Page 31 of Savage Protector

Chapter Thirteen

Houston

A loud banging roused Houston from a deep sleep. He scrubbed his hands across his face and took a deep breath. How long had it been since he’d slept so hard?

Shit. How long had it been since he’d fucked a woman half to death? He smiled and looked over at Izzy curled up on her side, her sweet ass pressed to his hip.

He couldn’t exactly pinpoint the moment he lost control or the one when he decided he needed a hell of a lot more time with her. It wasn’t fucking natural to get this insane so quickly, but natural could go fuck itself.

She had a unique combination of shy innocence and dark desires that made him want things he’d long ago dismissed. Things like a relationship. Although he knew exactly how dangerous those cravings could be.

The banging that had woken him sounded again and this time came accompanied by someone shouting his name.

“God dammit, Hawkeye. Wake the fuck up and answer the door.”

He groaned at the voice he recognized and one of the few people who insisted on using his nickname.

“Who’s Hawkeye? Someone you know?” Izzy asked on a yawn as she stirred next to him.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it. Go back to sleep and I’ll take care of this.” He squeezed her hip gently.

“Okay,” she whispered, already succumbing to the exhaustion that plagued him as well.

They’d need to hydrate and refuel soon. Things had taken a bit of a rough turn last night. She’d be sore.

The banging persisted and some of the anger he kept bottled began to flow. “Stop fucking knocking and hold your goddamned horses.”

He retrieved his pants from the floor and shoved his legs into them as dread consumed him. The last person on the planet he wanted to talk to stood at his door threatening to kick it down.

Half dressed, he crossed to the door and jerked it open. “What the hell do you want?”

“You didn’t show for our meeting.”

Houston rolled his eyes. Was Axel serious right now? “And you tracked me all the way here just to tell me that?”

Axel shrugged. “Not as hard as it sounds. One of our newest brothers is a hacker. He was able to access your credit card charge info in less than five minutes.”

Houston ground his teeth. Was that supposed to impress him? They should have left him alone. He had a right to his privacy and some fucking peace.

“I told you I wasn’t interested.”

“Meet wasn’t optional and you know it,” Axel hissed, rage lighting his eyes.

Fresh anger swept through him as he stepped outside and pulled the door partially closed behind him.

“Look, I get what you’re trying to do, but I’m not ready. I may never be ready.”

“Meet wasn’t optional,” he repeated. “You left our Prez hanging and that shit ain’t right.”

Houston scrubbed his hands over his face. He could handle a lot without much sleep, but this he didn’t want to deal with. It was too much.

“Don’t push this with me, Axel. I’m. Not. Fucking. Ready.”

Axel stepped into his personal space and got in his face. “We’ve been patient as we can be. You’ve had ten years. It’s time for you to do the right thing by the club.”

Houston felt his eye twitch as he tried to tamp down the anger threatening to explode.

“I goddamned left because this club got my mother killed!”

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