“These came with the letter,” Josh places a piece of paper and a picture on the desk in front of us.
“Baby,” Bear gently turns my head toward him and wipes away my fallen tears. “My sweet girl.”
“No one has ever wanted me, Bear.” The feeling of betrayal from a mother I never knew goes deep, I can feel it in my very soul.
“That just simply isn’t true, my girl. I want you more than I want my next breath.” Bear holds my face hostage against his gaze. “I want you in my life for the rest of our days, baby. I want you in my house, I want you wearing my patch, swollen with my children. I want you forever by my side.”
It’s so hard to think with Bear this close. His scent of sandalwood and motor oil invade my nose. I feel his hard body as I sit on his lap, his rough but protective arm wrapped around my waist and the firm grip he has on my chin.
On top of that sensory overload, I’m trying to process his words. He’s told me before that I was his. I don’t think he understands what being with me would entail. I want him. God, do I want him. He makes me feel safe, wanted…loved. I’m not saying he loves me in that way, but I still feel loved in some small way.
I don’t think I will ever truly be loved, though. Not the kind of love that I’ve come to understand.
The kind of love I have for Bear.
“There’s so much about me that needs to be changed, Bear. I’m not a normal woman. I’m shy. I’m afraid of this new world. Why would you want to be with someone like me? Someone who needs more help than most children?” I close my eyes to get away from his stare.
“Eye’s baby,” he demands. I give it a few more seconds to collect myself before doing as he asks. I expect him to be angry, but his eyes are soft and full of something I don’t quite understand. “First off, you being shy and afraid of this world isn’t something you can control. We will work on it…together. But, you gotta know sweetheart, there isn’t a damn thing I would change about you.”
“Oh, okay,” I stupidly say. Because what does a girl say to that?
“Well, maybe there is one thing I would change,” he says, with a cocky grin.
“What’s that?” I whisper.
“Your last name. Allington sounds a hell of a lot better than Pierce. Don’t you think?”
He lets go of my shocked face with a chuckle. What does that mean? Does he want me to be his wife, one day?
Oh my!
I turn back to the table and the small group of people I momentarily forgot were in the room. Picking up the paper I see that it’s a birth certificate. My birth certificate.
“Amara Rosalie Pierce,” I say under my breath.
“Amara is such a beautiful name, baby.” Bear is massaging the back of my neck while looking over my shoulder.
I nod my head because I agree. It is. However…
“It is a pretty name, but it doesn’t feel like it’s mine. I like being your Rose.” I feel my face heating up with embarrassment at my admission.
“You will always, and forever be my Rose.” The look in his eyes has me believing every word. “Besides, did you see your middle name?”
“Rosalie,” I say under my breath.
“That’s right. Amara Rosalie. You were always meant to be my sweet, beautiful Rose.”
Someone clears their throat, so I focus back on the desk and grab the picture. The second my brain recognizes who I’m seeing everything starts slowly fading.
“Bear, that’s him,” I said in a panic. “That’s the man my father sold me to. That’s Roman Hernández.”
I don’t hear or see anyone’s reaction because the next second everything faded away and I was surrounded by darkness.
Chapter Seventeen
Bear
Standing with Rose in my arms, I head toward the door.
“Chains, I want that motherfucker found. I want him and that whole fucking cartel taken down, and I want it done yesterday.”
“Is my sister okay?”
“She’s fine,” I hear Hawk say. “A person can only handle so much before they shut down. She just needs some time to rest and process everything.”
Not wanting or caring what anyone else has to say, I make my way back up to our room. The clubhouse is packed, and I know I will need to take a minute and explain to everyone why they’re here. It makes for much less chaotic situations if you let the family members in on enough detail to keep them alert.
Halfway up the stairs, Rose opens her eyes.
“Oh, how embarrassing. I keep passing out in front of you.” Rose fidgets, but instead of trying to get down she snuggles into my body and rests her head in the crease of my neck.
Mine.
“We didn’t even get a chance to tell Josh what was happening to me.”
“Trigger and Hawk know enough to fill him in. I just want you to rest.”
Once in our room, I gently lay her on our bed and smooth her hair out of her face.
“I have to run downstairs for a few minutes to explain to everyone what’s going on and I’ll be right back.” I hate leaving her, but the sooner I get this over with the sooner I can get back to her.
“What exactly is going on, Bear?”
Shit. I was hoping to let her rest before I slam her with even more bad news.
“We got word that Roman Hernández found out where you were and is planning to make an attempt to grab you.”
I can see the emotions play out on her face. Fear, acceptance, anger. But, the one that surprises me the most was grim determination.
“Tell me what to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“You can use me, Bear. You told me that you were trying to find a way to stop whatever it is that he’s doing. I don’t really understand why he wants me, and I’m so freaking scared, but wouldn’t it be easier to get him to come to you?”
“Absolutely fucking not! We are not using you as bait, Rose. We have our plans on how to take that bastard down and putting you anywhere near his sight is not even in the realm of possibilities.”
“But…”
“No.”
“Fine,” she sighs. “So, somehow, he found out where I was and he’s on his way here? What I don’t understand is why you would bring all these people here if there’s a chance this guy will show up at any moment? Even if he thinks I’m at your cabin he will eventually put two and two together.”
“I bring everyone in as a safety measure. Yeah, he’s going to find out that you’re here. If he doesn’t already know. It’s better to have everyone safe in one place then it is having them all spread apart. This way, the brothers can keep an eye on everyone at once. You never know what a man like Hernández will do to get what he wants.”
Her eyes grow wide with fear. I hate that look on her face. I will stop the world if I have to in order to make it go away.
“What if he hurts someone anyway? What if he finds a way inside and hurts someone because of me?”
Oh, the fear wasn’t for her. It was for everyone else.
“I’m so tired of playing the victim, Bear. I’m so tired of being afraid. I just want to be happy.” She pushes herself up to sit on the bed. “Yes, I’m ignorant about the world. I have no clue how to survive on my own. But I am no longer a victim. You said I was yours. Is that true?” She says the last words so quietly I almost didn’t catch them.