Page 5

Tillie

I should be scared.

No. Scratch that.

I should be fucking terrified right now.

Maybe?

To my parents’ way of thinking, this man -- who’d killed my husband -- and his club -- my parents would associate any sentence with “club” at the end with “gang” -- were all terrible people.

The problem with believing my parents were right and that I shouldn’t trust Xavier was the fact they’d shoved me into an unwanted marriage for their own financial benefit.

They would not believe me when I told them Paul had been the one to break my arm and bust my lip.

Xavier not only believed me, he’d taken care of the problem.

No questions asked. Irony was the pink elephant in the room. So to speak.

Instead of being terrified, I felt safer than I had in years, wrapped in Xavier’s arms and surrounded by his scent.

He was older than me by a good fifteen years and had this air of calm about him I’d never felt from anyone else in my life.

A man my parents would call a criminal, a man who’d spent time in prison for killing my abuser, felt like my safest harbor.

What did that say about the people in my life?

“What does that mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “You being my son of a bitch?” I felt his chest expand with a deep breath. His hand never stopped its soothing motion on my back.

“It means I protect what’s mine. You’re mine, same as I’m yours.

It means no one touches you. No one threatens you.

You’re gonna be safe and fuckin’ disgustingly happy.

” He sounded disgruntled, but also so sincere I felt my lips tugging into a smile.

I had talked to the man every week for more than a year.

I knew when he was uncomfortable with his feelings.

“You don’t sound too happy about this, Xave.”

“Ain’t.” He glanced down, meeting my gaze briefly. “Don’t change nothin’. You’re still mine.”

His words were both soothing yet painful.

They felt like an electric blanket on high when the house was cool in winter.

Not strictly necessary, but so good ! They were more freeing than I wanted to admit.

I should have been offended at being claimed like property, but there was something in his tone that made me feel like this was about protection rather than possession.

Besides, he’d told me about his club. At least the finer points of belonging to a brotherhood of found family.

I knew what being claimed was and I knew what an old lady was.

What hurt was the fact Xavier didn’t seem to want me like I wanted him. Not for the long term, anyway.

“Why aren’t you happy?” I asked, keeping my voice low even though I knew Tiny could certainly hear us.

Xavier sighed, his chest rising and falling beneath me.

“Because you deserve better than a fuckin’ ex-con with more enemies than friends.

But that don’t change what is.” His hand continued its steady path up and down my spine.

It was soothing. Lulling. “I swear to you, I’ll make you happy, Tillie. Give me a chance. Yeah?”

“Yes,” I whispered, not hesitating. Maybe I should have.

Maybe I should have asked for time to think about it.

But honestly, what was there to think about?

I’d spent a year visiting this man every week, pouring out my heart to him, learning about his life, sharing mine.

I’d never felt as wanted, understood, or safe as I did with Xavier.

“You sure, baby? This ain’t somethin’ I’ll let you take back later.”

I shifted in his lap so I could see his face better.

His dark eyes were intense, searching mine for any sign of doubt.

I found none within myself. “I’m sure,” I said, my voice stronger now.

“You saved me, Xavier. I have no idea how much of an inconvenience it was for you either time -- other than the prison sentence obviously -- but you came for me when I needed you most. Not once, but twice. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. ”

The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Good.” He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead before pulling me back against him, and I felt the comforting warmth of his body spread through my body.

Safety. Security. Xavier was a man who absolutely would keep me safe.

I didn’t want to lose his friendship for anything in this world.

I needed him in my life desperately! While I wasn’t entirely sure about a sexual encounter, I knew Xavier would let me have the time I needed.

Why? Because he knew exactly what I’d gone through with Paul.

From the front seat, Tiny cleared his throat. “Hate to break up this touching moment, but we’ve got company.”

Xavier’s body tensed beneath me, his arms tightening protectively. “How many?”

“Two bikes, about a quarter mile back. Been following us since we hit the highway.”

“Venus and Piston?”

There was a pause before Tiny answered. “Unless there’s another pink monstrosity claiming to be a Harley, yeah. It’s Venus and Piston.”

I felt Xavier’s deep chuckle where my front was plastered against his chest. “I’m tellin’ her you said that.”

“I’ll deny it.” Tiny didn’t sound angry or annoyed, in fact, they both sounded amused.

I heard the loud rumble and moved my head to look out the window.

Sure enough, a bright pink motorcycle eased beside us.

The rider was the most remarkable woman I’d ever seen.

She was slight of build but with finely muscled arms left bare by the vest she was wearing.

It matched the color of her bike. As did her leather pants, and her motorcycle boots.

And her hair. The woman gave us a two-finger salute before easing back to join another bike behind us.

I couldn’t help but stare as the pink-haired warrior woman fell back behind us.

Her companion was almost her opposite. He was big, with wide shoulders and heavily muscled arms. He wore a short-sleeved black shirt under his vest while his bike was black and chrome that gleamed even in the dim highway lights.

“That’s Venus,” Xavier explained, his breath warm against my ear. “Don’t let the pink fool you. She’s the deadliest fighter in her club. I’ve heard she was once an assassin, but I can’t confirm the rumor.”

“And she likes pink,” I murmured, still watching the rearview mirror where I could occasionally catch glimpses of them. It seemed like an inane thing to say, but that’s what came out when I opened my mouth.

Xavier laughed, a deep rumble that vibrated through me. “Yeah, baby. She likes pink.”

“Actually,” Tiny interrupted. “I heard the coloring had something to do with some kind of spy tech in the form of contact lenses or some shit. Apparently, they don’t come in anything but pink, and she was trying to blend in.”

That got a startled laugh from me. Xavier joined me with a warm chuckle. “I don’t even know why that was funny. She reminds me of an anime heroine or something.”

“The guy with her is Piston,” Tiny added from the front seat. “Ain’t exactly sure what he does, but he protects Venus like a rabid guard dog.”

“I thought she was an assassin.” I turned and saw Tiny’s mischievous grin in the rearview mirror.

“Oh, she is. Piston’s just overprotective. Doesn’t mind her gettin’ in fights. In fact, sometimes Venus is the one to pick the fight. Piston just wants everyone to know he has her back. That way, they’ll think twice about trying to ambush her.”

I turned to Xavier. His smile was soft, and he stroked my cheek lightly with his thumb. “Is she part of your club?”

“No.” Xavier took up the explanation. “But she and Piston represent a coalition of motorcycle clubs. They all operate independently but help each other out if necessary. We aren’t part of them, but our former president used to be vice president of a club in their coalition.”

I nodded, taking it all in. These people, these dangerous, capable people, were here because of me? Because Xavier had asked them to be? The realization was both humbling and overwhelming.

“You okay?” Xavier asked softly, his fingers gently kneading my tight muscles.

“Just processing,” I admitted. “It’s a lot.”

“I know.” He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Just know you’re safe. Everything else will take care of itself.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” I whispered with a smile, laying my head against his chest.

The steady rhythm of his heartbeat was comforting, proof I wasn’t alone anymore, that someone was in my corner.

Outside the window, the night scenery blurred by, lights from passing cars occasionally illuminating the interior.

My muscles were now the consistency of goo in the warmth of Xavier’s embrace. This was where I wanted to stay.

It was strange how quickly my life had changed. This morning I’d been grocery shopping, planning another quiet weekend with my Saturday visit to Xavier. Now I was speeding down a highway with him, flanked by motorcycles, running from threats I didn’t understand.

“You should try to get some sleep,” Xavier murmured against my hair. “We’ve got a long drive ahead. You want to lay your head on the seat? You can put your feet in my lap.”

“I don’t want to move. Feels too good.” My eyelids felt impossibly heavy. The adrenaline crash was hitting me hard.

“How about you just close your eyes for a bit,” he coaxed. “I’ll wake you if anything happens.”

I wanted to protest, to stay alert, but the rhythmic motion of the truck and Xavier’s steady heartbeat were lulling me into a drowsy, contented lethargy.

“Xavier?”

“Yeah, baby.”

“Am I dumb to trust you like this?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he paused in his rubbing of my back for a couple of seconds before he started up again. “What do you think?”

“You’re the only person who’s ever supported and protected me. You’re everything my parents would hate, but you’re the one person who’s been there during the scariest moments of my life, doing what needed to be done.”

“I think that should tell you what you need to know.”

“Yeah.” I lay my head on his chest. This time, Xavier put his other hand on the back of my head to hold me to him.

“I’ve got you, Tillie Girl. I’ve got you.”

Those were the last words I heard before I surrendered to sleep, Xavier’s steady heartbeat coaxing me to drift…

Until sleep took me.