his time to lie down next to me. He’s giving me the space I need to breathe and yet he is holding me as tightly as he can. It’s a contradiction in itself, but I love it. With my back snuggled into his chest he whispers into my hair, “I’ll wait for you forever Whitley.” Not long after his breathing evens out and light snores take over.
Chapter 31
Mason
I laid my heart on the line the night I made love to Whitley. I never thought I’d do it, but there it was waiting for her to decide if she should take it or leave it.
We stayed at my house for a few more days. I cooked for her and took care of her. It was the best few days of my life. Jackson came by to check on her but didn’t’ stay long. I think he knew that we needed some time together.
I don’t know what the fuck has gotten into me with her. I’ve never been this type of guy. I’ve never chased after a woman like this, but Whitley is something else entirely. She isn’t just a woman. She’s a power, a force that I need. She’s my woman.
“You ready for this shit?” Viking asks as I check the ammo in my gun. I nod my head not saying a word. I need to get myself focused on what’s about to happen. I can’t let Whitley take over my every thought.
“She gonna stay here?” he asks. Looking up at him I nod.
“Yeah, she said she would. I can’t chain her to the bed,” I say chuckling. Viking laughs and shrugs.
“Other women never got hurt bein’ chained to a bed.”
I shake my head with a smile on my face. He’s right, but Whit isn’t other women. She’s mine.
“She’s been pretty quiet since you got back. She okay?” Grind asks checking his gun too.
“No, she’s not. She looked up to Joe like he was her father. It’s killin’ her,” I tell him. His eyes soften.
“It’s hittin’ all of us pretty hard. Joe was a good man. We all looked up to him. We’ll never forget that.”
Nodding my head I agree with him. He was one hell of a man.
“We get this shit over with and then we go after whoever did this shit. We don’t let Joe’s death slide just because he wasn’t one of us,” Viking announces as he looks around the table.
“Goddamn right,” Ink adds.
I nod my head as the other guys do the same. Once we’re satisfied that we’re all strapped up I shove out of my chair and head to the door.
“Gonna go check on her before we ride out,” I tell Viking over my shoulder.
He doesn’t say shit, and I don’t stop to listen even if he did. I need to see her one more time before we do this. I don’t know why I find myself second guessing everything. I told her I wouldn’t let her go and I won’t. She doesn’t get a say in this shit. She’s mine whether she knows it yet or not.
“Hey,” I say when I see her sitting at the bar with a bottle of beer in her hand. She looks over her shoulder at me and gives me a smile.
“Hey you. You look good all dressed up,” she says nodding toward the gear I’m wearing. I chuckle.
“Yeah, it’s needed though. I wanna be able to fuck you when I get back. Gotta stay in one piece for that.”
Her smile slowly fades. I step closer to her and grab the back of her neck in my hands and spin her around so she’s facing me.
“I meant what I said Whit. You’re mine. I want you. All of you.”
“Even all the bad shit? Even the shit that I can’t handle?” she asks her eyes going wide.
“Even all of the bad shit. I’ll handle it for you. You just have to let me.”
She doesn’t answer me. She just watches me like she always does. I lean down and press my lips to hers. That explosion that I always feel in my chest is there again. When I pull away I smile down at her.
“Gotta go baby. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Whitley nods sadly before I pull her into my chest. Pressing one last kiss to the top of her head I turn and head toward the door.
The guys are already filtering that way too when I step up and get in line. Once we get outside and the