Page 20 of Protected By Saint

“You are linked to the disappearances of so many people, but you were never arrested because they could never get anything to stick.” She laughs, the sound coming out is as dry as sawdust. “I remember watching the news and thinking how contradictory it was that a man called Saint could be so heartless.”

“I’ve never hurt anyone that didn’t deserve it.”

“You are not even going to deny it, are you?” she gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “You really did it, everything you’ve been accused of.”

She’s more or less right, and I don’t bother denying her claims. There is a very clear status quo in this city, and we’re at the top of the food chain. Anyone who attempts to upset that balance is used as an example, and for the most part, as the president, I am burdened with the responsibility of it. Something that has never quite bothered me…until today.

“Jade—”

“Please tell me I’m wrong.”

It’s tempting. So fucking tempting to lie to her, if only to erase the fear in her eyes, and then we can move on from this, but for some fucking reason, I can’t bring myself to lie to her. I can’t tell her that I didn’t do any of those things I have been accused of.

I can’t lie to her.

Not if I want forever with this girl, who at some point in the last twenty-four hours, shattered all the walls I had erected around me.

I take a step forward, and she takes one back, nearly shattering me with the move, but I am determined to assure her that I am nothing like the men looking for her. More dangerous, sure, but not to her. Never to her!

“I have been in the Steel Rebels MC my whole life,” I tell her, fighting the need to close the distance between us. “My father was a hot-tempered asshole who ran the club with an iron fist and a cruel heart. I never had a chance to become anything else, and when he died, I took over.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want you to know me, all of me, not the exaggerated bits you’ve picked up.”

“It doesn’t matter—”

This time I do move, closing the distance between us and grabbing her wrists before yanking her against me. “It matters to me what you think of me, Jade. I won’t pretend that I was an innocent man before we met, but something changed the moment I saw you. So fucking beautiful in that tiny black dress and eyes so wide and breathtaking. In that moment, I knew you were going to be mine, and I felt it even stronger when our eyes locked for the first time.” Her breath hitches, but she makes no move to break my hold. “So that’s why I want you to the know the man you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. I need you to trust me, sweetheart. Trust that I will protect you from anything and anyone that tries to harm you.”

Those pretty eyes blink up at me, and she’s quiet for a long time before she slowly nods. “Knox is in the club too?”

“Knox joined as a prospect when we were in high school. My dad made me go through the same hazing every other prospect went through, and Knox and I became friends then. We both came from fucked up homes, and aside from my dad, the club was like a safe haven for us to be ourselves and talk about our passion for bikes.”

“And you made it.”

“I had to prove myself, slowly rising up through the ranks by doing whatever it took, whatever my dad told me I had to do.”

“That included hurting people?”

I shake my head, bringing her trembling fingers to my lips. “We have rules as a club, precious. We don’t hurt kids or innocent people going about their business. There are consequences for people who break those rules.”

“Last night…the man you were looking for at the club—”

“Deserves what is coming to him,” I grind out roughly, hating that I couldn’t really do much to him. My thoughts were on the girl I’d left asleep in my bed, and I couldn’t focus on taking care of Derrick Hardin, who is still cooling his heels at the clubhouse.

“What are you going to do to him?” she chokes out as horror dances into her expression. “Are you going to kill him?”

“No,” I hurry to say. The man is going to meet a fate far worse than death that will have him begging for its sweet embrace, but I don’t tell her that. Instead, I take her relieved sigh for a win, hoping to cut off further questions. “Don’t pay attention to whatever you hear out there. Believe when I say that I would never let anyone hurt you. Not even myself. I will protect you with my life, Jade. You belong to me. And that means you’re part of the Steel Rebels family. Any man in the MC would gladly give his life for yours now.”

Her head tips back, moss green eyes locking with mine. “It feels like I am a trouble magnet, inviting more chaos into my life with every passing minute, and I can’t seem to learn,” she whispers with shaky breath. “It scares me just how much I trust you after everything that’s happened.”

I bring out foreheads together. “You are the only woman that has ever come remotely close to stealing my heart.” A shudder runs through her body when I release her to trace my hand down her hips, pushing up the t-shirt to expose her naked thighs. Her lips part on a gasp when I drag my fingertips slowly up her thighs, moving up and squeezing her supple ass before sliding my hand between her legs and gently massaging her sex. “Maybe I need to show you, remind you just how much I need you here.”

“Saint, this… We need to talk some more,” she breathes, protesting my touch, but I watch as lust floods into those gorgeous moss green eyes. Her uneven exhales communicate that she needs this just as much as I do.

“We have all the time in the world to talk, but now, I need to be inside of you,” I rasp, leaning in and brushing my mouth over hers, pulling at her lower lip and urging her to return the kiss. “Need you more than I need my next breath.”

I watch as the fight dies in her and she surrenders to the need we share. “This is happening too fast, but God, I want you too.”

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