have you home as quick as I can.”
“Don’t need any cops pulling us over,” I warned.
He snorted and flashed a badge at me. “No worries. I’ve got it covered.”
What. The. Fuck. Casper and Torch had let a cop come along for this trip? And the guy wanted to date Venom’s daughter? What was it Charlotte had always said? Not my circus, not my monkeys. I shook my head and turned my attention to Lyssa.
“Beast?” she asked, slurring my name like she’d drank half the clubhouse’s stash of liquor.
“Yeah, Tink. I’ve got you.” I held her a little closer. “Anyone hurt you?”
“Tony touched me,” she said.
My teeth ground together. “Where?”
She tried to grab my hand but fumbled it a few times before she dropped it between her legs. My gaze clashed with hers. Was she saying what I thought she was? Had he…
“Tink, I need you to tell me. What exactly did he do?”
“Touched me there.” She turned her face into me so her words were muffled. “Sorry. So stupid.”
“No, baby. You’re not stupid. You were protecting your family.” I kissed her forehead. “Need to tell you something. I’m so fucking proud of you. Not only for staying alive, but for thinking of others. You’re my fierce Tinkerbell, and I love you.”
She turned her head to look up at me. “You love me?”
“Yeah. I do.”
She reached up, her fingers brushing my jaw. “Love you too.”
“We’ll get through this, Tink. Your dad and grandfather are cleaning things up, making sure there’s no one left alive who could come after you. You’re safe. I’m only sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”
She fingered her shirt, poking at the slices from where Carlos had tried to cut her clothes from her. “What happened?”
She was starting to sound more like herself and I hoped it meant the drugs were wearing off. I took her hand in mind, closing my fingers over hers. “Don’t worry about it, baby. I got there before he did anything else. We’ll burn these clothes. Hell, I’ll buy an entire new wardrobe if you want.”
We rode the rest of the way in silence, with her snuggled against me. It gave me time to think of all the ways I’d fucked up. Logan had let her walk out, and I’d understood why, but it also showed me I needed to up our security measures. I needed a way to make sure men like Tony couldn’t get anywhere near the gates. Lyssa might be the only old lady at the compound, but I knew there would be more in the upcoming years. And children. There was no fucking way I was going to bring a child into this dark world without a better way to protect them.
I shot off a few texts to the other officers in my club, hoping they’d read them when they had a chance and come up with some ideas. We had a lot of planning to do between now and when my first kid was born. With the way Lyssa and I had been going at it, I would honestly be surprised if she wasn’t pregnant already. She hadn’t had a period since she’d been with me, but maybe it was just too soon. I knew she hadn’t asked for a pregnancy test yet.
The SUV pulled up to the gate and I leaned forward to shout out to Logan through the window. He let us through, and I directed Tyson to my house. I got out with Lyssa in my arms and went inside, going straight to our bathroom.
“We’ll get you cleaned up, Tink.”
“Can we use the tub?” she asked. “I need you to hold me, Eric. I know it sounds whiny and needy, but… I was so damn worried I’d never see you again.”
“I’ll fill the tub.” I kissed her cheek, then her lips. Just a soft brush of my mouth against hers. When I released her, I leaned over to put the stopper in the tub and turned on the water, making sure it wasn’t too hot. I carefully removed her clothes, worried if I moved too fast or got too rough she might fall apart. They’d been torn, and it looked like she’d gotten sick on herself. My gut clenched at all she’d suffered in the short time those bastards had her in their grasp. Once I had her undressed, I stripped.
I lifted her into my arms again and sat in the tub, holding her in my lap. She clung to me, not acting at