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My thighs clenched together, and I inhaled a sharp breath.
Jesus, I needed to stop.
I turned, flicking my eyes away, looking for anything within the small room that I could focus my attention on as I fought to drag more air into my lungs.
“You done examining me?” he asked playfully.
“No… I mean, I was not.”
His deep chuckle rooted itself in my body, radiating outward. It seemed so fuckingclichéto think, but just that sound instantly brought a smile to my face, and my body relaxed. The low tone was masculine and raw, it wrapped itself around me like a warm coat.
I pulled at the hem of my oversized sweater as I shifted from foot to foot. “What’s going on out there?”
“Not much, Blizzard dragged Op out to X-Rated for some business shit while the rest of us try and pull our shit together. Couple of the guys have Chelsea’s car in the shop, trying to figure out just what caused it to suddenly explode.” He wasn’t holding anything back or trying to shelter me, telling me that it was just a minor thing and that I shouldn’t worry.
He was laying it down, letting me know that this was as serious as I thought it was. Wrench didn’t hold any blows, and I appreciated that.
My gut started to churn again, and my eyes moved over to my beautiful little girl who was sleeping so peacefully. “Maybe this was a mistake,” I whispered as I walked over to the foot of the bed and peered down at her. “Maybe we shouldn’t have come back.” There were so many risks here, ones that I couldn’t have even dreamed of, and some that settled in my nightmares every single night.
I could feel myself getting nervous, my stomach turning and my mind running a million miles an hour. Inhaling deeply through my nose, I tried to calm my raging emotions as my eyes flicked over to the bed where the pill had disappeared beneath.
I wanted it.
Warmth settled at my back. He wasn’t touching me, but with his body so close I could feel him, his strength, his power, the silent support he offered as I contemplated whether I’d made a horrible mistake. The urge to run slowly began to settle.
“You’re wrong,” he argued, his hot breath fanning my neck. I quivered. I wanted to turn and ask him why. Fight with him about how this wasn’t a place for Harlyn. How I couldn’t forget the look in her eyes or the sounds of her fearful screams when that explosion had gone off. But he didn’t let me, not even giving me a moment to voice my objections.
“You and I both know that shit happens here. And there’s something going down right now that I can’t explain to you. What I can tell you is that you and Harlyn were compromised and that there’s no other place on this damn earth that’s safer than where you are right now.” His words drew the air from my lungs. “Nothing will hurt you. Nothing will hurt her. I fucking promise you that.”
I stared straight ahead, unable to move as he used his hand to brush away the hair from my neck. My lips fell open as his mouth grazed the bare skin of my shoulder where my sweatshirt had left it exposed. It wasn’t a kiss, just a brush, almost like a feather skimming across it, both tickling and tempting me at the same time. I wanted to give in, allow his promises to take over my thoughts and make me feel as though we were safe here. Unfortunately, Wrench nor anyone else was aware of the other battles I was facing. There were other things, other monsters that I was hiding from, ones that weren’t so easy to escape, and ones even he couldn’t protect me from.
The club weren’t the only ones fighting demons, and they weren’t the only ones who’d been fooled by someone they cared for. In that moment, I so desperately wanted to tell him, to ask for help and allow him to make good on his promise. But in doing that, I knew it would bring a whole new shitstorm down around the club, a whole new level of crazy and panic, at a time when they were already fighting to keep their heads on straight.
“Mommy?” Harlyn’s soft voice forced Wrench back, he put space between us within a second. A respectful move.
I scurried around the side of the bed as Harlyn sat up, her little body shaking and her eyes brimmed with tears. “Baby, it’s okay. It’s over,” I told her as I sat at the edge of the bed and pulled her into my chest.
“Are there bad people trying to hurt us?”
My heart ached as I squeezed her a little tighter, my own tears burning at my eyes as I looked over to where Wrench stood, watching us silently. I didn’t know what to say.
Could I lie and tell her that no, it was all just some kind of mistake?
Possibly. But what if it happened again? Then how would she trust me?
“Hey Har,” Wrench finally said, causing Harlyn to look up in surprise.
“Hi Wrench,” she answered with a soft smile. “What are you doing here?”
He moved forward, sitting himself at the end of the bed. “Your dad asked me to come check on you and your mom. How you doing?”
She cleared her throat before she answered. I could tell she didn’t want to admit that she was frightened, but just like Op and Blizzard, she’d formed some strange bond with Wrench over such a short time. She liked him and enjoyed hanging out with him, and in turn, he made time for her even if it was stopping by for a second to ask what she’d done that day.
“I didn’t like that noise,” she answered, hanging her head. “Everyone was running around and going crazy. It was scary.”
Wrench nodded. “You’re right, it was.”
Harlyn tilted her head, looking up at him. “Were you scared?”
