AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Baby.” His jaw ticked. “I want what’s best for you.”
“You, Tanner.” I grabbed onto his black hoodie, pulling him against me. “You are what’s best for me. I don’t care what anyone thinks.”
“Yes, you do. They’re you’re family.”
“No.” I pushed away from him then, suddenly feeling cold as I slid out of his embrace. “I didn’t know who you were when we met. I didn’t know that you were once the president of a dangerous motorcycle club. Just like you didn’t know that I’m the daughter to Tray Lister. Someone who spent years being a nomad because he could never settle down. Even he felt like he never truly belonged. Not until he met my mom.” I knew the stories and the rumors going around about my father. Most weren’t true but a lot of them were. Like Tanner, he just couldn’t be bothered to correct people. “I love you, Tanner. There’s something inside of you that I need. And it’s not because you are the first guy to stand up to my family. It’s because you may be broken and withdrawn, but I know you love me back.”
“Of course I love you back. I wouldn’t say those words if I didn’t mean them.” Tanner took a step toward me. “I needed Trigger in ways that I never knew I needed. His old soul calmed me, but you keep me sane. You’ve stopped me from giving up and jumping off that ledge so many times. I know we haven’t known each other for long.” He closed the distance between us then. “And I’m sure there are better guys out there for you, ones who aren’t so fucked up, but I promise that if you do want this to continue, I won’t make you regret it.”
I latched onto him then, pulling him against me. I never wanted to let go. I wanted him to see that he was worthy of love and a family. That he was worthy of me while I was worthy of him just the same.
“This is still dangerous,” he muttered into my hair.
“Maybe so.” I leaned back. “I’ll go to war for you.”
“You’ll be at my side, baby?” he asked, his voice soft and unsure.
“No. I’ll fight the fucking warforyou.”
A dark shadow passed over his face. “I’m not a good guy, Busy.”
I cupped his cheek, the scratchiness of his beard tickling across my palm.
He pushed his cheek into my hand, his eyes fluttering closed.
Placing a soft peck on his mouth, I breathed him in. “I don’t care.”
His eyes popped open then. “But you should. The things I’ve done…If the right person found out, I could go to jail for a long time, if not for the rest of my life.”
Bile rose to my throat at the mere idea of him being taken from me when I had only just found him. “No one will find out.” I cupped his face, forcing him to look at me. “And what you did before me, you did it to survive.”
He looked away.
“I mean it.” I kissed him softly on the mouth.
“Why do you love me?” he murmured, leaning his forehead against mine. “Is it because I’m the only guy who isn’t scared of your father?”
“You haven’t even met my father yet.” I leaned back. “Have you?”
“No.”
“Then, do you think that little of me that I would only be attracted to you, lose my virginity to you, fall in love with you, just because you can stand up to the men in my life?”
“What?” Tanner scowled. “No. Shit, baby. Never.”
“Then I need you to believe that even if we would have met differently and I didn’t have scary men in my life, that we would still end up together. No matter what. And besides, my father was nowhere around when I first met you. Remember?”
Tanner sighed, his shoulders slumping.
“You do remember that, don’t you?”
Tanner’s gaze slowly met mine. “I do. I remember how determined you were to save my life. A stranger. I could have hurt you. And yet, you let me into your home. It’s a wonder your father or anyone else in your family, hasn’t killed me yet.”
I huffed, pulling away from him.
“No.” Tanner reached out for me, tugging me back into his arms. “I just mean…hell, I don’t know what I mean anymore.”
“Listen to me.” I pushed him back toward the edge of the bed.
