Page 12 of Gunner
Chapter 6
Sadie
Ihad never had a reactionlike I did to Gunner. I vaguely remember falling to the ground, but a distinct scent surrounded me as I was carried into the cabin. A scent that was coming from Gunner. A mixture of leather, motor oil, and a woodsy scent that I thought to be him. Waking up to see Bear watching over me, then experiencing the simple touch of Gunner’s hand to mine made my heart flare, and my libido wake up for the first time in my life.
I never dated or spent time with men. Fear and shame clouded my judgment, and I felt it was best to avoid them after what happened. Piper asked when she was sitting with me if I was hurt again, and when I told her no, she pulled me into a deep hug and whispered to me.
“Trust your heart, Sadie. You’ll know when it’s the right person.”
I was confused about what she meant until Gunner walked back in with Dalton, Uncle Mick, Bullet, and her old man, Smokey. My secret from years ago was known by very few, and I made sure never to tell my brother. He was too young to do anything about it then, and he didn’t deserve to carry guilt or anger over something the MC handled a long time ago.
“Did you eat?” Gunner asked, his deep voice soothing as I rocked a sleeping Jacob in my arms.
I nodded and looked to my brother to see he had a smile on his face. A rare smile that showed how handsome he really was. My brother had a heart of gold, and while I wished he hadn’t prospected so young, I understood his need to have the support of the brotherhood in his life.
“I’m going to take Jacob to sleep with me tonight. I want you to rest, and we’ll figure everything out tomorrow,” Skid said as he reached for Jacob.
Handing our little brother over, I tried to slide from the bed, only to find Gunner’s hold on me, keeping me next to him.
“Where . . . where am I going to sleep?” I asked.
An unusual fear overtook me, and I felt the tremors in my hands. Uncle Mick sat down as my brother kissed me on the cheek and left with Jacob tucked securely in his arms. I fought the tears watching them leave but knew they were safe. We all were. The MC would destroy anyone who tried to get to us.
“You’re welcome to come home with me, or you can stay here with Gunner,” Uncle Mick replied and leaned back against the footboard, waiting for my reply.
I looked to Smokey and Bullet, who leaned against the small kitchen wall, then turned my gaze to Gunner. The thought of leaving him was too much to think about, and I squeezed his hand, silently asking for his permission.
He returned the squeeze, and I turned to the men who I’d known my entire life, the men who protected me and slayed the monsters that terrorized me. I lifted my chin and replied, “I want to stay with Gunner.”
“Thank fuck,” he muttered, and the three men nodded their understanding.
Uncle Mick stood, the pain in his knees clear to anyone who knew him, and walked around the bed. Pulling me into a hug, he softly whispered, “He’ll take care of you if you let him. You can trust him, Sadie.”
I pulled back and saw the sincerity in his statement. Uncle Mick had rented the house I lived in while I was recuperating here years ago. He moved me into the house and stayed with me until I could take care of myself. Dalton and Jacob came to stay a few months later, when my mother took off, and Uncle Mick made sure we were safe. If he said I could trust Gunner, then I believed him.
I looked up at Gunner, and he smiled down at me. I glanced back at Mick, Smokey, and Bullet and said, “Thank you.”
“Never thank us. That’s what family is for,” Smokey replied and winked before they walked out, leaving us alone.
“Would you like a shower?” he asked, and I lifted my hand to my forehead, feeling the knot under the skin from where I fell.
“Please, but . . .”
“What do you need, Sadie? Tell me and it’s yours.”
“I don’t have anything to wear,” I responded shyly, realizing I would share a king-size bed with a man for the first time in my life.
I didn’t think Gunner expected sex, but the part of me that was waking up deep inside hoped that one day, I could give him that part of me. Piper explained years ago that the man who was meant to be mine would erase all the pain, shame, and regret that filled me. He would take the broken parts of me and make me whole with his love.
The way Gunner looked at me told me he wanted to be that person, and if I was getting the blessing of my brother and uncle, I would trust him. He stood from the bed and opened a drawer, pulling out a pair of boxer shorts and a T-shirt. Handing them to me, he helped me from the bed and escorted me to the small stand-up shower in the tiny bathroom.
Bear, the sweet dog who hadn’t left my side, followed dutifully behind us, and once Gunner got me a towel, he pulled the door closed, leaving Bear with me. I wondered why he had a dog when I never saw one around the clubhouse but figured he would tell me when he was ready. A pair of dog tags hung from the mirror, and I lifted one, seeing the stamp into the metal.
