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Despite the abuse, her world is a little sheltered. I’m sure all of this is a shock to her, but maybe it will help her understand why I need to protect her. The last thing I want is for her to find herself in a predicament she can’t get out of… at the hands of a Jackal, no less.
“I shouldn’t have brought you here,” I admit, letting my guilt take over because I’m exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster I’ve been on since finding her last night.
“Kohen…” She reaches for my hand, taking it between her two small ones. I know I should pull it away, but I don’t. Maybe I’ll burn in hell for wanting—no for needing to feel a physical connection with her.
“No, Wildcat.” I shake my head and tighten my hold on her hand. “You’ve experienced hell and deserve better. I can’t believe I let you step foot into this place.”
A new guilt washes over me. Fuck, a place like this?I’ve lived my life in this building, surrounded by these men I’ve pledged to lead. Deep down, I know they won’t harm a hair on her head, and there’s nothing wrong with our club.
Hell, in the biker world, we’re what they would consider the good guys. Despite the shady shit we do, the Jackals take care of this town and the people. We’ve made it our mission to give back every step of the way. But it’s the dark shady shit we do. I don’t want her exposed to.
It’s the lifestyle. The danger. The unknown. No one woman should have to go through that.
“You’re wrong,” she says and squeezes my hand. “I wouldn’t have left this room if I didn’t feel safe, Kohen. I wouldn’t have been able to sit down and talk to Pothole. I wouldn’t be able to tell you how I felt and still feel.” One of her small hands makes its way to my cheek, cupping and pulling my attention to her. I recognize the rampant emotions she’s battling, because I feel them, too. It takes all kinds of control to keep from leaning into her warm hand.
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit this woman affects me.
She does.
In ways, I never thought possible.
“This world is too dark for someone like you, Everleigh.”
“Thisworld is exactly where I’m supposed to be,” she breathes, and I wonder how much of what she said is truth, or words to make me feel less guilty for exposing her to the club.
“Fuck. How can you be this brave?” I reach up and run the pad of my thumb over her cheek.
“It’s easy to be brave when you have a prince doing everything in his power to protect you.”
“Wildcat.” The way she looks at me, like I’ve lassoed the moon just for her. Fuck, I hate myself for not being a better man.
“I know we just met, but I trust you, Kohen Prince. I see the man you are underneath the gruff and leather. You could’ve thrown me out, or called the police, or even taken me back to Fran. But you didn’t.”
“I’m no prince, wildcat. I’m barely a nice guy.”
FIVE
EVERLEIGH
Ifind it hard to believe the man standing in front of me thinks he’s barely a good guy, when all he’s done since we met is protect me.
Even now, in a building filled with the people he trusts the most in the world, he’s got his shiny armor and he’s ready to do battle for me.
“Well, for the record, I think you’re wrong,” I whisper. I don’t think anything I say will change his mind because Kohen seems dead set on believing the worst of himself.
The silence stretches between us, and I lose track of time, standing here connected to one another. I know I should pull away. It’s the smart thing to do.
“I like your necklace,” he murmurs, stepping back and releasing his hold on me. I miss the connection instantly, feeling the cold press into my skin.
“It was a gift from my grandmother before she died.” I lift a hand to the trinket and close my fist around the little apple. “It’s all I have left of her, and my father.”
“Tell me about them.”
My throat threatens to close, and the emotion I’ve bottled for so long spills over. It’s been a long time since I’ve allowed myself to think about them, to wonder how things might be different if they were still here. Would my father have left Fran? Would we still live in our old home? Would I be gallivanting around the world with him?
And my grandmother… would she have approved of Fran? No. I don’t think she would have. I don’t think she’d have let my father marry Fran, either.
“It’s okay if you’d rather not,” he murmurs, pulling me from my thoughts and back into the moment. I close my eyes, take a breath, and tell him the story of my life and the people I miss more than anything in the world. I tell him because I want him to understand who I am, but it’s more than that. I want him to
