m Ringo,” I offer, turning down my fucking psycho for a moment.

“Tyler.” The guy nods and when I glance at Abbey, I find her gaping at him.

“Miss Delany. Nice to see you again.”

Miss Delany?

Now I’m fucking confused all over again.

Why the formalities?

Why not just call her Abbey ?

Rhys giggles. “I’ll fill in the blanks for you so you don’t have an aneurysm.” She flashes me a grin, her black lips stretching in a smile as she juts her thumb at Tyler. “Ty is Mr Foster. Our old sports teacher, and now he’s my daddy.”

“Jesus, Rhys. Really?” Tyler sighs like he’s used to dealing with this kind of shit from her, daily.

Rhys shrugs, unbothered.

“Anyway, back to you.” She winks at me before turning at Abbey. “He’s a badass criminal. He’s not scared of the law, Abbey, and with the way he looks at you, well,” she waggles her brows. “There isn’t anyone on this Earth that’ll fight harder for you than someone in love with you.”

“He’s not—”

“I’m not—”

Abbey and I say in unison and Ty and Rhys laugh.

“Uh-huh. Okay sure,” Rhys snickers. “Let me know when you realise I’m right.”

Right?

Is she fucking right?

I’ve known Abbey for, what? A week before she ran off, so no, this chick is not fucking right.

“Well, now that I’ve done the dirty work and made you aware of what’s clear to everyone else, I’ll leave you two to have rooftop makeup sex.” She grins unrepentant. “I gotta tell you, though. This rooftop has seen a damn lot of action.”

My brows shoot up while a strangled sound falls from Abbey, and I try not to laugh when I see her eyes widen in horror.

“Get your arse back inside.” Tyler spins Rhys before slapping it .

While I grin, Abbey blushes so hard she could light up the whole fucking city.

I watch their backs as they leave, waiting until their voices fade before I turn back to Abbey, raising a brow.

“Friends of yours?”

She nods, but then shakes her head, before finishing with a shrug.

“Rhys is Lexi’s friend. She was there for her when I wasn’t.”

Damn. There’s so much pain in Abbey’s tone.

“Don’t forget, Angel, at that time, you were also going through your own hell, too.”

She offers me a small smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes as she nods, her gaze dropping to her awkwardly shuffling feet.

Fuck.

I hate this.

I feel so out of my depth with this situation. Especially now that I’m not on MC turf. But maybe that’s exactly what this situation needs.

Distance from the craziness. Somewhere quiet where we can both find our bearings and try to fucking think straight.

“Look, you don’t have to decide tonight,” I say, trying to keep my voice as soft as a thug like me can, stepping forward and hooking my finger under her chin, forcing those doe eyes back to mine. “Take some time to think about it. You should be safe here for a bit, but staying in the city isn’t a good idea long-term. Too many CCTV cameras. Far too many eyes.”

She nods, exhaustion darkening her gaze before she sighs.

“I just want this to be over, but I feel like it will never end.”

Her voice is just above a whisper. So small and timid and far too beaten down .

“I promise you, it will come to an end soon enough,” I murmur, my voice rough. “I’m sorry I haven’t gotten to the list of names you left me yet. The club has been reeling after finding Morris dead in Casey’s car trunk.”

She cringes at the reminder. That wasn’t a pleasant fucking discovery, and it’s why she ended up with puke all over her.

“And, there’s also been the hours upon hours I’ve spent scouring the streets, looking for you.”

She stiffens. Her big caramel eyes flare, like my words both shock and please her.

“You’ve really been looking for me?”

“I told you not to run from me, Angel.” My voice drops with the reminded anger it caused me. “I fucking warned you there would be consequences.”

She rolls her eyes. “And yet, you still haven’t punished me.”

Fuck.

That little bit of defiance has my cock twitching as heat licks up my spine.

I’m getting hard just thinking about the ways I could punish her. She has no idea what she’s inviting.

Sucking in a sharp breath, her sweet scent wraps around me, distracting as fuck.

Shifting my fingers from under her chin, I graze them slowly down the front of her throat, before gently, wrapping my hand around it.

She stiffens.

Her breath hitches.

Her eyes flare wide in panic.

I completely fucking expected it.

I bet those fuckers did this when they raped her. They probably choked her not even knowing the safe way to do it. Or, they knew and didn’t care if they asphyxiated her to death.

Staring into her eyes, I hold the connection, and ignore the way her breathing picks up, and how there’s a slight quiver in her body.

She’s scared of me, but also she isn’t. Which is probably what is actually scaring her.

I bet she’s asking herself why she’s so drawn to me.

How can she be attracted to someone like me?

I know she likes what she sees. I remember the sear of her hungry gaze in the privacy of my shitty room at the Western. I remember the feel of her hand wrapped around my cock as she jerked me off in fascination.

I remember the way she used my fingers to make herself come.

Fuuuck, I’ll never forget that.

Never forget how fucking wet she was… or how she tasted on my fingers.

So yeah, she’s confused.

I’m not the type of guy she should go for. And fuck, I know I’m probably not the type of man that’ll get down on one knee, propose to her, give her a house with a white picket fence, three kids, and two fucking dogs.

I let myself believe I could have that once too, but people like me, we don’t get the easy life. We don’t get the big family dinners with everyone talking over each other, laughing as food is passed around .

We don’t get the sweet woman who sees all our scars and fucking worships us anyway. We don’t get the arms that hold us each night, or the morning kisses that keep us sane.

Fuck.

I want that.

But crims like me. We don’t get that.

We live a ruthless life, and die a ruthless death.

Shaking the truth of my reality from my thoughts, I focus on my Angel in front of me.

“Why did you fucking run?” I ask her again, needing to understand what was going through her head. “Why didn’t you wait and see what the fuck was happening? Did you really think I was going to hurt you?”

Something in her shifts and I see the warrior in her rise to the surface.

Her chin lifts, stretching her neck as she leans into my hand, even as her eyes turn glassy.

“I didn’t understand what was happening,” she admits, her voice quiet yet strong. “I’d been lying to you. I kept the pregnancy from you and everyone else.”

My grip tightens slightly, but this time she doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t react.

“I was biding my time until I could figure out what to do, because the truth of it is, I don’t know who the father is. However, I do know the father is a vile human, but it could be any of the six arseholes that…”

She trails off, her throat bobbing against the press of my hand as she swallows hard.

She can’t bear to say the words, so I make her .

Giving her neck another little squeeze, firm enough that she feels it, I remind her, from that action alone, that I won’t let her run from this.

“Say it.”

Her lip trembles, and she takes in a shaky breath, but when she speaks, her voice is firm and sure.

“The father could be any one of the six arseholes that raped me.”

Good girl.

“So you don’t know who the father is. What does that have to do with you running from me?”

She looks at me like I’m an idiot, scoffing in frustration. “I chose to keep this baby, Ringo. I chose this baby despite the fact it was created in such vulgarness and violence. I’m not foolish enough to know people are going to think I’m crazy for doing that. Why would any sane person willingly have the baby of their rapist?”

Easing my grip on her neck, I let my hand slide to her nape, fingers tangling in her hair. Fisting the strands, I tug slowly, tilting her head back just enough that she has nowhere to look but at me.

“What does your choice to have this baby have to do with you fucking running from me?”

“What do you mean?” she cries out, frustration cracking her voice. “I thought you took one look at me and were furious that I lied. That you knew there was no way you’d want to be involved with someone in my condition.”

My jaw clenches so hard my teeth ache.

“Why the fuck would you think that? ”

Her expression shifts, confusion swallowing her anger, “Wendy said…”

“Wendy? Wendy said fucking what?!” I yell, probably a little too loudly, but she doesn’t flinch back. No, she does the opposite, pulling against my hold of her hair, getting right in my face, caramel eyes flashing with something fiery and fucking unbreakable.

“She said you don’t want damaged goods or have any interest in raising someone else’s kid. And then she said…”

Red hot rage pulses through me like a fucking live wire.

“Abbey, I swear to fucking satan if you don’t tell me what that bitch said, right fucking now, I’ll kidnap you all over again.” I lean in impossibly close, my voice dropping to a deadly rasp. “And this time I’ll keep you chained up.”

Angry tears dampen her eyes, but despite them, her chin lifts in defiance. “Do it.”

Fuck.

“Don’t fucking tempt me, Angel.” I tighten my grip just for a second, knowing her scalp must be burning from the pain. “Now tell me what she said.”

Her hands come to my chest, shoving me away, my fingers barely releasing her hair in time to not fucking hurt her.

But she’s angry, furious. So fucking alive with the emotion of it that it sparks something inside me.

Mine.

Fuck. I want to keep her.

Trying to walk off her rage, Abbey starts pacing, her body wired tight, her breaths coming too fast.

Her fury is like a wildfire, and I can’t say it’s a bad thing.

She’s going to need it .

Some days it’ll be the only thing that keeps her standing.

“Angel.” I warn again, waiting for her to fucking tell me what that bitch of a woman said to her.

Wendy had been in my bathroom with Abbey when I found them. I’d thought it was weird at the time. I’d wondered why Wendy had turned to me with smug satisfaction written across her face before she spoke.

“I thought you should see this.”

Fucking bitch was practically frothing at the mouth to throw Abbey under the bus. Not only that, Wendy fucking knew what I’d been through with Kylie. With Hope.

So she fucking knew my reaction wouldn’t be good.

She fucking knew it would trigger me.

Fuck.

“She said if I don’t run, then you will kill me.”

I stiffen at Abbey’s words.

“She. Said. Fucking. What?”

Abbey throws her hands up again.

“What was I supposed to think, Ringo? You went crazy. All my fears came true right before my eyes, and all of a sudden, I didn’t feel like a single person in that place would fight for me, so I ran. Okay? I ran like a coward, but you know what, I’m not trying to keep me alive. I’m trying to keep my baby alive. I’m trying to do the right thing for him or her because they deserve a chance at life.”

I’m vibrating with so much anger, I can’t see straight.

I’m ready to kill someone.

Not Abbey.

Never Abbey.

But Wendy? Fuck, yeah, I could kill that bitch in a heartbeat.

Wendy better be fucking gone when I go back to the Western, or that cunt will fucking wish she’d never been born.

Spinning, I give my Angel my back, because I don’t want her to see the fucking rage written across my face and think it’s directed at her.

Linking my fingers behind my head, I pace past the partition to the high ledge of the rooftop and look out over the city.

Everything is a fucking mess. It’s my fucking job to deal with it, but I can’t fucking fathom dealing with anything but Abbey right now.

I can’t explain it. I don’t understand the pull she has on me. I get that I’m all kinds of fucking wrong for her, but I can’t bring myself to walk the fuck away.

“Cameron?”

Fuck.

The way she says my name. My real fucking name. It does something to me.

Dropping my hands to my sides, inhaling deeply, I try, and fucking fail to calm down.

“For over three weeks I was scared you would find me.” Her voice is soft behind me. So fucking broken that I feel it burrowing inside my chest. “But I was also scared you wouldn’t even try.”

I turn.

Because that?

That fucking wrecks me.

As she stands with the evening breeze kicking up her hair, her arms wrapped over her bump as she curls into herself like she’s trying to hold herself together, I know, without a doubt, that I’ll do everything it takes to protect her and her child, even if it kills me.

“The moment I realised you had run, I was out looking for you.” The words leave me like a confession. “And I wasn’t looking because of any favour to Lexi. I was looking because I fucking care about you. I was looking because I was terrified something bad would happen to you. That those fuckers would get their hands on you and do all of those…” I choke on my own fucking words, not able to say the horrendous things my mind conjured up that could have been happening to her while I couldn’t fucking find her.

Dropping my chin to my chest, I fight for control. I fight back fucking tears. Tears I haven’t let fall since the day I buried Hope.

Until tonight.

Abbey’s small booted feet step into my line of sight, and I glance up to see her right before me.

“I’m sorry I worried you.” Her fingers tremble slightly as she hooks them with mine. “All I’m trying to do is keep my baby safe.”

My eyes drop to her bump, watching how her other hand rubs over it protectively.

Fuck.

I understand that need.

So fucking much.

“Then let me help you keep him or her safe.” I flick my gaze back to her caramel pools. “You don’t have to be with me. I know lines got blurred in my motel room, and I probably shouldn't have acted on the way I fucking crave you, but I can be man enough to control myself around you if it means keeping you safe.”

Her lips part as a silent breath rushes from her.

“You crave me?”

I smirk, just a little, some of my worry falling away because, fuck, I’m touching her.

Nodding, I lift our entwined fingers and press my lips to the back of her hand, hovering there for longer than I probably should. “I crave you in ways that fucking scare me, Angel.”

Her brows shoot up at that.

“Do tell.”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Now’s not the right time.”

She sighs at the reminder, her gaze drifting to the rooftop door.

“I should go to my friends.”

I nod. “Lexi will be up here any moment, ready to throw me over the ledge if you don’t go to them soon.”

She smiles. “She’s pretty pissed at you.”

“Yeah well, I let her down.”

Her smile fades.

“It’s all my fault though. All of this is my fault.” She huffs, shooting a worried glance at the rooftop door.

“Nope.” I shake my head. “No more thinking like that, Angel. We’re all here fighting for you because we care. That’s what happens when you need support. Your family and friends rally to help.”

Her expression shutters slightly.

“I don’t have any family here.” Her voice is flat, but I just grin.

“Don’t you?” I tilt my head, watching her. “Because when I saw you and Lexi earlier, I could have sworn you were sisters. Just remember, it’s not just blood that makes someone family.”

Her eyes shine .

“Stop it. You’re going to make me cry again.”

I chuckle. “Okay, I’ll stop, as long as you promise not to forget that everyone here tonight cares about you.”

“Fine.” She rolls her eyes, giving me a glimpse at her playful side. “I guess you should go back to the Western now?”

I scoff, even as I gesture to the rooftop door. “Nope. Where you go, I go.”

“But I’m staying here with my friends.”

I nod. “Then I am too.”

“Ringo. I don’t think that’s a good idea. The guys… Well, I’m sorry to be blunt, but I don’t think they like you.”

Throwing my head back, I laugh as we start for the door.

“Angel, I don’t particularly care whether your teeny bopper friends fucking like me. All I care about is your safety. I’m not taking my eyes off you for a fucking second.”

“What about if I have to pee?” she asks, and I smirk down as I pull open the door.

“Like I said, where you go, I go.”

“Like fuck!”

The words barely register before a fist slams into my face.