Page 17 of Thorsten Wisely Dicey MC

“I was expecting you,” she says and steps back to let me inside.

The door falls shut behind me and I flip the lock. She doesn’t say anything and wanders off in the direction of the kitchen. I follow her and she heads straight for the fridge.

“Beer?” she questions.

“Yeah,” I grunt.

She hands me one and then jumps onto the kitchen counter. “Okay, fire away.”

I raise my eyebrow in challenge. She doesn’t bite and stays quiet. Clearly, she wants me to throw shit at her. No problem ’cause my anger has been simmering all damn day.

“Why didn’t you say shit about your family?” I snap a little too harsh.

Her shoulders slump. “I had no clue either. A couple of months ago a woman came to me with a story. A mind-blowing one that disrupted my past. After gaining the evidence which proved she was right, I needed time to process all of it. They were ready to welcome me into the family then, while months later I’m still processing my twist in this fucked-up family tree. In my case the tree in question was a completely different one.”

I stare at her and wait for more details.

She tugs on her sleeve and her voice is distant when she says, “Apparently my grandparents stole my mother as a newborn and raised her as their own. I have an aunt and uncle, along with cousins I never knew existed. My grandparents and my mother died in a car crash eight years ago and I’ve been alone ever since…until now apparently.”

“Holy fuck,” I grunt.

“Yeah. Family stuff can get complicated, and then there’s a whole new level ripping everything apart as you know it.”

I remember her reaction and words the other day. “You’re still processing. I now understand the outburst you had after riding like a madwoman. Meeting Archer today, your cousin, it’s clear he welcomes you with open arms.”

She winces. “They had more time to process since they were the ones who found out.”

We fall silent and the look on her face tells me she’s locked in her own thoughts. Putting the beer bottle down, I stalk to her and move to stand between her legs. I wrap my arms around her and she sags against me.

This is a first for me; to console a woman. My own mother was ripped from me at a young age. Encounters with women only consisted of selfish moments to get off. Having this woman in my arms feels damn good. No awkwardness, no pushing away, no aggravation or annoyance; I’m right where I want to be.

CHAPTER TEN

– LIVI –

Blinking a few times, I slowly wake and become aware I’m not alone in bed. Yesterday was intense with all the things going full speed in my life. With this I not only mean between me and Thorsten, but also my cousin stepping in to help with his suggestions.

I didn’t expect him to challenge Thorsten the way he did, but the confrontation brought out a very protective streak in my old man. To be honest? I kinda liked it. A lot. Just like now when his body is pressing against my back, his arm protectively around my waist.

This whole thing, me living here, entering his life is a sham. An undercover persona and yet it feels too freaking real between us. The way he comforted me last night after I spilled a part of my personal life felt too good to be true. Even if our time has merely started, there is a ticking clock along with an end date.

The most ironic thing for me was my body’s reaction to Thorsten and our chemistry. All my life I’ve heard my grandfather’s opinion when it came to bikers. He harbored a deep hatred for them, and until this day I have no clue why.

Especially when I recently became aware of the fact that he stole the first and newborn daughter of the president of Areion Fury MC. How can a person do such a thing and go to the parents to tell them their daughter died in a fire? I swallow hard and my next breath comes out choppy.

Thorsten’s arm tightens around me and I feel his voice rumble through his chest against my back when he says, “Morning, babe.”

I pat his hand and slip out of the bed.

“Morning,” I mumble and rush into the bathroom.

Turning on the shower, I reach for my toothbrush and throw some toothpaste on it before shoving it into my mouth. Quickly stripping out of the shirt and panties I wore to bed, I slip into the shower.

Normally I’d take my time to enjoy the warmth of the water. This morning, I’m on edge and rush through everything. When I turn off the water and grab a towel to rub my hair dry that’s when I hear stumbling in the next room.

I freeze and when silence meets my ears I quickly rub my hair and body dry. Unease fills my veins. It’s a gut feeling telling me something is wrong. I hear a grunt coming from right outside the door along with mumbling.

Whipping my head around, I try to think what to do and am glad to have followed my aunt Lynn’s advice when she told me to hide a weapon in each room. I take the gun I hid behind the stack of towels. Wrapping a new towel around my body, I make sure to palm my gun and keep it hidden behind the towel, right under my other arm.

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