Rook

We weren't alone at the safe house. A very surly-looking old biker was there to greet us, giving me annoying memories of my stepfather, on top of everything else. I didn't dare fall asleep, since I didn't want to leave Ines alone with him, not even for a minute. He looked like he'd been alone in these hills for a long time and would prefer to still be alone when we arrived, and hermits like that will sometimes do anything to get some pussy. Although he looked pretty old, so maybe he can't even get it up anymore. But guys like that can be even more dangerous than just regular perverts. I knew I was overthinking it, but my stepfather was a mean bastard right up until he was seventy and finally died of a heart attack. If he hadn't, I'd have probably killed him soon and my mom would be better off for it, even though she'd never admit it.

I stayed awake until he took us out of the mountains at dawn and dropped us off in the parking lot of a hospital, which was already half full of cars by sunrise. I had my pick of cars to steal, since I left the one we drove in from Mexico with the old guy. Stealing from the sick and injured didn't sit well with me, but I had no choice. I was also too tired to think straight by then, so listening to my conscience wasn't high on my list of priorities.

I'm even more tired now, because I've been driving all day. But we're almost at Sanctuary. Resolution Hill is just around the next bend in the road. It's almost ten PM, so it's a safe bet we won't have a huge welcome party waiting for us, but Cross will be up and he might want me to explain everything that happened in Mexico.

I'm not looking forward to staring in his eyes, while I explain how and why I had no choice but to do something that could put the entire club in danger without his go-ahead, or even knowledge.

Ines has been sleeping for the past two hours, her head resting against the window in a twisted position that I know she won't be happy about when she wakes up. But she refused to lie down in the back seat, saying she wanted to keep me company while I drove. So much for that.

But despite how tired I am, looking at her still brings a smile to my face. She did spend most of the drive talking a mile a minute the way she used to. For the most part, I just let the sound of her voice wash over me like warm jungle rain, which is also what I usually did back before, when she used to talk too much all the time. I'm not much of a talker, so it's good that she is, else we'd be quiet all the time. She's happy again, and I plan on making her a lot happier still.

I call her name softly, have to do it a few more times before she finally opens her eyes, looks at me blearily like she has no idea where she is. Then she moves, her face twisting in pain as she tries to straighten her neck.

"I told you to sleep in the back seat," I say, grinning at her.

She gives me one of her witchy dark looks as she massages the side of her neck.

"And you just let me sleep," she says. "I was supposed to be keeping you awake."

"Yeah, that was the plan," I say sarcastically, and earn a soft smack on the arm for making fun of her. She never could stand that.

I want to stop the car and kiss her for awhile, maybe take her into the trees and do other things with her for awhile. But we're halfway up the hill to HQ and it's time I came home. Those other things can wait, but I'm only saying that because they won't have to wait long.

"What are you laughing at?" she asks because I chuckled at the thought.

"You're about to meet my brothers," I say instead of telling her the truth, since if I say it, I'm gonna want to do it. I can barely keep my eyes open, but my cock is still completely hard for her.

Her face grows very serious, and she stops rubbing her neck, but keeps her hand pressed against it. "What will they think of me? You risked so much to rescue me, and they all think I just abandoned you all those years ago. They must think I'm a very bad woman."

I shake my head and grin at her as I slow down, since we're almost at the gate in the wall surrounding Sanctuary. "They don't know anything about that. And they'll love you like I do."

She smiles and grimaces at the same time.

"Exactly like you do?" she asks wryly.

"Well, no, not exactly like that, but you know what I meant." I'm so tired I can't even speak my mind right.

She leans over and kisses my cheek, then rests her head against my arm as we roll to a stop in front of the gate. "I know what you meant, big man. And I know no one can ever love me the way you do."

“Yeah, you got that right,” I say and kiss the top of her head.

Split comes out to check the car, shining a bright flashlight directly into my eyes, which burns away much of the good feeling her words brought.

I roll down the window and stick my head out before he even reaches us. "It's me, Split, open up!"

"Rook, sorry, I didn't recognize the car," he says and rushes back to open the gate.

Split has been with the MC for as long as anyone can remember. He's not much of an independent thinker, but if you give him a job to do, he'll do it exactly how it should be done, provided you give good instructions. But he's getting on in the years, so these days he mostly just mans the gate.

"Cross said to expect you," he says as I drive past him. "I'll give him a call that you're here."

"You do that," I say.

It saves me the trouble of going to look for him. I haven't actually spoken to Cross, since our phone conversation before me and Ines left Mexico. This morning, I just let him know we're on our way and to expect us in the evening.

He's waiting in front of the house when we pull up, his form black against the light spilling out from the hallway.

I don't much like that he's standing outside. It probably means he wants to check out Ines before he lets her in, and I'm in no mood to argue with him.

I stop the car a few feet away from him and turn to Ines. "Ready to meet my boss? He looks kinda scary, but he's a good guy and we go way back. You have nothing to fear from him."

Nevertheless, she has a very scared look on her face as I pat her hand and open my door. "Follow me outside."

She nods and I step out. "Cross, you didn't have to welcome us in the driveway."

I grin as I say it, and he grins back, but it fades quickly.

"I needed some fresh air," he says. "Welcome back."

"This is Ines," I say, since they’re just looking at each other, neither of them speaking. "She's come here to stay."

Maybe I said it too pointedly, too much like a challenge, a dare for him to say no. He keeps looking at her, and I'm kinda proud that she's not faltering under his black gaze, not even a little bit.

"Welcome to Sanctuary, Ines," he finally says. “I’m Cross.”

She glances at me before meeting his eyes again. "Thank you for letting me in."

He nods then looks at me. "Take her up to your room, then come to my office. We have a situation."

I curse, trying to keep it quiet but I know he heard me. For the last couple of hours, I've mostly been thinking about my bed. But I'm not about to tell Cross he has to wait for me some more because I need a nap. I've kept him waiting long enough with next to no explanation and now its time to get back to work. The honeymoon is over.

* * *

Ines

Seeing this magnificent house that's Rook's home took my breath away, but I almost fainted when I saw his bedroom. The house is a mansion, complete with a huge wooden door inlaid with brass, and buttresses on the roof. The foyer looked like something out of a cartel boss's Euro-style villa and Rook's bedroom looks fit for a prince with its four-poster bed complete with a canopy. There's even a fireplace in his room, though it looks brand new like he'd never lit it before.

The only time I've ever seen a fireplace was at the chalet Silvio took me to in the Andes, but I don't have good memories of watching the fire dance inside it on that trip. I remember I was in a lot of pain by the time Silvio lit the fire to drink a brandy beside it with me at his feet. I don't recall why I was in such pain, because I always tried very hard to forget what he did to me the second it was over. It comes to me in nightmares, and sometimes in flashes of memory when I’m wide-awake too. But I ignore it and now I mean to fix all those repressed memories, erase them completely and make new ones, right here in this room. With Rook.

"This is a beautiful place," I say as I turn to where he's been standing by the door, waiting for me to stop gawking at everything.

He nods, but doesn't say anything. He looks about ready to drop right where he's standing. Only his eyes are still alive, burning with fires hot and beautiful enough to render a fireplace unneeded. Never in a million years did I imagine he lives in a place like this. He was always happiest when we were naked or near naked together somewhere, sweaty, spent, free. On the beach, in our messy room, on his bike…

"Can we go for a ride on your motorcycle tomorrow?" I ask, remembering our many rides along the coast together.

He doesn't look tired at all anymore as he smiles at me.

"We can do whatever you want tomorrow, Ines," he says. "But right now I have to go talk to Cross. Make yourself comfortable, and take a shower if you want. But you might as well not wait up, because it could take a minute."

"Pity," I say and I know I'm pouting even though I'm trying to hide it. "But yes, go, do your job. I'll be fine."

"You're always fine," he says and grins. "And I'd kiss you right now, but if I do, I won't stop, and I do have to go."

I smile at him too, knowing he's telling me the absolute truth, and that I'd find it really hard to stop kissing him too right now. The only reason I'd be able to do it would be because Silvio taught me patience well. And there I go remembering again, when I should be forgetting.

"OK, go, go," I say. "But come back as soon as you can, I'll wait. And if I'm asleep, wake me."

He grins in a very inviting and desirous way. "Count on it."

The room feels like home even after he leaves despite it being a strange place in a strange country. I knew I found my home with him by the second month we were together, so it makes perfect sense that his room feels like home to me. I just hope we can keep it this time. I'm so far away from Silvio that I shouldn't fear him finding me anymore. But I do fear it. The fear is a cold, ominous mist in the back of my mind, and that makes no sense at all. I'd ignore it, but it feels like intuition, not just regular fear.

Rook doesn't call me his little witch for nothing. He started doing it before I even told him that men in my country sometimes call their wives and lovers "brujita" which means the same thing. If I sense danger, then danger is brewing. It scares even me sometimes, but it is what it is. Then again, we've come a very long way in a very short time, on very little sleep. Maybe my mind just hasn't caught up yet, and still fears the danger we already left behind.