Page 20 of Wild & Wanted

My brothers take in the bloodied, protective Vice President standing guard over a fiercely composed woman who just single-handedly executed a high-level cyber defense maneuver. I’ll have to ask her where she learned how to do that. It seems a bit more complicated than data entry.

Onyx lowers his weapon slowly, whistling low under his breath. Phoenix stares at the monitor, then at her, his usual skepticism gone. And Stryker—the iron-fisted President of the Rebel Kings—gives a slow, deeply respectful nod of his head.

In that single, heavy silence, the dynamic shifts forever. She’s no longer just an employee or a temporary distraction. She is iron-willed, brilliant, and one of us.

Stryker steps fully into the office, his heavy boots crunching on a stray piece of broken glass. He looks from the unconscious bodies down below to the glowing green screen of the monitor.

"You did this?" Stryker asks, his deep voice carrying a rare note of genuine astonishment.

Hadley doesn't shrink back from the President of the Rebel Kings. She lifts her chin, her posture straight and her voice remarkably steady. "I locked the system down, encrypted the caches, and sent the physical copies to your secure cloud server. The data is safe. They got nothing."

Phoenix lets out a low, impressed whistle, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "Damn, Red. Remind me never to piss you off around a keyboard."

Onyx grins, slapping a heavy hand against the doorframe. "Looks like our VP found himself a goddamn keeper."

I pull her a fraction closer to my side, a low rumble of possessive pride vibrating in my chest. I don't bother denying it. She is a keeper.

Stryker holds my gaze for a second before turning his full, undivided attention back to Hadley. "You saved our asses tonight, Hadley. This club owes you a massive debt." He extends his hand toward her, and this time, I don't swat it away. Hadley reaches out and shakes it firmly. "You're under Rebel Kings protection now," Stryker says, his tone final. "Officially. Anyone looks at you sideways, they answer to the entire charter."

Hadley’s eyes shine with unshed emotion, but she holds it together, giving him a tight, appreciative nod.

"Alright," I say, my voice rough as the adrenaline finally begins to recede, leaving behind a bone-deep need to get my woman somewhere safe. "I'm getting her out of here. Have prospects clean up this trash." I nod toward the bleeding syndicate goons.

Stryker nods, stepping aside. "Go. We've got the warehouse."

I keep my hand firmly on the small of Hadley's back, guiding her out of the office, past the chaos, and out into the cool, misty coastal air. The parking lot is quiet now, the only sound is the crunch of gravel under our boots as we approach my bike.

When we reach the heavy metal machine, I don't tell her to get on. Instead, I catch her by the waist and gently spin her around to face me. The moonlight catches the pale curve of her throat and the pride lingering in her beautiful brown eyes.

Everything I can't put into words, from the blinding terror of almost losing her to the overwhelming awe of what she just did, and the deep, terrifying love that has entirely hijacked my soul… It all wells up in my throat, choking me. So I don't try to speak.

I cup her face in both hands, tilting her head up, and bring my mouth down on hers.

It's a full, devastating kiss. I pour every unspoken emotion into the way my lips move against hers, drinking her in, silently claiming her and letting her claim me right back. She gasps softly into my mouth, her arms winding tightly around my neck as she kisses me back with the same desperate, fiery intensity.

When I finally pull back, we're both breathing heavily, our foreheads resting against each other. I trace my thumb over her cheekbone, gently wiping away a smudge of dirt.

"I’m so damn proud of you," I whisper, the raw honesty scraping against my vocal cords. "I have never seen anyone handle fire the way you did tonight."

She lets out a shaky laugh, a stray tear escaping to wet my thumb. "I was terrified, Wolf."

"You were magnificent," I correct her instantly, my gaze locking onto hers. "You are amazing, Hadley. And you are so damn strong, all on your own. You've been fighting everyone else's battles your whole life and surviving just fine." I slide my hands down to rest over her chest, feeling the steady rhythm of her heart. "But you don't have to fight alone anymore. We are stronger together. Better together."

Her breath hitches, a radiant, tearful smile breaking across her face, illuminating the dark lot. "Better together," she echoes softly.

I kiss her forehead, lingering there for a long moment to brand the promise into her skin, before finally stepping back to help her onto the bike to take her home.

CHAPTER TEN

HADLEY

Somewhere between leaving the clubhouse and pulling into Wolf’s driveway, the adrenaline and fear of the night has turned into an undeniable need. I know Wolf feels it, too, when he helps me off his bike and pulls me into his arms.

His touch is restrained, like he doesn’t want to hurt me but still can’t get enough of me. I kiss him, letting my hands slip under his jacket and shirt, my nails scratching down his defined abs. Without hesitation, Wolf scoops me up into his arms, practically sprinting toward the front door.

Once inside, Wolf presses me against the nearest wall. He slides his tongue against mine, his hands roaming over my curves and clawing at my clothes. Wolf pulls me away from the wall and somehow shuffles us inside the bedroom while stripping both of us down.

We’re completely naked and vulnerable, standing before each other with everything bared between us. He runs his hands up and down my body, caressing my hips, my breasts, even my throat and lips. His strong, capable hands leave a throbbing, warm blaze in their wake.