Page 10

CERBERUS

Ember’s words fill my head with a rage I thought impossible. I’ve felt anger, even fury, but nothing ever like this. The way she just says what she said pisses me off. I’ve got a feeling she said it as a way of pushing me away, but that shit isn’t gonna happen.

It’s a good thing Reaper had given me a heads up, still, it wasn’t enough to fully prepare me for what she shared. I want to find the motherfucker who attacked her and kill him for what he’s done. He scarred her in more ways than one.

Throughout the entire day, I’ve done nothing but think of what I’m going to do with Ember.

How to get her in my bed where I want her.

Taking her to Mad Pigs was a good way to break through her walls.

No matter how marginally the cracks really were, I got in there.

During dinner, we’d talked. I’d gotten to tell her some of what I wanted to share with her and seen the crack when it happened.

Ember hadn’t expected me to remember the details of our first date. She didn’t expect my answer about the club either. I meant what I told her.

Now that I’ve made that crack in her walls, I intend to tear them down. She’s mine. She just needed to realize the same. I didn’t give a damn if she was raped and scarred. It doesn’t change things between us.

I follow Ember into the clubhouse, intent on following her toward her room, only to be stopped by Angel and Tombstone.

“Where the fuck have you been? You were supposed to have her back after work,” Angel growls.

“You didn’t answer you phone either, what the fuck?” Tombstone snarls.

“Took Ember out to eat after she got off,” I tell them, glancing between the two men. Behind them, Reaper steps close.

“You thought it was a good idea to take our niece out while she’s got some fucker after her?” Angel demands, getting in my space .

After her? What the fuck? I knew what I knew about what was going on but hadn’t heard anything about him being directly after her.

“Am I missing something?” I cock a brow and look directly to Reaper. “Something else happen I don’t know about?”

“No,” Reaper grunts and motions to the other two. “These two have just reverted back to Ember being a kid rather than a fuckin’ adult.”

“Great,” I mutter. The last thing I want, or need, is for Ember’s uncles .

. . my brothers, losing their minds all over again in becoming overprotective of Ember.

She hated it back then, and there’s no way she’ll put up with it now.

Glancing between all three men, I take a moment to get what I have to say right.

The last thing I need is to get a fist to the face.

That would just fuck up my plans altogether.

“I mean this with no disrespect,” I start, looking directly at my VP and Tombstone.

“Ember is your niece. She loves all of you. Always did, but back then, she resented the way you treated her. Why the fuck do you think she acted the way she did? Reaper put me in charge of her safety, and I’m gonna keep her safe.

I’m also gonna find out what the fuck is goin’ on in her head.

If you don’t like it, then find a way to come to terms with it.

I let her slip away from me back then, I’m not about to let that happen again.

And if you push her like you did back then, you’ll push too much, and we’ll all lose her.

That’s not something that can happen. Now, if you’ll excuse me, you interrupted me going after her after she decided to spill some bullshit out that needs to be dealt with. ”

It wasn’t bullshit. But it was fucked. It was also something I wasn’t gonna let her use to push me away and fix the crack in those walls of hers.

Fuck that.

Leaving the three men behind, I nod to my other brothers who were standing around or sitting wherever they found a place.

I stop long enough to tell the prospect to go out to my bike, grab the container out of my saddle bags, and put it in my room.

I didn’t want it to sit out there stinking up my bags.

Plus, my woman was intending to have it tomorrow for lunch at work, and I want Ember to have what she wants.

Behind me, I can hear my brothers talking. Even Azrael calling my name, but right now, my main focus is on a woman who thought to shove me away.

I get to her room and don’t bother knocking or checking to see if the door is unlocked. I twist the knob until the door pops open. She locked the doorknob, but not the top lock that Reaper had installed the day before for her. She’s supposed to use it when she’s alone in her room .

Good for me ‘cause I didn’t have to break down her door.

I could’ve knocked, but I know she wouldn’t have answered.

Popping the lock was easy enough, and truthfully, I don’t like how easy it was.

It meant anyone could get to her if they wanted to.

We’ve had shit happen in the clubhouse before.

Though those situations have been dealt with, it still doesn’t mean she’s a hundred percent safe here.

I need her to be, and that means she’s either in my room with me, or I’m in here with her.

I don’t care if she likes it or not. Ember’s about to have a very come-to-truths with what’s going on here, and we’re doing that now.

She’s mine, damnit. Always has been.

“The door was locked for a reason, Cerberus,” Ember snaps, bolting off the bed.

It didn’t matter that she snapped or that her expression was annoyed. I can see the truth in her eyes. She’s unsure, scared, and very much leery of what’s about to happen here.

As she should be.

Without speaking, I stalk across the space between us, one hand goes to her waist, the other into her hair. I hold her flush against my chest, tug her head back, and slam my lips down on hers.

Ember’s mouth opens on a gasp. I take advantage of it and thrust my tongue inside, claiming her own. I keep the kiss short in itself, but no matter how short it is, it’s also making my cock harder than hell. Just the taste of her mouth alone is enough to rile me up.

Releasing her sweet mouth, I lift my head to meet her gaze as her lids flutter open.

“You think to tell me something that fucked up happening to you and walk away from . . . that I would walk away from you, think a-fucking-gain. I’m not going to let you use what happened to you as a way to push me away.

” Dipping my head back down, I reclaim her lips for a quick kiss.

I barely contain the need to devour her mouth, but somehow, I manage.

Letting her go, I step back, just enough, though not enough that we’re out of each other’s space.

“What are you doing, Cerberus?”

“I’m not Cerberus to you, Ember. Never been Cerberus to you. I don’t give a shit you call me that in front of the brothers, but when we’re alone, you know my name. To you, I’m always Jase.”

“Jase,” she whispers my name and damn if it doesn’t sound good on her lips.

Tugging her to me once again, I dip my head down and kiss her once more. This is just a brush of lips.

“We can’t be doing this,” Ember whispers, lips brushing mine with each word. I refuse to pull away farther. I need her close.

“We should definitely be doing this, baby. Never should have given up when I did and let you get away from me in the first damn place,” I tell her. If I hadn’t, then none of this would have happened. She only went to that school to get away from here.

“But . . .”

“No buts, baby, we’re doing this.” I release her hair and bring my hand to her cheek and stroke.

“We’ll take things at your pace on some things, but as of tonight, you aren’t alone anymore.

You’re in my bed where I can not only keep you safe from the living, but from the demons that haunt your dreams.”

“I don’t think I can do this,” she says, shaking her head, breathing heavily.

“That’s the point, Em, I’m here to help with that ‘cause you don’t think you can.

I do, though. I know you can, and we are.

If you think those scars that mark your skin are going to drive me away, think again.

You went through hell, and you’re allowing yourself to keep giving that power to a monster that I won’t let you keep giving. ”

“I was doing fine, Jase. I’m over what happened to me.”

“No, you’re not. If you were, you wouldn’t have that panic look in your eyes or hide the scars as you do,” I state and step back.

“Now, let’s get your shit and go to my room.

We’ll chill out for a bit before going to bed.

You got work tomorrow, and then you’re off for two days.

We’ve got plans during those days, baby, so don’t think about getting out of them. ”