Page 15 of Unmasked Anarchy
Shit.I know I shouldn’t.I know it.But dammit.I can’t stop.
Only once.I can’t risk us both.
7-11.Near your club.Half an hour?
I exhale.Gage is out on a ride.It’s safe enough.
Okay.
Dammit.I’m playing with fire.I know I am.
But I force myself up anyway, taking a heap of painkillers and showering.Then, against doctors’ orders, I get into my car and drive out of the compound, which is quiet with everyone gone.It’s only up the road, surely it’s not that dangerous.
By the time I get there, Kael is already waiting, leaning against his bike like he doesn’t have a care in the world.His long hair has been cut short, just like he said it would be, and it seems to have made it a shade or two darker, but damn, it looks good on him.He looks somewhat more dangerous now, with his beard and those striking eyes.
I get out of my car and approach, slow and steady, trying not to limp as much as I am.“That’s a nice bike,” I say, nodding to the Harley he is leaning against.
"I don’t skimp,” he says, a smile breaking over his face.
God, he’s beautiful.
I bite my lip.The silence hovers between us, almost soft.He doesn’t bother stepping away from the bike, just tips his head to the side and watches, like he’s still deciding whether I’m real.
“You cut your hair,” I say, stupidly.But it’s better than standing here in silence.
I’ve never been so nervous in my life.
He runs a hand through the shorter locks.“Told you I would.”
I swallow, hard.I remember his hands in my hair, gentler than anyone ever was, maybe even more gentle than I deserved.“Looks good,” I say, meeting his gaze.
He lifts his chin, those eyes dragging over my face, my hands, then down to my feet.He definitely notices the limp and he offers, “You want to sit down?”He gestures at the curb beside his bike.“They got benches.”
I hesitate only because Gage would lose his shit if he saw me parked on my ass in public.I nod eventually, and we sit at the bench just in front of his bike.He sits beside me, and my breath catches.Being next to Kael is like standing on the edge of a precipice, thrilling and terrifying all at once.His presence is magnetic, drawing me in despite the chaos it stirs within me.The air feels charged, every nerve in my body acutely aware of his proximity.
My heart races, each beat echoing the unspoken tension between us.It’s as if the world narrows down to this moment, the space between us filled with possibilities and unspoken words.I can feel the warmth radiating from him, a comforting presence that contrasts with the turmoil inside me.My breath gets stuck in my lungs, a mix of anticipation and fear, as if I’m waiting for something to happen, something that could change everything.
“So, what now?”I ask, staring out at the road.The 7-11 is deserted except for a minivan and some old guy standing on the sidewalk talking on the phone.
He’s quiet a long time, then he says, “What happened to you don’t sit right with me.I want to help.”
“Not sure that’s a good idea,” I say, inhaling and wincing as the pain radiates.
He shifts, pulling a flask from his jacket, unscrews it, and holds it out.“You look like you need it.”
I laugh weakly.“I’m already full of antibiotics and painkillers.”
He chuckles.“I bet.”
He shoots it back then tucks it away.
“I want to find who did this to you,” he continues.“They don’t deserve to breathe another fuckin’ second.”
“Why?”I manage after a long moment.“You don’t even know me.”
He tilts his head.“Somethin’ tells me I will regret gettin’ to know you, but I can’t seem to stop myself from needin’ that.”
I swallow the lump in my throat.
