Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 43787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
“You always take care of people like this?” she asks.
I rinse the suds from her hair, letting the water wash away the soap before answering. “No.”
She tilts her head to look at me. “So just me, then?”
I meet her gaze, my fingers tracing the curve of her hip. “Yeah. Just you.”
She swallows hard, looking like she wants to say something, but instead, she turns back around, leaning into me. I let the silence settle between us as I finish washing her, enjoying the way she lets me care for her, the way she trusts me to.
Once we're both rinsed off, I shut off the water and grab a towel, wrapping it around her before pulling one around my own waist. She watches me as I dry off, her expression unreadable.
“What is it?” I ask.
She shakes her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “Nothing. Just... thank you for stepping in and keeping me safe, Damian.”
I nod, reaching for another towel and running it over her damp hair. “Riot’s gonna bring Kelly over in a bit.”
Her eyes widen slightly, and I see the gratitude there before she even speaks. “You knew I needed her. I feel like you’re a stranger, but one I’ve known a lifetime.”
“Yeah, sweetheart, I feel that too. Like I was made for you.” I tuck a strand of wet hair behind her ear. “I got you.”
She exhales, stepping closer, resting her forehead against my chest. “That means more than you know.”
I press a kiss to the top of her head. “Get dressed. Stay here. Riot won’t let anything happen to you.”
She looks up, her brows pinching. “Where are you going?”
I grab a pair of jeans, tugging them on. “Port. Need to check in a shipment.”
She frowns, like she wants to argue, but she doesn’t. Instead, she nods. “Be careful.”
I smirk. “Always.” I slip a shirt on.
I grab my cut, shrugging it on before heading out. By the time I make it downstairs, the club is already buzzing with movement. A few of the guys are nursing hangovers from last night, some still passed out on the couches, but I don’t stop. I push through the main room and head outside, where I quickly make my way to our port office.
The early morning air is cool against my still-damp skin. When I pull up, I immediately spot Stunt and Shaft waiting near the main office, their expressions tight.
Something’s off.
I approach them. “What’s going on?”
Shaft runs a hand through his hair, his jaw ticking. “One of the containers is missing.”
My stomach tightens. “Which one?”
“Carton number 091285368 according to the manifest.” Stunt glances toward the stacked containers, his expression grim. “The one bound for the West Virginia Kings.”
A slow, simmering rage builds in my chest. That shipment was promised.
“That’s not a mistake,” I say, my voice low, deadly. “Someone took it.”
Shaft nods. “Looks that way.”
I crack my knuckles, the weight of responsibility pressing down on me. “Find out who. Now.”
Shaft and Stunt exchange a look before nodding.
“On it,” Stunt says, already pulling out his phone.
I turn toward the stacks of containers, my jaw clenched.
Whoever stole from us just made the biggest mistake of their life.
CHAPTER 16
ALAINA
I sit on the edge of Damian’s bed, my fingers twisting the edge of the sheet as I listen to the low hum of voices beyond the closed door. The clubhouse is still alive, even this early, the steady sounds of boots on wood, the occasional burst of laughter, and the ever-present rumble of motorcycles outside filling the space. But inside this room, it’s quiet—too quiet.
Damian left me with nothing but a lingering kiss and a promise that Riot would bring Kelly over soon. Now, I sit here wrapped in one of his shirts, waiting, my mind a mess of last night, this morning, and everything in between.
Falling for a biker.
The thought sends a chill down my spine, not because I don’t want it to be true—but because I do. The sound of footsteps approaching the door snaps me out of my thoughts, followed by two knocks and the door creaking open.
“Ally?” Riot’s deep voice comes through the gap before he fully steps inside, Kelly right behind him.
The second I see her, relief washes over me like a wave, my chest loosening in a way I didn’t even realize I needed.
“Kelly.” I practically launch myself at her, wrapping my arms around her as she hugs me just as tight.
“I got her here in one piece,” Riot says, amusement lacing his voice. “I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”
Kelly pulls back just enough to glance over her shoulder at him, her lips curling into a grin. “You mean if I try to make a run for it?”
He smirks. “Something like that.”
Before he closes the door, she calls out, “Thanks for the ride, Riot. Real nice view on the way over.”