“The night you all found me on the floor wasn’t the worst beating I’ve received. The worst was when Kayne, his father, and mine decided to beat me together. Kayne and his father had my father hold me down by my throat while they not only beat me within an inch of my life, Kayne sawed my hair off. After that, he took his insignia ring off, heated the metal, and placed it against my hip,” I murmur, lifting my shirt up enough to be able to pull my pants down to show the brand of ownership to them.
As I turn around in a circle, curses are muttered throughout the room.
Maybe now that they know some of the horrors I’ve lived through, they will let me go. I’m not worth them getting in a fight with the Raven family.
“Now that you know everything, I’ll go. You don’t need me here,” I say, putting my shirt back down.
“What the fuck do you not get about the fact you’re not leaving me?” Badger yells as he grabs the top of my arm and turns me to face him. Using his free hand, he lifts my chin up so I have no choice but to meet his gaze. “Told you, you’re not leaving me.”
The intensity in his gaze is all-consuming. You could lose yourself in his eyes and I’m afraid of what I see in them.
Chapter Eighteen
Badger
My head feels like it’s on one of those tilt-a-whirl rides with all the shit swirling through my head. I’m conflicted between wanting to throttle this woman and hugging her close to me.
As she recanted her story to all of us, I could barely contain the rage brewing inside me. It felt as if the walls around me were closing in with each word. My fists clenched at my sides as I kept myself from pulling her against my chest.
By the time Jordan finished her story, her shoulders were slumped in defeat and I knew exactly what she was about to say. It pissed me off as the words spilled out of her mouth. I’m sick and tired of her thinking she’s not wanted here.
I didn’t mean to yell in her face, but fuck, she’s gotta get it through her head I’m not letting her leave me.
“Why don’t you take your ol’ lady home, and we’ll discuss this in the morning at church,” Twister suggests.
“Think you better go to the clubhouse instead of your house. Be safer there,” Gadget says.
Without a word, I nod my head, grabbing Jordan’s hand. I all but end up dragging her through the office, taking the back entrance to exit the building. I figured she’d protest, however, she keeps her mouth shut. At this point it’s a good thing with the way I’m feeling. At least until I calm down some.
Getting to my bike, I let go of her hand long enough to grab my helmet and hand it to her. “Put this on,” I tell her. Fury builds even more as she apprehensively takes the helmet and puts it on her head. Jordan has no reason to fear me. I would never hurt her.
I climb on my bike and wait for her to do the same. When she doesn’t immediately climb on behind me, I glance in her direction. “Climb on, babe,” I says when she doesn’t move, I reach out for her. “Throw your leg over and put your feet on the pegs,” I tell her, trying not to let her hear the frustration in my voice.
Finally, she does as I tell her. I inwardly shake my head as she sits as far away from me as she can, which might not seem like much, but when it comes to her safety, I need her flush against my back and holding tight. I’m not one to go slow when I ride. Twisting sideways, I yank her to me none too gently. I’m an asshole, especially when I’m pissed, I know this, and I’m never gonna change that part about me.
Once I have her arms around me and her body pressed against mine, I turn the key on my bike and take off. Jordan screams into my ear as I spin the tires. Her body stiffens and she holds on tighter.
I know my brothers want us at the clubhouse, but tonight I need to take her back to my place. I don’t want to have witnesses for this conversation I’m about to have with Jordan because it will end with her legs wrapped around my waist as I finally sink my dick inside her.
After all, we are married now, and I need to feel my wife. And in the process, I need to get it through her head that I’m never letting her go.
The drive doesn’t take as long as I would have liked before we’re turning down the lane to my home. I should really say our home. As I slow, not wanting to kick up the gravel, I remember Jordan saying she walked to Outlaw’s. That will be the first thing she and I need to discuss. She should never have left the house. She knew the dangers surrounding her, yet left and walked into town only to end up in a bar.
Another thing we’ll be talking about. Tonight is gonna be long as fuck. I knew this day would be a disaster, it always is, but I didn’t realize it would go from one hell to another. I felt so free as I watched my childhood home burn, now the feeling of that same fire burns through me.
I need answers to questions that are rolling around in my head. Questions that won’t wait another minute, I tell myself as I pull up in front of the house.
Shutting the bike off, I put the kickstand down. I tap Jordan’s leg, telling her to get off, which she does quickly and removes the helmet from her head. Handing it to me, she keeps her head down. This does nothing but infuriate me even more. She should be able to look at me without me telling her to.
Grabbing her hand, I guide her into the house. Once inside, I release her hand as I move to the kitchen to get a beer. Popping the top off, I down most of it in one gulp.
Moving back to the living room, I expect to find her waiting for me, only it’s empty. Fuck, she must have thought she could escape to the guest room, the one she’d been using since moving in with me. I’d given her the room to help ease her into being with me. I was trying to be gentle as I could be, but now, I’m done. She’s my ol’ lady and will be moving to where she belongs— my bed. Where I can hold her whenever I want, same with sinking my dick into her.
With quick steps, I walk to the guest room and find the door closed. Grabbing the doorknob, I find it locked. Banging on the door, I yell, “Open the door, Jordan.” The silence on the other side of the door pisses me off to no end.
“Swear to fuckin’ God, Jordan, you don’t open this door right now, I’ll make sure to make your ass bright red once I kick the damn thing open,” I growl. You could say I have a temper when I’m pissed. Though I’d never hurt her, I don’t have a problem punishing her. Not in the way she’s used to. I’ll use her body against her as punishment.
When she still doesn’t open the door, I count to three in my head and kick the door open in one swift movement. Stepping into the room, I stop just inside.
Fuck.
At first, I don’t see her. Scanning the room, I have to do a double-take. My anger immediately drains from my body as my heart clenches in my chest.
My feet move without thought. Opening the closet door all the way, I crawl inside and pull her into my lap. “So, the closest is your safe place, too,” I state gently.
Knowing this, the anger I felt minutes ago means nothing to me now. Jordan went through hell the same as I did and I need her to feel safe with me.
Chapter Nineteen
Jordan