Chapter Thirteen

Kelly

Ihave to admit that I'm kind of numb on the way back to the Savage Legion clubhouse. It feels like my sense of security has been stolen, along with any fantasy I ever had of being in control of my own destiny. It's dispiriting to see how easily that asshole overpowered me. I felt like a helpless little kid again, instead of the mature, responsible woman I thought I was before this happened. I don't typically wish bad things on people who wrong me, but I'd love to see my abductor sitting in jail for a nice long time.

The professional side of my brain tells me that behind every criminal is a history of experiences that formed and hardened them into the person they became. That maybe his love for Anabel overrode his normal decision-making process. I'd like to think there was a reason for it, because it seems like he genuinely cares about her, and thought I was one of the bad guys. But deep down inside I know that abducting someone and potentially torturing them for information makes him just as bad as the person he was trying to protect his loved one from. I'm not feeling very turn the other cheek on this one.

Instead of thinking about all the horrible things that have happened to me today, I try and empty my mind and concentrate on the feel of Talon sitting in front of me. My arms are wrapped around his waist and the solidness of his form is grounding me. I breathe in the fresh air as the road whizzes past us. In my darkest moments in that van, I fantasized about this hot biker rescuing me, and he did. He came to my rescue.

I smile to myself as I hold him tighter.

***

When we get back to the clubhouse, he picks me up off his bike and carries me into the clubhouse, upstairs and into his suite. I want to argue that I can walk on my own two feet, but when I try to take a step, I feel like my knees are about to give way. Maybe my ordeal affected me more than I want to admit?

We end up in the bathroom and he starts a shower. He's quiet and it makes me think he's not asking if it's okay to take care of me, out of fear I will say no. Nothing could be further from the truth. If being pulled into that van so easily taught me anything, it's that I'm not invincible, or capable of fighting back against a larger, stronger opponent. Until I can get some self-defense classes under my belt and learn to be more aware of my surroundings, I need a man like Talon who is willing to step up when things go terribly wrong.

That's twice he's saved me now.

Knowing he was suspicious enough to double check about me being called away, intelligent enough to figure out that things aren't always what they seem, and chivalrous enough to put himself in harm's way to rescue me, drives home that he's not only insanely attractive but made of the right stuff, as my dad would say. Riding on the back of his bike with my arms wrapped around his waist felt better than anything I've known. The whole experience shocked me into seeing him in a different light.

"The temperature should be okay," he says.

I jump at the sound of his voice, I was a bit lost in my thoughts, "Ah, thanks."

"You good sweetheart? You sound a bit rattled."

I feel shaky, I try and pull on my big girl panties, but suddenly an image of him standing under the shower with me flashes across my mind, naked with the water raining down on us, I almost gasp at the thought. I do feel a bit unsteady still, so I say, "Can you stay in the bathroom? My feet still feel a bit numb after the zip ties, I'm scared I might slip."

"Sure thing, I'll be right outside."

He turns his back to give me a bit of privacy, once I'm undressed and in the shower, I lean back and let the warm water flow over my skin. It becomes pretty clear where all my scrapes and scratches are because they begin to sting. Though focus on that shifts, once I see Talon removing his t-shirt through the steamed-up glass and he throws it in the laundry basket. Just this morning I told him to slow his roll and now my eyes are eating up every square inch of the delicious muscles he reveals. In this moment I can even admit to myself that I want him, though I shake that thought from my mind as I try and scrub my back.

"Ow!" I scream.

"What is it?" Talon's voice is concerned as he climbs into the shower behind me. The shower is small but instead of feeling crowded, having him near makes me feel safe.

My heart is racing at his closeness, "Nothing, I must have pulled a muscle in my shoulder, I got a sudden pain when I tried to reach behind."

The next thing I know his soapy hands are skimming gently over my back. I start to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"You're going to get soaked." I realize he's still wearing his jeans and the thought strikes me as hilarious. It's not funny at all, but I can't stop laughing.

I feel him move closer until he's facing me.

I step towards him and lay my head on his chest. It's almost like I'm on autopilot, doing things out of a need that I'm unable to express verbally. Instead of pushing me back like I did to him earlier, both his arms come up to wrap around me. The heat coming off his body warms my front while the water raining down from above warms my back gives the illusion of being cocooned in a warm safe spot where no one can get to me. I know that my head is really messed up from what I've been through today, so I don't work too hard on unpacking it all right now.

"It's just the after-effects of the adrenaline rush, you've had a traumatic day."

Talon pulls back and uses the sprayer to finish rinsing the soap from my body, I can't do anything but stand there, it feels like all my energy has been sucked out. He turns off the water and steps out of the shower, then comes back with a huge towel he wraps around me.

He's soaking wet, his jeans are clinging to him and as I glance at his worried expression I can tell that despite my nakedness earlier, he's more concerned about me than aroused. Something in my chest loosens to know he sees me as a person, rather than just a potential body to fuck.

Using the corner of the towel, I dry the water from my face and push my dripping wet hair out of my eyes. Suddenly, he's got a fresh towel and is using it to dry my hair. I tilt my head back and let him take care of me, because I realize in this moment, he needs to do it and I desperately need taken care of.

Once I'm dry, he scoops me up in his arms and carries me to his bed. Instead of laying me on it, he sits me gently on the edge. I look around the room as he moves away, presumably to change out of his wet jeans.

He comes back a moment later with a towel slung around his waist, and tiny tube of antibiotic ointment. "This might sting a bit, but we need to make sure your grazes don't get infected."

I reach for the tube, but he drops to his knees and squeezes a bit onto his finger. I quickly glance away because I can feel my face heating. I've never felt like I had a particularly dirty mind but seeing his thick finger with what visually looks like lube has me thinking all kinds of sexy thoughts.

He gently lifts up my leg, "You've got road rash on your legs, I know he wasn't going fast when he pushed you out, but that's gonna smart a bit for a day or two."

I feel myself drifting at the sensation of his strong hands cupping my leg as he smooths in the cream. It feels almost disappointing when he lifts his hands off me. For one crazy moment I'm almost wishing I'd gotten road rash all over my back, stomach. Hell, wherever his capable hands could go.

"Move the towel down a bit, you had a few scrapes on your shoulders," he says in a voice so deep and rough that it has me complying before I even think about the command.

Then I feel him climb onto the bed behind me and the warmth of his hands on my back. He begins with my shoulders and moves down my arms, before tossing the tube onto the nightstand.

Not wanting him to leave, I sink back against his chest. Thinking I clearly need another hug, he wraps his arms around me. Tucking my head under his chin he murmurs, "I know you're not okay right now. What can I do to make things better for you?"

"Maybe, exactly what you're doing," I respond quietly.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

I remember being freaked out when he got to me and blurting out what happened. That's when it occurs to me that I'm being really selfish and I've been so caught up in what happened to me, that I've forgotten the bigger picture. Sitting up, I turn to face him. "Don't worry about me right now. We need to find Anabel Ash. Jerod Cooper said she was missing, and Belinda verified that she was gone. What if there is something to this wild story Cooper was spinning about the Carver Killer coming back for her? She could be in serious danger right now."

"My club brothers are tracking him down right now. Hopefully, they'll be able to get the truth out of him." His voice sounded dark, and for a moment I wonder exactly how they would get him to tell the truth.

"But what about Anabel? What if Belinda can't find any trace of her at the hospital?"

Talon sighs, "You realize it's more likely that she left the stupid fucker because he was a menace, and he's using her past to try to leverage everyone into letting him get close enough to snatch her. She caught wind of what he was doing and decided to run away again."

As I let that float around in my mind for a second, Talon adds, "Think about it. If he could kidnap you to get to her, he'd definitely abduct her. I think she was avoiding him for a reason. If anything, she's given him the slip and is all the safer for having do so."

I begin chewing my bottom lip because what my new protector is saying sure makes a lot of sense. "You think she'll make her way back to the shelter on her own?"

"I think it's more likely you'll be contacted by a women's shelter halfway across the country verifying the information you have on file for her. She'd have to be mentally deficient to intentionally stay in the same area as her abusive ex, when she has the whole wide world to choose from."

My racing heart slows as my panic recedes. "You're probably right. I never thought about it quite like that."

"That bastard is not going to get away with harming you."

I shrug with my one good shoulder. "I'm scraped up and a bit sore, but not hurt."

His hand comes up under my chin and he tilts my head back to gaze into my eyes. "There are more ways to hurt a woman than just physically or sexually abusing her. This man has harmed your mental health, your trust in others and made you feel small and helpless. He's not going to get away with that."

"I do appreciate everything you and your club are doing to protect me, but I'd feel really guilty if anyone was hurt by him. I can move past this on my own. Why don't we let the police handle it."

He gets a strange look on his face. "Maybe because the police in this town are grossly incompetent."

I muse over his statement—I've not had any run ins with Las Salinas PD to have an opinion on them. But I do remember the scandal that broke out after the old chief of police was killed, I guess he has a point.

"Look, you don't have to worry about our safety. We handle stupid fuckers like this all day long. This guy is dangerous. It's better for us to catch up with him than for him to catch up with your vulnerable client or you at some point the future."

I know all the way down to my bones that he's probably right about everything. He clearly has experience dealing with shady people and situations. Which reminds me, "Don't I need to get dressed and go to the police station to give a statement for your alibi?"

"Smoke sent over a copy of your unsigned deposition. They did ask you to come in to verify the information and sign off on it in their presence. We told them you were sick and would be in over the next day or two, once you were feeling better. They weren't too happy about that but accepted it."

"I guess that's the best they could have expected in this situation, right?"

He gives a sharp nod. "Yeah, with the help of my club brothers we're keeping all the balls in the air right now. Which brings us back around to, what I can do to make you feel better for the time being?"

"I don't really know," I admit out loud. I hate how my voice is trembling.

Glancing at the door, he says, "How about I order you something light to eat and then you can rest for a few hours. Sleep is a great healer."

I don't know why I'm disappointed with his very sweet and generous offer, but I force a smile onto my face. "That would be great. I could really go for a nice, iced tea and some crackers if that's at all possible." What I don't say is that eating is the last thing I want to do right now. I'm suddenly conscious that there's an almost naked, sinfully attractive man just inches away from me. Seeing his tanned skin and the intricate tattoos that decorate almost every inch of visible skin has me wondering just how far down they go.

What is wrong with me?

Climbing off the bed, Talon slides on a fresh pair of jeans and I almost physically have to drag my gaze away from the sight of his ass as he pulls them up. He clearly has no problem with nudity, and from my vantage point I don't have any problem with his nudity either. Quite the opposite in fact. He throws on his leather vest even though he's bare-chested and he pads out of the room, slipping on a well-worn pair of sandals that look like something a biker might wear when his black leather boots are too much. When the door closes behind him, I flop down onto my back and pull the edge of the blanket down to wrap around my quickly chilling body. It's amazing how much heat his big body gives off.

I decide that compared to most of the other people in my life who panic talk their way through the aftermath of a crisis situation, I like the way Talon just drifts along, silently giving me time to recover and reorder my thoughts. It's like he's putting my need for mental space over his need to force me to move past it so he can be reassured that I'm okay. Damn it, I find myself liking this man more by the second.

***

I almost tear up when he returns with a mini cooler of soda, a pitcher of iced tea, and big box filled with assorted crackers, chips, cheese, different kinds of nuts and fancy cookies. It's like a treat box made especially to my liking. When he sits the box in my lap, I look up at him, totally awestruck. "Are you reading my mind. If not, it's super strange that you totally nailed all my favorites.

He glances up from pouring my iced tea and the corners of his mouth curve up. "I got the feeling your stomach might be upset from all the stress, so I loaded you up with all my favorite dry snacks. I'm glad your tastes align with my own."

He hands me the huge glass of tea and I immediately take a sip. Having someone who cares enough to soothe my physical hurts and try to cheer me up in this moment makes things just a bit brighter in my world. It takes the edge off the harshness of the rose-tinted glasses being ripped away so ruthlessly by the asshole who tried to abduct me.

I pat the edge of the bed and say, "Come and share with me. There's plenty enough for two."

He immediately drops down on the bed and pulls a soda out of the cooler. Watching his muscles flex as he pops the top and the way his Adam's apple moves when he swallows makes my mouth go dry. I quickly take another mouthful of my tea, pluck an almond out of the box and throw it into my mouth.

Talon sits his drink aside. "Would you like to try my favorite combination of all time?"

"Sure. I'm always up to try something new."

I watch him pull out a stoneground wheat cracker and put a square of some kind of white cheese on top and then crown it with a half a walnut. It's a small cracker so when he brings it to my mouth, I just allow him to slide the whole thing in. I don't know what kind of cheese he's used but it tastes buttery and sharp on my tongue. The slight grit of stoneground wheat in the cracker and then crunch of the walnut is perfection. I chew slowly, trying to savor the mix of textures and flavors.

"That was nothing short of amazing," I gush.

"Don't worry," he says. "I have my second and third faves to show you as well."

I relax and let him keep making combinations of different crackers, cheese, and nuts for me to try until I honestly can't hold another bite. I eat so much that I wonder why I ever thought I wasn't hungry. Soon the food and tea are gone. He takes away our dishes and when I scoot back into the bed, he pulls the blanket up over me. "You get some sleep."

When he reaches for a chair to pull close, I grab his other hand and pull him back down onto the bed with me. "You don't have to sit in a chair. Come and cuddle with me."

"You sure you're okay with that, Kelly."

I nod, "Yeah, it's fine. We've both had a rough day. You've got to be just as exhausted as I am. We'll get a couple of hours of sleep and see if we feel up to taking care of your business at the police station later."

He unbuttons his jeans and just when I think he's going to pull the zipper down and take them off, he kicks off his sandals and takes off his cut instead. He catches me looking.

"Ate too much, maybe I need to go up a waist size," he pats his toned and tattooed belly with a grin.

I laugh at that, my rescuer looks mouthwateringly delicious to me. He lays his big body down beside me and I want to offer him some blanket but I'm not quite that bold, since I'm still naked underneath. Talon's taken such good care of me that I begin to wonder why he's not seen fit to give me any fresh clothing. Was leaving me naked intentional, or does the man just have a lot on his mind? Either way, I'm not all that bothered as I'm not planning on going anywhere, anytime soon. I just roll myself up tighter in the blanket and close my eyes. Sleeping with a stranger is something I've never done before. But then again, Talon is feeling less like a stranger with each moment we spend together, each kindness he shows and each time he promises to protect me. It's kind of crazy how quickly I drift off into a deep, dreamless sleep.