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