Series: Silver Spoon MC Series by Nichole Rose
Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
"Never," I say without hesitation. Constantine may be a lot of things, but I trust him with my life. He saved my life. He has a thing about women and children. Uncle Dante and Dimitri do too. They won't go after a woman or a child, no matter the provocation. I don't know if it's because they've spent so many years trying to keep cartels from coming after me or if it's just that they find it morally wrong, but they never target the families of their enemies.
"I want you to stay in the SUV," Jude says anyway.
"No."
"Princess."
"No, Jude." I shake my head, holding firm. "I appreciate you so much for wanting to do this for me, but they'll never just accept your word that this is where I want to be. Unless they hear it from me, they won't give up."
"Fuck," he growls.
"I have to do this," I whisper, cupping his jaw. His stubble scratches my palm. "I thought running away was the answer, but I was wrong. How am I ever supposed to prove that I'm an adult capable of making my own decisions if I'm not even capable of telling them that I'm an adult capable of making my own decisions?" I want them to hear from my lips that I'm my own person with my own future and that my future is here with the man I love. They don't have to like it, but they do have to accept it. They'll never do that if I spend the rest of my life running.
I can't claim to be an adult and then make childish decisions that hurt the people I love most. My uncle and my brother gave up so much to raise me. They fought for me and protected me and kept me safe. All they've ever wanted is for me to remain safe. They need to see for themselves that I'm still safe, that I'm happy and healthy, and that this is my choice.
"Fuck," Jude swears, gently grabbing my wrist. "Fine. But hear me now, little girl. They aren't getting their fucking hands on you. They aren't taking you back to Houston. You aren't going anywhere you don't want to go."
"That's the plan," I promise, leaning forward to press my lips to his in a hard kiss. God, I love him so much. He's so hot when he's all bossy and territorial. Maybe it's wrong to love it as much as I do, but I don't care. I do love it.
Cash pulls in sideways, taking up three spots, and kills the engine. The brothers line their bikes up around the SUV, forming an upside down V with the SUV in the middle. None of them dismount though. They all stay where they are.
"Let's go," Jude growls.
Cash mutters a curse and then climbs from the SUV.
Jude opens the door and then steps out before setting me on my feet. He doesn't let me go, though, not even close. He wraps his arm around me, tucking me up against him like he's a piece of me. Even from here, I can feel the weight of Dimitri's unhappy gaze on us.
My brother is overprotective. If he had his way, I'd never date or fall in love or marry. Men would never exist to me. As far as he's concerned, they can't be trusted with me. But he doesn't know Jude. I think if he did, he'd find that he and Jude are in perfect agreement on that particular subject. As far as Jude is concerned, he's the only man that can be trusted with me. He told me so last night.
Uncle Dante keeps his expression clear, his thoughts carefully obscured behind his dark eyes. He's always been harder to read. He doesn't seem surprised to see Jude's arm around me though. He doesn't seem surprised to see the MC either. I know he and Jude briefly talked via phone this morning. I was there for the conversation. It lasted all of three minutes. I'm guessing my uncle has been on the phone ever since, getting every scrap of intel he could on the MC.
Did he call Constantine here after that conversation?
When we pass Hands, he hops off his bike and joins us, striding across the parking lot at Cash's side. Giant gives me the tiniest smile when we pass him, but his gray eyes are more serious than ever.
I shiver even though it's not particularly cold out. The weak winter sun shines brightly overhead, the rays spilling across the parking lot. Wind rustles through the treetops, singing in counterpoint to the growl of the motorcycles as we step beyond them.
We draw to a stop a few feet from my family.
"Hi, Uncle Dante, hi, Dimitri," I whisper, wringing my hands together. "Hi, Constantine."
"Sweetheart," Uncle Dante says. Even though his expression gives nothing away, he can't hide the worry in his voice. "You doing okay?"