Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 52851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 264(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 264(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
I felt his chin rest on my shoulder and the slow movement as he nodded. “When did you get this?” His hand swept down the phoenix tattoo on my side that I’d gotten after my first assignment as a ghost. It was on the opposite side of my injured ribs, which were screaming again after today, and represented the moment I’d become Kai and not the girl that I’d been before it—weak little Kyle.
“Just after I joined Indigo and became a Ghost.”
The tattoo started at the top of my thigh and twisted around my back, where the tail feathers transformed into waves. It covered the entirety of my back and was done by a friend of Hammer’s. I’d laid on that table for five hours while he worked to shade and create a masterpiece I admired daily. The tattoo helped ground me and also kept my defenses up. I wasn’t the same girl I had been before, she was long gone.
Additionally, I designed a piece during one of my military assignments, which I then had blown up to cover the center of my stomach. That tattoo was hidden for now as I held my hand firmly over the front of my tank top.
“It’s beautiful,” he murmured.
Turning around to face him, I tried to keep my face blank. “What are you doing here?”
Throughout my childhood and at work, I’d been surrounded by confident men who never balked at a question or showed embarrassment. It was just how it was. Now, watching Jagger try and answer this, something which would have struck me as almost weak if it'd been one of the Ghosts, seemed endearing as he opened and closed his mouth several times and rubbed the back of his neck.
Sighing, he tipped his head back to look up at the ceiling before looking back down at me. “I’ve grown up in this world. You know who my dad is?” It was a rhetorical question, everyone knew his dad. “I was an asshole until your dad took me on and helped me work my way to where I am today.” The implication that Preacher could be a motivational and helpful guy had me stiffening slightly, something which Jagger seemed to understand based on the sympathetic look that crossed his face. “Not once have I come across something special, Kyle, but in the last couple of days, I think I have. You.”
I was used to the typical bullshit that guys spewed when they wanted something, but for a guy in his position, he wouldn’t have to spin those tales normally. I didn’t engage in relationships because I had witnessed the pain and turmoil they could bring. I wasn’t jaded, nor was I naïve enough to believe that all relationships were like that. I simply wasn’t willing to take the risk. As I watched Jagger closely, contemplating his next words, I observed the body language cues I had learned and relied on in my job. Unless he was a Hollywood actor, none of his signals suggested that he was being deceitful.
“Look, I like you, and I think you like me too.” He stood there, watching me for a sign that he was right. I gave him a brief nod and watched his shoulders visibly relax. “Can we…” he trailed off, reaching up to grab a handful of his hair as he struggled to find the words. I could have shown him some compassion, but I had never been in this situation before, and it didn’t seem like he had either. Then again, I was still exhausted, and the weight of the case we were working on and my concerns about Perry were heavy on my mind.
“Okay,” he obviously hadn’t expected me to say anything because he jumped slightly. This strong biker who took no shit in any area of his life was making himself genuinely vulnerable for me. I couldn’t let him tear himself up trying to explain it anymore.
His relief was palpable as he let out a breath, stepped toward me, and pulled me into a strong hug. I wasn’t a tactile person, and the team wasn’t either, so it took me a second to relax into it. The second I did, though, he softened as well.
Reflecting on my childhood, I realize that the only person who ever truly hugged me was Preacher, along with a few of the guys. My mother was abusive, a painful reality I tried to avoid reliving, especially after discovering her after she committed suicide. Her letter provided some context for her struggles with abuse and alcohol, but it did not excuse her actions. I could never condone what she’d done.
Shaking myself out of those thoughts, I pulled back from Jagger. "I need to sleep."
He nodded, but what shocked the hell out of me was the soft kiss he pressed against my forehead. It was a simple gesture, but it made something tighten deep in my chest.