Page 39 of Rogue

“I want to live life free from my past. My life here in Creekdale, I actually love it. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been at my little flower shop. I don’t want things to change. I don’t want to look over my shoulder wondering if Benny is really letting me go. And now, I wonder if any of his associates will come after me. Something I never considered before today.”

“What did Benny say to you in the warehouse?” I repeat my question.

“He told me to be free and find happiness.” The words come out without a crack now.

I pause washing her, she blinks her eyes open meeting my stare. “Then yes, buttercup, Benny is letting you go. He set you free with those words, but baby, I have a feeling the man set you free when you made the choice to leave his world. He is not dumb. He knew why and knew it was for the best.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Probably not the best time to say this, but I sense you have a type, buttercup. Benny and I aren’t so different. If I thought my world wouldn’t be safe for you, I would let you go and hope you found a man strong enough to love you the way you deserve, gentle enough to know when to let you lead, and loving enough to accept your past has many layers.”

“Is your world safe for me, Jennings?”

“As safe as it can be.” I tell her the truth. “Unfortunately, buttercup, even in a world following the laws of man, bad shit still happens. I couldn’t keep my wife safe from drinking and that meant I didn’t keep my daughter safe from her. Dominiks death is as much my fault as Ayla’s. I knew Ayla was struggling and I didn’t save her from herself. I have to live with that. And that has zero to do with my life in the club. I can’t make you promises. I can tell you I’ll do everything I can though to keep you safe and give you the happiness you deserve.”

Blinking, she studies me for a moment. Whispering, she shares what I thought was weighing on her mind, “how do I know no one else will come for me like Diaz?”

“Because Diaz found his end in coming after you. Between Bianchi and our contact to another cartel to absorb Diaz’s territory and people, if anyone even breathes your name it willget back to the Kings. I will move mountains to keep you safe. Nothing from Benny’s world touches you again.”

“You have cartel contacts?”

I laugh, “I’m not best friends with them, no. But I do know someone who has ties to a group of Nomad bikers we have an affiliation to.”

“Do bikers do that? Have affiliations with other clubs?”

“Not gonna lie to you, Michele. Sometimes we have agreements and affiliations that benefits both clubs, sometimes we got problems with other clubs, and other times we stay in our place and thousands of other clubs that exist stay in their own spots.”

“And you trust these men tied to this cartel?”

“Cut from the same cloth, yeah I do. Devil’s Due MC Nomads. They don’t stay in one place, but have been to Bama and Creekdale more than once as one of their ol’ ladies has a tattoo shop and shit north of here. Another one of their brother’s, his ol’ lady caught herself a tie to Javier Almanza. That man is determined to get as much of North America under his control as possible. The man respects the life of a motorcycle club and we give him respect in return. He will get Diaz’s organization in line and not one of them will even dare speak your name again.”

“And just that easy I’m supposed to be safe.”

I shake my head, “nothing easy about negotiating with men in that world, but Almanza family is the best option to take control of what Diaz was runnin’. That’s all I can do in that world. My world, no one will come close enough to you again to remotely pose a threat. Almanza and Devil’s Due taking your back is icing on the cake, baby.”

She doesn’t say anything more as I wash her hair for her. Once I get her out of the bath and dried off, I move her to her bedroom. Finding pajamas, she allows me to help her dress. Asmuch as I want to kiss her, touch her, caress her, tonight isn’t the night.

“I gotta shower babe, get some rest.” I tell her turning on her shower.

I move around noticing she’s staying in the doorway. Knowing now is the not the time to push for anything physical I wash myself quickly before stepping out to dry off.

“Buttercup, you can go to bed.”

“I rather like this view,” she teases then yawns.

Shaking my head, I move to her room taking her by the hand leaving my clothes and towel on the bathroom floor. She climbs in bed and I move around to her other side. Climbing in, I lay on my back as she snuggles in beside me half draped on me. Willing my cock down, I lay there holding her.

She doesn’t relax into sleep. I kiss the top of her head. “Gotta let it all go, buttercup. For you and for Benny.”

“Jennings,” she says into the darkness of her room, “why haven’t you kissed me since we got home?”

“Because you aren’t ready. I kiss you, it turns to more, you aren’t ready for that. You need some time to process today. I’m gonna give you that time.”

She lets out a sigh and I’m not sure if it’s relief or disappointment.

“Baby, I’m not going anywhere. I know what I want and it’s right here in this bed.”

“Are you always so confident?”

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