“What’s going on?” I demand, stepping into the living room.
“Sadie, girl, shit…” Dane rushes over to my side, catching me as I stumble forward. He wraps his arm around me and scans my face. “You shouldn’t be out of bed.”
“I’m fine.” His brow arches, and I add, “I heard arguing.” My eyes slide to Rhett in question, and he glowers at me.
“Your boy Rhett got a little jealous is all. Isn’t that right, Savage?” Dane teases.
“Wes only did what I asked of him.” I hold Rhett’s murderous gaze. “Besides, you left me here with him, remember?”
“Don’t push him, Sadie, girl,” Dane warns quietly, but I hear the lilt in his voice. He’s enjoying this. Bastard.
My gaze flickers to Wes, and he gives me a weak smile.
“How are you feeling?”
“My head feels like it’s been through a meat processor.” Dane stiffens beside me, and I quickly add, “But I’m okay. What happened with Evan and Justin?” I ask Rhett.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t matter?” I gawk. “Are you kidding me? They kidnapped me and… and that piece of shit almost—”
“Don’t,” Rhett grits out, his carotid throbbing. “Just don’t.”
“We can talk about this tomorrow, Sadie, girl. When you’re feeling—”
“No.” I wrench out of his hold and stare Rhett down. “I want to know what happened now. I have a right to—”
“Out,” Rhett barks.
“W-what?” My brows knit.
“Pretty Boy, go with Stray and—”
“No way. No fucking way.” Wes takes a step forward, and the temperature in the room drops.
“It wasn’t a request,” Rhett says coolly. “Go the fuck with Stray. Now!”
“Come on, Noble. I need to fill you in on some things anyway. We can take the opportunity to… bond.” He smirks.
“You’re both fucking psycho if you think I’m going to just leave—”
“Wes,” I say, fixing my eyes right on him. “It’ll be okay.”
“Fuck, Sadie. It doesn’t feel right leaving you while he’s—”
“Watch it,” Rhett snaps.
“Okay, okay, enough of the macho pissing contest.” I level each of them with a hard look before returning my focus back to Wes. “I’m okay, I promise. Thank you for staying with me. But I need to talk to Rhett. Go with Dane. I’ll see you tomorrow, I promise.”
He hesitates, his gaze flicking between me and Rhett and back again. “I don’t—”
“She’ll be safe with me,” Rhett says, and I don’t know who’s more surprised—me, him, or Wes. Dane only looks amused by the turn of events.
“Fine.” Wes releases a weary sigh.
“Thank you.” I go to him, wrapping my arms around him and whispering, “For everything.”
Wes holds me briefly before pulling away and moving to the door. With one last glance, he slips into the inky night.
“Give him hell, Sadie, girl.” Dane winks at me and then follows Wes out.
The air is thick, suffocating, as Rhett stares at me. It’s only when I look closer that I realize he’s trembling, his fists clenched at his sides, as if he’s seconds away from losing his thin rope of control.
“Rhett, I—”
“Don’t,” he whispers. “Just… give me a second.”
So I do.
A beat passes.
And another.
Rhett doesn’t take his eyes off me, searing me with his gaze.
I can hardly breathe under his intense regard. But then the air shifts again, the spell breaking, and he’s storming toward me, pulling me into his arms and expelling a shaky breath.
“Fucking hell, princess,” he rasps.
5
Rhett
I thought I’d lost you.
I swallow down the words that want to tumble from my lips as I breathe in her scent. But it's not the usual fresh cherry, because I can smell them on her.
My fists curl around Dane's shirt with my need to go back and end that cunt. It's what I should have done the second I stormed into that building. But knowing it would potentially stop us from getting any intel on why they felt the need to follow Evan's dumbass plan and take our girl meant I had to put the bullet in his shoulder instead.
"I'm okay," she whispers, but it does little to make me relax.
Every time I blink, all I can see is him with his hand in her hair, ready to—
"Rhett," she soothes, obviously able to feel me trembling as I attempt to do the right thing for once.
I know Dane should probably be the one to comfort her right now. I know he was desperate to get back to her, to know she was okay, but it needs to be me. I need to be here with her. I need to know she's okay, otherwise I'm going to lose my goddamn mind over all this.
Her tiny hand moves up my chest, making a shiver run down my spine as she pulls her head away from my shoulder and looks up into my eyes. I have no idea what she sees staring back at her, but it makes her gasp in shock.
"What happened tonight?" she asks, her brows knitting together.
I shake my head, not ready to talk about that, or anything, right now. "Not important."
"I think it—"
Pressing my fingers to Sadie’s lips, I cut off her words. "Not now."
Her large green eyes bore into mine, and my heart rate picks up speed.
"Fuck, Sadie. Fuck."
My lips are on hers before I know what I'm doing. Forcing her mouth open, I push my tongue in and search for hers as I pull her body flush against mine. A low moan rumbles up her throat and spurs me on.
Fuck, I need her right now.
But I can't. Not after what she's been through.
"Rhett," she moans when I drop my hands to the backs of her legs and lift her, her pussy pressing against my already hard cock.
"Shhh, princess. Let me look after you."
I walk through to Dane's bathroom and place her on the counter beside the sink. Just like the rest of this place, it's dated and mostly empty. I understand why Dane feels the need to have this place, though. He craves something of his own, but it's not necessary. He might not know his real family, but what he has at the club is all the family he needs. He's my brother in all the ways that matter, and I'd never let anything happen to him.
"What are you—" Sadie's words vanish when I take a step back from her, shrugging off my cut and dragging my hoodie over my head.
Her eyes immediately drop to my chest and her teeth sink into her bottom lip. It's a move I'm sure she's not aware she’s making, but one I appreciate nonetheless. Sadie thinks she hides her feelings from me, keeps a lid on the things she doesn’t want anyone to know, but I see it all.
Unsnapping my belt, I toe off my boots and drop my jeans, kicking them off as I move toward the shower. My cock tents my boxers and I have no doubt that she's already seen it and is getting ideas, but it's not happening. This is about her, not me.