Page 66 of Ox

My chest gave an involuntary squeeze at the thought of her choosing to go back to Cali alone. I couldn’t be away from her. Not after Ghost had taken her away from me. Not after deciding how much I loved and needed her in my life.

That’s right. I’d figured it out as soon as she’d been ripped from my arms. And when she was ready to hear it, I’d tell her how I felt and ask her to be my Old Lady.

When we got back to the States, we pulled into a beautiful hotel in Arizona. It was the nicest place I could find, which my woman deserved after all she’d been through. The front desk gave us some curious stares as we checked in. Men dressed in leather and covered in tattoos always had that effect on people. Never letting Kayla’s hand go, I led her silently to our room as I carried her bag over my shoulder.

As soon as the door was shut behind us, Kayla wrapped her arms around my neck and nuzzled into my chest. I’d never felt such relief in all of my life. She didn’t hate me. That much was clear. But did she blame me for letting her get kidnapped? She certainly had the right to. I blamed myself every minute we’d spent apart and probably would for the rest of my days.

Dropping my lips to the top of her head, I kissed her tenderly and said, “I’m so sorry, Babe. I’ll never let you go again.”

Kayla sobbed and gripped me tighter. Carrying her over to the bed, I sat down and pulled her into my lap where she nestled in as close as she could.

“When Ghost snatched you, I thought I’d lost you forever,” I confessed, as I circled her lush body with my arms.

Kayla’s head raised and she looked up at me with beautiful, watery brown eyes. “It’s not your fault, Ox. Ghost is a monster. You couldn’t watch me every second of the day. He’d have eventually found me one way or another.”

When she shivered at the thought, I squeezed her hard to reassure her she was safe. “Don’t worry about Ghost, Babe. He can’t harm anyone anymore,” I told her, my voice as hard as steel.

Kayla’s body tensed. “Did you…?”

She was too scared to finish the question, but I answered it anyway. “No. Unfortunately, his own Club got to him before I could.”

She began to tremble. “What happened?”

I explained that Ghost had defied his Club Prez and taken Kayla to Mexico instead of returning her to the Devil’s Riders like he’d been commanded to. And, when Maze had realized he’d run, they’d made a few calls, paid a few bribes, and had him stopped at the border. The border official had taken Kayla to his own house for safekeeping until the Devil’s Riders could pick her up, while Ghost had been turned over to the Watchmen.

Did I believe this was the whole story? Not for a fucking second. Maze was a shifty son of a bitch. He knew Ghost had my girl all along. He didn’t save Kayla out of the kindness of his heart. He’d done it to save his worthless Club from utter annihilation. While he might have bought himself and his MC some time, their end was still coming. But right now, I needed to focus on my priorities. The woman I loved.

Processing my story, Kayla listened carefully as I stroked her soft hair. When I finished, she said, “How did he die?”

I didn’t want to give her too many gory details, so I simply said, “In a house fire.”

Kayla took a deep breath. “He never hurt me.”

I was taken aback by this unsolicited statement. “Who? Ghost?”

She nodded. “He was going to, but his President called and said he needed to see him and—” She began to silently cry again.

Although I’d wanted to know what the bastard had done to her, I was prepared to wait until she’d wanted to talk about it. “Do you need to see a doctor? The Club has one nearby. I can call him and you can talk to him privately about whatever you need,” I offered, afraid she was just telling me what I wanted to hear to shelter me from the truth.

Kayla reached out and stroked my cheek. “I’m telling you the truth, Ox. He never touched me. He kissed me,” she blushed at this, “but the phone call from his Club President interrupted what he planned on doing.”

The muscle in my jaw ticked, but I worked hard to control it. “If you don’t want a doctor, is there anything else I can get you?”

She didn’t even hesitate before she said, “Just you, Ox. That’s all I want and need.”

Holding her close, I tucked her head under my chin. “I’m here, Baby. Just rest. I’m not going anywhere until you want me to.”

And even then, I was making no promises.

Kayla

I slept wellfor the first time since my kidnapping. The knock at the hotel door startled me, and I reluctantly awoke. Kissing my forehead, Ox set me onto the bed and walked over to the door. Room service bustled in with an entire cart of food while he pulled out his wallet to pay.

Cocking my head to the side, I glanced at the clock on the nightstand which read five minutes past six. “Are your Brothers joining us for dinner?” My voice came out all sleep clogged and croaky sounding when I spoke.

Ox smiled and laughed. Tipping the waiter, he shut and locked the door behind him. “No. I didn’t want to wake you, so I ordered everything I thought you might like from the hotel menu.”

The sweet gesture made me want to start crying all over again. However, I didn’t give in to the temptation. I’d already cried enough today.

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