Page 46 of Claymore
“It’s okay, Claymore. Thank you for letting me stay here,” she said somberly.
“I’m gonna talk to the guys to let them know you’re here. If you hear shouting or arguing, don’t worry too much about it. They can be a little fucking rowdy,” I said.
“I understand. I share blood with the person they despise most in the world. Had it been me in their shoes, I wouldn’t want me around either.”
There was such sadness in her eyes as they fell to her feet, like everything she’d ever known was slowly being stripped away from her. I lifted her chin, watching those beautiful green eyes stare back at me. Kissing her felt like an addiction I’d never be able to kick. My lips pressed up against hers and I tasted the light saltiness left behind by her tears. I kissed her hard so she knew I was here for her.
“They’ll come to love you the same way I do, Ella.”
Her eyes widened, and I’d realized what I said. In the midst of her sadness, there was a soft blush of those cheeks, and a smile that always seemed to light up the room.
“Let’s get you tucked up in bed, huh?”
She nodded, and I pulled back the duvet so she could slip under it. I grabbed my jacket, spreading it over her so she had an extra layer of warmth.
“I’ll be downstairs if you need me. I’ll come check on you, okay?”
“Thank you, Claymore.”
I kissed her once on the lips and again on the forehead before I headed back downstairs. Tank had just come in through the garage, wiping his hands on a washcloth. The tools in his belt clanked and when he looked at me, he pressed his lips together angrily like he already knew what I’d done.
“What are you doing here so late? I thought you’d be home by now with Ella,” he spat.
“She’s upstairs resting. Before you jump down my throat about this, you need to know that we went back to Crystal’s. The place was shot up by Lions and Kings. I cornered one, verified the information we received from our little prisoner. I was taking Ella home when I noticed some of those fuckers parked around the block. She’s not safe anywhere but here, Tank.”
“You keeping her here means we’re all gonna have a fucking target on our backs.”
“We already do. The Freeway Fucks want us dead and they’re using the Lions to do it. Ray’s clawing his way back to the top and we need to fucking do something. I’m not just gonna leave Ella out there alone. She has to stay here,” I pleaded.
“I don’t like this.”
“You don’t like this because you think she’s involved with Ray. Cut me some goddamn slack. Cuthersome slack. You have any idea what she’s been through? We tracked her down in the first place because she wanted nothing to do with him, because she wants to help. She’s lost so much already, Tank. Give her a goddamn break.”
“Fine. She can stay. Get everyone together in the morning. We need a plan before things get worse. If they’re this brazen now, who knows what shit they’re gonna try to pull later,” Tank said.
“Yeah, I will.”
***
I woke the next morning to find Ella’s arms wrapped around me as she slept. The morning sun poured in through the sheer curtains, filling the room with a bright yellow hue. I carefully slipped out of her grasp, careful not to wake her because this was probably the most damn sleep she’d gotten in a while.
The bathroom tile was cold when I entered. I took a hot shower, slipping into last night’s clothes, knowing I had to pass by the house for some things soon. My long, blonde hair dripped on the wood floors as I made my way downstairs for a cup of coffee. The pot was already going, whirring and spitting when I came in.
“Morning.”
“I hear we’ve got a visitor.”
Ripper stood there sipping his coffee, his eyebrows raised.
“We do. She’s gonna be staying here for a while.”
“I had a feeling it would come to that. Tank told us just how much things are heating up lately. She doing okay?” he asked.
“I don’t know, Ripper. Her entire life is in shambles right now. Ray’s not even around and he’s still fucking everything up for her. When I find that sick son of a bitch, I’m gonna kill him.”
“You’ll have all the help you need, but to do that, we need to find him.”
“Oh, we will,” I confirmed.
