Page 39 of The Afterthought

"Nobody is ever going to hurt you like that ever again," I say.

She pulls her head up to look at me, and the sorrow in her eyes grips my heart like a vice. "You don't know that."

"Here's what I know. The next person who tries to hurt you will end up char-grilled on a skewer stick. I'll burn them to a fucking crisp and bask in every moment of it." I watch the range of emotions run through her eyes; shock, acceptance, admiration, lust.

When I glance down at the clock on her microwave, I notice that it's almost 2AM. It's been a long day for both of us, and she looks completely defeated. I grab the shirt that she took off and put it back on her before reaching out to grab her hand. She doesn't stop me, so I pull her towards her bedroom.

"We aren't having sex again. I need sleep. I have no clue what time Chloe is coming back tomorrow."

"I'm just taking you to bed." I leave out the part where I plan to get in bed with her, but she will just have to get over it. This isn't about sex right now. She needs me, whether she wants to admit it or not.

When we get into the room, I pull back the covers on her bed and motion for her to get in. She does, and I take this opportunity to strip down to my boxers. Her brows narrow, but she doesn't say anything when I slip under the covers next to her. There was no way I was going to leave her alone after what she confessed to me tonight.

"I'll be here to keep you safe now. You don't have to worry about anyone even thinking about hurting you," I reassure her as I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her back to my chest, holding her tightly.

"You've said that to me before, Grey."

"I know I did, and I'm sorry."

She turns to face me, and I take in her beauty. Her deep brown eyes shimmer in the natural night light shining into the room. I want to kick myself for ever letting her go. My arm tugs against her waist to pull her closer to me.

"How can I trust you?" she whispers.

"You keep saying that. Just give me a chance to prove it to you. That's all I ask,"

She takes a moment to take in my request. "I'll consider it, but I'm not making any promises."

"I'll prove you wrong. One way or another, you will admit you're mine. You'll come to terms with it." I lean in to kiss her forehead softly. It's been a long time since I've felt the urge to be tender with someone, but she pulls out a different side of me.

"That's not very encouraging, Greyson."

"Maybe not, but it's true. I told you I'd mark you if I have to." A mischievous grin crosses my face, and she rolls her eyes.

"The fuck you will."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you like it." Before she can say anything else, I pull her head into my chest, and she nuzzles in.

I'm not sure if it's the alcohol making her more compliant or if she is actually giving into the feelings that she's trying to ignore, but having her back in my arms feels better than I could have ever imagined. Who would have thought that after all these years, we would be right back here in the same place where I chose to walk away from her? Now, I'm making the choice to never let her go.

I let myself drift off to sleep for a few hours, holding her in my arms, before I hear my phone start to buzz from the other side of the room. I ignore it, but as soon as it stops, it starts back up again. I'm betting it's Kai. If it is, I know he won't stop calling until I answer. He's an annoying fuck like that.

I lean in and give her one last kiss on the forehead before slipping out of bed to get dressed. I glance down at my phone, and just as I thought, it's Kai. It's barely even 6AM. This fucker better have a good reason to be calling me. Once I gather all my things, I step outside and answer his seventh call.

"What could you possibly be calling me about this early in the morning?" I pull the Zippo lighter out of my pocket and flip it on and off, waiting for his response.

"You didn't come home last night. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Kai, that's a joke, right?" I swear if I left Ava in bed because of this, I'll stab him and then personally cauterize the wound. I play with the lit flame in front of me, waving it around in the air and turning my head from side to side following it.

"How pissed would you be if I said yes?"

"Very." I make my way to my car and decide to make a quick stop before I do anything else today.

"Okay, that's not why I called. Knox wants to get a bunch of the crew together today. Some of our supply has gone missing. He's trying to figure shit out."

"When and where?" I ask, knowing there's no way he wants us anywhere this early.

"This afternoon at the Garage."

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