Page 59 of Trick

Eventually, he pulls back, though it seems as if it takes monumental effort. I want his mouth back on mine, but he presses his forehead to the side of my temple, his hands holding me in place. “As much as I want to have you, I can’t. Not when you’re hurt.”

“I’m okay,” I assure him, even though my words are pushed out through gritted teeth.

“My stubborn girl,” he says and, boy, does that awaken some kind of carnal need within me. If I wasn’t held together with stitches, I’d mount him like a fucking horse. “You need to rest. I could’ve lost you today.” He closes his eyes, and my stomach knots at his distress. “When I saw the blood, I was terrified, Heidi. I thought history was about to repeat itself.”

I grip his face, and his eyes open. “I’m still here.”

“I know I’m fucked-up, Heidi. I know it’s unfair for me to make you my crutch in this, but I’m not a fair man, and I’m not a good one either.”

He’s wrong about that. “You are a good man, and I’m just as fucked-up as you are.”

“If I was, I’d let you go, but I won’t and I can’t. If you ever leave, I’ll find you and bring you back.”

His words shouldn’t send a thrill through me, but I’ve always been attracted to men who know what they want and take it. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not going anywhere,” I assure him.

I lean my head on his chest, listening to his steady breaths. I miss intimacy, being taken care of and having someone to take care of. I close my eyes and drift off. And for the first time in a long time, my dreams are happy.

CHAPTER 17

TRICK

Heidi’s injuries heal well over the next two weeks. I’m a lot more vigilant, watching for threats. The Pioneers had attacked us in daylight, without a care about getting caught. They are getting desperate, and desperate men are the most dangerous.

The club has been tracking them, trying to flush them out from all their little hiding places, but even with the combined forces we have on our side, it is proving difficult. Richardson is a ghost, completely in the wind, and as hard as we look for him, he remains in the wind.

The frustration I feel knowing that man is still out there and a threat to my family, to my club, grinds me down day after day. I want that fucker dead before he hurts someone else. I have a lot to lose, including my daughter, and now Heidi. She has become as important to me as my child.

The highlight of my day is going home to them both, particularly lately. The hunt for the Pioneers is draining the life out of me. It consumes my every thought, my need to find and destroy the rest of the organisation responsible for the pain I have suffered overwhelming me.

As I step inside the house, I hear the television from the living room. I close the front door behind me, making sure it’s locked before I place my wallet and keys in the bowl nearby. When I step into the living room, Heidi is sitting on the sofa alone. She quickly grabs the remote, switching it off and coming to her feet. I take her in with a sweep of my eyes. She looks fucking divine.

The light summer dress she’s wearing rucks under her tits, giving her a soft appearance, and the way her hair falls over one shoulder in loose, beachy waves makes me want to grab a fistful of it between my fingers.

“Hey,” she says in a soft voice that is so at odds with the fiery woman I know she is.

“Hey,” I say back. I see the nerves trailing through her as she steps in front of me, her gaze lifting to meet mine.

I wrap my hands around her hips, pulling her against me so I can press a kiss to her mouth. Despite the fact she has been in my bed every night since she was shot, she seems shy and I’m not sure why.

When I pull back from the kiss, my fingers trail over her face, enjoying the way she leans into my touch.

“I missed you,” she admits, and I like how that makes me feel. For a long time, no one missed me. I was a fucking problem, one that needed to be solved.

“How much did you miss me?”

She closes the gap between us, grinding her pussy against my hardening cock. My lips quirk into a smirk. “My greedy girl needs this.”

She nods. “I just need you.”

I’m happy to oblige. Anything she needs, I will give to her, so I pull the globes of her bottom against me, circling my hips enough to apply some pressure. Her eyes are heavy as her lips part to let out a small moan.

“You feel up to this?” I ask, my fingers skimming over the side where she was shot.

Seeing the blood had been terrifying, but she was lucky. It may have hurt, but the wound was not significant enough to cause any damage, not really. The scar she will bear is a small price to pay for still being here. But the fact I could have lost her has made my need to find Richardson and his men even more pressing. Every day, the club works to knock over every stone it can to find where Richardson might be hiding. I know it’s only a matter of time before he reaches the end of the line, but every passing day without finding him is torturous.

“I’m fine,” she assures me. “It barely hurts anymore.”

I know that’s a lie, but it’s been impossible to keep my hands off her the past two weeks, though I will not risk hurting her for my own satisfaction. Heidi’s been through so much already, and I only want her to have good experiences going forward.

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