Page 20 of Savage Temptation
“I have a change of clothes in my room if you want to not look like a junkie,” Jinx offers, before throwing herself into a comfy sofa pushed up against a large bookcase that looks new. Charli’s handy work, no doubt.
Charli pats my cheek, pulling my attention back to her when I need to stop Jagger from doing something that will get him killed. He looks like he has every intention of going hunting alone and well, no. That's not gonna happen.
“Tears are just part of being a family. We hurt when our loved ones hurt.” Charli dabs at the tears smearing the smokey eye makeup she has going on. “We don’t fault you for anything so get that outta your head right now. We don’t stop being family just because problems come up. Family isn’t here to judge you and make you feel bad. We’re here to help dust you off. All you have to do is trust us to step up for you.” Charli comes up and puts the book in my hand. “You’re never alone.”
I nod, unable to really find my words at the moment from all the emotions coming at me all at once.
“Now that you are back, we have a book club going with our girl, Arabelle.”
And just like that, it’s like I never left.
“Put those words in your noggin and be here Friday, honey. You will thank me for this one. Reaper knows the author says she writes spice like her fingers are blessed by Aphrodite herself.”
Over her shoulder I see Jagger take his Savage cut off and slip into a shoulder holster that provides a place for him to carry a weapon under each arm. He loads up before slipping his cut back on.
“Did you catch the title?”
Charli taps the cover of the book with a cherry red nail and I have no choice but to pay attention.
My lips form a big O. I turn the book around and catch the title plastered over a swath of sculpted man muscles. “Oh, that is hot.” I raise my eyes to find Arabelle looking at me expectantly and then I realize why. “Oh. Yes! For sure. Yes! Count me in.” I can’t explain it, but my heart suddenly feels like it can beat again. Like I have a place in this world where I belong after all.
Jagger comes over looking like a one-man army with a whole new expression I’ve never seen on his face before. Under all the grit and determination to avenge me, there’s a new level of love swimming in his eyes.
Not just love, butunconditionallove.
A slow smile spills across his mouth and I’m gifted with a soft kiss to my lips. “Everyone is happy to have you here, just like I said.”
I slip my hands beneath his cut and flatten my palms over his pecs. I’m after the steady rhythmic beat of his heart and only feel calm when I feel it against my touch. “And you?” The warmth of our recent time on his bike and the welcome home he gave me, fills me.
He presses his forehead to mine and for a moment my world narrows down to just us once again.
“My world is complete. We’ll talk about you not trusting me to protect you later.”
I grimace. “And what about me protecting you? Is that not acceptable?”
His head is already shaking before I get all the words out. “No.”
That one-word answer grates against my nerves.
Heat of a new kind boils up. “Jagger Malone.”
“Storm, she’s not back fifteen minutes and you’re already riling her up.”
My ire fades. “Storm?”
“Your man found his club name because of you.”
That’s Elias, also known as the Beast. You can imagine the kind of muscles the man has to merit a name like his. All his man muscle is just about as jacked up as Jagger’s. He doesn’t say much, preferring to listen rather than join in long conversations.
Two other crew members, Cipher and Venom, who look as badass as their names suggest, come up and grab me around the waist one at a time. I squeal and wrap my arms around them as they twirl me around before putting me back in front of a scowling Jagger. All three men have long hair. Cipher and Venom have theirs pulled up or held back in a braid, while Jagger's is loose. I wonder if they share hair tips and conditioner. I’ll have to ask sometime.
“Stop man handling my girl, you heathens.”
Venom waves Jagger away. “She’s not just yours, brother. Get used to it. We finally have our little sister back.” Venom ruffles my hair while Cipher steps back and considers my mussed costume. “Wicked look you got going on there. You look like a big yellow bird having a gothic life crisis.”
I know they are trying to lighten the mood and it’s working. I no longer feel like melting into a puddle of tears.
Cipher is talking about my ruined makeup and the black smudges of grime I picked up from the alleyways I sprinted through.
