Page 9 of Diesel (Iron Sentinels MC #5)

W hen they reached her apartment, Diesel carried her off the bike without a word, cradling her close like she weighed nothing.

She should’ve argued, should’ve insisted she could walk, but her body had other ideas. It shook uncontrollably in his arms, exhaustion and shock hitting her like a freight train now that the danger had passed.

Diesel used his key to unlock her door, one he hadn’t known she’d slipped to him until he’d found it in his pocket last night.

Inside, the apartment was still and dim. Safe. But Sophie felt anything but. The second Diesel set her down, the shaking worsened. Tears blurred her vision.

He caught her face gently in both hands. “Breathe for me, sweetheart.” His voice was low and rough, but steady. Safe.

Sophie sucked in a trembling breath. “Tom—”

“He’s fine,” Diesel cut in softly. “Beast has him at the clubhouse with the doc. They’ll take care of him. He’s safe, Sophie. You’re safe.”

The words wrapped around her like a warm blanket, pulling her back from the edge.

Her lips trembled. “I thought I was gonna watch him die. I thought...”

Diesel didn’t let her finish. He pulled her into his chest, strong arms wrapping around her, anchoring her as her tears finally broke loose.

“Shh. I’ve got you now,” he told her.

She sobbed quietly against him, fisting her hands in the back of his shirt. He just held her, rocking her gently, pressing kisses into her hair.

“Not your fault, Soph. You did what you had to do. You were brave as hell. But it’s done now. No more running alone, you hear me?”

She nodded into his chest, too wrung out to speak. After long moments, her sobs eased into shaky breaths. Diesel leaned back enough to look at her, brushing damp strands of hair from her face.

“You need a shower, sweetheart,” he murmured. “You’ve been through hell. Let me help.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but the tender look in his eyes silenced her.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Diesel led her to the bathroom, flicking on the warm light. He started the shower, adjusting the temperature, then turned back to her.

His fingers worked the buttons of her blouse with infinite care, never rushing her, never letting his gaze stray from her face.

“You stop me anytime you need to,” he said, voice low.

“I won’t,” she whispered. “I want you here.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw, but he nodded.

When she stood bare before him, vulnerability washed through her, but Diesel simply cupped her face, pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. He then helped her step into the warm spray.

He didn’t join her, not yet. He just stood nearby, sleeves rolled up, ready if she needed him. The water worked its magic, loosening the knots in her muscles, washing away the blood and grime of the morning.

When she stepped out wrapped in a towel, Diesel was waiting with one of his soft flannels and a pair of her leggings.

She smiled faintly through the exhaustion. “You really do think of everything,” she said.

“I think of you,” he said simply.

Her heart twisted at the quiet sincerity in his voice. He helped her dress, drying her hair with a towel when her arms trembled too much to do it herself. Then he scooped her up again, gentle but unyielding. Diesel then carried her to the couch.

“Diesel—” Sophie began.

“Shh. You sit. I’ll fix us something to eat,” Diesel offered.

She didn’t argue. Couldn’t. She was too wrung out, too raw, and deep down she liked letting him take care of her, just this once.

From the kitchen, she heard cupboards opening, the clink of pans. Ten minutes later, Diesel returned with a plate of scrambled eggs and buttered toast, a mug of tea steaming in his other hand. He set them down and crouched before her, tilting her chin up.

“You eat first, sweetheart. We’ll talk after,” he said.

Her throat burned. No one had ever taken care of her like this, like she was precious. Worth protecting. She obeyed, slow bites at first, then faster as warmth spread through her.

Diesel watched her the whole time, eyes dark with something she couldn’t quite name. When she finished, he took the plate away and came back with the tea.

She sipped it, hands still trembling faintly. Diesel sat beside her then, pulling her gently into his side. She curled against him without hesitation, her head resting over his heart.

“You scared the shit outta me today,” he murmured against her hair.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

“I get it. But next time, you call me. No matter what,” he told her.

“I will.”

He kissed the top of her head, arms tightening around her. For long minutes, they sat there in silence, the steady beat of his heart grounding her. Eventually, she tipped her head back to look at him.

“Why’d you come?” she asked softly. “You could’ve waited for the others, but you didn’t.”

Diesel’s gaze burned into hers. “Because you’re mine, Sophie. You don’t walk into hell without me by your side. Ever,” he said.

Her breath caught. No one had ever claimed her like that—fierce, protective, without shame.

“Am I really?” she whispered.

He cupped her cheek, eyes softening. “Yeah, sweetheart. You’ve been mine since the second you kissed me back.”

Tears welled again, this time not from fear but from something deeper.

“I’m yours too,” she said simply.

Diesel kissed her then. slow and tender, lips moving over hers like a vow. When they parted, he rested his forehead against hers.

“Now get some rest,” he murmured. “I ain’t leaving you alone tonight.”

“You promise?” Sophie asked.

“Swear it.”

She finally smiled, eyes fluttering shut against the steady thrum of his heart.

Wrapped in his arms, warm and safe for the first time in what felt like forever, Sophie let herself drift.

****

D iesel woke to the soft warmth of Sophie pressed against him.

The morning light filtered pale and golden through her curtains. Outside, the town was just stirring awake, but in here, the world was still hushed, suspended.

For a long moment, he didn’t move, just breathed her in. He rested his head against hers, one arm wrapped tight around her waist. She was still asleep, her breath slow and even against his chest. Her fingers were curled loosely against his shirt, her body nestled trustingly into his.

And Christ, if that didn’t undo him. Diesel stared at the ceiling, jaw tight, as everything from yesterday came rushing back. The bridge. Kane’s sneer. That gun pointed at her beautiful, stubborn head.

He’d thought for one gut-wrenching second that he was going to watch her die right in front of him, just like he had with his sister.

That old wound ripped wide open then, raw and bleeding.

He could still hear his sister’s voice in those final moments, the helpless way he’d failed her. And if he’d failed Sophie too...

His arms tightened around her instinctively, as if his body needed to remind itself that she was here. Safe. Warm. Alive. Not this time. Not her.

Diesel pressed his face against her hair, letting the familiar scent of her shampoo calm the storm in his chest. I won ’ t fail again , he vowed silently. Not with her. Never with her.

Sophie stirred softly in his arms. A small hum escaped her lips as she blinked up at him, eyes still hazy with sleep.

“Hey,” she whispered, voice rough with the morning.

His breath caught. She looked so damn beautiful like this, bare-faced, sleepy, soft in his arms. Completely his.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he rumbled, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “You sleep okay?”

She nodded, then tucked her face against his chest again, sighing deeply.

“I didn’t want to wake up,” she murmured. “Not if it meant losing this.”

Diesel’s throat worked.

“You’re not losing a damn thing,” he said softly. “I’m here, Sophie. Not going anywhere.”

She tilted her head back to meet his gaze, eyes full of something deep and quiet.

“You mean that?” she asked.

Diesel cupped her cheek, thumb stroking over her skin. “Yeah, I do.”

The words weren’t easy. They scraped past all his old scars, all the things he’d buried for so long.

But looking at her, knowing how close he’d come to losing her, there was no way in hell he was keeping this part of himself locked up anymore.

She deserved more than half of him. She deserved everything.

Sophie brushed her fingers against his jaw, tender and sure.

“You saved me,” she whispered.

His chest tightened. “I almost didn’t,” he admitted, voice rough. “You don’t know how close that was. If I’d been even a minute later—”

“Don’t,” she said softly, pressing a finger to his lips. “You were there. That’s what matters.”

Diesel closed his eyes for a moment, letting her words sink in.

“I’ve told you about Emily, about my sister,” he said. Sophie nodded, expression grave. She was listening. “She needed me, and I wasn’t there in time.”

She stilled against him, her breath hitching. “Oh, Diesel...”

He shook his head, eyes dark with old grief.

“Since then, I promised myself I’d never let anyone get that close again. Couldn’t risk it. Couldn’t risk failing someone like that again.”

He looked down at her, voice raw. “But you wrecked all that. First time I saw you smile, I was already lost. And last night, seeing Kane point that gun at you, I knew I’d burn the whole damn world to keep you safe,” Diesel said.

Tears welled in Sophie’s eyes, her fingers sliding into his hair, pulling him down until their foreheads touched.

“You didn’t fail me,” she whispered. “You never will. I trust you, Diesel. With everything.”

Those words cracked something wide open in him. No woman had ever said that to him. No one had ever looked past the scars and the darkness and given him their trust so freely. He swallowed hard, his arms pulling her impossibly closer.

“When I said I’m not letting you go, I meant it,” he whispered fiercely. “You got that? You’re mine now, Sophie. And I’ll spend every damn day making sure you know how much that means.”

She smiled through her tears. “Good. Because you’re mine too.”

Diesel kissed her then, slow and deep, pouring every ounce of feeling into it. This wasn’t about lust or fire anymore. It was something deeper, more dangerous. A need that ran all the way down to the bone.

When they finally broke apart, Sophie traced his jaw with her fingers, gaze steady.

“Will you stay today?” she asked softly.

Diesel didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll stay as long as you want me,” he said simply.

Relief washed over her features, softening her expression.

“Good,” she whispered. “Because I don’t think I can let you go just yet.”

He pressed another kiss to her temple, arms tightening once more. “Sweetheart, I’m right where I want to be,” he told her.

They lay there together as the sun climbed higher, wrapped in warmth and the fragile beginnings of something too big and too real to name just yet.