Page 33 of Reaper & the Lioness
I lay in the hospital a few hours later in a haze of pain and confusion, the details of the attack blurred under the pain medication. Still, I remained adamant to the police that Hale was my attacker. They took my report and said they had enough to make an arrest.
I clenched my fists so tight that my nails dug into my palms. How many more women were out there, silenced by the Abells’ money and influence? How many more stories of violence and intimidation remained buried? And how could I bring all of this to light without ending up in the ground?
I curled up in Reaper’s large oak bed and tightened the quilt around me. Exhaustion warred with adrenaline, leaving me wired and drained all at once. Reaper’s scent clung to everything in the room. The smell of cedar, campfire smoke, and leather reminded me I wasn’t alone.
My mind drifted back to the kiss we’d shared outside my home. The memory of his lips against mine still burned, and the searing heat of his body lingered on my skin. I could almost feel the rough texture of his leather jacket beneath my hands and how he’d pulled me to his chest with a possessive intensity. The kiss had left me breathless and wanting more.
But, even as I replayed the moment in my head, I couldn’t shake the feeling I was playing with fire.
He’d saved my life tonight. No hesitation, just action. It should have scared me. And maybe it did, a little. But it also made me feel safe in a way I couldn’t explain.
I chewed my lip, staring at the unfamiliar shadows on the ceiling. If anyone came through that door tonight, I had no doubt Reaper would end them before they took a single step toward me.
The brutality of the thought should have unsettled me.
Instead, it filled me with a sense of peace.
Chapter Fourteen
The first slivers of dawn cut through the pines as I tossed Hawk’s ball. The pup launched after it like a furry missile, all chaotic joy and reckless momentum. Fucking hell. I’d watched these dogs take down insurgents in Baghdad with discipline sharper than most soldiers. This one? Pure, fearless chaos.
Just like Eva.
Hawk skidded back, mud-streaked and triumphant, dropping the slobber-coated rubber ball at my boots. “Again?” I muttered, taking a sip of my black coffee. “Fine. Last one.”
I arced the ball into the tree line. Let him chase shadows for five minutes.
Leaning against the porch rail, I surveyed my domain. I’d built this cabin for solitude—tall fences, no neighbors, trails rigged with motion sensors. Now, the scents of citrus shampoo and dog filled the air. A whiskey glass soaked in the sink, smudged with red lipstick. The intrusion should have bothered me more than it did.
Hawk’s bark echoed as he cornered a groundhog. My fingers twitched toward the Glock at my hip reflexively before I caught myself. Old habits. Older paranoia.
Eva’s laugh played in my head. “Who says you’d be taking advantage?”The memory of her pressed against me on the bike, all warm curves and defiance, sent a jolt through my system.
She was a protected asset. A favor for Thane.
Bullshit.
The truth was one I wasn’t ready to confront. I’d killed for Eva last night and driven her to my home without a second thought. I’d never brought a woman back here. I’d always intended to maintain this cabin as my private sanctuary—separate from club business.
And that kiss …
I was surprised the leather on my jacket hadn’t been seared off by the heat between us.
Hawk trotted back, panting. I crouched, roughing his ears. “You’ve got to step up, pup. If you were big enough, you would’ve broken through that cage and launched yourself at that fucker’s throat without hesitation to protect your person. I was there this time, but you need to be ready next time.”
The pup licked my knuckles and nudged the ball again, oblivious to the weight of my words.
The creak of the screen door froze us both. Eva stood silhouetted in the warm morning light, her hair sleep-mussed, eyes still heavy. My chest tightened at the sight.
She padded barefoot across the dew-soaked grass. Hawk nipped at my knees, insisting I throw the ball again.
“He’s obsessed with you already,” she said, her voice still husky from sleep.
“Malinois imprint fast. Train him right, and he’ll die protecting you.”
She reached for my cup of coffee and wrinkled her nose after taking a sip. “You sound like you’re recruiting him.”
“Just stating facts.”
