Page 89 of His Road Dog

Chapter 33

Priest

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NICOLE'S BODY DRAPEDover Priest in the bed. He rubbed circles on her back and stared up at the ceiling. He'd exhausted her.

She'd dropped off to sleep in midsentence, talking about his hair, of all things.

He chuckled, feeling the strain on his cheeks, knowing he smiled in the dark with no one to witness his weakness. Hell, the Tarkio members wouldn't believe he was capable of feeling so damn content.

She'd admitted to falling in love with him. As soon as she'd said the word, it was like he'd been punched in the gut.

He had no idea how to love someone. Hell, he wasn't sure what it felt like to have someone love him.

It was never something he had received. He never even knew he wanted it before. It was easier to live his life with the understanding that he fought for whatever he wanted, and what he wanted, he took.

He couldn't fall asleep because he was afraid that in the morning, what happened between them would disappear.

A new day always brought new problems.

But for right now, he was okay. He had everything he wanted in his arms.

His club was solid. Money was coming in. The Feds kept their distance.

A sigh rippled through him. He held her tighter. It wouldn't help him if he let down his guard.

There was always the threat of losing Nicole playing in the back of his mind. He couldn't pinpoint when he'd decided he wasn't going to let her leave him; the feeling had always been present. From the first night he'd seen her, he'd known there was something special about her.

Her oddball childhood had trained her to adapt to his rough lifestyle.

She brought peace to the war he lived in.

He wanted to protect the innocence she held on to without disrupting her life. But she was also the key to making Tarkio bigger, stronger, more secure. If he could get his hands on the crops the commune owned, he could get the club a small slice of peace. But could he do that without harming her?

"I don't know what to do," he whispered.

Nicole continued sleeping, dead to the problems keeping him awake. Pure of heart, nothing troubled her. She slept like a baby, trusting that he'd hold her throughout the night.

He couldn't take that away from her. She had to trust him.

"I'll make things right." He kissed the top of her head. "I promise," he whispered.

She exhaled softly, never stirring. He swallowed the lump of emotions in his throat.

"Good talk, babe," he whispered again.

He could make sure she never lost faith in him. If he had to sell his soul and win the war, he would do whatever needed to be done to make sure she was taken care of.

He could give that to Nicole.

The house. The club. The motorcycle club. It would all be there for her.

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