Page 49 of Broken Skulls (Rebel Skull MC #7)
Chapter Forty-Eight
Elizabeth
B rody touches my back lightly. “A few of us will be down the road if you need anything.”
“Okay.” I shake my hands out, staring at the basement door.
Brody steps in front of me. “Take a deep breath.” He runs his hands up and down my arms.
I do and instantly feel better for it. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” I tell him.
He leans his back against the door. “I bet the minute he feels you next to him, he’ll be putty in your hands.”
It makes me laugh. “I’m glad one of us feels confident about that.”
His smile eases my worries a tiny bit. “I’ve known JD a long time. If you would’ve left, sooner or later, he would have hunted you down.”
Something tells me Brody is right. I roll my shoulders back. “Okay.”
He pats me on the head as he steps away. “Hey, just for my peace of mind, will you text me when you get him out there?” He nods in the direction of the greenhouse.
“I will. It’s the least I can do. I appreciate all of your help, Brody.”
As he reaches in to close the front door, he winks at me. “See you on the flip side.”
I pull my gaze away from where Brody just stood. It trails over the dragonfly on the refrigerator. I can do this.
My fingers tremble as I silently unlock the door to Jacob’s room. When the lock is off, I pat the pocket of my dress to make sure the blindfold is still there. I’ll have to be quick, otherwise he might push me out.
I slip inside, closing the door immediately behind me. I make it to the bed just as he’s scooting off. My knees fall on each side of him, pinning him against the mattress.
His hands wrap around my waist to steady me. He groans my name as if I’m physically hurting him. “Elizabeth. Why are you doing this to me? I’m locked in here for a reason.”
He grunts when I suddenly drop all of my weight on him, wrapping my arms around his neck. I’m not here to argue with him. I just want to be by his side.
I try my hardest to keep my emotions in check. Maybe this was a bad idea. Did I really think a pep talk to myself would be enough to hold it together? My body betrays me, and soon my entire being is wracked with sobs.
“Okay, baby, okay.” He shushes me, and his strong arms wrap around me. His palm rests at the back of my head.
“I missed you,” I sob into the crook of his neck.
His voice cracks. “I’m such a dumbass, Elizabeth.” He sits us up, peppering kisses all over my face. “I missed you so fucking much. Why didn’t you leave?” he rasps.
“You sat with me during my darkest hour. I will always sit with you through yours. Please don’t hide it from me. I’m not afraid of it. It’s a part of you.”
His mouth crashes against mine, and his hand grabs my chin. He does his best to steal my breath. Little does he know, I’d gladly give him my last one. I let his hands roam freely under my dress.
“I’ve got to have this off,” he says as soon as he tears his mouth from mine.
My hands reach for the stars, and my clothing is instantly pulled over my head.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Elizabeth,” he says frantically.
Once our clothes are off, he pulls me under the blankets with him and holds me.
I feel his desperation to be near me in the tension of his muscles. I thought he wanted me undressed for another reason, but now I realize he just needs to feel my skin on his. To share warmth with me.
It’s exactly what I need too.
“I was so afraid you were going to leave,” he whispers against my ear.
“Then why did you tell me to?”
“Because it’s what’s best for you.”
I run my fingers over the hairs on his arms. “Do you really believe that? Because I sure don’t.”
He’s silent for a long moment. “I was so scared that night.”
“What were you scared of?”
He presses his lips to the back of my head, hugging me tight. “I was scared he might break you. He’s broken everything I’ve ever loved.”
“He could never break me. I’m already broken, remember?”
Air rushes from his lungs, and he makes a noise that breaks my heart. “I never wanted you to see me that way,” his voice cracks.
“Remember how you felt standing by my side in front of the man who abused me? Well, that is how I felt standing beside you the night your father broke in. It felt like it was you and me against the world. I’ve never felt that way before. I’ll never walk away from that, Jacob. I’ll never leave you.”
“I’m sorry I left you alone. I’ll never be able to forgive myself,” he whispers, grabbing my cheeks and pulling me toward him.
I let him kiss me as my hand searches the bed for my dress. When I find it, I pull the blindfold from the pocket. Softly, I slip it over his eyes.
“I have something to show you.”
As I help him dress, I sense his reluctance to leave the safety of this room. Here he hasn’t had to face the destruction his father left behind. He may have had to clean up from his father’s wrath on his own in the past, but not this time. This time he had me.
His hand comes up to cover his eyes as we step outside. “Fuck. I forgot how bright the sun is even through the blindfold.”
I pull him to stand in front of the greenhouse, and then I remove the blindfold. His eyes remain closed.
“Take your time,” I tell him, content to stare at his face.
I’m still staring at him while wearing a cheesy smile when he finally squints his eyes open. He blinks at me a few times.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he says, grabbing a strand of my hair to admire it in the sunlight.
That’s when he notices the building behind me. His gaze slowly rises over my head, his mouth falling open. He backs away a step, looking around us to see exactly where we are.
“Jacob, you never left me alone. You left me with your family.”