Page 5 of Harvest Brew With the Mountain Man
“And then?” I ask, counting to ten in my head.
Her eyes cast down to her lap. Her fingers fidget with the blanket. “Someone I knew, they got involved with the MC. I don’t know why they came after me tonight, but…”
“Everything, Camille.” I need to know. I need to remember every detail for when the time comes.
Shaking her head, she exhales before letting out the entire story in practically one breath. Them shooting her tires, the Jeep spinning into a ditch, how they grabbed her, threatened to take her.
“And your clothes? Why are you…,” I can’t finish the statement, or I will lose my shit, and she doesn’t need that right now.
“I took care of it. I got away,” she says instead.
“Not what I asked.”
Finally, those eyes meet mine, only now, they’re void of fear and full of fire. Good. I prefer that for her over the former.
“I said, I got away. That’s all that matters.”
“Did they touch you?” She knows what I’m asking.
“He got my pants off. I shot his dick.”
My eyes widen before I cough a laugh. “Fuck, Nyx. Atta girl.”
She gives me the first genuine smile. It’s small, but damn, it softens her face, and she’s a siren, lulling me to her dangerous waters.
A knock from my office door.
Gone is my mischievous pixie, and back is the fear, choking out her light.
“Hey,” I soften my tone, gently squeezing her ankle. “It’s my friend. You’re safe with me. I won’t let anyone hurt you again,” I vow, and I mean it.
The protective instinct that demands retribution for my dark pixie overwhelms me. It’s not what it was when we were younger, but I can’t analyze that right now. She’s the priority.
I open the door but keep it cracked so neither of them sees the other yet. Nora stands before me, brow raised, already sassing me as is her nature.
“You can’t tell anyone. I mean it, Nora.”
Now, she’s suspicious. “West, what the fuck did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. Damn, woman. Busting my balls before you even know the scenario. What if I’m the hero?”
She scoffs. “Yeah, yeah, the fun-loving Hunter. If only people knew,” she teases, but not even she knows how true that is.
“For real though. She’s been hurt. Bad.”
At the mention of a female being injured, her demeanor shifts, and the MC princess, whose grown up around bikers all her life and doesn’t take shit from anyone, emerges. A sharp nod tells me all I need to know, and I trust her with my life.
I open the door, letting her enter before closing it again.
“Nora?” Camille straightens on the couch, her accusing eyes aimed at me. “You told Nora? Are you insane, West! She’ll tell my brother.”
“Whoa,” Nora holds her hand up, then props it on her hip. “Listen here, little Styxs.” Oh yeah. My dark pixie didn’t like being called that. “You haven’t really been around for some time, but let me update you. This one here,” she points her thumb at me over her shoulder. “If he promised not to tell your brother, then Styx stays none the wiser. West tells me to keep my mouth shut, I keep it shut.”
Nora sets a large black backpack on the couch and starts taking out supplies. “I’m not loyal to the MC. I love my brother. I even love some of those fuckers like brothers, but MC business is none of mine. By choice. Now, what happened to you?”
Camille’s eyes flick to mine. I stand by her shoulders. The instinct to reach for her hand to give support is huge but I refrain. “You can trust her.”
Camille holds my gaze before meeting Nora’s green ones. “MC from Silver Lake ran me off the road and attacked me. I shot two of them and got away.”
