She nodded.
I helped Linds to her feet. I grabbed her hands and held them tight. The feelings surging through me were really hard to contain. I wanted to hug her. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to pin her against the side of the building and tear every piece of clothing off her. I wanted to taste her. I wanted to hear everything about her life, good and bad. I wanted to have her.
“What the hell was that?” I asked. “Some guy hitting you…”
“Hey, fuck you,” a voice said.
I looked back and saw the prick on the ground. He was trying to get back up.
I broke away from Linds and grabbed him. I picked him up like he weighed nothing. I turned and threw him against the side of the building.
“You fucking hit her?” I growled.
The guy took a swing at me.
That wasn’t going to work with me.
I ducked and he missed.
I then put two fists to his gut, leaving him crying out in pain, reaching for me. I hit him again in the face, sending him to his knees. I brought my right foot back and kicked him in the ribs, sending him against the building again.
“Stop,” Linds said as she grabbed at me. “That’s enough. Stop, King. Stop.”
The prick was huddled up, groaning.
I looked at Linds and couldn’t help myself. I grabbed her hand and pulled her close to me for a hug.
“We better get out of here,” I whispered. “Last thing I need are the cops here.”
“My place,” she blurted out. “You can follow me.”
I nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”
I made a move and she squeezed at my hand, stopping me. “King… I thought you were gone away for forever…”
I reached for Linds’s face. I smiled. “The only forever I promised was to you, sweetie.”
12
(King) *THEN*
IT WAS POURING FUCKING rain all night. I stood at the open garage bay and watched the rain smack the ground in an endless sound that was soothing. I threw my cigarette out and it was dead before it hit the ground. I was on duty for the night, just to keep an eye on the place.
Fuck, I was close to moving up in the Reap.
There were big deals going on all around me and they kept throwing me on security. I was big, strong, and not afraid of a thing. That worked to my advantage. But it worked against me. I wanted to be at the table. I wanted to have a vote.
Truthfully, I was feeling a little empty inside.
I saw the headlights of the car swing and face right at me.
I pushed away from the open door and reached back for my gun.
Who the fuck would be here with a car this late?
The car pulled up to the bay and then the lights were killed off. The door swung open and someone stepped out of the car. It took my eyes all of two seconds to see who it was.
“Linds?” I called out.
She stood there in the rain, door open, getting soaked.
I put my gun down and ran out of the garage to the car.
“Hey!” I yelled. “What’s wrong?”
Linds turned her head and I saw the bruise next to her eye. She then looked at me again. Her hands held the top of the door. She was shaking. Shivering from the cold rain. But she was in fear. Terrified.
I reached for her and pulled her away from the car. I slammed the door. Now we were both standing in the rain, like damn fools, getting soaking wet.
“What happened?” I asked.
“He hit me,” she said. “Jim.”
“Your aunt’s asshole husband?”
“Yeah. I… he was drunk… he wanted to touch me… I pushed him away and he swung…”
“Let’s go,” I said.
I grabbed the door and opened it back up.
Fuck the Reap for a minute. Fuck my security post. Fuck it all. I was going to take care of this situation right now…
“No,” Linds said. “Please, King, no. Don’t. Not tonight.”
Linds touched my face. Her hand slid behind my neck and she moved to her toes. Our lips touched for a brief second.
“He can’t get away with this,” I said. “No fucking way in hell.”
“I need you tonight,” Linds said. “I need someone to hold me. To love me.”
“I told you to move out of that house,” I said.
But what were her options? Move in with me? I didn’t have a fucking home myself. I had a room in the back of the clubhouse that Knox and Slam vouched for me. She was trying to go to school to be a nurse, like her Aunt Jane was. I knew how the story went. If she didn’t do what they wanted, when they wanted, she’d be cut off from everything.
I took her by the hand and walked her to the garage. At the very least, we could be dry together.
As we stood right inside the garage bay, I gently touched her face.
“I’m so fucking sorry, sweetie,” I whispered. “You deserve better than this. Where’s your aunt?”
“Working,” she said.
“Fuck. Where is he right now?”
“He’s home. Drunk. The usual.”
I slid my arms around her. I pulled her close. “Goddammit, Linds.”