Page 16 of Crush & Byte (Grim Road MC #9)

She stirred, eyelids fluttering. A small, sleepy smile curved her lips as she registered Byte’s presence, and she reached up to catch his hand with hers.

“Byte?” Her voice was thick with sleep, but there was no fear in it, no confusion.

Only recognition. Her smile never dropping, she kept her gaze on Byte.

“Is Crush still asleep?” The simple question, the fact that she’d thought of me even as she was waking to Byte’s touch, hit me like a physical blow.

I moved closer, letting her see me in the dim light. “I’m here,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended.

Her smile widened, eyes still heavy lidded but warm as she looked at me. She shifted, pulling herself up to sit against the headboard, the blankets pooling around her waist. She wore an oversized sleep shirt, one shoulder bare where the neckline was too large for her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, suddenly more alert, gaze moving between us. “It’s still dark.” She didn’t look scared, only mildly curious.

I sat on the edge of the bed opposite Byte, creating a circle of three. “Storm’s coming,” I explained. “A big one. A Pacific system headed straight for us now.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “How bad?”

“High winds, heavy rain. Possible flash flooding.” I watched her face carefully as I continued. “It’ll hit in the next four to six hours.”

“Oh.” She tucked her hair behind her ear in that nervous gesture I’d come to recognize. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s not ideal,” Byte agreed, his hand still holding hers. “But we’ve got options.”

I nodded. “The cabin’s sturdy. We’ve got the generator, plenty of supplies. We could stay put, ride it out here.” A gust of wind emphasized my point, whistling around the eaves of the cabin. “Or we could pack up now, try to get down the mountain and back to town before it hits.”

“Both have risks,” Byte added. “The roads will get dangerous once the rain starts. Slick, possible washouts or downed trees.”

“But staying means being stuck here,” I continued, watching her reaction carefully. “Possibly for a couple days, depending on how bad the damage is.”

River’s gaze moved between us, a crease forming between her brows. “Stuck here. With you two.”

I nodded, feeling a knot of tension in my gut.

“We know that’s a lot to ask, given everything we talked about earlier.

Given how recently we met.” The words felt inadequate, clumsy.

“We wanted you to have the final say in this. And not just because of our conversation earlier. A man in our situation who holds a woman against her will isn’t much of a man. No matter the situation.”

“If we can’t make you feel safe enough to stay,” Byte continued, “then we’re the ones responsible if you get hurt.”

“And we’ll die to keep you safe, River.” I wanted to drive this point home. “You’ve not made up your mind, but we have.”

Something shifted in her expression. A flash of understanding followed by something deeper, more visceral. To my shock, her eyes filled with tears, gleaming in the low light.

“River --” Byte started, concern etching his features.

But before either of us could say more, she lunged forward, throwing an arm around each of us in an awkward, fierce hug that nearly toppled me off the edge of the bed.

Her face pressed between our shoulders, her body trembling slightly.

“You’re giving me the choice?” Her voice broke with her emotion. “You’re actually letting me decide?”

I brought my hand up to cup the back of her head, fingers threading through her soft hair. “Of course, we are.”

She pulled back, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her hand. “You don’t understand,” she said, looking between us with a watery smile. “Nobody does that. Nobody ever has.”

The wind rattled the windows again, harder this time, a reminder of the decision looming over us. Outside, the first patter of raindrops began to hit the roof, a warning of what was on the way.

“I know what this is costing you,” she continued, her gaze settling on me with an intensity that made my breath catch. “I can see it in your face, Crush. Every instinct you have is screaming to make the call, to keep me safe. Isn’t it?”

I couldn’t deny it. “We want you safe, River. More than anything.”

“But you’re still giving me the choice.” She shook her head in wonder. “Do you know how much that means to me?”

Byte squeezed her hand. “We’re trying to show you that you’ll always come first with us. We meant what we said earlier. And we’re serious about this being your decision. Whatever you want to do, we’ll do, honey.”

She looked down at their joined hands, then back up at both of us. “I’d never want someone to risk their safety just so I was more comfortable,” she said firmly. “Never. And I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened to either of you because I was too scared to be stuck here.”

I felt something in my chest loosen, even as another gust of wind shook the cabin. “You’re not scared to stay with us?”

Her laugh was soft, almost disbelieving. “Crush, I think I’m more scared of how much I want to stay with you both than anything else.” The admission seemed to surprise even her, color rising to her cheeks. “But that’s not the point right now. The point is, I trust you. Both of you.”

“So what do you want to do?” Byte asked, his voice gentle.

River took a deep breath, looking between us with those clear, honest eyes that had haunted me since the first moment I saw them.

“I want you to decide,” she said finally.

“I know that sounds like a cop-out after everything I just said about choices, but…” She paused, searching for words.

“I think… I think sometimes trusting someone else to make the right call is a choice too. Maybe the hardest choice.”

The rain was coming steadier now, drumming on the roof in a rhythm that would soon become a downpour. Outside, the trees swayed against the night sky, bowing to the rising force of the wind.

“Are you sure?” I asked, needing to be certain. “We can make it if you want to go. We’ll make sure of it. No matter what, you’ll be safe.”

She nodded, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Make the call, Crush. I trust you.”

Three simple words, but they hit me like a physical force.

I trust you . From a woman who had spent her life running because she didn’t trust anyone to put her first, they were more than words.

They were a beginning. For the first time since Byte told me about breaking into River’s digital book collection, I thought there might be a chance for this to work.

Maybe Maggie was right.

I stood, my body moving before my brain had fully committed to the decision.

River’s trust hung in the air between us, both a gift and a weight.

I didn’t deserve the gift. The weight, I’d gladly bear if it won me her heart.

“We’ll stay,” I said, making the call she’d entrusted me with.

“The cabin’s solid, and trying to outrun the storm on mountain roads is asking for trouble.

” The relief in her eyes confirmed I’d made the right choice, but now came the harder part.

Byte started to rise too, probably assuming we’d head back downstairs to let River get more sleep before the storm hit full force. I placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him with gentle pressure. His eyes met mine, questioning.

“Stay with her,” I said quietly.

Byte’s expression shifted minutely, surprise, then understanding on his face. River looked between us, confusion clear in her features.

“You two need to talk,” I continued, my hand still on Byte’s shoulder. “About everything from earlier. She’ll have questions.” I directed this last part to Byte, whose eyes narrowed slightly as he caught my meaning.

Byte was better at certain conversations than I was.

He could break down complex emotions into logical components, explain how he felt without all the tangled mess I usually made of things.

It was everyone else’s emotions he had a problem understanding.

River needed clarity right now, not my gruff attempts at expressing feelings I barely understood myself.

“Why are you leaving?” River asked, her voice small in a way that tugged at something in my chest. “Don’t you want to stay too?”

I turned to her, struck again by how vulnerable she looked in the dim light, how young despite the strength I knew she carried.

The wind gusted against the cabin walls, a mournful howl that seemed to underscore the moment.

“I do want to stay,” I admitted, the honesty coming easier than I expected.

“More than you could possibly know. But I think you’d feel better dealing with one of us at a time for this,” I said, gesturing vaguely between us.

“Until you felt more comfortable. It’s a lot to process, what we talked about earlier. ”

“But --”

“Byte’s better at explaining things,” I continued, cutting off her protest gently, crossing, sitting back down on her bed and taking her hand. I brought it to my mouth and kissed her fingers, then her palm. “He’ll answer your questions without getting all…” I struggled for the word.

“Emotionally constipated?” Byte supplied helpfully.

I shot him a look but couldn’t deny the description. “Something like that.”

River’s expression softened, her lips curving into a small smile. “I don’t think you’re emotionally constipated.”

“You haven’t known me long enough,” I countered, returning her smile despite myself.

“But don’t worry,” I added, holding her gaze steadily. “I’ll get my turn with you.”

The words came out deeper, rougher than I’d intended, loaded with meaning I hadn’t planned on showing. River’s breath caught audibly, her pupils dilating slightly in the dim light. The air between us seemed to thicken, charged with something electric and inevitable.

“Your turn,” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, not trusting myself to elaborate. If I stayed any longer, looking at her with her sleep-mussed hair and wide eyes, I might forget all my good intentions about giving her space. “We’ve got time,” I said finally, standing again. “The storm’s not going anywhere, and neither are we.”

Her expression shifted to something I couldn’t quite read. Relief mixed with anticipation, maybe? She nodded slowly, her lips curling slightly into a smile. “OK.”

I glanced at Byte. “Generator’s got about twelve hours of fuel if we need more than the basics,” I told him. “I’ll check the tanks, make sure everything’s secure outside before it gets worse.”

“Be careful,” River said, turning her hand to grip mine in her. Her fingers were warm, slim against my rougher ones. “Please.”

“Always am,” I assured her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.

I moved to the railing next to the steps, feeling the weight of both their gazes on my back.

The urge to turn around, to stay, to be part of whatever conversation was about to unfold was almost overwhelming, but I pushed it down.

River needed this time with Byte. I’d get my moment with her soon enough.

I descended the stairs, letting out a long breath as I stood in the main room of the cabin. The wind had picked up considerably, whistling through the eaves and making the structure creak around me. Rain lashed against the windows in irregular bursts, the storm gathering strength minute by minute.

I pulled out my sat phone, checking the radar one more time. The screen cast a blue glow over my face as I studied the spiral of angry red and purple approaching our area. It had accelerated, the worst of it now perhaps only three hours away. We’d made the right call staying put.

My shoulders tensed involuntarily as a particularly strong gust rattled the windows. I put on the rain gear Maggie had stashed. She had sizes for both Byte and me, as well as herself so if we needed to move, River would have gear too.

The storm raged outside, the wind threatening to take the door away from me when I pushed it open to double-check everything was locked down as tight as I could make it.

Once satisfied, I came back inside and locked the door once again.

The soft glow of the night-light still illuminated the stairs, and I could hear River and Byte speaking softly.

They had to have heard me, but they didn’t pause in their conversation.

The space was small, and sound traveled in the enclosure.

They had to know I’d hear them. Which meant River wasn’t trying to hide from me, even though I wasn’t with her and Byte for their conversation.

My jaw clenched as I thought of River in the other room, talking with Byte about the proposition we’d laid before her.

About the possibility of her belonging with us, to us, in a way neither of us had ever attempted before.

The rational part of me knew we were moving too fucking fast, that normal people didn’t propose what we had after knowing someone for a couple of days. But nothing about this felt normal.

But it felt necessary. Inevitable. Right .

I set my phone down on the kitchen counter and braced my hands on the edge, dropping my head between for a moment. The muscles in my back and neck were wound tight, my body physically manifesting the protective instincts that had been on high alert since the moment I’d seen that weather alert.

Outside, the storm gathered force, the mountain winds driving the rain harder against our shelter.

Inside, I breathed deeply, centering myself.

Whatever happened next, with River, with the storm, with all of it, I’d face it head on with my brother.

Apart, we might not be what River needed, but together, me and Byte could do anything.