Page 106 of Vengeance

“Lex-”

“If they want me, putting me with our kids only puts them at risk. We don't know if this is actually going to go down the way you have it planned, and I'd rather not give them an opportunity to follow me and hurt them just because it's convenient.”

Sighing, he knows there's no point in arguing, but it doesn't mean he won't at least try to get her to the safe house. “Baby, it's called a safe house.”

“And there are almost always eyes on me. Watching me. They probably just watched you bend me in half ten minutes ago.”

“You didn't seem to mind what I did,” he says, a knowing smirk on his face.

She slinks over and wraps her arms around his neck, her bra clad torso pressing against his naked chest. “I didn't mind it in the least, but it doesn't mean Scarface wasn't watching you make me come. All four times.”

“Only four,” he murmurs and kisses her. Pulling back, he stares with furrowed brows. “Wait, do you feel that crazy asshole watching us now?”

“I wasn't paying attention. He seems to get off watching us get off, so I don't worry too much.”

His lips crash onto hers, and he's tempted to just throw her in the car, grab the kids, and get the fuck out of Griffin's Beach. Drive until they hit snow somewhere really far north, and settle there. Far away from the danger and start over. Start a new life together.

It's a thought he's had for a while now, but he knows there's nowhere that's completely safe. He has money, but not enough to live off of for the rest of their lives. Eventually, jobs would need to be gotten, and assuming they're not outlaw jobs, that'll give anyone looking for them access to find them when the inevitable background checks are done.

“This will be over today,” she reminds him.

“We hope,” he says and moves to sit, pulling her onto his lap.

Her fingers massage his scalp, and he focuses on the beat of her heart. “It will, Colt. You guys took out a huge number of their men. And it sounds like the RIO called because the Irish want a truce. That's a good sign.”

“Because your plan worked,” he says and sighs. “It felt like you were coming back.”

“I want to, Colt. I really do. It's just... there's still a lot of damage there. You and me, we're good. Based on how you seem to be making up for missed time in terms of orgasms, we are very good,” she says, and he laughs. Of course, she figured it out. “But things with the club... I just... I can't trust them yet. There's still a lot to deal with.”

This issue with the Slashers has to end today. Colt hasn't had a decent night's sleep since Lex was kidnapped, and probably before. But the thought of them getting to her again makes him crazy. They cannot fail. They just cannot because if they do, they fail her. He fails her. And he can't fail Lex again.

“You have no idea how bad I want to just pack you and the kids up and hightail it out of here. Say goodbye to everything and just fucking leave it behind. Everything bad can be left in the dust while we start over new.”

“That sounds nice,” she murmurs in his ear.

Pulling back, he looks up into her eyes. “Really?”

“In a perfect world, we would've ridden off into the sunset when I got back from Arizona. But that's not life. And it’s certainly not ours.”

He sets her on the bed. “Lex, I have a question that has been nagging at me for a while, but I've been too scared to ask it.”

Lex searches his eyes. “Why would you be scared to ask it?”

“Because I don't know if I can handle the answer.”

Narrowing her eyes, she shakes her head. “What's the question, Colt?”

“Is there too much damage here in Griffin's Beach to move past? For you?”

Sighing, she looks at the wall. Not a good sign. This means she's about to say something he doesn't want to hear.

“I don't know.”

“Lex, I was serious when I said I'd turn in my leather and walk away from the club. If things are too broken to be fixed, there's no reason to stay.”

She smiles and looks at the ground. “Yeah, there is. There are a few reasons. For starters, our families are here.”

“They can come visit. And we won't be banished from visiting them.”

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