Something shifts once the threat is laid on the table. More questions arise but no one asks them because everyone feels burned out, we all feel overloaded.

What a fucking day…days…months…years…. what a fucking life.

One look at my girl and I know she’s had enough. Hell, she’s had enough to last nine lifetimes.

She is so fucking strong.

Walking to where she stands next to Buck, I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into my chest. Looking over her shoulders I meet Buck’s gaze.

“You good?”

Standing with his head against the wall, the man just looks exhausted. Fucking drained. Giving me a nod, I look around the silent room and everyone just stares at us. Everyone is just fucking lost.

Spinning Emmy so she is facing me, I brush her hair from her face. Her beautiful green eyes are bloodshot and puffy. So much sadness lingers in those depths and I can’t fucking stand it.

I need to get her alone. This is just too much.

Tucking her head to my chest I turn to Pops. “I didn’t fucking know she was your daughter.” Looking to Bo my heart aches for him, the loss I see in his eyes… I know the pain. “I didn’t know she was a part of this club.” Taking a deep breath, I hold her tighter. “A lot still needs to be talked about and laid out on the fucking table but right now we’re done.”

Feeling her sag against me in relief, I whisper in her ear, “Come on, baby.”

“Take her to my place.” Turning back around I face Pops and I see a desperation I never thought I would see on the man. Pulling his key from his pocket he tosses it to me. Catching it, I give a single nod, and with one last look to everyone I get my girl the fuck out of there.

* * *

Walking through the club I tuck Emmy further into me. All the brothers and old ladies, even some of the club whores, look to her with such sadness and confusion.

Once outside I pull her to my bike and hop on. Staring at me with watering eyes, she gives me a small smile and my heart fucking stops. After everything this girl has gone through she still smiles.

“What is it, baby?” I grind out, my heart in my throat.

“You want me on the back of your bike?” she asks, her voice timid and shy but playful. Her words send tingles down my damn spine.

“Yea, babe,” I whisper.

Watching her smile grow brighter, I swear I could die right then and die fucking happy.

Gripping my shoulders, she straddles my back and everything just fucking clicks. It all just fucking works. This is where she belongs.

Letting out a deep breath I bring her arms around my waist and just take in the moment.

Following the dirt path that leads behind the armory, we come up to the several houses that lay in the safety of the gates. Most of the boys with old ladies live back here, some live scattered throughout the town but for the most part we are all in our own gated community. All of the houses have been built by us.

Pulling up to Pop’s house I cut the engine and stare at the two-story family home. Pops never sleeps here. Fuck, I think I’ve only been inside it once or twice. Looking at the empty house now I see it differently, I see a broken home.

Hopping off the bike, Emmy just stares at it like it’s a ghost. “Nothing’s changed,” she whispers. Then with a force beyond her, she walks up to the porch steps.

Hopping off, I follow closely behind her. Pulling out the key I take one more look at her. “We don’t have to sleep here, Emmy, we can just go back to Drifter’s.”

Meeting my eyes, appreciation shines in hers but she shakes her head. “I want to be here.”

Unlocking the door, I open it and let her in, closing the door behind us. The smell of musty wood lingers in the air, telling us just how long it’s been since Pops has stepped foot in here.

Walking into the opening of the living room she just looks around like she is in a daze, like she is back in time. I just watch her go from room to room. I watch her cry and I watch her gasp. I watch her shake with emotions so raw I’d do anything to tame them. I let her do this on her own, but I also let her know I’m right here beside her if she needs me.

I give her my strength.

Walking up the stairs, she stops in front of a door painted all white, a big bright yellow sun rests in the center.

With a shaky hand, she opens it and even I can picture the little girl she once was.

Flipping on the light, her room brightens. The light yellow walls with the faded purple trim make all her Harley Davidson and Bon Jovi posters look out of place. A dollhouse in the corner has toy motorcycles surrounding it and Barbies with crazy colored hair lay all around it. Pictures of her childhood rest on an all-white dresser and in the corner of her room, a bed with all black sheets and the Soulless Sinner’s insignia without the sun around it rests like it’s frozen in time. Unmade from when she slept in it last.

This whole room holds the ghosts of the girl she once was, never touched, never tainted.

Turning to me, I can see the devastation all over her face and I go to her instantly.

“This is too much”

Without a word, I pull her out of the room, my heart breaking, not just for Emmy but for my brothers who lost the little girl that held them all together.

I never knew…

Walking down the hall I open and close doors until I find what looks to be a spare bedroom. Kicking the door shut, I lift my girl and set her on the bed.

With her legs hanging off the edge of the bed, I fall to my knees and meet her eyes.

God, this fucking girl is all I see.

Looking down at her bare feet my chest squeezes at the scrapes that cover them.

Grabbing the bottom of her sweatshirt I slowly lift it over her head.

Not taking her beautiful eyes off of mine she lifts her arms and I have to take a deep breath to stay in control.

Tossing it to the side I reach around to her back and unclasp her bra, letting it fall from her shoulders. Leaning forward I place a kiss right above the swell of her breast, right against her heart.

Letting out a gasp, I look back to her eyes and fall in love all over again. Every day I will find a reason to fall more madly and more deeply in love with this fucking girl.

Gently pushing her to her back I go for the waistband of her jeans and unbutton them. Pulling them down her legs I bite back a groan as her bare pussy comes into view. No panties.

Staring down at her I swear a gold halo cascades around her naked body. No one will ever shine as bright as she does.

Holding out my hand, she takes it and I pull her from the bed and against my body. Gripping the blanket, I toss it back and lay her back down on the soft sheets, her hair dark against the light pillows.

Sliding off my cut, I place it on the table beside the bed and remove my shirt and my jeans wanting nothing more than to just feel my girl, to have nothing between us.

Stretching out on the bed next to her, she reaches out and runs her hand along my cheek, the touch scorches all the way to my soul.

“So much is happening,” she whispers, her eyes roaming over every inch of my face. “I thought they didn’t want me anymore – that whole time…”

Fuck, my heart.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen now,” she finishes on a whisper.

I roll over so I’m practically on top of her, our bodies aligned in ways that make both our eyes hood.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, either.” Her eyes water and I quickly continue, “But what I do know, baby, is that for the first time in my life everything makes fucking sense. The slavery, your memory loss, this club… our family. It all just makes sense,” I choke out. “I know that no matter what, Emmy, we are in this together.”

Her eyes glisten and the green that I love so much glows as she looks to me with so much love it surrounds us.

“I love you so much, Kodah.”

There it fucking is… My reason to live.

With my arms on either side of her head I place my forehead against hers and just fucking breathe. “So fucking much.”

Sealing my lips against hers I taste the tears, I taste the fear, I taste the love.

“So fucking much.”

Bringing my hips all the way down, we both moan into each other’s mouth at the contact. Nothing lies between us anymore.

With emotions running high, our kiss ignites and we chase the flames.

Running my hand down her waist, I grip her hip and I pull at her bottom lip, begging for access and thanking her when she gives it.

Our tongues dance to the rhythm of our hips. The slickness from her pussy coats my dick as we grind against each other.

Nothing about this moment is slow, everything about this moment is fast.

It’s needy, it’s heady, it’s fucking everything.

“Please,” she begs as I move to her neck, her voice sending shivers across my body.

Lifting off her body a little, I stare down in her eyes as I place my hand between us, my fingers going straight for their target, her eyes rolling back at the touch.

So fucking sweet.

Circling her clit, I move my hand lower and gather her slickness trailing it back up to her desperate nub.

“That’s it, Emmy,” I groan as I bring my fingers back down and let her pussy pull me in and grip me like a vice.

Finding that sweet spot, I work her with my hand as I move down and swirl my tongue over her nipple before going to the other. Her body writhing underneath me has me grinding into her thigh.

I fucking need her.

Removing my hand, I lift up. Emmy stares at me panting, her body flushed, her nipples hard.

A fucking goddess.

Grabbing my dick, I try to relieve the pressure. Stroking myself I watch as her eyes follow my movements.

I should fucking hold back, I should fucking worship her but with everything we have been through, with our emotions fueling our movements, I just fucking need to be inside her, I need to own her…. I just need to love her.

“You say the word, baby, and this stops. I can just take care of you,” I grind out not letting up on my dick.

Reaching out her hand covers mine. “You are taking care of me,” she says her voice husky with need as she moves with me, stroking my cock. “Please, Kodah.”

Fuck.

Taking her hand that covers mine, I remove it from me and bring it to my lips. Kissing the inside of her wrist I lay it down next to her head and move to push her thighs further open. “You are so fucking mine,” I grind out still not believing I finally have her.

Reaching back down I align myself up with her drenched heat and we both watch as I take her. Inch by fucking inch she takes it all.

Pushing to the hilt she lets out the sweetest fucking cry and I have to pause as she chokes my fucking cock. Leaning down I wrap my hand around her back and lift her so she is sitting in my lap. The position taking me so deep I can feel her fucking heartbeat.

“Holy shit,” she gasps throwing her arms around my neck. Having to adjust to the depth, she rocks back and forth on my lap and I lose my fucking mind.

With my arms wrapped around her, I grip her. I bring them to her shoulders and anchor her to me as we grind against each other, building each other higher and higher. Rocking back and forth we take each other to the edge, fighting for these feelings until we fall.

With her movements growing unsteady she grinds harder and faster, her clit rubbing against my pelvis with every move. Her juices coat us both and my growls bounce around the room.

“Oh God, Kodah, I’m going to come,” she cries with her face buried in my neck and her hips jerking frantically as she chases her orgasm

Moving my hands from her shoulders, I tangle them in her hair along her neck and pull her head back so I can look in her eyes, so I can watch her fall.

Pounding my hips up, she cries out.

“Again, Kodah, please!”

Again and again I pound up, fucking her from the bottom, taking her higher, taking us to that point of no return. With one last thrust her head flies back and she lets go, the contraction of her pussy takes me with her.

Coming harder than I ever have before my head drops to her shoulder and we just sit there catching our breaths.

Shit…

Laying her back down on her back, I lift up and pull out, the evidence that we didn’t use protection leaks from her body and something I haven’t felt in a long time takes hold of me. A possession so strong consumes me as I look from her pussy to her eyes.

“You will always be mine.”

Her tired and sedated eyes shine bright as she answers back, “Always.”