Page 19 of Chaos

“And how was the bed for your stay? Comfortable enough?” I tease. Playfully, she hits my chest. Before she can pull away, I hold her hand in place.

“Pretty damn good.” Her fingers trail through my tangled hair before she lets her arm fall to the pillow.

I don’t know what to do with a girl the morning after. This is completely unchartered territory. “What’s your plan now?”

She pulls the covers under her chin and I yank them away, positioning myself between her legs.

She sighs, relaxing her knees against my ribs. “I honestly don’t know.”

“You want my advice?” My palms work up and down her thighs. I don’t know what will happen later, but I can’t stop touching her.

Her eyes narrow in a look that tells me she doesn’t, but I’ll give it to her, anyway.

“Get as far away from my family as you possibly can. They’re toxic. All of them.” Brody has proven to be no different from my mother. I’d take bets on my ‘step-dad’ is a complete asshole, too.

Her lips thin, and her gaze drifts to a spot on the wall behind me. “Easier said than done. I don’t have anything in my name.”

I tip her chin up. “Start with nothing and build an empire then, sweetheart.”

I grab her left hand, studying the rings on her finger. There’s no way he spent more than five grand on these. Fucking cheapskate.

“I’ll give you fifty-thousand for these. Think that’s fair?”

She blinks at me a few times. I turn her palm over and drop my lips softly on the delicate skin of her wrist.

“No. We both know they aren’t worth anywhere near that. I’ve got a little of my inheritance left from my parents.” She lets out a long breath like the words hurt to say.

I don’t think I should ask about her parents. That would be crossing a line that we both silently agreed to place. “In a joint account?” I pull back and study her features.

She frees her hand from my grasp to rub her temples. “Yep.”

Fucking bastard. A money grabber like Mom.

Anger boils in my chest. “How much did you have in there?”

Her maroon hair fans out as she shakes her head. “I don’t know, probably twenty?”

“Wait here.” The air is cold on my naked body when I crawl out of bed, but I’m on a mission.

I head into my office and open up the safe, and start shoving bundles of cash into a bag. There is something telling me to help her get away from them. I don’t ignore my instincts. She deserves better than them, anyway.

As I return to the bedroom, she’s sitting up, watching me cautiously. I drop the duffle on the floor.

“Jax. What the hell are you doing?” The sheet falls from her, exposing her perky nipples, tightening in the chill.

I bite back a groan as my eyes roam her naked body, rubbing a hand over my face to try to concentrate for a minute, then I hold out my hand. “The rings.”

“I’m not taking your charity, Jax.” She folds her slim arms over her chest, obscuring my view.

I step towards her and grab her chin. “You are. I’ve got far too much of it. I’d just spend it on another fucking bike that I’ve got no use for. Take it and run, baby.”

“Why are you so certain I can’t stay in New York?”

If only she knew just how dangerous this city is, and how hard Frankie works to keep it under control, she’d want to leave. Plus, if I knew where I could find her again, I would.

“You got any good reason to stay here?”

She shakes her head, so I point down to the black duffel bag. “This is a fresh start. A clean break.”

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