Page 78 of Crash and Burn
“What are we gonna do with her?” Saint gestures to Maria.
“She comes with us. Maria has been the one taking care of me since I got here. She’s only here because her son died protecting Rodrigo when they were younger,” I explain.
“I’ll talk to Lochlan. He’ll be able to help her get set up somewhere safe,” Rascal says. “For now, let’s get y’all outta here.”
“Are we going home,” I ask.
“Not tonight,” he tells me. “Tonight, we’ll stay at Lochlan and Finn’s house.”
Thirty minutes later, we’re pulling up to a mini mansion. It’s so different than the cabin we were staying at last week. I climb out of the car and walk with Rascal into the house.
“Are you hungry or anything?” Rascal wraps his arm around my shoulders.
“No, Maria made sure I ate. If I didn’t have her, who knows what Eduardo and Paula would have done with me,” I say.
“I’m glad you had her. I’ll have to thank her for keeping you safe,” he states.
“Romeo, are you going soft on me?” I wink at him.
“Princess, I’m never soft where you’re concerned.”
A smile stretches across my face and Rascal’s lips tip up in his sexy smirk. Groaning comes from the other room, grabbing my attention.
“Who was that?” I walk toward the sound. Walking into the dining room, I freeze. Diesel is laying on the dining room table, a woman standing over him with her back facing me. “What’s going on in here? What’s wrong with Diesel?”
“He was shot. Catriona is removing the bullets.” Rascal is standing directly behind me. He wraps his arm around me.
“Is he going to be okay? He’s not going to die is he?” I turn around in his arms.
“Baby, calm down,” he says softly. “It’ll take some time but he’ll make a full recovery.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t need anyone else dying because of me.”
“Hey, now.” Rascal walks me into the living room. “Chains’s death wasn’t because of you. We got the men responsible for that and they’ll get what’s comin’ to them, believe that.”
“If I had not been at the clubhouse, they wouldn’t have come looking for me,” I tell him.
“Marley, he was prospecting for the Savage Menaces MC. We’re constantly in dangerous situations. It’s part of the life and he knew that,” Rascal points out.
“He was such a good guy,” I whisper.
“I know. He was a great friend and he would have done whatever he could to keep you safe,” he says.
“Hey, Ras,” Saint grabs his attention. “Why don’t y’all take my room. I’ll take the couch.”
“Thanks, man,” Rascal replies. We move from the living room to the bedroom. I’m thankful for Saint doing that. Being alone with Rascal is exactly what I need right now.
“How are you doin’?” He walks us to the bed and we sit. “Did they do anything to you?”
“No, they didn’t. But, if I had been there any longer, they would have,” I tell him.
“Did any of them say anything to you?”
“Rodrigo told me he was using me to lure my father out. That it was time for payback for my mom choosing my father over him.” I stare straight ahead.
Rascal grabs my hand, pulling me from my thoughts. “Did he say who your father is?”
“He never said a name. He said he made sure she paid for picking the Russian over him,” I state. “It didn’t click until now, but he confirmed what Niko already suspected. Niko is my father.”
