Page 5 of Claimed By the Rebel

“Ohmygod,” I say in a rush once I find my voice. “I… You… And then… zoom! And you… you saved me.” I’m still a little out of sorts, which is understandable considering the circumstances. “Thank you. I…”

The man hasn’t said a single word, though he still has a tight hold on me. I don’t mind. The chiseled muscles of his chest and abs press against the soft curves of my body, sending an unexpected shiver down my spine. For the first time in my life, the presence of a tall, powerful man doesn’t terrify me or make me want to run away and hide.

Those brown eyes peer down into mine, though I can’t quite place the look swimming in their depths. Right here, in this stranger’s arms, I feel safer than I ever have. People scurry around us while cars zip by, but the noise fades to a blur in the background. It’s just me and my mysterious rescuer.

The next second, he drops his arm from around my waist and takes several steps back. The man shoves his hands in his pockets and looks down at the ground, muttering something to himself.

“Um, thank you,” I say again, putting on my brightest smile. “I tend to be a little clumsy, and then with my purse and groceries and phone… oh! Speaking of…”

I look around for my discarded items, only to have my savior move closer to me and pull me away from the curb with his large hands on my hips. I try not to notice the shock of lightning shooting down my spine or the dull, pulsing ache settling between my thighs, but I have a feeling I’ll be obsessing over this interaction for weeks to come. I didn’t realize how starved for human contact I was until this moment.

“I’ll get it,” he grunts. “You stay put.”

I frown slightly at his gruff tone, but how can I be anything but grateful at this moment? I send a quick text to Bea letting her know I'm okay and we'll have to finish our conversation later, then I watch the giant beast of a man pick up my purse and hand it to me. He's laser-focused on me as I slip it on over my shoulder. He gathers up the groceries that had spilled onto the sidewalk, and I'm thankful to see everything is still there and in order. Nothing broke, so I won't have to go back to the store.

I hold out my hand for the grocery bags, but the man keeps them secure in his grip.

“Um, so, thank you. Seriously. I’ve always been accident-prone, but not death-prone,” I ramble nervously. He’s giving me nothing to work with, so I’m just trying to fill the silence. “I guess practice makes perfect.” I wince at my stupid comment while the man crinkles his brow slightly. “Not that I want to die or anything like that. I mean we all have our dark days. But c’mon, death by car has to be a pretty painful way to go. Plus, it can’t be a hundred percent success rate, so the results would be hit or miss. HA!” I snort out a laugh. “Get it? Hit or miss?”

The man is studying me like I’m a foreign species, which is fair. I haven’t held a conversation with a non-Serpent member in years, and it shows.

“What were we talking about again? Oh, right. You saving my life. Thank you, again. That doesn’t seem adequate enough. Hmm…” I trail off, trying to think of some way to repay him. I’ve got nothing. “My favorite coffee shop is right up the block. Let me get you a latte and a scone.”

As soon as I make the offer, I feel like a complete idiot. Knowing nothing about this man, I can confidently say he doesn’t sip lattes or nibble on scones. He looks like he drinks coffee strong enough to chew and has a dozen raw eggs for breakfast.

“Latte?” he asks, the word sounding wholly unfamiliar on his lips.

“Yeah. Or coffee. Or a raspberry mocha with extra whip and chocolate drizzle. Whatever you want, my treat.”

Another blank stare.

“I’ll take your silence as an unequivocal yes.” This earns me the slightest spark in those dark brown eyes, and I won’t lie; I love it.

I loop my arm in his and begin walking down the sidewalk, heading toward my favorite coffee shop. I hardly ever get to leave the compound except to run errands here and there. Today, we needed groceries, so I was given some cash and a shopping list. I know better than to run away with the cash. My brother would find me in a heartbeat and make me pay back every penny, by any means necessary.

“This will be fun,” I tell my hostage. He shuffles his feet behind me, still holding my grocery bags. “I haven’t made a new friend in ages.”

The mysterious man makes a strange sound in the back of his throat, but I ignore it. I’m just happy to have someone to talk to who isn’t a Serpent or associated with any of that world. Maybe today won’t be so bad after all.

5

RAZOR

What the hell is happening right now?

I stare down at the little lady currently pulling my six-foot-three, two-hundred-and-eighty-pound self down the sidewalk. One minute I was on my bike, watching the blonde woman I'm definitely not stalking, and the next minute she dropped her phone and dove in front of a car to grab it.

I had no choice but to act. My mind went completely blank and my sole focus was to get her out of danger. The moment I wrapped my arm around her waist, I knew I crossed a line. And when she turned around and locked her eyes on me? I was done for.

Even after studying her photos and checking up on her these last few days, I wasn’t quite sure what colors her eyes were. Sometimes they looked green, while at other times, blue flecks shined through.

But now I know. Her wide, hazel eyes will never leave my memory. Swirls of blue, olive, and brown make up her mesmerizing gaze. I swear there was a hint of recognition swimming in their depths when she first looked up at me. God knows I have nearly every contour of her face memorized, but she’s never seen me before now.

Or maybe I’m losing my goddamn mind since a handful of my MC brothers went and settled down with women of their own. Am I subconsciously looking for a partner?

That thought has me stopping in my tracks. Literally. The woman whose name I still don’t know comes to an abrupt halt with her arm still looped in mine. She teeters on her heels then falls backward. I’m right there to catch her, trying with all of my might to ignore her soft curves and sweet, floral scent.

No, for fuck’s sake. Stop this right now, I scold myself. I was only going to look at her from afar. That was the plan. Just follow her around a bit and see if she knows anything or goes anywhere noteworthy. For the club.

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