Page 37 of Ginger

"I just..." she started, then stopped, her teeth catching her bottom lip. "I don't want to be the reason anyone gets hurt."

Reno snorted from where he was checking the windows. "Bit late for that, sweetheart."

I shot him a look, but there was no heat behind it. He wasn't wrong. The moment Rayburn had shown his face, the moment we'd learned about her past, blood had become inevitable. It was just a question of whose and how much.

Ginger looked around. “Where’s KiKi?”

“I think she went out for a bit,” Reno said. “Her car is gone from the parking lot.”

"Come here," I said, pulling her fully into the room and shutting the door behind us. The lock engaged with a satisfying thunk. One more barrier between her and the world that wanted to hurt her.

Ginger moved into the bedroom and to the edge of the bed, sinking down onto it. Her fingers worked at the hem of her shirt, twisting the fabric. "What happens now?" she asked, her voice small.

Reno and I exchanged a look over her head. There were things she didn't need to know, details that would only haunt her dreams.

"Now, you stay safe here while we handle business," Reno said, his tone leaving no room for argument. He crossed to her, kneeling down and taking her face in his hands. His thumbs traced her cheekbones, the gesture so tender it made my chest ache. "Let us do what we do best."

I watched them together, feeling that strange twist in my gut that wasn't jealousy—it was something deeper, more primal. Seeing them like this, Reno's dark intensity focused entirely on her, her vulnerability on full display—it did things to me. Made me want to wrap them both in my arms and shelter them from the world.

I moved to the window, watching the night outside, the security lights casting harsh shadows across the lot.

"We've got a brother watching your uncle's place," I said, keeping my back to them. "Another one shadowing Rayburn. By morning, we'll know their routines, their weaknesses."

The bed creaked as Ginger shifted. "My uncle..." Her voice faltered. "He's got connections. People who owe him favors."

I turned then, leaning against the windowsill. "And we've got a MC with chapters in three states. Trust me, darlin', your uncle's connections don't mean shit compared to ours."

Reno had moved to sit beside her, his arm draped protectively across her shoulders. The contrast between them always struck me—her delicate frame against his massive one, her red hair against his dark beard. Like something out of a fucked-up fairy tale.

"I've seen what he can do," she whispered, her eyes taking on that distant look that told me she was back there, trapped in memories that still had power over her.

"And I've seen what we can do," I countered, crossing the room to kneel in front of her. I took her hands in mine, rubbing my thumbs over her knuckles. "There's a reason people fear this club. There's a reason cops look the other way when we roll through town."

Reno's hand moved to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair. "We're not just some backwoods thugs, Ginger. We're organized. Connected. And we protect our own."

The tension in her shoulders eased slightly under his touch. I watched her face, seeing the conflict there—the hope warring with experience, the desire to believe in fighting against years of learned caution.

"When's the last time you slept?" I asked, changing tactics. "Really slept?"

She gave a hollow laugh. "Before I met you two."

"Bullshit," Reno growled, but there was no heat behind it. "You sleep like the dead when you're between us."

A flush crept up her neck, and something in my chest loosened at the sight. Even now, with danger pressing in from all sides, she could still blush.

"Let's get you into bed," I said, rising to my feet and pulling her up with me. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

She stood, swaying slightly with exhaustion. "Will you be here? Both of you?"

"One of us will always be with you," I promised. "Tonight, we both stay."

Relief washed over her face, and she leaned into me, her forehead resting against my chest. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank us, Ginger. You’re ours now. It’s my job, and Reno’s, to keep you safe.”

I kissed her softly, wanting so much more, but knowing now wasn’t the right time. She didn’t need the two of us crawling on top of her tonight. No, what our Ginger needed was to be held, cared for, and reassured. So that’s what she’d get.

I shared a look with Reno and knew he was in agreement.

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