Page 107 of Knot Unwanted: Part Two

Chapter 22

Hailey

The SUV hums quietly as we wind our way down the mountain road, leaving the cabin behind. I’m nestled in the middle of the back seat, Finn on my left, Stone on my right, both of them holding my hands as if they’re afraid I might disappear if they let go. It’s comforting, anchoring, especially when my mind tries to drift back to darker places.

Through the windshield, golden afternoon light dapples the road ahead. Jax drives with focused attention, his strong hands steady on the wheel. Beside him, Ren scans our surroundings with watchful eyes, ever vigilant. The radio plays softly, some indie folk song I don’t recognize, but otherwise, the car is quiet, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

We’d stayed an extra day at the cabin so I could rest, though I suspect it was for all of them, too. The past week has been... mind-blowing. Terrifying. Exhilarating. My neck still tingles where their marks sit, four distinct points of connection that I can feel even now, thrumming beneath my skin.

The bond has created something more intimate than I’d ever imagined possible. It’s like having four new senses awakened allat once. Finn’s warmth, Stone’s solidity, Jax’s depth, and Ren’s electric energy. It’s overwhelming, but in the best possible way.

I rub my thumb over Finn’s knuckles absently, and he squeezes my hand in response. When I glance his way, he offers a soft smile, his eyes warming the moment they land on me.

“Okay?” he mouths.

I nod, returning his smile. I am okay, all things considered. More than okay in many ways. The heat has passed, leaving me pleasantly sore and deeply satisfied. My body feels like it belongs to me again, with the added awareness that it now belongs to them as well.

Stone shifts beside me, his large frame making the leather seat creak. His thumb traces circles on the inside of my wrist, right over my pulse point. The gesture seems unconscious on his part, but the steady contact soothes something in me that I didn’t realize needed soothing.

I close my eyes, letting my head rest against his chest as memories of the past week wash over me. The cabin had been our sanctuary, but it was also where I learned just how deeply they could unravel me. Jax had pressed me against the wall, his hands pinning me there as his tongue tasted every inch of my neck. “Say it,” he growled, his breath hot against my ear. “Say you’re ours.” I’d gasped, the words spilling from me as Stone’s hands found my hips, his mouth claiming my breast. Finn’s fingers stroked between my thighs, teasing, light. And Ren...Ren had knelt before me, his ice-blue eyes locked on mine as he pushed me over the edge with his tongue. They’d surrounded me, consumed me, made me feel whole in a way I never thought I’d deserve.

The memory sends a pleasant shiver down my spine. Stone notices, his hand tightening slightly on mine.

“Cold?” he asks, voice rumbling low.

I shake my head, feeling a blush warm my cheeks. “No. Just…thinking.”

His eyes darken with understanding, the bond between us pulsing with awareness. “About?”

“The cabin,” I admit softly. “All of you.”

A satisfied rumble vibrates through him, too quiet for the others to hear but clear to me where our bodies touch. “Good thoughts, I hope.”

My blush deepens. “Very good.”

From the front seat, Jax catches my eye in the rearview mirror. The corner of his mouth lifts in a small, private smile that makes my heart stutter.

“Almost home,” he announces as we merge onto the highway.

Home. The word should feel simple, comforting. Instead, it sends an unexpected spike of anxiety through me. Heath’s men had been there before. Our home. They’d tried to take me away. It feels like so long ago now, but what if…

As if sensing my shift in mood, Finn squeezes my hand. “Ren had the security system upgraded, remember,” he tells me.

I nod. I’m grateful for his reassurance, but unease still crawls along my spine.

“What if the police are waiting for us?” I ask, voicing one of the worries that’s been nagging at me. “You all did things—to get me back, to escape. What if they’re looking for you, too?”

A tense silence fills the car. I can practically feel them exchanging glances, deciding how much to tell me.

It’s Ren who finally speaks, turning in his seat to face me. “The Ashgraves took care of it,” he says simply. “Their influence is…substantial.”

“But—”

“No buts,” Jax interrupts, his tone gentle but firm. “What happened at that facility, what we did to get you out—it’s beenhandled. The official story is that an anonymous tip led to a police raid. We were never there.”

I frown, not entirely convinced. “And Caldwell? What about the men that Ren had to…” I swallow hard, the words not wanting to come.

“Officially, that was Heath’s security detail turning on each other when the operation started falling apart,” Stone supplies. “Messy, but believable given the circumstances.”

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