Page 37 of Royal Sons MC

"You doing alright?" he asked Kailani.

She turned from looking out the window, her tan complexion not as pale as it had been moments before. "Yeah. I'll be better once you guys drop me off, though."

He nodded, keeping the reality of what would happen once they got to her car from her. No way on god's green Earth was he leaving her to fend for herself. Nope, he and the feisty little woman next to him were going to go to plan B, which was finding a little place to stash her sexy little ass, get some info from her, then he was going hunting.

"What's going on in that big noggin' of yours, Mr. I mean, Traeger? Is that your real name or code name? Who are you guys?" she asked.

He'd been waiting for her to ask, knowing they didn't look like cops or some other alphabet agency. Sure, he used to work for the government, but if anyone saw him or any member of the Royal Sons, they'd see what they were. Big, badass, tattooed motherfuckers who gave no quarter. "We're the ones who are going to make sure your brother and whoever thought to take Tiana see the error of their ways." He didn't need to tell her how they planned to accomplish that; her eyes, eyes that had seen way too much in her young life, already knew.

"My father... he's not always been a terrible man. I mean..." she looked away before continuing. "He's not been the best padre, but it wasn't until after my mother died that he lost his compasión."

He wasn't sure the man was ever genuinely compassionate or if he'd presented that face to his daughter and wife, but from what Keys had dug up, the elder Trevino was every bit as deplorable as his son. He just hid it better. Or maybe he only did it away from his home. Either way, both Trevino men made their money from selling drugs and females. They didn't care if they were old enough to be legal as long as they were a commodity. Keys had also come up with some information regarding her mother that was a little disconcerting, something he wasn't ready to share with the feisty little woman. "Come on, we need to go," he said as the SUV rocked to a stop next to the Jeep they'd located. He approved her vehicle choice, shocked she hadn't chosen a flashy little number like the one they'd gotten into at her home.

"Do I get to drive?" she asked, a little bite to the question.

Traeger raised one brow but said nothing else. Her backpack swung forward from her arm. However, she didn't offer to relinquish it when he held his hand out. He understood why. She had everything she'd need to start over inside there. He wanted to reassure her they'd help her. "Get in and buckle up. I hope this thing isn't a pussy four-cylinder."

Kailani shrugged. "Nope, it's a special edition with everything you'd need to go off-roading. The company told me that if I decided to go down a rock cliff, I'd be safe in Ruby Jean." She smirked.

"You named him Ruby Jean?" Traeger held the passenger door open for her after he ensured no surprises were inside, approving the black leather with red details. Sweet ride, he silently agreed. If you were going to drive in a cage that could become a rolling convertible, it should be one that was a badass beast of a rig.

"It's a Rubicon, and well, my mother's name was Jean." Sadness crept in at the mention of her mother's name.

He decided to change the subject. "Toss your bag by your feet unless you want to put it in the back?" As expected, she stiffened when he pointed out her reluctance to release her backpack.

"Nah, I'll keep it with me. What's your plan?" Kailani looked back at the SUV that seemed to be waiting for a sign from her rescuer.

Traeger gave a wave, then did like he'd done in the SUV. He leaned over her, buckling her in.

SHE SUCKED IN A BREATH, her nipples hardening at the feel of his forearm brushing across them. Her reaction to him was startling, any man really, since the only thing she'd felt had been repulsion. They'd given her all kinds of things to get her to enjoy what they'd done to her, but in the end, her body and mind warred with one another, leaving her shaking, sweating, and often throwing up. The men her brother did business with were sick bastards who didn't seem to care one way or the other, just as long as they got what they wanted. Another shiver shook her. This time, she pushed it back faster, keeping Traeger from seeing it. She'd become a master at hiding her fears and memories.

His huge frame was highlighted in the headlights when he strolled in front of the Jeep. He lifted his head, looking around the area, speaking to someone she couldn't see. She knew without being told they had some high-tech equipment in their ears. Her brother and his mercenaries had them as well. Of course, they had them to communicate if the police or FBI happened to show up. She leaned back against the warm leather. How many times had she wished for one of the government types to bust through the doors, their guns blazing? Heck, she wouldn't have even cared if she'd been a casualty. A mirthless laugh escaped as Traeger opened the driver's door. She'd thought she'd find peace once she escaped from her family. Instead, it looked as though she'd found another keeper.

"What's that laugh for?" he asked.

She shook her head, knowing he wouldn't understand. "Nothing," she answered.

"I can wait all night, you know. I've got the patience of a saint." He tapped the wheel with one long finger.

Kailani looked at his fingers, noticing he had tattoos on them. "I bet you do," she murmured, wondering how much talent lay in those fingers. If she were going to die, she truly wanted to experience all the things she'd missed out on.

"Girl, I suggest you stop that train of thought before it gets you in trouble."

Her eyes jerked toward his face at his deep growl. "What?"

His dark eyes held so much heat and knowledge. "You know what. Now, tell me what you meant."

Frustration bit at her. "Fine," she bit out. "I was thinking about all the times I'd wished the cops or feds had shown up and how it wouldn't have mattered if I'd have died in the firefight. There, you happy now?"

Traeger's eyes widened. A sound unlike any she'd heard escaped him seconds before he unbuckled her belt, and then he shocked her even more by pulling her across the small space, which wasn't an easy thing to do, settling her on his lap sideways. "Don't ever let me hear you say that ever again. Do you hear me? Your life is worth more than twenty of those lowlife motherfucking bastards of a brother and father of yours. No matter what happens, you fight. Understand me?" He gripped her chin, making her look him in the eye. "Answer me," he said, not letting her go.

Kailani's breath came out in a whoosh. Her heart banged against her chest...the feel of her throat tightening made perspiration bead on her forehead. The thought of what was to come, a life on the run from her family, finally hit her. Her family was bad, really bad. No, scratch that. They were below the scum of the Earth, and she had the scars, inside and out, to prove it. Fear threatened to choke her as her throat went dry. She licked her lips, trying to alleviate the dryness, coughing as she realized she couldn't.

"Are you going to be sick?" Traeger asked. His gaze flicked to the road and then back at her.

In all honesty, she couldn't say yes or no.

His arms came around her, pulling her close, and then his lips covered hers, licking over her dry mouth, taking away all thoughts of fear, and god help her, she loved it. She wrapped her arms around his neck, forgetting everything but the intoxicating man beneath her.

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