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Cormac
"Cashtriedtowarnyou," Bella says, biting her bottom lip to hide that fucking perfect smile. "You didn't listen."
I grunt, staring at the eight thousand bags of shit my brothers just dropped off in my living room. It looks like the goddamn mall exploded in here. "Every woman in this town is going to be knocking on my door, asking to borrow bras and shit."
Bella gives up trying to fight her amusement and devolves into a fit of laughter. "Oh, Tiny," she says, wiping her eyes. "You have so much to learn."
"Yeah?" I cock a brow at her. "You going to teach me, Mischief?"
She meets my gaze, her baby blues far lighter than they were when we left the clubhouse an hour ago. Talking about what she saw wasn't easy for her. Hearing it wasn't easy for me. I've never been as certain of two things simultaneously as I am of these: Bella Sterling is utterly goddamn fearless, and I'm never letting her out of my sight.
My poor, brave girl. I've known men twice her age and three times her size who wouldn't do what she did—go back to help a man down. She did it. Even scared out of her mind and completely alone, she did it. I wanted to fucking howl when she told us that. It's no wonder she's having nightmares. She didn't just watch her friend die. She tried to save his life while he bled out in a goddamn parking garage, and she did it by herself, unsure if the motherfuckers who shot him would come back to kill her too.
She's not just fearless. She's a warrior. If Valhalla is real, she's earned her place there.
"Maybe," she whispers. And then she swallows hard. "But I want something, Cormac."
"Name it."
"I want to talk to my family." Her expression sobers, a shadow drifting across her angelic face. "And before you tell me it's not safe or that it's not allowed, I already know all of that. My dad told me before he took my cell phone. But you have a genius hacker in your MC. Surely between the two of you, you can figure out a way for me to talk to them safely."
Shit. I should have told her already.
"Come here, Mischief." I hold my hand out and wait for her to come to me. As soon as she places her hand in mine, I pull her into my arms, dragging her up against my chest where she belongs. "I talked to your dad briefly last night while you were in the shower," I murmur into her hair. "He knows you're here and that you're safe."
They're no closer to catching the fuckers than they were when she left. Nashville PD is chasing leads, but they don't have anything solid yet. No names, no identities, nothing but the descriptions Bella provided and a vehicle with a stolen license plate.
Her shoulders slump, some of the tension draining from her body.
"And I've already got Hacker working on getting us a secure connection so you can talk to your mom and your sisters whenever you want," I promise. "Figured you'd be missing home and want to talk to your family."
"I miss my twin," she whispers, her voice a mere scrap of sound.
The sorrow in her voice breaks my goddamn heart. "I'll fix it, baby."
"She's mad at me." Her eyes meet mine, wide and watery. That breaks my heart too. She hasn't cried since she got here, but she's crying because her sister's mad at her. This little goddess may act tough, but underneath, she's as soft as they come. "She gets mad when she's worried."
I brush her tears away with the pads of my thumbs. "Then it's a damn good thing you've got me and Crash looking out for you now, isn't it?" I murmur, sliding my hand around to cup the back of her head. I press my lips to her forehead and then to her cheeks, kissing away her tears. "Because we aren't going to let anything happen to you. You're safe with us, and she's got nothing to worry about anymore."
Hell will freeze over before I allow anyone to harm this girl. She's mine. No one will get close to her. No one will touch her. I've protected rockstars and royalty and everyone in between, and I've never failed. She will be safe. Not because I'm good at what I do but because it matters more this time. It's personal now.
She crept into my chest and stole my heart like a thief in the night. It beats for her now. My whole damn world is reordering itself with her securely at the center. It's the most natural feeling in the world, too. There's nothing strange about it, nothing jolting or disorienting. It feels…damn good. Like I've been living with half a soul for thirty-five years and finally learned how to breathe.
I scoop her up into my arms and carry her upstairs to the bedroom. Crash lifts his head from the couch to look at us and then huffs and lays back down. I think he's pissed that we ran off and left him at home this morning.
"What are you doing?" Bella watches me through wide, dilated eyes when I lay her out on the bed and then pull her shoes off. Her little toes are painted purple. Somehow, even her feet are sexy to me. I bring each one to my mouth, kissing her instep before I replace it on the bed.
"We're taking a nap."
"Oh." Her eyes darken when I yank my shirt off over my head. Her greedy gaze prowls across my torso, eating up the sight of me. And goddamn, if that doesn't make me feel fifty feet tall and bulletproof. My girl likes what she's seeing. It's a good thing because I plan to be the only man she sees like this.
I know damn well that I should leave my pants on, but she isn't the only one who doesn't follow instructions and doesn't obey orders. She isn't a good girl, and I'm damn sure not a good man. I was born with hellfire in my soul. I tempt fate and taunt the devil just because I fucking can. So I strip down to my boxers, growling when her gaze shifts down my body, focusing on my cock.
"Look your fill, little girl," I rumble, gripping my shaft through the fabric. I squeeze the greedy beast, letting her get a good look at what she'll be getting just as soon as she's on the same page as me. "You made him this way."
"Jesus, Cormac," she whispers. "I think I need to stop calling you Tiny."
"Don't."
