Flame was breathing as heavy as if he had been running for endless hours, a sheen of sweat gleaming on his pale, drawn in face.
Without looking at AK, I nodded my head. AK moved in near Flame and said quietly, “She’s coming back with us, okay? She can ride in the truck with me.”
Flame stiffened and shook his head, as if what AK had said did not please him. AK inched closer and said, “Look at me, brother.”
Flame did not remove his gaze from me. AK tried again. “Flame, look at me.” This time Flame did. But it was not a friendly expression.
AK held his hand over his chest. “Do you trust me? After everything we’ve been through, do you trust me to bring Maddie home safely?”
Viking moved to AK’s side. I watched as Flame darted his glance between the two. With a visible sag of his shoulders and a long sigh, Flame croaked huskily, “Yeah.”
AK relaxed. Looking to me he held his hand out in the direction of the truck. I walked forward, but refused the seat in the front of the vehicle, instead choosing to sit in the back.
Sliding into the seat, I met Flame’s apprehensive stare as he watched me get into the truck and nodded my head, offering an appeasing smile.
Flame’s lips parted and, as AK slipped into the driver’s seat, Flame ran toward his motorcycle.
The engine started and, before long, we had pulled out onto the busy road. AK did not say anything to me, but I saw him watching me in the mirror hanging from the truck’s ceiling.
Wanting to escape his attention, I stared out of the window. When the city gave way to country roads, the roar of a motorcycle sounded beside me. In seconds, Flame sped up until his bike was in parallel to our truck… until his place on his seat was parallel to mine. We remained this way until home.
As we pulled to a stop, Mae came running from the porch. She was still dressed in her bridesmaid dress, looking as breathtakingly beautiful as always. And as usual, Styx was close behind.
Reaching my door, Mae pulled it open. Instantly, I saw concern on her face. “Maddie,” she whispered, clearly in relief. “Are you okay?”
I nodded my head. Taking Mae’s outstretched hand, I let her pull me from the truck and onto the grass. Mae wrapped her arm around my shoulders and began to lead me toward the cabin. But as we passed Styx, I saw him glaring at Flame, his hands moving in rapid movements. I did not speak the hand language that Styx, Mae and most of the men did, but I could tell that he was angry at Flame.
“Styx. Prez—” I heard Viking try to speak to Styx, but clearly Styx had cut him off.
Mae kept pushing me forward, but the memory of Flame’s face when he had seen me exit the church, his body weak with injury, and his face pale, caused me to stop dead.
Whatever the reason was, he had put his recovery aside to save me from something he viewed as a threat. I exhaled.
He should not be getting punished.
“Maddie? What is wrong?” Mae said from beside me. Stepping out of Mae’s protective arm, I turned. As soon as I did, a tired looking Flame stood near me. Styx was still talking with his hands, but Flame watched me as I took a hesitant step forward. His dark eyes widened as I continued to slowly, and apprehensively, approach. His hands at his sides clenched, and his jaw became rigid with tension.
I heard the quiet sound of Mae rushing to Styx, whispering something I could not hear, but I had one intention, and one intention only.
The smell of oil and leather hit me first, then something I could not make out, something distinctly Flame. Now only a hairsbreadth away from Flame, my eyes to the ground, a silence had descended on the group.
Clasping my hands together to maintain my composure, I lifted my head. This close, I realized I had missed him with a devastating intensity. I realized, that not once had I felt this safe since he had been gone.
Flame swallowed hard and watched me. My heart fluttered when I admitted to myself that I liked the way he watched me. I liked that, when I was near, the pained expression he always wore fell away.
Steeling my fraying nerves, I whispered, “Thank you.” I inhaled a quick breath to steady my shaking voice,