Chapter Nine

Cash

Holy fuck, I’d never been so fucking scared in my life. Not even when Mick, me, and our crew were pinned down by insurgents and our comm was down was I as afraid as I was entering that fucking warehouse. Hoping and even sending a prayer up to a God I’d given up on years ago that Minx would be all right.

As we drew closer, I heard the shit Rocky said to her. It wasn’t pretty; some of it was just plain fucking disturbing, and I was pretty sure she’d be dealing with those scars longer than the physical ones. She’d likely suffer flashbacks if not full-blown PTSD in the coming weeks and months. But she impressed the hell out of me, using silence as a weapon against that weak asshole.

But seeing her bloody and bruised like that, hearing those blows rain down on her knowing I was in no position to do shit about it killed me. I wanted to take care of Rocky myself, squeeze the life out of that sorry motherfucker so he knew who did it to him. But the club had to approve it.

All I gave a shit about now was Minx. She’d be okay in that her body would heal, but I worried about the rest of her. The part on the inside. The moment I saw Cherie I jumped to my feet. “How is she?”

Cherie’s smile was grim. “She’s okay. Got a busted rib and a few deep bruises, possibly a concussion. She said to tell you she’s fine and you don’t need to worry about her.”

That I didn’t need to…what the fuck? “What? No. Where is she?” I walked down the hall where Cherie pointed, stopping at the room number she’d called out to me. I steeled myself and took a deep breath outside her room before pushing in. “You don’t think you’re getting rid of me that easy, do you? I’m not letting you run away. Not again, baby girl.”

She blinked once. Twice. Then one tear fell from her right eye, bruised and swollen shut. She looked away from me then tried to use her hair to hide the bruises on her face. “I need time, Cash.”

“I got lots of time. I’m here and ready to listen.”

She glared at me and I glared back until her gaze softened, her body relaxed. “I don’t know if I can.”

“Then talk to Talon, she’s waddling around the waiting room ready to punch someone to get back here.”

“Yet you’re here,” she challenged, tilting her head toward me.

I smiled and ran a hand over her hair. “I’m bigger than she is, and I think we’ve already established—I’m irresistible.” She tried to laugh but gasped in pain. I put my hand to her rib. “Sorry, babe. Breathe.” I inhaled and exhaled deeply so she would do the same.

“Thank you, Cash. For coming for me. For saving me.” She wiped more tears as they fell. “I’m sorry I didn’t expect you to. I should have.”

I dropped down on the bed so we were eye to eye. “Always, babe.” I wrapped her hands in mine and pressed a kiss to the bruises on her wrists. “Get some rest, sweetheart, I’ll be right here. I promise.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I can’t.” I saw the fear in her eyes, and it just about tore me apart.

“I already know about the nightmares, Minx. Last time I stayed over you twitched and cried all night long.” Her eyes burned with embarrassment, and she looked away. “Don’t hide, Minx.” I grabbed her chin so she had to look at me and brushed a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t be embarrassed.”

“I’m not.”

I smiled and held her cheek, rubbing my thumb along smooth skin peppered with ugly purple bruises. “Whatever you say, babe. Now, sleep.”

“You’re bossy,” she yawned.

“All part of the irresistible package that is me.” I winked, and she giggled just as I hoped.

“You are pretty irresistible,” she admitted, and I knew the meds were getting to her. “Thank you for rescuing me, Cash.”

She drifted off on my shoulder, and I wrapped my arms around her as she fell asleep. Sleep didn’t come quite so easily for me as I thought about her admission. It was the first time she’d complimented me outside of sex, and I knew it was too soon to hope, but I knew she was mine.

Mine.

It was the last word I thought before sleep claimed me, too.

***

Minx

“I know you’re not ready to hear this yet, but I love you, Minx. You’re prickly as hell and you love nothing more than giving me a hard time, but it only makes me want you more. I know you need to be strong because you’ve been through six kinds of hell, and I want you to be strong. Hell, I can help you be stronger if you want, but dammit I don’t want you weak. I love you strong, and I love that you trust me enough to be vulnerable. I promise never to betray that. I love you so much. Please don’t use this as an excuse to run from me.”

I still couldn’t believe he’d said all that to me. I didn’t know what to say or do in reply. That’s not entirely true because as soon as he said that scary ‘L’ word I knew that was the strange feeling twisting my gut and squeezing my heart. Love. It was uncomfortable, made it hard to breath, stole all the moisture from my mouth, and made me want to be around him all the time. It had to be love.

Which meant I was totally screwed.

And a coward because I pretended to be asleep while he poured his heart out to me, and when he returned I kept the pretense up because I couldn’t figure out how to respond. I knew how I felt, but it all was happening too soon. How could I trust that this was real? That it wasn’t just wild and crazy sex combined with an intense situation?

I couldn’t.

But I also couldn’t have anticipated that a member of a biker gang would save me and help me start my new life. I never could’ve dreamed that I’d be making and selling dresses or that I would have a good man in my life who loved me. I had to be brave. I had to be the strong woman Cash saw when he looked at me. I started with a caress, stretching my arm to where his head lay on my lap, and ran my fingers through his hair.

He looked up and flashed that dimpled smile that never failed to turn me on and turn my insides to goo. “You’re awake.”

“So are you. I can’t believe you slept here.”

“Of course I did, I needed to make sure you were okay.”

“In a building full of doctors and medicine?” The man took the overprotective alpha thing to the extreme.

“I needed to know for myself. Shit, Minx, hearing that asshole hit you and knowing I wouldn’t get close enough in time, fuck, I wanted to kill that bastard.”

I caressed his face. “I know, but you came for me. You came.” I didn’t know how to make him understand how much that act alone meant to me. “For years I wished my parents’ or the police would come and save me, but no one ever did. It didn’t even occur to me that you would come. When I heard your voice, I thought I was hallucinating.”

He moved up to sit beside me and put his forehead to mine. “You’re killing me, babe.”

“I’m trying to say thank you, dork. For coming for me, for staying with me.”

“Don’t thank me. I needed to be here as much as you needed me, even if you didn’t say so.”

I returned his smile. “But I didn’t say you shouldn’t which is kind of the same thing.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Minx, what am I going to do with you?”

I took a breath and looked at him, my big blond Boy Scout. His green eyes stared at me so full of some unknown emotion that stirred an emotion I was slowly coming to terms with. “Love me?”

“I already do.”

Damn, he was good. “Oh damn, I love you too, Cash.”

He chuckled at my groaned words. “Don’t sound so excited about it, babe.”

“I don’t know shit about love or relationships. You know I’ll screw it up.”

“Not if I don’t let you.” He pressed a soft kiss to my mouth and muttered a curse over my split lip. “We’ll talk and share and shit. I’m told that’s how these things work.”

I felt like he’d lifted a huge weight I didn’t even know I’d been carrying. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure enough for the both of us. I know you’ll catch up.” He winked and gave his best panty-dropping smile.

“Because you’re so irresistible?”

He kissed my forehead and nodded. “Now you’re finally getting’ it. I knew you were more than a smart mouth and a hot bod.”

I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of me, or the screaming pain that tore through my ribs. “Ow, don’t make me laugh.” I cupped his face, unable to believe this man was mine. Loved me and wanted me to love him, too. “I do love you, but I’m terrified.”

“Me, too. But we’ll have each other, so we’ll be all good,” he said simply.

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Then I’m in.” And I was. Cash had given me something I didn’t think I would ever have again. Love. I would cherish it and nourish it every damn day.