Page 4 of Falling for Her Protector

“Thank you,” I say as I take them and he starts to turn. “Why...why are you being so nice to me?” I can’t stop the question from leaving my lips.

He turns back on his heel and his dark eyes fall on my face. His eyebrows pinch together and it’s clear from the look on his face that my question has completely confused him.

“How old are you, sweetheart?” he asks.

“Twenty,” I answer, unsure what this has to do with anything.

“Well, it seems to me like you’ve been through something pretty rough. I’m not sure what happened to you today, and honestly, I don’t need to know. But you should know that we’re not all as bad as the Vipers. What kind of man would I be if I left you out there cut and bleeding in the cold?” his voice drops as he takes a step closer and for the first time since I’ve been here, I feel my face flush under his gaze. His jaw clenches and he shakes his head before quickly taking a step back.

“Try to get some sleep,” he says, disappearing behind the door across the hall.

I close my door with a snap and instantly feel my heated skin start to cool as I change out of my rags and into the clean clothes he’s provided. I’m not completely sure what just happened, but I do know that I can’t let myself be attracted to him. He’s being so nice letting me stay here, I don’t want to jeopardize this situation.

I slide easily into the warm bed and pull the blankets up to my chin. My eyes close and sleep takes me quickly as I cave to the fatigue.

I’m surround once again by darkness as small branches cut my flesh. Beads of sweat form on my skin as I run from Grady and the Vipers. I can feel them creeping up behind me and his voice curls in my brain, “Vanessa! When I find you...”

My eyes fly open and I sit up straight in bed, my hand gripping my chest as my heart beats rapidly against my rib cage. Grady has to realize I’m gone by now.Will he come after me?

I’m thankful that I found Xavier and his cabin, but when he takes me into town tomorrow, I’ll have to look for another way out. Staying local would mean that Grady might find me if he decides to come looking. And the last thing I want to do is drag Xavier and his MC into my nightmare. I have to keep running.

4

Welcome Home

Xavier

What the fuck was that? Even with all the scrapes and bruises, I can’t deny the fact that she’s a beauty. But she’s obviously been through hell, and she’s way too fucking young to deal with my shit. I need to get my head straight. It would be a complete asshole move to take advantage of this girl in the state she’s in. I’ll have to try to think of her like Lacey, like my sister, and keep her at a fucking arm’s length. But damn, if she keeps looking at me like she just did, it’s not going to be easy.

God dammit. I’ve spent forty-five minutes trying to push away the vivid images growing behind my eyelids, but it’s no fucking use. There’s no way I’m gonna sleep now. I slip out from under my sheets and let my feet hit the cool wood floor. It’s time to give up and head back out to the couch. I’ve had my share of sleepless nights; one more won’t kill me.

* * *

Her soft footsteps moving down the hall wake me. Fuck. I must’ve finally fallen asleep in front of the fire. I lift my body from the seat and reach my arms up over my head, feeling the muscles in my back pull. I tip my head, rolling it to the side, trying to stretch out the tightness that’s settled in to my neck and shoulders. She rounds the corner, still looking tired and bruised, but also completely fucking adorable in my t-shirt and sweats that are way too big on her petite frame.

“I don’t have much here for breakfast, but we’ll have coffee and donuts at the clubhouse,” I offer with a smile.

“Thank you. This is all...so nice of you, but I was thinking about it last night. Maybe you should just drop me at the bus station or something when we get into town. I really don’t want to cause any problems for you and your club,” her fingers twist together as her hushed words fall between us.

“No,” I give her a simple answer without any explanation and her eyes grow wide.

“What do you mean, no? You’re just...you’re just going to keep me like Grady did?” her voice shakes and her eyes drop to the floor. Shit. I should’ve known better. I take a step closer, easily removing the distance between us.

“Look at me,” I gently request and her eyes lift, shiny and wet with unshed tears. “Listen to me. It’s your choice. I don’t know what Grady did to you, but I have no intention of holding you against your will. I said no, because we protect our family. And like it or not, when you showed up here last night, that’s exactly what you became. All those guys saw you. But it wasn’t just you they saw. They saw a girl, who could easily be their sister or cousin. None of them would ever hurt you or turn you away if you ever needed help,” I try to explain. She pulls a sharp breath through her teeth and her bottom lip starts to tremble.

“I guess maybe I could stay, for a little while,” she whispers as her hand moves quickly to touch her cheek, wiping away a single tear that managed to escape.

Watching her cry is almost unbearable. I open my arms in an effort to show her a little comfort, especially after my big speech about family. I need her to know that I mean what I say.

“Come here,” I offer and she takes a small step before falling into my chest, the sobs taking over as I hold her. Whatever Grady did to this girl, I’ll make sure he fucking pays for it.

* * *

The sun shines in my face as we ride. It’s still cool, but not as cold as last night. Vanessa clings tightly to me and I can’t keep the grin from curling on my lips. It took me a few minutes to convince her that I really know how to ride before she finally climbed on the back of my bike.

Before we left the cabin, I texted Lacey asking her to grab some good coffee and donuts and to meet me at the clubhouse. I’m positive Mikey already gave her some of the details about what happened last night, and I’m sure she’ll be up for helping. Lacey is only a few years older than Vanessa and I think having another female around who’s the same age might help.

I park, finding the lot full of bikes. It’s typical for most of the guys to crash here after parties. I actually stay here most nights too; other than the nights I escape to the cabin.

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