Page 39 of Deceit

We all turn our backs on the shack as it continues to burn. Deegan, Kian, and a few other men remain behind to ensure the place burns to the ground and leaves nothing more than a pile of ash. I rush toward my truck, knowing my dad will drive back to Cedar Bay so I can get Brynn and bring her home to the clubhouse in Pine View. Everyone that rode in my truck here keeps me surrounded and don’t move far from me. Even Killer who drove his truck sticks close to my side. It doesn’t take us long to get to the vehicles and load up. This time we don’t wait for anyone else to leave with us. The need to get back to the Wild Kings clubhouse is overwhelming as I sit in the back and let myself think of my girl and only her.

Scathe brings me out of my daze as we pull back into the Wild Kings compound. My dad parks close to the door and I practically jump out of my truck before he even comes to a complete stop. Rushing in the main door, I find my girl sitting at the bar with Willow. They’re talking together as a Prospect stands in front of them. Brynn turns my way when she hears the door open further. Jumping off her stool she rushes toward me. At the last second, she jumps into my arms and I catch her. Brynn wraps her body around me and I can feel her body shaking as she cries once again.

“It’s over, Kitten. I promise he’ll never be able to hurt you again,” I whisper into her hair, pressing my lips against the bandage softly so I don’t hurt her.

“Can we go home now?” she whispers, not moving an inch as more men come in the clubhouse.

“Yeah. We need to get you to Pine View so your family can see you and know you’re okay,” I tell her, as Willow walks up to us.

“Kingston, can you make sure Brynn gets my number? We want to stay in touch,” Willow asks me with a soft smile on her face.

“Yeah. Thank you for hangin’ with my girl while we were gone,” I tell her as Otter steps up and pulls her into his arms.

“We had fun. And she got to witness me make a fool of myself,” Willow returns as a blush covers her cheeks.

“Baby, do I want to know what you did?” Otter questions her, looking down at his wife with nothing but love in his eyes.

“I ruined her lunch and got hit in the head with a sleeve of crackers,” she informs him as I try to hold back the laughter wanting to erupt.

Brynn isn’t able to hold her laughter back as she cries and laughs at the same time. Otter buries his face in Willow’s shoulder, but I can see his body shaking with laughter. We’re not laughing at the girl, but at what happens whenever she tries to do anything.

After saying our goodbyes, I carry Brynn out of the clubhouse and straight to my truck. My dad and Blood get back in the front seat while Scathe and I get in the back with Brynn still in my lap. When I try to sit her down between her dad and myself, she refuses to move. I don’t push her as I sit back and keep her in my arms. We’re all silent as we make the trip back home where Brynn’s family is waiting for her. I plan on letting her visit with them for a few minutes before taking her up to our room and getting her in the shower. She needs to get clean and wash away the rest of the evidence of her being with that sick fuck. They’ll understand and can spend the day with her tomorrow. Brynn needs a shower, food, and then sleep. Rest is going to help her heal and I’m going to ensure she gets everything she needs for the rest of her life.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Brynn

THE TRIP BACK to thePhantom Bastards clubhouse is something I don’t remember. Kingston held me in his arms, and I buried my head in his chest. My dad was in the backseat with us and every now and then he rubbed his hand up and down my back. Even my grandpa reached back and held my hand for a little while. I can just imagine if my uncle Ace was in the truck with us that he’d be reaching out to touch us in some way as well. After everything, I didn’t have the energy to lift my head or do anything other than breathe in Kingston’s scent and rest in his arms. Once again, I felt safe and as if nothing in the world outside the bubble we were in could hurt me. Growing up, I had the same feeling to a certain extent. My family always made sure I was safe and kept most everything going on away from me. That’s how Kingston always makes me feel. The only difference is that the man I’ve fallen in love with has kept me in the loop every single step of the way. As soon as he found out something about Jerome, what he was doing, or where he was, Kingston told me and made sure he gave me his time and comfort afterwards.

When I walked in the clubhouse in Pine View, the female members of my family swarmed me and held me tight in their arms. My mom and grandma were openly crying and I could tell my aunt, sister, and cousin had been crying and were now trying to be strong as they were there for the others. Hope patiently waited her turn to pull me into her arms and hold me for a minute before releasing me. Maddox came over to me for the first time and pulled me into his arms, telling me he missed me and was happy to have me back. He also apologized to me for everything he’d done over the years. There were tears in my brother’s eyes as he looked at me when I pulled back. Kingston took me back in his arms once again. I cried in their arms and couldn’t stop. My dad, uncle, and grandpa took their women in their arms and held them as they cried.

Kingston told everyone in the common room he was taking me upstairs. That I needed to take a shower before he got me something to eat so I could sleep. No one argued with him as he left them all standing on the first floor of the clubhouse and took me up to his room. Jinx followed us and unlocked the door of our room before handing over Kingston’s keys and leaving us alone. From there, my man took me straight into the bathroom and turned on the shower after sitting me on the counter by the sink. After adjusting the temperature of the water, Kingston turned and started to undress me from the borrowed clothes from one of the women of the Wild Kings MC. He got me in the shower and helped me cover my head with a shower cap so my hair and the wound that’s still bandaged doesn’t get wet per doctor’s orders. Then he carefully and slowly washed my body with the body wash and loofah from the house I once considered my sanctuary.

When I tried to return the favor to Kingston, he refused to let me wash him. Instead, he kept me under the spray of the hot water as he washed his hair and then conditioned it before moving on to his body. After he rinsed off, Kingston held me in the hot water as it rained down over us and I cried. I hate crying but today I can’t seem to stop the tears. Kingston didn’t say a single word to me as he let me get out all of my tears and get warm. I’ve been trembling since I was taken to the Wild King’s clubhouse. That’s why I didn’t want to take a shower that was offered to me. Knowing how frozen I was, I knew I’d stay in the shower as long as possible and run out the hot water of a club I knew nothing about. He whispered words of love and comfort to me as we just stood together.

Kingston dried me off before dressing me in one of his tee-shirts and a pair of panties. He put me in bed and covered me up before telling me he was going to get me something to eat. I told him about needing bland food that was soft to eat because of the nausea. Before he can even leave the room, a knock sounded on the door. He opened it to find my mom there with a bowl of soup, crackers, and a glass of juice. It was all sitting on a tray. Kingston backed up and let my mom in my room to place the tray over my lap and sits next to me in the bed before helping me eat. It’s been a long time since she fed me and took care of me this way. Kingston made small talk with my mom while sitting next to us in the bed and not leaving my side.

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