Page 80 of Chaos Bound
Naiya pushed at his hand, but he held her fast, stroking his thumb along the inside of her thigh.
“What was I supposed to do?” Her voice rose in pitch. “Go to the police? I may have been living a civilian life, but I spent six years with the Black Jacks. I know the kind of power the clubs have. I know how things work. And I know I’ll be happy when I leave town and get away from all things MC.”
“You also know you gotta listen to your man. And your man wants you to stay with the Sinners until I’ve dealt with Viper.” Holt tilted her head back with one finger under her chin, then leaned in and kissed her, his free hand ready to grab her wrist if she tried to slap him.
Which she did, because his Naiya had a spine of steel.
“Who says you’re my man?”
“I do.” He met her gaze, watched her eyes darken to brown.
“It sure didn’t feel like you were my man when you left.” She pulled away, and Holt gritted his teeth. Didn’t she understand that he had come back for her? That for now he had put aside his quest for revenge to keep her safe?
“When I put you in the position of having to pull that weapon, I realized I’d brought you back into a world you don’t want to be in. I didn’t want to waste any time getting you out.” He traced the bow of her mouth, pleased when her lips parted at his touch. She couldn’t be that angry. After all, she was still here, and she had come to the brothers to ask them to warn him.
“I can take myself out.” She drew his hand away. “I’ve got interviews set up in different states…” Her voice trailed off when Holt frowned. How could he protect her if she left? Viper would send men to chase her wherever he went. Sweat trickled down his back. This reunion wasn’t going exactly as expected.
“You don’t leave,” he blurted out. “You don’t go.”
She studied him for a long moment, and then she stroked a light finger over his jaw, her voice soft, as if they were alone and not in the bar with the Sinners watching them and Tank and Ally sitting at their table. Like she’d forgiven him for leaving her. “You’re lucky I understand your bossy, evil biker ways.”
Yes! Forgiven. Holt heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m gonna take you back to the clubhouse and show you just how evil I can be.” He covered her hand with his, and pressed his lips to her fingertips. Her sharp intake of breath made him instantly hard. And suddenly it all didn’t matter. Viper. Michael. His status in the club. All he wanted was this woman who took away the pain and the darkness; who made him feel whole again.
“I’m not going anywhere until I get a proper apology.”
Holt hooked his boot around Naiya’s chair leg and dragged her toward him, feeling a power and confidence he hadn’t felt before. He liked how the brothers had deferred to him when he walked into the stock room, and how they stood aside as he dealt with the fed. He liked that they’d looked after Naiya and that Tank had been standing guard. He liked that they didn’t treat him like a junior patch but as a man to be respected. And he liked that he would have this woman by his side—strong and determined, fiercely intelligent, highly capable, and yet willing to accept his need to take control.
“Holt!” Naiya’s eyes widened when he yanked her chair forward, but a smile played across her lips. “What’s got into you?”
“Want my woman close so I can protect her.” He slid an arm around her waist, stroked the curve of her hip.
“More like you want to feel her up in public.” She gave him a sideways glance that made him laugh out loud.
“That, too.” He leaned forward, pressed his lips to her ear. “What happened with that agent will never happen again.”
“Apology accepted.” She cupped his face between her hands and kissed him long and hard.
Ally fanned herself with her hand. “I thought I was coming here for a pity talk. Now I’m thinking I shoulda brought Doug along for a little hotel loving ’cause I don’t know how I’m gonna drive home with Maurice in the condition I’m in after watching you two. Hopefully he drinks too much at that bar down the street where you left him to drown his sorrows, and sleeps all the way home.”
Tank gave Holt a quizzical look. “So, you being here… Does that mean you’re back with the club and you’re gonna come with us to the rally?”
“I came back for Naiya,” Holt said. “Nothing has changed my plan to go after Viper.”
Tank stared at him aghast. “You’re gonna take her with you?”
Fuck no. He wasn’t letting Naiya anywhere near Viper. But to keep her safe he either had to rely on the Sinners or let her go, and the latter was no longer an option. “I gotta think things through. Then I’ll make a decision.”
“A decision that involves me.” Naiya nuzzled his neck, distracting him. “If you’re going after Viper, I’m coming, too. Actually, Ally and I were going to the rally anyway. Doug will be there giving support to the Sandy Lake sheriff’s office. We’re going to keep a lookout for a biker wearing a Skull Mark ring.”
“We are?” A frown creased Ally’s brow, smoothing away when Naiya gave her a nudge. “I mean, yes we are. We talked about it… over the phone. Earlier today. I love bike rallies. Lots of… dangerous bikers and bikes and rings.” She gave an apologetic shrug. “I think.”
“It might be dangerous,” Naiya continued. “You should probably teach me how to use a gun.”
Was she fucking crazy? Give her a gun and let her go with him? “No.”
“No?” She lifted an eyebrow. “How are you going to stop me?”
“I said no and I mean no.” Holt looked over at Tank for a little support. Maybe his brother would look after Naiya while he did what had to do. There was nobody he trusted more. “Tank?”
