Page 54 of Twister's Salvation
We stayed like that, sweaty, breathless, tangled up on the bar as the world slowly came back into focus.
I ran my fingers through his hair and was still stunned by how easily he’d wrecked me in the best way possible.
“I’m never wiping this bar down again,” I muttered.
Twister chuckled, low and rough, and lifted his head just enough to look at me.His grin was wicked and satisfied, but his eyes?Still soft.Still mine.
“Good.I plan on doing this again.”
“You all right?”he finally asked, voice low and rough from everything we’d just done.
I nodded against him.“Yeah.Better than all right.”
He exhaled hard, and the sound rumbled against my cheek.“That’s good, doll.I wasn’t planning on this,” he said and brushed a strand of hair away from my face.“Didn’t think I needed anything or anyone.I’ve been leading the club, setting up shop, focused as hell… and then you.”He looked at me like I was something holy.
My throat tightened.“Twister…”
“I’m serious, Tempi.You...you make me want things I thought I buried a long time ago.You calm the storm in my chest, even when I’m pissed off.”
A laugh slipped out of me.“Wow.So romantic.”
He grinned.“I’m working on it.”
I shifted and leaned in to kiss him.His hand came up to cradle the back of my head, and he held me to him like he couldn’t get close enough.
When I pulled back, his eyes locked on mine, fierce and unflinching.
“I’m not just here to mess around, Tempi.I don’t do casual.Not with you.”
“Me neither,” I whispered, breathless.“I don’t think I could if I tried.”
He nodded once, then leaned in and brushed his nose against mine, soft and slow.Tender.“You saved me,” he murmured.“You didn’t mean to, probably don’t even realize it.But you did.”
A lump swelled in my throat, thick and aching.
“I didn’t think I believed in that shit,” he went on.“Salvation.Redemption.Whatever you wanna call it.But then you walked into my life, and suddenly...it didn’t seem so far off.”
My chest cracked wide open.
I curled tighter against him, heart thudding, soul bare.
And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like I had to protect it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Twister
The day dragged on like a bad hangover.
After the run-in at the bike shop yesterday, I got back to the clubhouse with my jaw tight and my fists clenched after leaving Tempi with Cord to keep an eye on her.My mind was chewing on the wordLedgerlike it was poison.Whoever they were, they didn’t like the Saint’s Outlaws being in Madison, and they weren’t subtle about it.Bricks through windows.Notes to Tempi.Threats.Shadow shit.
Not my favorite kind of game.
I gave the guys the rundown of every word Frank and Nick stammered out.Swift paced the length of the room like a caged animal, and Wheels was already firing off texts to some of his off-the-grid contacts.Hodge and Podge took turns spitballing theories, some realistic, some straight out of a conspiracy podcast.
Later that day, Swift and Rev came back from checking in with a former alderman with a gambling problem.They pulled me into church.
“You’re not gonna like what we heard,” Rev said.
