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“Guys, guys, I’m okay. Let me breathe and I’ll tell you what happened.” Reluctantly, they let go, and Cyrus stands behind Bray as he kneels, taking over dressing my hand. Asher looks worried as he searches my face, so I shoot him a calm smile.
“I’ve had worse, baby. Anyway, I did this mostly to myself while stopping the bastards.”
“Now, baby girl. Tell us everything,” Cyrus demands.
“Some guys came in, cornered me at the bar, and followed me back here. They wanted to use me to hurt you.” I shrug.
“Who?”
“Didn’t catch their names, too busy scaring the shit out of them,” I reply with a laugh.
“That’s my girl.” He grins, but it quickly disappears. “Describe them.”
I describe the men to them, and it only pisses them off more.
“I know who they are. Get her bandaged up and checked over,” he tells Bray before turning to me. “Baby girl, call Faye and have her take you home. I want you both to stay there and don’t fucking leave until we get back, okay?”
I nod, knowing there’s no point in arguing. If he’s this angry and serious, it means it is deep shit.
“I got a few good licks in.” I grin and Bray smirks.
“Of course you did, Darling, because you’re a fucking badass. I’m surprised you didn’t kill them,” he murmurs after wrapping my hand and kissing the back of it.
Asher smiles slightly while Cyrus paces, pissed as hell. His eyes land on me every second as if to check that I’m still here and okay.
“So, what are you going to do?” I ask. I already texted Faye, and she’s on her way. They wait with me, and each second that passes only pisses them off more. I’m almost choking on their anger, their need for revenge.
“What we do best,” Asher replies.
Bray nods in agreement, but my eyes go to Cyrus who’s suspiciously quiet. What do they mean? They can’t mean what I think, right? They wouldn’t risk their lives for me, would they? He finally turns to me, and what I see, well, it steals my breath. I wouldn’t want to be those guys right now.
Cyrus isn’t just angry, no, he’s murderous.
I see it in his eyes. There is no rule or law he wouldn’t break. No line he wouldn’t cross... for me. The knowledge fills me as his fingers gently reach out and trace the back of my injured hand. His touch is so soft, so loving, so dissimilar to the death I see in his dark gaze. Even Asher, my sweet, sweet artist, is silent. His face is closed down, and he’s watching my every move. Beyond his anger, I sense his terror that something could happen. In Bray I sense regret. He blames himself. His life, his name. It makes him pissed and reckless. I don’t know what they are going to do, their dark gazes beg me not to ask, but I do know that tonight, the Crew is going hunting.
To keep me safe.
“Trust us,” Cyrus murmurs, a scarred, tattooed hand coming up to gently touch my chin. “Go, be safe. I can’t do what I need to if I don’t know you’re okay, baby girl. This isn’t me doubting your strength or conviction, this is me needing to protect my family. To protect what’s mine and make them pay for even daring to be in your fucking presence.”
“Cyrus,” I whisper, but his grip tightens on my chin.
“You’re ours, baby girl, and anyone who tries to touch what’s ours dies a painful death. Don’t ask me not to go after them. I won’t lie to you, not ever. I told you that. This is who I am—a killer, someone willing to do anything to protect their family. I’m not a good man, but I’m yours. We all are.”
“I’m not asking you not to kill them. I know who you are, Cyrus, who you all are. I just wanted to tell you to be safe and to come home, to come back to me, even with their blood on your hands.” I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him hard. My bloody, injured hand cups his cheek, and he leans into it for a moment before pulling away. With one final look at me, he turns and storms out.
I can still taste the revenge coating his lips, and I lift my fingers to wipe my own as if to rid myself of the stain... or to remember it.
I’ve never had anyone willing to kill to protect me. Why does it make my once cold heart clench?
Faye turns up a minute later, and I let her lead me to her car. She’s rambling about getting me home and to bed.
“We aren’t going home,” I interrupt, cutting off her anxious stream of words.
“Wait, what?” she asks, blinking in confusion. “Crew told me I had to, even if I had to tie you down.”
“I said we aren’t going home. You really think I’m going to let those three go deal with the assholes who attacked me alone? Me? Not a fucking chance. They said we are a family, that we are in this together. Come on, we can still catch up and you can tie me down another time.” I buckle up as she gawks.
“You want... to follow them?”
