blood fuckin’ red,” I growl.
Sweet, snarky beautiful Piper was kidnapped, and god knows what is happening to her again. The promise I made to her last year rushes back into my mind.
Piper and I sip our beers as we lay on the picnic tables and stare up at the sky. The sound of night filters all around us.
“You asked what my biggest fear was the other night. Do you remember askin’ me that,” she questions.
Of course I asked her that. I always ask her things that take her out of her comfort zone. It’s my way of getting to know her on a level that no one else does. Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, or maybe I really want to be close to this woman because she lives life so fucking freely after all the shit she went through.
“I do,” I say as I gulp down half of my beer.
“My fear is that I’ll get taken again. Deep down I know that it’s almost a once in a lifetime thing and that the odds are good in my favor…” She trails off as she sits up and looms over me with a lone tear streaming down her face. “But I don’t think I’d come out of it alive or unscathed next time, Sniper.”
I sit up and she scoots a little further away. Is this her automatic reaction to being close to a man? I don’t know. I do know I don’t want her to fear me.
“Piper, we don’t know one another that well yet, but have you not learned anythin’ ‘bout my club? You’re in. Darlin’, we ain’t gonna let anythin’ happen to you, all right?”
Her green eyes stare at me, like really stare. The sort of gaze that peers beyond your soul to see if you’re telling the truth or not, and it should freak me the hell out but it doesn’t.
“I want to believe you’re tellin’ me the truth, I do. It would make fallin’ asleep so much easier,” she whispers and looks away.
I toss my bottle into the trashcan next to the table, use both hands to grasps her face, and turn her attention back to me.
“Hey, look, I promise to protect you, always, no matter what. I have a feelin’ we’re gonna be good friends, babe. And I protect what’s mine, and bein’ my friend makes you mine to protect.”
The grip my palms have on her face makes her lips puff up as she responds. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Sniper.”
I laugh. “I don’t darlin’. Hell, I think you’re my first promise, and I’ll be damn sure to keep it, yeah?”
Piper brings her tiny little hands up to my wrists and squeezes gently. “Yeah, okay.”
“I promised her I wouldn’t let anythin’ happen to her again,” I say under my breath for only my brother to hear. “I fuckin’ promised, Braxx.”
He pats me on the shoulder twice to let me know that he hears me, that he gets it. Before I pick up Piper’s gun to clean it, I look over at my blood brother. “She was my first promise, my only promise.”
My brother lifts his shades to the top of his head and takes a seat next to me.
“This waitin’ on Juan to call back is fuckin’ killin’ me. I don’t know how much longer I can hold out before I rip this town apart.” My anger has me in a chokehold.
Braxxon turns his body towards mine. “I’ll help you find her, but we have to do this with caution. You know this shit, brother.”
I slam my hands down onto the table. “I fuckin’ know, okay.”
Now I am lashing out on my brother when it isn’t his fault. Shit!
Piper has that beautiful spark in her eyes. The one that says, I’ve been through hell and made it back unscathed and I’m still living my life. That special spark. It lights up her face. I’m afraid that, when I find her, her special spark will be gone, and I won’t know how to get it back for her. The human mind takes a lot to heal from tragedy, and she made it back by herself in one piece after years in captivity. What if this finally breaks her?
“You think you love her, huh?”
I do love her. I have for a long time. Do I know if it is the once in a lifetime love I’ve always been looking for? No, I
Sweet, snarky beautiful Piper was kidnapped, and god knows what is happening to her again. The promise I made to her last year rushes back into my mind.
Piper and I sip our beers as we lay on the picnic tables and stare up at the sky. The sound of night filters all around us.
“You asked what my biggest fear was the other night. Do you remember askin’ me that,” she questions.
Of course I asked her that. I always ask her things that take her out of her comfort zone. It’s my way of getting to know her on a level that no one else does. Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, or maybe I really want to be close to this woman because she lives life so fucking freely after all the shit she went through.
“I do,” I say as I gulp down half of my beer.
“My fear is that I’ll get taken again. Deep down I know that it’s almost a once in a lifetime thing and that the odds are good in my favor…” She trails off as she sits up and looms over me with a lone tear streaming down her face. “But I don’t think I’d come out of it alive or unscathed next time, Sniper.”
I sit up and she scoots a little further away. Is this her automatic reaction to being close to a man? I don’t know. I do know I don’t want her to fear me.
“Piper, we don’t know one another that well yet, but have you not learned anythin’ ‘bout my club? You’re in. Darlin’, we ain’t gonna let anythin’ happen to you, all right?”
Her green eyes stare at me, like really stare. The sort of gaze that peers beyond your soul to see if you’re telling the truth or not, and it should freak me the hell out but it doesn’t.
“I want to believe you’re tellin’ me the truth, I do. It would make fallin’ asleep so much easier,” she whispers and looks away.
I toss my bottle into the trashcan next to the table, use both hands to grasps her face, and turn her attention back to me.
“Hey, look, I promise to protect you, always, no matter what. I have a feelin’ we’re gonna be good friends, babe. And I protect what’s mine, and bein’ my friend makes you mine to protect.”
The grip my palms have on her face makes her lips puff up as she responds. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Sniper.”
I laugh. “I don’t darlin’. Hell, I think you’re my first promise, and I’ll be damn sure to keep it, yeah?”
Piper brings her tiny little hands up to my wrists and squeezes gently. “Yeah, okay.”
“I promised her I wouldn’t let anythin’ happen to her again,” I say under my breath for only my brother to hear. “I fuckin’ promised, Braxx.”
He pats me on the shoulder twice to let me know that he hears me, that he gets it. Before I pick up Piper’s gun to clean it, I look over at my blood brother. “She was my first promise, my only promise.”
My brother lifts his shades to the top of his head and takes a seat next to me.
“This waitin’ on Juan to call back is fuckin’ killin’ me. I don’t know how much longer I can hold out before I rip this town apart.” My anger has me in a chokehold.
Braxxon turns his body towards mine. “I’ll help you find her, but we have to do this with caution. You know this shit, brother.”
I slam my hands down onto the table. “I fuckin’ know, okay.”
Now I am lashing out on my brother when it isn’t his fault. Shit!
Piper has that beautiful spark in her eyes. The one that says, I’ve been through hell and made it back unscathed and I’m still living my life. That special spark. It lights up her face. I’m afraid that, when I find her, her special spark will be gone, and I won’t know how to get it back for her. The human mind takes a lot to heal from tragedy, and she made it back by herself in one piece after years in captivity. What if this finally breaks her?
“You think you love her, huh?”
I do love her. I have for a long time. Do I know if it is the once in a lifetime love I’ve always been looking for? No, I
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