Page 165 of Dirty Salvation

“I’m fine,” she told him. She really was. Orwouldbe. “It’s over. I’m fine. Hawk made sure of that. I’m so sorry, I should have stayed at home. I didn’t think. It’s my fault. I promise to listen next time a lunatic is after me.” Someone behind them laughed.

Holy shit. That ordeal part of her life was truly over.

And yet those minutes of not knowing if she’d ever see Rider again, to tell him how she felt had been pure hell. She would have endured ten gruesome deaths over those unknown minutes. She sagged against him, held up by the arms around her. She tuned out at that point, letting the men gather and discuss, there was fast talk of a clean-up for Hades needed asap, but her brain wouldn’t register anything other than Rider holding her. One by one the men climbed back onto their bikes.

"Goddamn, Zara. I thought..."

She could guess what he thought and was right there with him in that fear. She clung to him long after the men disappeared down the road. "Let's get you home, baby," he added gently, kissing her forehead. Zara grimaced, led back towards her car, a prospect had ridden Rider's bike to the club.

"Rider...I puked in my brand-new car." on the verge of tears.

Maybe it was the way in which she said, sounding more distressed about that than nearly ending up dead. Rider laughed and wrapped her in his arms. "I'll deal with it, Icy. Let’s get you home."

Sometime later she assured Rider she really was okay, he tended to the bruising on her neck, her big bad biker man was so caring it was that gesture that finally cracked. She sobbed into his chest.

“I should have been there. Fucks sake.”

“Rider, this is not on you. It's over now. I couldn’t be without you, I thought I’d never see you again.”

“I got you. No one is gonna fuckin’ harm you again, I swear it on my club and patch. I haven’t had nearly enough time to love you, you’re not goin’ anywhere ever again.”

“I so fucking love you, biker man.” she laughed with water dripping down her face, she could bet she looked shockingly ugly but she didn’t care, she’d been given the chance to tell this man she was so freaking in love with him it made her heart burst, she wasn’t wasting a moment of it.

I love him so damn much.The power of it shook air right through her. Needing to say it over on repeat, she leaned into him. Connected by love and mutual obsession. “I love you. I love you, Rider. My Ambrosio. I love you. I love you, my bad biker man. I love you.” her nose nuzzled his cheek.

His smile grew, held on his face before his neck reached down and their lips touched gently.

“Love you, too, Icy, more than fuckin’ anything. But ya think you might not try getting half killed next time before you decide to find the fuckin’ guts to tell me?”

Zara laughed watery, flinging arms around him.

Perfect oftentimes was staring you right in the face, holding you in its arms and you didn’t even realize it until it was too late. Zara had been given another chance at life, she didn’t know why, or if she deserved it but boy she was never going to take perfection for granted again.

Her bad biker man was perfect, truly, for her, in every way that counted.

Together and Perfect.

You’re stuck with me now, biker man.

She was alive with every breath, every laugh, every kiss he pressed to her face, drunk on elation, Rider intoxicated, in love with him as if she’d only just discovered he was her soul and for twenty-six years she had breathed all this time with her heart outside of her body. Impossible.She clung and loved him with her arms banded strong.

Through all the odds stacked against them here, they were.

Togetherfinallyand on the same page.

She adored a bad biker man with everything she had and then some and Zara was pretty freaking happy about it.

The murder of the day aside.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

"Goodbye..." – Hawk

“I’ll have to get gone for a while, bro. Too many what if’s. In broad fucking daylight. I got the cam footage from the kid inside, threw him a few Benjis, but who knows if there was a witness somewhere. There’s isn't a body to investigate, but I didn’t have long to clean up once Lawless arrived with the pickup.”

“Agreed. It won’t be for long, Hawk. When will you go?” Rider’s tone was flat. His best friend had saved his old lady. He didn’t want to lose Hawk for any number of time from the club, but until the heat died down surrounding the Raging Rebel’s club fire and the manhunt for Hades going full scale according to his sources, they wouldn’t take chances with any shit rolling back onto his VP. As it was he’d sent three of his prospects out to that seven-eleven store to scout around quietly to see and listen and to dump a ton of bleach in that alleyway. A good snowfall would help.

Fuck. If things had been different, if Hawk hadn’t seen Zara’s ridiculous yellow car in the parking lot he would have rode straight past.