Page 54 of Asher

Then his gaze moved lower, and I knew he saw my feet.

Without a word, he shrugged off his kutte, handed it to me, and then pulled the black hoodie he was wearing and helped me in it.

Only when he had his kutte back on did he pick me up carefully and carry me to his bike.

Once he sat me down, he placed two fingers underneath my chin and lifted my face up until my eyes locked with his.

“Who?” he asked.

Was it really fire I saw burning in his hazel eyes, and when I saw how hard his face was, I knew that I wasn’t imagining things.

Therefore, I said the only thing I could, “My dad’s best friend. Marco Rubina.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Whit take his phone out and place a call.

“What happened?” he asked.

I took in the passerby and whispered, “Wouldn’t it be better to tell you all of this at the clubhouse?”

He shook his head, “Normally, it would. But with you, I need all the details.”

I nodded, “Mom and Dad went out for their weekly date night. I was putting laundry away. And that was when I heard a creak on the staircase. Before I could make a move, a figure all clad in black rushed into my bedroom. He had his hand over my mouth, my front pressed to my dresser. And when I felt his hand at the waistband of my shorts, I grabbed a heavy candlestick holder and hit him with it. Then I hit him again, grabbed my phone, and ran. Then, when I got here, I called you.”

He nodded, then swallowed, and that tick was in his jaw, as well as that vein in his neck was throbbing.

Then it seemed he got control of himself, and he said softly, “Okay. Thank you. Want us to go to your house to see if he’s there?”

I shook my head, “No, he probably isn’t.”

He nodded, “Okay, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to take you to the clubhouse, and you're going to call your parents and Stella. Then we’ll get your feet looked at. Okay?”

I nodded.

And that was that.

But as I turned my head, I saw that the entire motorcycle club was there, and Rome, Creature, Pagan, Stoney, Priest, and Coal all had specs of blood on their arms or faces.

I looked back at Asher, who was pulling a helmet out of his saddlebags, “Did I interrupt something important?”

He looked at me as he handed me the helmet, then helped me strap it on, and only once it was secured, he said, “Nothing is more important than you. Fucking nothing.”

Then he moved, climbed in front of me, and started the bike.

The rumble filled the night sky.

As soon as I was curled tight to his back, we headed to the clubhouse.

I called my mama, and she and my dad were on the way to the clubhouse.

Then I called Stella.

She beat my parents to the clubhouse.

And was smothering me in a hug.

She only released me when my mama did the same thing and then my dad.

And when I told them all what happened, I said, “I recognized his eyes.”

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