chapter 12
“Hey, sugar, thought you’d have been here hours ago.” Roam opens the front door and pulls me into his arms. I breathe in the comforting smell of his leather cut and let his relaxed vibe wash through me, comforting me.
“I had a rough day. The bar got broken into last night, so we spent the day cleaning up,” I explain.
“Come on in and let me get you somethin’ to drink then.”
I walk inside and flop down on the couch. He hands me a glass with whiskey in it and I sip it gratefully.
Roam sits down beside me and pulls me into his lap. I close my eyes and sleep overcomes me.
ROAM
I hear Lacey’s breathing begin to even out and I know she’s fallen asleep. I cradle her in my arms for a few minutes, and then I gently stand, carrying her into my bed. I lay her down and strip off my clothes before climbing in beside her. The moonlight filters through the window and I look at her. She’s f*ckin’ majestic.
My phone rings beside me, so I quickly roll over and snap it open, so it doesn’t wake her.
“Hey, Mitch.” I roll out of bed and walk naked through the house and into the kitchen.
“Hey, man, sorry to be ringin’ so late. Hope I didn’t wake you.”
“S’all good, man. What can I do for you?”
“I’m sure you heard from Lacey about the break in at the bar last night?”
“Yeah, man. That’s bullshit. Anything I can do?”
“Actually, yeah, there is,” he starts, then hesitates.
“What is it?” I bark. My heart starts to thud and an overwhelming sense of dread settles around me.
“There was some graffiti in the ladies restroom. It mentioned Lacey’s name. I managed to get it cleaned off before she saw it, so she’s none the wiser, but I need to know you’re going to handle this situation, Roam.”
His weighted question hangs heavy in the air.
“I got it,” I state confidently.
“She needs protection, Roam. Until we find out who’s behind this bullshit, she needs protection.”
“And I said, I got it. I was hoping to have her move in here anyway. Now, she won’t have a choice. When I say I got it, I mean it. Don’t f*ckin’ question me.”
“Right, man. I only want Lacey safe.”
“You think I don’t?”
He sighs, and then says, “I’ll keep you updated with what the police say. Right now, they’re of the opinion it’s most likely a jealous ex, out to stir shit.”
“Right,” I feel my jaw get tense. I hate the thought of another man having his paws all over my sugar.
“Later.”
“Later, man,” I snap my phone closed.
I sit down on the chair and rest my elbows on the table, my head hangs, supported by my hands.
Who the f*ck is doing this shit?
The thought runs rampant in my mind. Lacey told me she had an ex who stole from her. It might be him. He’s into drugs – heroin, I gather, from what Lacey has told me. He also hit her before she left him. I’d like to kill the motherf*cker. He’s the only person that springs to mind when I think of who might be responsible. I need to get a photo of him from Lacey, so I know what he looks like.
I rub my chest. The thought of her carrying a picture around of another man, gives me f*ckin’ heartburn.
I pour myself a glass of milk and drink it down, then I go and climb back into bed with my woman. My woman, who’s most likely going to pitch a f*cking fit when I tell her of her new accommodation plans.
F*ck. I’m in for one hell of an argument tomorrow morning. I slide my arm around her waist and pull her into me. I kiss her
shoulder, and then close my eyes and let sleep claim me.
The next morning, I bring her breakfast in bed. I want to butter her up a bit; make her more receptive to my plans. They say the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and the best way to a woman’s is by buying her jewelry. Well, I don’t have time to go shopping, so I’m hoping that food will do the trick.
I set the tray on the bed beside her. She looks over at the spread – pancakes drenched in maple syrup, crispy bacon, a mug of coffee and a glass of orange juice. Eyebrows raised, she looks back at me.
“Eat up, sugar,” I tell her.
She doesn’t question me; she just digs into the food. Her moaning and groaning and lip-licking is making my cock hard, so I exit the room and tidy the kitchen to distract myself.
“Roam?” I hear Lacey calling me about ten minutes later. I make my way back to the bedroom. She’s sitting up in bed, empty plate sitting back on the tray.
“Mornin’, sugar.”
“Morning,” she grins. “Thanks for breakfast. It was delicious, but you don’t have to do that for me.”
I chuckle. She really has no idea. “Yeah, I did. We gotta talk.”
“Oh.” Her face falls. “Is everything all right?”
F*ck, but I hate the look on her face right now. “Yeah, darlin’, everything is fine,” I say, gently.
“Okay, then what do we need to talk about?” Confusion laces her tone.
There’s no beating around the bush. I decide to just come right out and tell her what’s going to happen. She can argue all she wants, but at the end of the day, I don’t care what it takes, she’s going to be living here with me. “I talked to Mitch last night. We’ve both come to the conclusion you should move in here with me.”
“Pardon?” I watch as she shakes her head a little. It’s clear she wasn’t expecting me to say that. “You don’t have to do that, babe. Seriously, I can find a place. What does Mitch have to do with anything anyways?” Her brows knit together in an adorable way, exposing her bewilderment of this situation.
“Sugar, I want this to happen, and it’s going to happen. You need to be kept safe, and I can keep you safe. Here.”
“Okay, but I’m not entirely sure about why I need to be kept safe. And further, if safety is an issue, I can just look for a place with a doorman and good security. I don’t want to be a burden, Roam.”
“You’re not a burden, Lacey. Shit went down and we’re thinking you may be the target.”
“What shit? Why would I be a target?”
“Mitch found the chicks bathroom at the bar spray painted. Your name was written, along with some other shit. Now, please agree to move in with me, so we can move on to finding out who the f*ck is behind this crap.”
“Okay,” she agrees quietly.
“Okay?” I blink. Shocked.
“I trust you. If you say it’s safest for me to be here, I’ll move in...but only temporarily, Roam. When this blows over, I’ll move out. Agreed?”
“Sure,” I acquiesce, trying to bite back a grin. No way in f*cking hell is she moving out once her ass is moved in.
Born to Ride_A Clubhouse Collection
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