“No, I’m okay. I–I just needed a moment to brace myself,” I murmur, taking a step forward. Guess there’s no time like the present to get this out of the way and see what they want to do. Send me away or keep me here.
If I stay here, I’ll have to see Coyote and if I have to face him being with other women after dreaming of him being with me, I don’t know if I could take it. Sending me away might be for the best.
As I approach the mouth of the hallway, I can hear the raised voice of my cousin.
“Grigory,” I say in surprise.
Everyone turns in my direction at the sound of my voice.
“Angel,” Grigory murmurs as he takes in the bruises and I know his mind is going back to that day.
Glancing around the rest of the room, I realize every last one of the men are looking at me with different amounts of anger and fury in their eyes. When my gaze lands on Coyote, it’s as if the world around me freezes and my heart begins to pound in my chest.
My feet move on their own when Coyote gives me the slight nod and motions for me to come to him. It’s like a beacon I’m unable to ignore. He opens his arms for me to step in and I’m immediately surrounded by his heat.
“You okay?” he asks, quietly.
“My body hurts like a bitch,” I whisper, pressing myself to him, savoring the feel of being in his arms.
“I’m sorry, Luce Mia,” Coyote murmurs before pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
Luce Mia?
I’m so confused right now with what’s going on, but I don’t want him to let me go. For some reason, I need his strength.
“Angel,” Grigory calls me by the name he’s always called me since we were kids. It’s the same one my dad used as well as my uncle.
Turning in Coyote’s arms enough to see my cousin, I immediately wish I hadn’t. His eyes hold a mixture of pain, anger, and confusion. Grigory has never seen me want to be in a man’s arms. And in truth. I never have.
Other than that night the hooded man raped me; I’ve never been with a man in any form other than professional.
“Someone want to start explaining shit?” Grigory grinds out.
Sighing, I close my eyes and prepare myself for what’s to come. “It was Milley’s brother, Mason. Him and his men found me, ambushed me at the apartment and beat me when I refused to tell them where Cody was.”
Coyote’s arms tighten around me. “Come again.”
“I refused to tell them where Cody was. Mason let Sam, who I’m guessing is his second in command, I don’t know. He was the one who came to the hospital with Mason when they visited Milley. Sam’s the one who. . . who cut m–my ha–hair and did this.” Lifting my left hand, I point at my cheek with the bandage covering it.
My eyes still closed; I can hear several of the men curse, but that isn’t what really bothers me. It’s the tension filling the room.
“Angel, you’re coming with me,” Grigory announces.
“No,” Coyote growls.
“Excuse me. Tinsley is my cousin and I’m the one responsible for her,” Grigory bellows.
“Tinsley may be your cousin but she’s my ol’ lady and I’m not about to let you take her out of my fuckin’ sight. She’s mine to take care of. Mine to protect. Mine. Now you either work with us or leave and the club will deal with this,” Coyote snarls.
Swinging my head around, I open my eyes to face Coyote. When I do my eyes widen at the sight.
Fury, Anger, Rage.
I don’t know which, but I can sense that it’s not toward me. I mean if it were, he wouldn’t be holding me in his arms like he is.
My head is spinning, and I feel my knees weakening.
Ol’ lady?
Me?
What?
That can’t be right. Coyote hates me. I didn’t save the mother of his child. Why would he say something like that?
“Coyote?” I whisper.
“Not right now, baby.” His eyes meet mine for a brief second before going back to my cousin.
Glancing around the room, I see the different features on all the men, some grinning other’s not showing anything at all.
My cousin’s; however, is the strangest of all as he nods his head showing his respect.
Talk about mind blowing.
Chapter Ten
Coyote
Fuck me. If I don’t find something to beat the shit out of soon, I’m not going to be able to contain it anymore. Maybe I should get Shadow in the ring with me.
After Tinsley confirmed who we suspected had hurt her and the reason why, my mind went into overdrive.
Then Grigory said he was going to take her from me. Fuck that shit. No one was takin’ Tinsley away from me.
I may have been out of my mind the moment I said it but fuck if I don’t give a damn. At least now Grigory won’t fuckin’ take her from me. He might not be a part of a club but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t respect the way we live.
When he’d nodded his head in agreement, his tone changed.
“Can I have a word with Tinsley?” Grigory asks, sticking his hands in his pockets.
“I got no problem with that. I need to speak to my ol’ lady for a minute but I’m callin’ church in thirty minutes,” Stoney declares. After we all confirm we heard him, he heads out the front doors.
“How about you talk in the kitchen? Tinsley needs something to drink and something in her stomach,” Momma B suggests.
Nodding, Grigory heads in the direction Momma B pointed as Tinsley slowly makes her way with me right behind her.
Soon as we’re in the kitchen Grigory narrows his gaze on me. “I need to speak to her alone,” he states.
“Not happenin’ man. I respect the fuck out of you, but after what happened to her, I haven’t let her out of my sight more than five minutes. I’ve slept in a chair holding my kid every night so I could make sure she was okay,” I say. Tinsley’s gaze swings to meet mine in surprise.
“You . . . You slept in a chair because of me?” she asks.
“Yeah, Luce Mia,” I say not for the first time. She’s my light.
“Fuckin’ hell,” Grigory grumbles from across the room bracing himself against the counter.
“Umm.” Lifting a hand to cover Tinsley’s mouth I shake my head.
“We’ll talk about everything later when you’re feeling better,” I whisper.
“Okay,” she agrees.
“Good, now Grigory what did you need to talk about?” I ask, turning Tinsley in my arms and holding her to me.
Looking between the two of us, Grigory sighs. “You cool if I say this in front of him?”
Tinsley stiffens in my arms at his question. “Do we have to talk about it?” she asks quietly.
“Yeah, Angel, we do.” The tension filling the room has me more than curious as to what’s going on. “I need to know where your head is at. From what you said out there I’m betting it’s not like the first time but fuck, if seeing you like this isn’t fuckin’ with my head.”
What the fuck?
First time?
This has happened to her before.
“They didn’t do that to me. But . . . but they did imply the next time they came for me, whether to try and find Cody or after they found him, the–they were going to make sure it was far worse than the beating they gave me.”