Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
“You’re safe here, Cass. I swear.”
She squeezes my hand, and it’s the only sign that she’s still in there. I take it as a win and show her to the bedroom and the attached bathroom.
“How about a shower?” I ask, knowing she won’t answer.
When she doesn’t, I strip her out of her clothes and help her into the shower, giving her a quick soap and rinse while trying my damnedest not to appreciate her curves and muscles, her perfect tits. I move quickly to preserve my own sanity and dress her in one of my t-shirts that falls to her knees before taking her back to the living room so we can talk.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Cassidy, for everything you went through because of me. I promise I’ll make every last one of those assholes pay for whatever they did to you. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. But if you do, I’m all ears,” I assure her with a heavy sigh.
A small sob escapes when I wrap an arm around her and tug her against my chest. She doesn’t return the hug, but she doesn’t fight it either, and I accept that for the victory that it is.
“Whatever you need, Cassidy. I’m here.”
She keeps silent, but her hand curls into the fabric of my t-shirt as if it’s the only thing keeping her grounded.
“I’m here,” I say again. I don’t know how long we sit here wrapped up in each other, but I let her take all the time she needs until her breathing evens out and she falls asleep against my chest.
I lift her in my arms and put her to bed, then curl around her, vowing to keep her safe, no matter what.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Cassidy
I’m flailing, trapped in a room with no way out. It’s so close and suffocating, the walls closing in, and absolutely terrifying. “No! Stop!” I scream, my voice raw with fear. “Leave me alone!”
Suddenly, a voice, deep and familiar, cuts through the chaos of my dream.
“Cassidy.” It’s Diesel. His strong arms wrap around me, stopping my frantic movements. He pulls me tight against his chest, the steady thump of his heartbeat against my ear. “You’re okay, Cass. It’s me, Diesel. You’re safe at my house. You’re all right.”
For a moment, I can’t differentiate reality from the nightmare. My body trembles, and a wave of relief mixed with doubt washes over me.
“Diesel?” I whisper, my voice shaky. Is he here, or is this just another trick of my mind?
“Yeah, babe, it’s me.” He pushes a lock of hair off my face, kissing the side of my forehead. “You’re safe now, Cassidy. I promise.”
I don’t say anything, but I let my body go lax against his, soaking up his warmth and his strength, allowing myself to believe—just for a second—that all is right in the world, even though it couldn’t possibly be. Hot, fat tears roll down my cheeks, and no matter what I do, they refuse to stop falling.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Cassidy. I should have found you sooner,” he says.
Found me sooner? I open my mouth to tell him that I didn’t think he would come at all, but nothing comes out. My voice refuses to work. I can’t push words past my lips, so I snap my mouth closed once again.
“Fuck, you must hate me.” The pain in his voice is evident. “Hate me if you need to, but I’ll make sure you’re safe now. Make sure the smart-ass chick that I met comes back to me.” He chuckles. “She’ll probably slap the shit out of me, but you know what? I’m here for it.”
I’m so fucking angry I could spit at the whole world for what those fuckers did to me. I’m so angry that I just want to scream, but I can’t because I don’t have the energy.
Diesel keeps talking. “I was so fucking scared when I found out you’d been kidnapped. We went to your rig and looked at the cameras inside, but still, it took too fucking long to find you.”
I lay my hand on top of his to comfort him because the truth is that I never expected him or his MC to save me. The fact that Diesel feels responsible makes me more confused than ever.
“I hope you know that I did everything I could to find you. I went after that fuck you put in the hospital. Good job, by the way, but he didn’t know shit. I tracked the Bloodthirsty Devils to their brothels, stash houses, and flop houses to find you. I just wish it hadn’t taken so fucking long.”
It’s okay, I want to tell him, but I can’t push the words past my lips. He doesn’t deserve to carry this burden when he doesn’t owe me anything. I’m so grateful they came for me at all and rescued me when I thought death was certain.