Page 36 of Hellfire

“Why are you in my room? Did you miss me?” I teased, a smirk playing on the corner of my lips.

“I’ll just go?” she said like a question, her eyes darted to my still-hard cock.

She shifted her thighs together as she stared. Caramelized brown sugar wafted from her. I groaned, pushing my wet hair back from my face.

“Fuck Katrina,” I growled, “I’ve been trying to be a gentleman, not push you too far too fast. But coming home and finding a goddess in my bed? A man can only resist so much.”

She scoffed, crossed her arms over her chest, and turned her head to shield her face with a curtain of raven locks. I growled again, not liking that she was hiding from me. So I knelt before her, but still, she refused to look me in the eye. I gripped her jaw gently, stroking her cheek. My heart caught in my throat when my thumb came back wet with her tears.

“Why are you crying, pretty girl?” I asked softly.

“Stop that!” she demanded, turning her furious gaze back to mine. “Stop telling me I’m pretty, Tank. Diamond and I look nothing alike. I’ve never been a pretty girl. I’m short and have always struggled with my weight.”

She laughed bitterly. “I was okay with that until I met you. Stop telling me I’m pretty because I’m not. Stop saying I’m a goddess, I’m nowhere near perfect.” She waved her hand in frustration as hot tears fell down her cheeks. “All I am is a disappointment.”

I grabbed her chin in my hand again. “Are you about done telling me how I see you?” I demanded, my tone harsher than I meant it to be. The pain reflecting in her eyes broke something in me. “Who said you’re not good enough? I’ll kill them,” I said darkly.

“You can’t just go around killing everyone, Tank,” she protested as she threw her hands up in the air.

“Wanna bet?” I replied.

“That’s beside the point. Leona needs me. I can’t get distracted,” Katrina said, her voice laced with desperation.

“She needs her mom to be happy, Katrina. Why can’t you be happy?” I countered, trying to make her understand. Make her see what I saw when I looked at her.

“I don’t deserve it!” she cried, her voice shaking.

“Why don’t you deserve to be happy?” I murmured, my brows furrowed.

“Because I’m married, Tank. My parents married me off to the highest bidder. All I’ve ever been is a pawn, and I can’t let that happen to my daughter. I just can’t,” she explained, her voice breaking with emotion.

I needed her to understand that she deserved to be happy, that she deserved to be loved.

“Look at me,” I begged.

But still, she shook her head and refused to meet my eyes. Stalking across the room, I wrapped a towel around my waist.

Once I finally sat down beside her, I spoke softly, “Leona will never go through that, you hear me? The Dark Legion would never let that happen.Iwon’t let that happen.“ But it wasn’t enough to make her look at me.

“Me and Scar lost our sister, Rose, to the Hive. She was barely twenty when they took her. When she died….” I paused, emotions bubbling in my chest. Clearing my throat, I continued, “We dedicate ourselves to helping women and children involved in the skin trade.”

Katrina’s eyes flashed up to mine in surprise.

“We look out for ours. And when Scar saw you in that gas station, he knew you belonged here.Bothof you.”

“Tank, I’m sorry. I had no idea. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for you and Scar.”

I shrugged, feeling a lump in my throat. “It was a long time ago. But it’s why we built this MC. We look out for each other. We’re family.”

Katrina nodded, seeming to understand. “I want to believe you, Tank. I really do. But it’s hard for me to trust anyone, let alone a group of bikers.”

I could understand where she was coming from. The Dark Legion had a reputation, and it wasn’t always a good one. But I knew we were different. We weren’t a group of thugs riding around, causing havoc. We had a purpose, and that purpose was to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.

“Pretty girl, I know it’s hard for you to trust us. But I promise you. We’re not like the Hive. We have a code. We protect each other. And we will protect you and Leona, too.”

Katrina was silent for a moment, then she reached out and touched my hand. “Tank, I...I don’t know what to say. I’m scared. I’m scared for Leona. Scared for myself. But when I’m with you, I feel safe. For the first time in my life, I have hope.”

I squeezed her hand gently. “There is hope, Katrina. There’s always hope. And the MC will be here for you and Leona every step of the way.”

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