A light tap sounded on the door before it opened slightly. “Sloan? Are you up?”

I sat up in bed, still in Trent’s shirt. “Yeah, kind of.”

Crickett came in with a change of clothes. “I think these will fit you. We’re going to head to the garage here in a few minutes.”

“Sounds good. Thank you.” I took the clothes from her and she left me to change.

Trotting down the stairs, I was greeted by the delectable aroma of strong coffee.

“Want a cup for the road?” Crickett had two travel mugs in hand, ready to pour the java goodness.

“That would be amazing.”

I took my mug from her and made my way into the front room to wait. On the mantle were tons of pictures. The one of Crickett, Raine, Ryder, and two other men on what looked to be Raine and Ryder’s wedding day caught my eye. The younger of the men I recognized from the bar, but the other one I couldn’t place.

“That was one of the happiest days of our lives. Abel was so happy for his little girl,” Crickett remarked as she made her way to my side.

“You all look so stunning. Is Abel your husband?”

She pursed her lips. “He passed away not too long ago, but yes, he is my husband. He will always be the love my life.”

I set the picture down in its spot. “I’m sorry.”

She put her hand on my shoulder. “Don’t be. A love like ours doesn’t end in death. He’ll always be in my heart.”

It only took us a few minutes to get out the door and to the garage—talk about a small fucking town. I had never lived somewhere that only had a few traffic lights before, and it was going to take a lot of getting used to.

Trent was sitting on his bike in the parking lot, talking to two guys and Raine. As soon as I got out of Crickett’s truck, Trent ran over to us.

“Hey Crickett, Collin needs to take you and Raine to your place. He’ll explain everything on the way.” He gave her a quick hug, whispering something in her ear that I strained to hear, but no such luck.

“Hey you.” I smiled at him, but his face stayed rigid.

“Can I talk to you?” He grabbed my hand, starting to lead me into the garage.

Following him, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. “Sure. Is everything all right?”

He didn’t answer.

We walked through to the back and into a tiny makeshift bedroom. Trent slammed and locked it before turning to me. He grabbed my hand, pulling me into him.

“Do you trust me?” he whispered into my ear.

I nodded against his chest.

“Good, because I need you right now.”

His lips crushed to mine. There was so much desire and need behind his touch. I melted into him, his tongue parting my lips so gently. A light moan escaped my throat as his fingers tangled into my hair.

Spinning me around, he pushed me against the wall. His chest pressed against my back as his fingers fumbled with the button on my jeans. I was a goner when his teeth sank into the nape of my neck.

With a low growl, Trent pulled my jeans down. He pulled my hips out while he got down on his knees then lightly bit my ass cheek before pulling away from me.

“Are you sure you’re all right with this?” he asked, breathless.

“Yes, Trent. Now just fuck me already.” Need for him ignited in the depth of my soul like a fire getting a taste of gasoline.

He stood up and threw me onto the bed in one swift motion. He tugged and pulled at my clothes until they were just a pile on the floor.

“Fuck. You’re stunning,” he remarked while pulling his shirt up over his head.

I took in every perfectly chiseled muscle that flexed and moved as he undressed next to the bed before he climbed on top of me.

“You’re not too shabby yourself,” I teased before kissing his shoulder.

Trent got on his knees, pulling my legs over his. He licked his thumb before rolling it over my clit and pressing it hard into my opening.

“You’re so damn tight, babe,” he groaned through gritted teeth.

I gripped the pillow behind my head as my legs started to shake from just the simple touch. It had been over a year since I had been with anyone, and the slightest of touches were threatening to send me over the edge instantly.

His strong hands gripped my sides, right under my tits. The head of his dick slowly pressed inside me. My back arched, my body tensed.

“Relax baby. I’ll go slow.” His eyes smoldered with lust.

I took a deep breath, willing my body to relax into him. I closed my eyes as he filled me. He was so gentle. Electricity shot through me with every gradual push and release.

“Holy fuck,” I moaned. “Your dick feels amazing.”

He leaned over, kissing my lips gently. “You’re amazing.”

His body started to shudder and my body went into overdrive reacting to him. It was the closest to lovemaking I had ever experienced.

“Was that all right?” he asked, pulling me into his arms to hold me.

“It was perfect.”

Lying in Trent’s arms felt all too right. I let my fingertips play with the scars on the inside of his arms. Some were covered by tattoos, but not all.

He sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m just going to tell you before someone else does.”

I sat up, cocking my head to the side. “Tell me what? Is this where you tell me you have ten kids and a wife at home and this all really is too good to be true?”

He laughed a little. “No, nothing like that. I’ve never been married, and I don’t have any children.”

“Then what?”

“I was a junkie. My old man got me hooked on heroin after my mom died. That’s why I joined the Marines, but when I got out, I fell off the wagon again. Abel, our last president, and Rave, the one before him, saved my life, got me on the right path. Since I’ve worn this cut, I have not done another drug. I was drugged once by some whore a while back, but that’s it. I just didn’t want you hearing it from somebody else. I don’t want to hide things from you.” His chest deflated like bricks had just been taken off of it.

“Why me?”

“Because you’re the first person I’ve ever met that I feel might actually accept me for who I am now, not condemn me for who I used to be. I was not a good person—some might argue that I still am a terrible person.”

“Well, you’re my savior, so I’ll never judge you for your past indiscretions. I will never pry. You can tell me what you want whenever you’re comfortable. I don’t put too much stock in a person’s past as long as they are a good person in their present life.”

“Thanks, babe.” He kissed my forehead. “I want to keep you. A week doesn’t seem like long enough.”

“We’ll see. I’m kind of liking it here,” I admitted. I was sick of running, and Vilas seemed like a pretty good place to be from what I could tell.

“We need to get you to Crickett’s.” Trent started to get up.

“What? Why? She was supposed to show me around and get me started with work today.”

He shot me a stern look. “Sweetheart, sometimes we’re going to tell you to do things, change plans on you, not give you details, give you orders, and you’re going to just have to roll with it. If I tell you we need to go somewhere, there is a very good reason. Sometimes I will be able to explain—this is not one of those times. You have to just trust that I am doing everything in my power to always protect you.”