TWENTY-ONE
Want You to Stay
Seven
The next couple of days passed in a rush. The night had ended with Lucky and me sleeping at Hastie’s place, me in the spare guest room and Lucky on the couch.
Everyone had gone silent after I told them the story, especially Lucky who seemed like he wanted to be left alone every time I spoke to him. I always knew that telling my friends about my past would change their opinions of me. It was why I kept it a secret for so long.
I was a whore. My mother had abandoned me. I had no family.
I wasn’t the person they thought I was.
In the following days, I kept to myself, only speaking when they questioned me more about Daniel and the Martins, the couple that had taken us home from Wal-Mart all those years ago. They were going to check on them, but it’d be harder to locate all those men I’d been with; even I couldn’t remember them all.
Lucky kept asking me if I was all right, but as soon as I told him I was fine, he would turn away. I almost wanted to tell him the truth and say no, but I didn’t want him to look at me as a burden while Glory MC was doing all they could to help me figure out what to do next.
Thankfully we were moving back into my house tonight. Glory MC had installed new locks and some extra security that would keep the house from being broken into again. If Lennon and Dex hadn’t decided to go out that evening, they would have been home while the break in occurred. The thought chilled me. But I couldn’t think about that now. No one was harmed so there was no need to worry about what could’ve been. We already had to deal with the aftermath of the events at Giovanni’s.
Now that Giovanni’s had been hit by the Phantoms, my job was in jeopardy. What was I going to do if I couldn’t work there anymore? Where would I get enough credits to eat? What was G going to do now? All these questions were causing me to have headaches so I slept through the days, trying to store up my energy so when things got tough, I didn’t have to rely on others anymore.
The soft sound of Lucky calling out my name had me stirring. He was standing by the door, hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans, a serene expression on his features. Had he been standing there for long, watching me as I slept? “We’re leaving now.”
My eyelids fluttered down. Now was the time to pick myself up and be strong. I just wasn’t sure if I could. I knew without a kernel of doubt that if it hadn’t been for Lucky and Glory MC, my life would’ve made a turn for the worst.
I rose, taking in a deep breath for strength. I had to trundle on, no matter how much it scared me to.
Lucky
The need to crush Seven to me was overwhelming, but I stopped myself. I could tell she wanted her space. Every time I asked if she was okay, she would say whatever would get rid of me the quickest.
The story of her past had shocked me. It had also angered me. What I had thought I had known about Seven was all wrong. Sure, she was still stunningly beautiful and magnetic. But beneath that was a woman who had lived through hell and walked the earth as if she hadn’t been burned by it. All this had happened to her at a vulnerable time, at an age so young that it could have so easily shattered her. Yet it hadn’t. It made me wonder how well I actually knew her.
I gave her a guide of all the new security measures Glory MC had added to the house, making sure she knew what to do in case of an emergency. Despite her tiredness, she absorbed the information quickly. “Don’t worry,” I said. “Once I move out, it’ll be easier for you to handle. I won’t be around, setting off the alarms when I come home late.”
“Moving out?”
“It’s time for me to leave.”
No one was more surprised than I was when she said, “Why?” I thought she would be happy to have her house to herself again. But the furrow between her brows told me she didn’t like the idea at all. “I never said I wanted you to leave.”
“The added security here will protect you if that’s what you’re worried about.”
She gave a shake of her head. “No, that’s not it. I want you to stay.”
I blinked. “You do?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “Look, I know I’ve been a little out of it lately. I feel like my world’s been turned upside down. I’m just trying to get my bearings, that’s all.”
“You’re doing fine.” My hand came up to cup her face and it shocked me how natural it felt. “I promise you no more harm will come to you.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, surprising me even further. “You saved my life that night.”
“I’m just glad you called me when you did.” I didn’t want to think about what would’ve happened if I didn’t get there the moment I had.
Seven smiled for the first time in days. “Me too. Now tell me you’re going to stay.”
I stared at her for far longer than what was considered polite. Her cheeks flushed with the same heat I was feeling in my body. God, Seven had absolutely no idea what she was doing to me. My hand itched to reach out and touch her. Really touch her this time. Not just a comforting brush of fingers on her cheek. “I’ll stay then,” I said as I tried to keep my voice as level as I could. “Come on. It’s late. We should go to bed.”
I curled my arm around her, enjoying the feel of her body against mine. How did we get here? When did I begin to yearn for this woman like she was the only girl in the world for me?
When Seven stopped at her bedroom door and flashed me a smile, I struggled to remain in place. “Sweet dreams, Lucky.”
I forced myself to turn away. “Sweet dreams, Seven.”