Page 91 of Savage Grace

And Ashe didn’t leave my side.

Every now and again, I caught him looking at me with pinched brows and his eyes full of warmth. He would nudge me if I went quiet, draw me into conversations if I ever got that far-away look in my eye. He would ask for my opinion on things that I had no right giving my opinion on.

With every kindness that these men showed me, I grew closer to the brink of tears.

“You have no fuckin’ idea what it’s like, man.” Charmer stabbed an accusatory finger in Ashe’s face, wearing an offended scowl.

“And I have no interest in ever finding out!” Ashe chuckled in response.

“Yeah, right,” Charmer scoffed.

“Charm, Ipromiseyou,” Ashe’s frustrated groan followed. “I have no intention of ever riding my bike naked.”

All he got in response was a roll of Charmer’s eyes, but everyone else was looking at him with a look of utter confusion, mixed with probably a little bit of disgust. I, however, was trying my best not to fucking sob with laughter.

An ache formed in my stomach.

I wanted my family.

And, like he read my fucking mind, moments later, Antoni kicked down the door, all guns blazing.

“Zarina!” he yelled with a wobbly voice, worry and anger mixing in his almost black eyes. He was flanked by Rome, Sammy, and a few others.

I stood immediately, and I felt the bodies around me shift as well.

Ashe, Prince, Freddie—all of them stood behind me.

“Toni,” Prince was the one to speak first. “I don’t recall extending an invitation.”

But Toni’s eyes were on me, eyebrows pinched and heavy.

“What are you doing here?” Toni almost whispered, like it pained him to even speak.

“I-I didn’t know where else to go.”

His eyes widened. “What do you fucking mean?”

“I tried calling you!”

“Are you okay?” Rome asked, assessing my body like I might have been injured.

“Theo called and said you weremissing. I’ve been worried fucking sick.”

“I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t?—”

I cut myself off then.

Because that’s when I noticed that Theo was among the men crowded behind Antoni. Before I fully registered his presence, Ashe was moving, stalking across the floor and reaching into the group of men to pull Theo out and to the front and centre by his neck.

A flurry of movement happened on both sides as Bull moved to usher me behind him. Guns and knives alike were pulled, though no one did anything. The confusion on everyone else’s faces was clear.

Ashe continued to throw Theo around like he was a ragdoll, and bent him backwards over the bar until his feet barely touched the ground. It was then that he pulled his own gun, pressing it to Theo’s temple.

“You lay your fucking hands on her again and I willremovethem, you piece of shit,” Ashe hissed through gritted teeth.

“Wait, what?” Theo had the nerve to look confused.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Antoni barked, holding his gun up and away from anyone as a show of good faith.

---