minute so, seeking to lighten the mood, she asked, “Is fuck your word of the day?”
He pierced her with a look that should have smote her.
“It’s not a joke.”
“I know. We didn’t realize he was carrying.”
That wasn’t the right thing to say because he turned a dangerous shade of red. She wasn’t a fan of getting reprimanded, but her previous sentiment still held. It was nice having someone care enough to yell. She didn’t even think as she walked across the room and wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself as close to him as possible. He tensed for a minute and then his arms came around her before he buried his face in her hair.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “And not just for walking into trouble, but for getting angry that you were trying to protect me. I’m not used to someone caring. I guess I can get used to it as long as that person is you.”
He held her until it must have sunk in that she was here and safe before he pulled back and cradled her face in his hands. He stared as if he was getting his fill. A slight smile touched his mouth. “I’ll try to leave my club in the cave.”
She smiled in reply, but it faded. “He’s the man,” she said.
“I know.”
“What are we going to do?”
“Find out who he works for.”
“He may not be feeling very talkative.”
Lucien pressed a kiss on her forehead. “He’ll talk, trust me.”
Trace stood across the room from Ember after having screamed until he’d practically lost his voice. The man had a fucking gun. The fear sliced through him and fed his anger. In the time it took to blink, she could have been lying in a pool of her own blood like Heidi. The very idea of it had him itching to chain her to him.
“I’m sorry. It was reckless.”
He didn’t know if he would kiss her or kill her if he reached for her. She was his whole fucking world.
She continued to talk, but he wasn’t really hearing her words because all he could see in his head was Ember in place of Heidi in front of that diner.
“I know I’m pregnant and I need to think before I do something so careless. I promise, Trace, I won’t put the baby at risk again.”
“The baby?” He did move to her then, walking straight at her so that she had to back right up against the wall, where he caged her in with his hands on either side of her head.
“You, Ember. It’s you I don’t want put in danger. I can’t live without you. You burrowed yourself so deeply into my soul that I can’t exist without you. Don’t you get that? It’s fucking you I need.”
Tears sprang to her eyes and she rested her hand over his heart. “I love you too.”
He pressed his body into hers, from chest to thigh, where he held her as his mouth captured and conquered. His lips lingered a breath away when he said, “I want forever with you.”
She smiled and touched her lips to his. “Forever is a good place to start.”
Darcy watched as Trace and Lucien took the man away, but where they were going, they wouldn’t share.
“Where do you suppose they’re taking him?” Ember gave voice to Darcy’s thoughts.
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, but there’s one way to find out.”
“No, I’m taking you home. I happen to agree with Lucien and Trace on this. We are way out of our depth.”
“We don’t have to get out of the cab,” Darcy said as she started down the hall to the door.
“True, we could just follow them and then go home. What could go wrong?” Ember said sarcastically, which earned her a look from both Darcy and Kyle.
“You know you’re just as curious as we are,” Darcy said to Kyle, even though she had no idea if that was true. Kyle pulled a hand through his hair. “We don’t get out of the cab. Ember, if you have to pee, you pee in the cab.”
“Okay.”
They walked outside to see Trace and Lucien flanking Nick, who looked smug, as if he didn’t truly appreciate the trouble he was in. Trace seemed to be chatting, as if they were all friends, and then his head turned in Ember’s direction and the look he gave her rattled Darcy. A few minutes later, Lucien’s car pulled up and the three climbed in.