Chapter 2

Jax

Just concentrate on the road.

The bike growls beneath us as I speed through the darkened back roads, Cassie clinging to my chest, her arms wrapped tight around my waist. The cool air hits my face, but all I can feel is the heat of her body pressed against mine. Her soft breath skates along the back of my neck, and her thighs are squeezing me tighter than I can handle without losing control.

I need to focus. I need to keep her safe.

But fuck if her body isn't doing things to me. One hour. It's been one hour since I pulled her out of that house, one hour since I claimed her, whether she realizes it yet or not.

One hour with her…finally.

Having Cassie this close is making me question every bit of restraint I thought I had. Every brush of her skin, every small movement she makes sends fire through my veins. I've waited for this moment, and now that it's here, I'm barely holding myself together.

We pull into an abandoned gas station, where the black SUV is stashed—one I left here days ago. The bike's done its job, but now we need something more discreet. As I switch vehicles, my eyes are constantly scanning the area, ensuring no one's watching. Her father's probably losing his mind right now, scrambling to figure out where I've taken her. But by the time he figures it out, we'll be long gone.

Safe.

I've kept her father's house under surveillance for years. My military connections were useful for getting the high-end equipment I needed—off the record, of course. The moment I saw the Bratva start showing up at their doorstep, I knew something unforgivable was about to happen. It pissed me off. I got reckless. Sabotaged their Wi-Fi, posed as a maintenance guy to fix it, and planted bugs in her father's office.

That's when I found out what he had planned.

Cassie, at eighteen, was to be sold. Millions of dollars in exchange for his own daughter. He was trading her like property. They wanted her legal, young enough to go unnoticed, free to travel. The thought of anyone else touching her—owning her—boils my blood. No one gets to have her. She's been mine since the moment I saw her in that garden all those years ago, and I'll make damn sure no one takes her from me.

Cassie climbs into the passenger seat, her white nightdress clinging to every inch of her body. She tries tugging it down over her legs, but it rides back up, leaving her thighs exposed in the soft glow of the dashboard lights. My cock twitches instinctively and I want to touch her so fucking bad.

I clench my jaw so hard I feel the strain in my muscles, fighting the urge to look. To touch.

Control yourself.

I grip the steering wheel, knuckles white as I pull onto the highway. The road stretches out before us, dark and endless. It's just me and her now. No turning back.

Cassie shifts beside me, curling her legs beneath her, making her look smaller than ever. The nightdress is doing nothing to hide her, but when I glance at her, she's smiling softly—almost shyly. The kind of smile that makes my chest ache in ways I can't explain.

She's free now. And I'll do anything to make sure she stays that way.

"I still can't believe you came for me."

"I told you I would. I meant it."

She's quiet for a moment, then her eyes flick toward me, hesitant. "Where... where are we going?"

I glance at her, feeling my heart kick up a notch. She's been through so much, and she's trusted me enough to leave everything behind. She deserves to know.

"Sweetheart Falls," I say quietly. "Up in the mountains. I have a cabin there. It's safe. Far away from your dad. We should be there by dawn."

She blinks, surprised. "A cabin? You've been planning this?"

"For a long time." I pause, gripping the wheel tighter. "I've kept an eye on you. For years."

Her brows furrow, confusion flickering across her face. "Kept an eye on me? What do you mean?"

"I never trusted your father. I've lived in a hut in the forest near your house. Bugged your dad's office and found out the Russians were going to take you to Europe. I couldn't risk you being taken before I was ready to pull you out." I say it gruffly, glancing her way. "Your father was never going to keep you safe. Not from what was coming. So, I made sure I was there."

Her jaw drops slightly. "You were... right there? This whole time?"

"Yes."

Silence falls between us, heavy with everything unspoken. I can feel her eyes on me, searching, maybe even trying to make sense of it all. But it's true. I've been close all these years, watching, waiting for the right moment to save her.

"You're free now," I mutter, my voice rougher than I mean it to be. "He'll never touch you again. No one will."

She's quiet for a moment, then her lips part as she glances at me, her teeth biting down on that bottom lip in a way that drives me fucking crazy.

"I can paint again."

That catches me off guard. "Paint?"

She nods, her eyes brightening for the first time since I took her. "I used to love painting. When I was little, I'd sit in the garden for hours. It was the only time I ever felt free." Her voice wavers, sadness creeping in. "But my dad said it was a waste of time. He took away my supplies."

My chest tightens at the sadness in her voice. All those years, he took everything from her—her freedom, her happiness. Well, not anymore. She's mine now, and I'll give her everything she's ever wanted.

"You'll paint again. I'll get you everything you need—canvas, brushes, paint. Whatever you want."

Her eyes widen, and she looks at me like I just handed her the world. And maybe I have.

"Really?" she whispers, her voice so small, so hopeful.

"Really," I say, my voice softer this time. "Anything you want."

Without warning, she leans over and wraps her arms around me, hugging me tight. Her body presses into mine, innocent and sweet, but fuck if it doesn't make every nerve in my body light up like a live wire. Her breasts press against my arm, and the thin fabric of her nightdress does nothing to hide the way her nipples strain against it.

My cock twitches, hardening instantly. I bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep from groaning. I've seen those nipples before, through the window of her house, when I would check in on her from the woods. I know they're perfect, little pink pointy buds. They are so hard now. I'd love to suck them, to tease them until she's writhing beneath me. I brush my finger against one just to feel it and she freezes up.

She pulls back, smiling up at me with those wide, innocent eyes, completely unaware of what she's doing to me. She bites down on her lip. She likes it.

"Thank you, Jax," she whispers. "Thank you so much."

I nod, my throat tight, shifting in my seat, trying to relieve the pressure between my legs. "It's nothing," I mutter, but it's not nothing. It's everything. She's everything.

We drive in silence for a while. I'm afraid to say anything. The strain on my face but scare her off.

Every time I glance at her, my body responds, my cock hardening in my jeans. She sits so close, the hem of her nightdress barely covering her thighs, and my fingers itch to touch her. To feel that smooth skin beneath my hands.

I shouldn't. She's untouched, too innocent.

But fuck, I want her. I want her so fucking bad.

No. No. No.

But who the fuck am I kidding? Surely just a touch.

I can't help it. My hand moves, almost of its own accord, sliding across the seat and landing on her thigh. Her skin is warm, soft, and I feel her suck in a breath, her body going still. But she doesn't push me away. She doesn't tell me to stop.

My hand moves higher, sliding up her thigh, inch by inch, until my fingers brush the edge of her panties. Her breath hitches, and I feel her legs part slightly, an unconscious invitation.

I want to keep going. I want to tear that nightdress off her, to taste her, to make her mine in every way.

But I can't.

I pull my hand back, cursing myself under my breath. I don't want to scare her. I have to control myself.

Cassie looks at me, her cheeks flushed, her breath coming in soft, shaky gasps. "Jax..." she whispers.

"I'm sorry," I growl running a hand through my hair. "I shouldn't have..."

"It's okay," she says softly, her voice steady. "I don't mind. It feels nice."

I mind, but fuck, she said it felt nice. When I'm done with her, she will be fucking vibrating and nice will be the last word in her vocabulary.

But she deserves better than this. Better than me losing control.

"We're almost there," I say, my grip tightening on the steering wheel, forcing my attention back on the road. My voice is rougher than I intend, but I can't help it. "Just a little longer."

She nods, her head lolling to the side, half-asleep, looking so innocent. Like an angel. Her body settles deeper into the seat, her lashes fluttering closed, and I take a breath. Good. Now I can watch her.

She shifts in her sleep, the hem of her dress riding up her thighs. My gaze locks onto the sliver of white fabric peeking out—her panties. Of course, she's wearing white. A fucking innocent white panty. I swallow hard as her chest rises and falls, her nipples still hard beneath the fabric of her dress, teasing me with every shift. She moans softly in her sleep, and it's like a punch straight to my gut.

I grit my teeth, struggling to keep from pulling over and doing exactly what I've been fantasizing about for weeks. Ever since I rescued her, I've been holding back, barely keeping myself in check. In the days leading up to it, I didn't touch myself. Not once. I wanted to save every fucking drop of it for her. For when I could finally bury myself inside her soft folds. But now, I realize how big of a fucking mistake that was.

Her innocence, her sweetness—it's driving me insane, turning me on more than I ever thought possible. Fuck, I want her so bad, it's a constant ache and throbbing between my legs. My dick is so fucking hard, straining against my jeans, and all I can think about is how good it would feel to be inside her, to fuck her hard and make her mine in every way.

But if I give in now, if I lose control and take her the way I'm desperate to, it'll be too much. I'll fuck her too hard, too fast, and I'll scare her. She's too pure, too soft for the way I want her right now, and if I don't get a grip, I'll ruin everything before it even begins.

The rest of the drive is tense, every glance at her making my blood boil hotter, my cock harder. But I keep my eyes on the road. I have to. I can't let anything happen to my girl.

When we finally pull up to the cabin, the first light of dawn is just beginning to break over the horizon. Cassie is half-asleep, her head resting against the window, her face soft, peaceful.

I sit there for a moment, watching her. Wanting her. Needing her.

My chest aches with all the things I can't say, all the things I can't do.

She stirs, her eyes fluttering open as she looks at me. "Are we here?" she asks, her voice thick with sleep.

"Yeah," I murmur, turning off the engine. "We're here."

She smiles, that sweet, innocent smile, and it feels like it's tearing me apart. I reach over and brush a strand of hair from her face, letting my fingers linger a little too long.

She smiles at me. And my heart races.

I brush her bottom lip with my thumb. And she instinctively closes her eyes.

Fuck

"Let's get you inside," I whisper, stepping out of the car and coming around to her side.

She leans against me as I help her out, her body soft and warm against mine. For the first time in years, I feel something other than anger. I feel something like peace.

No matter what happens, I'll protect her. From the world. From her father. From the darkness that's clawing its way through me.

She's mine, and I'll keep her safe. Always.