Defining Darkness - K E Osborn Page 0,21

be sold, but is now being held captive by some stranger who’s saying her sister has been taken by the very men who tried to take her too.

I feel like shit as I cling to her, smoothing her hair back. My stomach knots wishing I was man enough to take her pain away. I could tell her about Ivy being beneath us in the lower bunker. If I were a decent man, I would. Though, I’m worried it will make her hate me right now when we’re just starting to make some damn progress.

So, I pull her to me tighter, wrapping myself around her for comfort, deciding to keep my secret a little longer.

I’m going to tell her when the timing is right for both of us.

She sobs again—the noise rips at my heart.

I need to calm her, so I pull us down to lay on the bed. This is all kinds of new to me. I’ve never really held a woman on my bed before, and the feeling’s completely foreign. She leans her back into my front while I wrap my arm tightly around her waist, pulling her to me. My nose smooths into her hair, letting her know I’m right here as she begins to settle.

I never saw myself as the comforting type. Not with my history. I’ve always been a lone wolf, a complete man of solitude. Even joining the club was a huge step for me. Being part of the brotherhood, having men there to rely on, to lean on, wasn’t something I was used to, but the protection, that’s why I joined. Always knowing a group of men had my back, a support system as it were, I needed it at the time, and now Eva needs me.

I’m at ease when I’m around her, and I can’t put a finger on why. I want to protect her. I want to see her happy.

She stops crying, and her body stills as if she’s drifting off to sleep, so I close my eyes. Calmness washes over me. Shit’s been a little hectic for a while, but here, in each other’s arms, there’s a tranquil peace relaxing over both of us.

So, I shut off the worries of the world, letting everything wash away.

***

Movement startles me awake, my heart rapid firing. My eyes dart open in a panic as Eva stands from the bed with a grimace. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I need the bathroom.”

I’m not used to feeling someone next to me when I sleep. Generally, if there’s motion when you’re sleeping, it’s some fucker trying to attack you. She’s lucky I didn’t react. Her gorgeous face was enough to stop me in my tracks. My anxiety calms to its normal level as I wave my hand, letting her head for the bathroom. She takes off as I sit on the edge of the bed trying to wake fully to gather my thoughts.

Glancing at my watch, it’s just past seven in the evening. We’ve slept for hours. I haven’t had a solid sleep for as long as I can fucking remember. I didn’t have one single nightmare. What the fuck?

Standing from the bed, I know the club might need me. I’ve been absent for hours. I want to stay and talk to Eva, but I don’t want her to be awkward around me, either. She got up, leaving for a reason. She was distraught and sought comfort in me. Eva’s probably having regrets.

To me, sleeping with her in my arms was fucking amazing. I honestly don’t recall ever sleeping with a woman in my arms. Eva has no idea how lucky she is. To her, though, it was probably a lapse in judgment.

I don’t want to see that register on her face.

So, I’ll leave to give her some time.

I need some time to think this through, anyway. Eva’s changing me. Making me do things I have never done. She holds power over me I never thought any woman could ever hold.

It’s unsettling.

I don’t know how to feel.

Standing, I walk to the door, unlock it, and pull as I hear the bathroom door open. Closing the bedroom door behind me, I lock the door, then stand here for a minute listening to make sure she’s okay.

I can’t hear anything, so I turn to make my way out into the clubroom. I need to find Voltage. He’s standing at the pool table with Crow.

I walk over bowing my head at them both. “Voltage, a word.”

He places the