Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 41664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
Her breath caught, but she didn’t pull away. Didn’t shove at me or collapse. She just gripped the front of my cut, her fingers curling in tight, her knuckles white but her gaze steady when she looked up. “And that was—”
“A fucking warning,” I snapped, fury at myself scorching every word. “Or an attempt that almost worked.” I shook my head. “No more chances. No more waiting to see if they move first. I’m not gambling with your life.”
She pressed closer, and although she was trembling, her voice stayed calm in a way that cut straight through me. “What happens now?”
Fuck, she was incredible. Soft and sweet, but so strong and brave. No one was gonna get anywhere near her.
“I take you back to the clubhouse, where you stay inside and no one can touch you. It’s locked down tighter than Fort Knox right now. You’ll stay there until I know every threat has been gutted.”
“You can’t just—”
“I can,” I cut her off, rougher than I meant, but I couldn’t stop myself. “And I will. You’re mine, Lark. And I don’t give a fuck what it takes. I won’t let anyone get close enough to even break one of your nails again.”
She blinked at me, shaken but not broken, her eyes holding mine like she could stitch me back together when I felt like I was unraveling. The quiet strength in her was more poignant than any scream could’ve been.
Before either of us could say another word, boots hit pavement behind me. Kane’s voice cut through the chaos. “What the fuck happened?”
I turned, still keeping Lark tucked into my side, my hand protective and possessive on her hip. “She was almost run down. Some asshole cut through the pits on a bike. Missed her by inches.”
Kane’s eyes narrowed, scanning her, then me. He didn’t waste words on comfort. He read the room the way he always did—sharp and deadly calm. “Warning or an attempt?”
“Both, I’d guess. I’m not taking chances with her anymore. She stays inside the clubhouse until this is over.”
“Agreed. It’s why we got everything set up.” He studied me for a moment, then glanced at Lark once more before meeting my eyes. “Take her there. Stay with her. We’ll get word to you if you’re needed.”
Lark clung to me tighter, her face buried against my chest. My hand curled into her hair, every muscle still buzzing with the terror of almost losing her. But under it all, pride burned—because even trembling, she stood steady with me. She didn’t break.
And that strength—hers, raw and quiet—just made me fall harder.
14
JAX
The door slammed behind us hard enough to rattle the frame, the lock automatically clicking. My hands were already on her, pressing against her chest until her back hit the wall with a muffled thud. She gasped, eyes wide and lips parting, but she didn’t fight me. She clung instead—fingers curling into the front of my shirt, nails catching on cotton as if she needed something to hold on to. That tiny, involuntary grip burned straight into me.
I gently grasped both of her hands and pinned her wrists above her head before she could take another full breath, then I crushed my lips to hers. Her mouth opened under mine on a soft, startled sound that made my cock throb against the seam of my jeans. It wasn’t a simple kiss—I fucking devoured her mouth. It was teeth and tongue and the scrape of my beard along her jaw. She tasted like fear laced with want, the sweet vanilla of her skin tangled with the faint metallic tang of the track still clinging to both of us.
Her pulse jumped under my fingers, a rapid drum through the delicate bones of her wrists where my hands held them up. I pressed closer, my body a wall against hers as she arched and trembled, her whimpers going straight to my chest, feeding the thing clawing at me.
I tore my mouth from hers just enough to breathe against her lips, my voice a low, guttural growl. “You almost got ripped away from me out there. Never again. You hear me?”
Her breath hitched, her eyes glassy and light brown, pupils blown wide with passion. “Jax—”
“That’s it,” I snarled, grinding my hips against her, rock-hard and on the edge of my sanity. “Say my fucking name, baby. Gonna ruin you before the night’s over.”
Her thighs brushed mine as she shifted against me, heat radiating through denim. My chest was heaving, breath rasping like sandpaper. I was furious at myself for letting her get that close to danger, desperate to stamp my claim all over her until the fear receded.
“You’re mine.” My teeth caught the corner of her mouth, and I tasted her gasp. “Every inch of you.”
She pressed harder into me, and I released her hands. She immediately clutched my shirt, her nails scratching and causing a tiny sting through the fabric.