Page 68 of Intimately Faithful

She’d seen once on a document how to keep an attacker talking so they couldn’t take you to a second location. “You seem like a reasonable guy, not hurting girls and babies kind of man at all. Let’s be reasonable, okay?” His two big bushy eyebrows folded in. He was no less scary with a scar across one cheekbone.

“Boss want back.”

“Well boss can’t have back!”

She’d claw him and all the Russian goons Grigori sent after her to death before she handed over Misha to the mob. She was a helpless baby and didn’t deserve that kind of cruel life.

“Now is this any way to get you a date, fella?” A roughened voice said approaching and Aoife could only sigh with thatthank Godkind of relief slipping through her veins. “I don’t know how it’s done in Putin’s territory, but dragging off a woman to your cave is so BC. That’s Before Christ for your pea brain, read your history books.”

She got the fright of her life when she turned to see the tallest, meanest, bald headed man swinging a leg down from a huge beast of a motorcycle.

At his side was another man on his own machine, but her eyes were drawn back to the meaner one.

As all bad guys did when their nefarious plans were interrupted, Grigori’s minion bristled, stopping Aoife from moving out of his way. His hand on her wrist tightened like a pained shackle. “Who are you? Walk away, American. This does not concern you.”

“I’m Lawless. Who the fuck are you? Actually, I don’t care, I’m already bored.” The man clipped.

Aoife noticed he and his buddy wore leather jackets with terrifying grim reaper’s on the back. She remembered Danny telling her the MC helping them was the Renegade Souls.

Thank you, God.

Danny was going to be so pissed at her for this.

“Thank you for stopping. This man won’t let me go.”

“You come with me,” he hissed in his broken English.

“I need to get home,” She implored to the bald guy and it was then the other one with a clipped goatee beard and fathoms deep black eyes, stepped into the fray and forcibly unshackled her wrist by applying pressure to the Russian’s arm.

He let go instantly and she got the hell out of there.

Not even stopping to turn around to see if they were killing Grigori’s man.

She didn’t care and didn’t want to watch at the same time.

Out of breath when she reached the rectory, she’d never been so happy to see a green door before and her hand shook trying to fit the key in the lock.

Through all that commotion, Misha had snoozed away.

Once inside, Aoife double bolted the door and leaned against it.

Breathless, her heart pounding, cold terror sliding through her nervous system, she sank to the carpeted hallway and cried with her two arms around Misha.

It was there Danny found her, however many minutes later.

From the way he swept through the back door, letting it slam into the wall, and his blue eyes wild, she’d guessed he’d been informed of the saga by his biker friends.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed on her knees. “I should have listened. I’m so stupid, you should throw me into the street, so you should. Toss me to the wolves. Kick me out without a slice of bread to eat. I don’t deserve you, Danny.” Her cries were dramatic.

“You silly girl,” he chastised quietly, approaching in five quick steps he was crouched and hauling her plus the baby into his arms in seconds. His hand stroked her hair, her back, shushing her with quiet toned words. “What would I have done if I’d lost you again? What would happento me, Aoife?”

Her heart flailed. She cried harder, soaking his shirt. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I was mad.”

“Get mad. Punch me, kick and bite me. Throw things, call me all the tossers under the sun, but don’t do that again.” He spoke into her hair. “I nearly died taking Lawless’ call. It nearly killed me to hear someone could have dragged you off the street where I couldn’t do a thing to stop it.”

Emotions stung her nose as well as flooded her eyes, hearing how much he cared for her, as it trembled through his otherwise strong voice. She looked up through tear filled eyes when he cupped both sides of her face, using his thumbs to staunch the drench of wetness, and he kissed all over her cheeks. She reveled in the starved, relieved kisses.

“I don’t care how long it’s been, Aoife, you’ve been my world since I was a kid. You keep living for me, because I’d die without you. I swear to God right now, if something happens to you, I’ll kill you myself.”

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