“What did they look like?” X pressed.
Cash held up a hand up to silence him. “No one wants this shit sorted more than I do, but I don’t want her talking now.” He turned eyes to me. “Let’s get you home. We can get this figured out once you’ve had a chance to rest.”
I clutched his forearm desperately. “I don’t think we’re safe,” I told him urgently. “Riley—”
“Riley’s safe, chief,” he assured me with a confidence I wanted desperately to believe. “She’s with Emmie at the house. Gunner, Prez, and his pop are there too. I would never have left her otherwise.”
I breathed a small sigh of relief, knowing that was true.
“The house is secure,” he continued firmly.
“Prolly why they were following her,” X muttered. “Couldn’t get to her otherwise.”
Cash shot him a look I could only take to mean for him to shut up as he guided me to face forward in the seat and pulled the seat belt over my lap. “Max, get one of the guys to come get my bike.” Without waiting for a response, he shut my door and strode to the driver seat.
He looked impossibly huge behind the wheel of my car as he started the motor and pulled out of the gas station that I now associated with hell on earth.
I breathed a sigh of relief I didn’t realize I’d been holding as we pulled away.
His large hand cupped my thigh, squeezing firmly while his other guided the wheel with an easy confidence I found deeply soothing.
I must have drifted off, because the next thing I knew, the car was coming to a stop. I stared blearily out the window at the house, thinking for a split second that my nan would be in there waiting with a hot cup of tea like she always used to.
Or a glass of bourbon when I really needed it, like tonight.
“She would have liked you,” I murmured hoarsely.
“Who?” he asked gently.
I turned to face him, admiring his strong jaw and gorgeous eyes in the moonlight. “My nan.”
He reached out and gently slid his knuckles over my cheek. “She did like me, baby.”
“You met?” I whispered in surprise. My rough voice sounded foreign in my ears, but I really wanted to hear more.
He smiled. “Once. At the grocery store. I helped her with her bags and she asked if I was single.”
“What about my grandpa?” I demanded.
He chuckled. “Well the man had been dead for about two decades by then, babe. But I think she had you in mind when she asked,” he explained with a knowing smile.
“Oh.” I grappled with that. “Well then, she must have seen in you what I do.”
“What’s that?” he asked, his voice an octave deeper than it had been before.
I looked into his eyes. “A man you open your heart to. A man you tie your life to, that you let your child love, that you allow yourself to love as well.”
He swallowed hard, his hands flexing as if he didn’t know what to do with them. “You love me?” he managed hoarsely.
“I do,” I replied. “And not because you rode to my rescue tonight,” I was quick to convey. “I could have rescued myself. I’ve been doing that long enough.” It was important to me that he understood that. Despite how much it hurt to talk, I wanted to get it all out. I needed to. “It’s because of the man you are. Because of your heart. You’ve become so central to my life, I couldn’t imagine going through anything of even the smallest consequence without wanting you to know about it. Without wanting you by my side. It’s why I was going to tell you before this all happened tonight that I want you to stay in bed with me. All night. No more sneaking down to the couch. It’s time for Ri to know what we are to each other.”
“Would have slept on that damn couch for as long as it took,” he ground out. “And Layla, I love the hell out of you too. Could share all the reasons why, but baby, that would take all night and I need to get you inside.”
I realized then that this had been a hell of a time to spring that on him.
“Okay,” I agreed. “I’m ready.” I put my hand on the handle, ready to step out of the car.
“Wait for me,” he demanded quietly.
I nodded, knowing he needed this, and watched as he hoisted his muscular frame out of the car, coming alongside my door. He opened it, holding a hand to me. I took it, the calluses so familiar in my grip as he helped me up.
“Everyone’s still here?” I asked warily. I hated the idea of being a spectacle.
“They are,” he confirmed. “Riley’s asleep. Emmie texted a little while ago.”
“Is she okay? Was she upset?” I worried.
He squeezed my hand. “She’s okay,” he assured me as we walked through the door.
Emmie rushed over immediately, wrapping me in a hug. “God, Layla, are you okay?” she demanded, pulling back from me to look me over.
“I’m okay,” I replied, wanting to assure her as she looked at me, her eyes shining with concern.
I looked past her shoulder, finding Gunner and two older men in the living room keeping their distance, likely to give me some space.
“Layla, this is our prez, Cole,” Cash introduced quietly, gesturing to the gorgeous blond man with striking blue eyes who I knew was Grace’s father. “And his pop, Cal,” he continued. “Cal was our prez before Cole,” he explained, gesturing to the older man who, despite having to be in his seventies, was still a strikingly handsome man.
“Hi. Thank you for coming,” I replied, determined to maintain my manners despite feeling like I could collapse with the nearest breeze.
“Know you’re tired, darlin’,” Cole said as though reading my mind. “But we want to hear about what happened while it’s still fresh in your mind. That all right?”
I looked up at Cash, and at his nod, agreed. “Yeah, I can do that.”
“Come sit down, baby,” Cash coaxed, guiding me toward to couch.
“I’ll make you some tea,” Emmie said, rushing off to the kitchen.
I sat on the couch with Cash at my side as Cole took a seat on the edge of the coffee table in front of me, Gunner and Cal standing behind him. Despite their best intentions, they made for an intimidating trio.
I shared what had happened at the gas station, including even the smallest details. At the mention of the motorcycles, Cash and Cole shared a look.
“Can you describe these men?” Cole wanted to know.
I nodded. “The one who went into the store I didn’t see as well. He had dark hair and eyes. Tattoos on his hands, I think? It was dark. The man who, um….” I touched my neck reflexively as Cash’s arm wrapped around my shoulders. “He was big. He had long hair tied in a ponytail and a spiderweb tattoo on his temple.”
Cole looked at Gunner before his gaze turned to Cash. “Either of them sound familiar to you?”
At their head shakes, Cal spoke up. “Black Riders used to have tattoos like that back in the day. The new recruits stopped that trend over the years, but it’s a bit too much of a coincidence to ignore.”
“Fuck,” Cole swore. “We haven’t had any issue with them in years.”
“Thought with their new leadership, these days were done,” Cal grunted.