Page 51 of Gio

A woman’s scream sounded but that was it, there were no other sounds of distress, and I didn’t know how to respond.

Heavy footfalls sounded next, and I tensed, backing myself up into the farthest corner I could find to save myself, or maybe to give myself time to react, I wasn’t sure of anything anymore. But I braced myself for the worst.

Grunts and groans sounded that I chalked up to sex sounds until I heard the door handle jiggle and then it was yanked open. “Harper? Thank fuck!”

Gio? “Gio is that you?”

“It is,” he answered in a low relieved whisper before I felt his hands on my waist, pulling me to my feet before they were lifted off the ground. “Fuck I’m so glad to see you,” he whispered. “I wasn’t sure if I would find you.”

“You did,” I cried. “I knew you would, but I wasn’t sure how long it would take.”

“Felt like a fucking eternity,” he muttered and carried me down one flight of stairs and then another. He fell silent as he carried me, and the next thing I knew there was a cool breeze on my skin. My feet hit the ground, and a loud sob escaped. “You’re okay, Harp. You’re safe, anyway.”

I clung to Gio as if he was my whole world, because in that moment he was. Hell, in general he was everything to me. “Gio, you came for me.”

“Of course I did.” His voice had an edge to it, and I realized we weren’t out of danger yet as he urged me forward, “Come on, Harp, we need to put a lot of fucking distance between this place and us. Quickly.”

I nodded and accepted the helmet he handed me. I wanted to argue that he needed it more than I did but I knew there was no arguing with him right now. I held on tight and keep my gaze on the scenery that zoomed by, making sure that there were no motorcycles or vans following in our wake. My heart continued pounding against my chest because I knew there would be achase or a retaliation. My brain wouldn’t let me believe that my rescue had been so easy, so free of consequences.

Too soon the Steel Demons clubhouse came into view and everything else I’d suppressed came back to me with reckless abandon. Tears slid down my cheeks and my body shook uncontrollably as the bike came to a stop and Gio killed the engine.

“Harper, you’re okay,” he whispered and held me close while I cried into his strong, broad chest. “You’re okay, baby. I got you.”

His words were soothing but still I couldn’t stop the tears. “I just,” I started and paused for more sobs to shake my body. “I just can’t believe you came for me. I wanted you to, but I never dreamed…” my words trailed off because there was nothing else to say other than, “Thank you, Gio.”

He shook his head above me, but I held him tight. “Don’t thank me, Harper. I should have kept you safe, I fucking promised. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“No!” I pulled back and shook my head. “Don’t you dare. They were organized and somehow, they knew I’d be there.” I froze as moments from my abduction came back to me. “Can we go inside? Please?”

“Yeah, of course.” He wrapped his big body around mine and guided me around the building and through the rear entrance where nobody could see us. His hand rubbed soothing circles against my back and once we were locked inside his room in the clubhouse, he pulled back and stared at me. “Harper.”

The smile that touched my lips was small but filled with fire and gratitude. “Gio, I need you to stay calm.”

“I can’t.”

“Try because I have to tell you something and you’re not going to like it.” I worked hard to remember everything I could just in case I found myself in this position. “They knew where I’d be.” The words rushed out of me. “When they grabbed me, they saidthe bitch said she would be here.” I shook my head and cleared the fog. “At first I thought I was the bitch but the more I thought about it the more I realized that someone told them where I would be.”

His jaw clenched tight. “You heard that?”

I nodded and held his face in my hands because I felt him spiraling. “Who would do that? Who hates me so much they’d want me dead?” I stopped as the realization hit. “Cindy wouldn’t do this, would she?”

He stiffened with tension, and I could feel the anger course through his body until he was just a rage-filled vessel. I quickly tried to defuse the situation—I didn’t want him to go off half-cocked on the club girl without any evidence. “We don’t know it’s her, but I’m safe now Gio, because of you. I’m right here, right now because of you.”

He shook his head, ready to take on the burden of my kidnapping but I wouldn’t let him. “I promised.”

“And you got me. Here I am,” I reminded him. “I’m fine, Gio. I’m safe and other than a few bruises, I’m good. They stuck me in a room and kept me there, no one touched me.” I held his face and forced his gaze to mine. “Thank you Gio. Thank you for saving me from a fate worse than death.”

His smile spread slowly, and he held my face in return, pressing his forehead to mine. “I’m in love with you, Harper,I couldn’t do anything but burn the whole fucking world down until I found you.”

A shaky breath escaped at his intense, heartfelt words. “Gio.” My lips met his in a kiss that was hot and hungry, so raw with emotion that more tears filled my eyes.

The door to Gio’s room opened and my brother appeared with an angry scowl on his face. “You might have just burned the whole fucking world down, brother. Diesel wants to see you.” His anger subsided slightly when his gaze met mine. “Fuck Harp, it’s so good to see you.”

“Good to be seen alive,” I told him while I clung to Gio.

“Harper.” He whispered my name before he planted the softest, most intense kiss of my life against my lips. Everything he felt was contained in this kiss and I held him close and tight, reluctant to let him go. “I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be here,” I assured him. Where else would I be when the man of my dreams just declared his love for me? Those words stuck with me through a hot shower.

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