Page 8 of Bowser (Dragon Riders MC 2)
Link nodded. “Good plan. Sly?”
He shrugged. “Can’t really say no at this point, can we?”
I paused. “Would you say no if you had a choice?”
He chuckled. “No. Just pulling your leg.”
I lunged at him, but Link stopped me. He jumped in between us and pressed his hands against my chest, trying to get me to back down. Sometimes, Sly really got under my skin with that snarky sass of his. But being a valued member of this team didn’t give him the option to be a dick all the fucking time.
“Testy, testy,” Sly mocked.
Link whipped around. “One more outburst and I’ll have your leather cut. Got it?”
Sly’s eyes widened. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good. We’re good. Damn.”
Link nodded. “All right. Bowser?”
“Yep?”
“You call me the second you and Knuckles are done talking. No going off on your own like last time, and no formulating plans without my approval. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Link turned around. “And Sly?”
He sighed. “Yeah, boss?”
“Quit pissing people off for your own entertainment. Because if one of these guys puts a bullet in you? I’m not doing a damn thing about it.”
He grumbled. “Whatever.”
Link peered over his shoulder at me, then the two of them left the cabin. They closed the door behind them, and I strode for it, locking it as quickly as I could. I peeked out the windows and watched them ride off into the distance. The second I knew they were gone, I double-backed to Hope’s room. Hopefully, I’d catch her before she fell asleep so I could apologize for the intrusion and the quick change of plans.
But once I approached her cracked bedroom door, I heard her soft snores falling through the cracks.
“Fuck,” I murmured.
I eased the door open and found her slouched over a book with her chin tucked against her chest. The sight made me smile, even though I ached to wake her up just to hear her voice again. The crush I had on this woman was unmistakable. With her honey-highlighted brown hair and her fierce brown eyes, she dragged me in every time she smiled with those full lips of hers. Unlike her sister, Hope was wild. She let her hair flow naturally and she didn’t fuss with makeup. She wasn’t ashamed to eat however much she wanted, and it showed in the flair of her hips. The thickness of her thighs. The girth of her breasts and the fullness of her cheeks whenever she smiled.
I had it bad for this woman.
And I couldn't do a damn thing about it.
“All right. Come here,” I whispered.
I plucked her book from her hand and bunny-eared the page. Then, I helped slide her beneath the covers of her bed. She groaned and shifted. She pulled the comforter up to her chin and turned over onto her side. With her back to me, her shoulders rose and fell with ease. She looked peaceful. She looked comfortable.
And as I stood there, watching her sleep, I sighed.
“Someone will pay for what they did to you. I promise,” I murmured.
I found my way out of the bedroom and closed the door behind me. It brought me comfort that Hope’s room was in the middle of the clubhouse with no windows to make her vulnerable. That made her easy to protect. Easy to guard. Especially at night, since I patrolled the entire grounds at the top of every hour. We had an ATV in the storage shed out back that I used to patrol around the lake. I rode it up and down the expanse of the wooded area beyond the clubhouse, just to make sure no one was planted there and watching.
Anything to take my mind off the memories.
“Bowser! Help!”
As silence fell upon me after my first patrol, I sat out on the porch. I gazed out over the lake as her voice echoed off the corners of my mind. I gripped the beer I held in my hand tightly. I closed my eyes, drawing in deep breaths to try and quell my mind.
But the second my body felt tired, her voice flooded my mind again.
“Bowser! Please!”
My hand trembled and I started jiggling my leg. I forced my eyes to stay open so the memories wouldn't sweep me under. My jaw clenched, tears percolating behind my eyes. And as I blinked to focus on the darkened expanse of woods and lake in front of me, I forced the memory away.
I forced it all away.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
I tipped my beer up to my lips. I chugged and chugged until the bottle was drained. One beer, that was all I allowed myself while watching over someone like this. And with the alcohol on an empty stomach? It helped to relax me.
“Never again,” I murmured.
Hope would never suffer the same fate she did while in my presence.
I stood from the porch and made my way inside, preparing for a night of endless routine. Endless patrols. Endless moments of checking in on Hope. I tried not to peek into her room unless absolutely necessary because I didn’t want to violate her privacy like that. But I needed to keep eyes on her at least once an hour to make sure she was still there and still okay.
