Page 21 of Vengeance

“It’s an added security, but mostly it’s to separate from the kids. They threatened them to get me to talk, and if I’m not with them, they’ll more than likely leave them alone. I cannot let anything happen to them, Colt. I will actually die if they’re hurt because someone wants to hurt me.”

Moving to sit on the same bed, he wraps his arms around her, pulling her into his lap. She moves to straddle him, and their embrace turns into kissing. Instead of passion, Colt needs comfort. Knowing his club hasn’t eased the fear in the women makes him feel like a failure. A complete and total failure, and he hates this feeling.

“Colt, you can’t blame yourself,” Lex says, reading his mind as she moves to let him slip her out of her sweatpants.

“I just...”

“I know,” she whispers as he slides into her. “I know.”

The only person who could possibly know what he thinks and feels is the love of his life, but it doesn’t make him feel any better. In fact, it makes him feel worse. She expects the bare minimum, and that’s all any of the women have gotten lately. Something has to change. Soon.

Chapter Seven

Griffin’s Beach

Colt

Lex lies next to Colt in their bed at home, both naked, but he stares at the ceiling rather than sleeps. As soon as they stepped in the front door, they stripped each other naked and had passionate, animalistic sex that left them both sweaty and panting. Without the kids home, they had no qualms about noise or acrobatics, but it did nothing to dampen the anxious energy he’s had since he came home to find the house empty. Just like he didn’t feel better after they made love in the hotel room.

How could no one see the panic spreading throughout the club? Are they that good at hiding it, or are all the men just that fucking oblivious? Neither option makes Colt feel much better, and he knows he needs to force a conversation with Jennings.

Everyone knows Jennings and Psycho are in talks with the RIO, but this shit seems to be dragging out. Like nothing affects anything, and it’s time they counter. They need to come up with a plan to either force the RIO to help or back the hell off. At this point, he’d be willing to offer up Dimitri on a silver platter if it means he can get his hands on O’Malley and stop the Slashers from going after Lex.

The wind rustles the tree outside, and Colt hears a branch scrape against the house. Lex stiffens beside him, and he realizes for the first time that she never fell asleep. Her body remains completely still, and when the tree scrapes again, she sits up.

“It’s okay,” Colt says and touches her arm. “It’s just the tree.”

“I don’t think so,” she says. “I have that feeling. I have since we got home.”

Tilting his head, he props his head up on his hands as his elbow pushes the pillow back and squishes it against the wall. “What feeling?”

“That I’m being watched. I’m going to go check,” she says and slips out of bed.

Her naked back catches in the moonlight from the window, and he sees every vertebra on her spine as well as her ribs. She’s not an emotional eater, and it’s obvious to most that she’s the complete opposite. He hates seeing her so thin.

Grabbing his t-shirt, she slips it over her naked body, and he loves the side view he gets of her body. No matter what may be going on, he prays he never has a moment where he doesn’t appreciate his naked wife. Even when he’s ninety.

Climbing out of bed, he grabs a pair of sweatpants and slips them on to follow her. She starts in Noah’s room and looks outside, first from the right behind the closed curtains and then the left. She avoids walking in front of the covered window for longer than a second as though a sniper lies in wait for her.

“I’ll have West and York circle around to check,” he offers. “Will that make you feel better?”

She whips around, her back plastered against the wall. “I’m not crazy, Colt. I’m not.”

“I know,” he says and moves to pull her into his arms. “I know.”

Guiding her into the living room, he eases them down to lie with her snug against him as he reaches for his phone to text West. Someone needs to check around back to make sure no one’s there, and maybe Lex can settle down. They’re safe in their house. The Slashers wouldn’t be dumb enough to try something again. Not after Lex murdered the attacker.

“I know you don’t understand,” Lex says. “It probably feels like I’m being weak or paranoid, but I’m not. I wish I could explain this feeling to you.”

“I don’t understand, but I know better than to doubt you,” he says and kisses her temple. “I just wish I didn’t feel like such a failure.”

Her eyes look up at him, and she rests her chin on his chest. “You’re not a failure.”

“How should I feel knowing my family doesn’t feel safe in our own home?”

“That’s not you. That’s the club.”

“I’m part of the club.”

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