Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 42685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 213(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 213(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
“I’ve got you, Smokey,” he rumbled. “I’ll never let anything hurt you again, you hear me? I’ll slaughter anyone who does. You’re safe. I’ll protect you with my life.”
“Can’t escape it,” I rasped, my icy fingers digging into his shoulders. Capone didn’t even flinch. He just clutched me tighter to his wet chest and gently set me on the bed. I reached for him, terrified to be by myself now that he had come for me. My thoughts were too dark, my memories too terrifying to relive on my own. I needed him with me.
“Don’t—” I choked out.
Capone cupped my face in his hands. “Easy,” he murmured. “Breathe with me, Smokey. Deep breath in.” We both deeply inhaled, and I slowly breathed out when he did. “Again.” We repeated it four more times before my heart rate was back under control. He stroked his thumb over my cheek. “I need to get out of these wet clothes, and then we’ll lay in bed, okay?”
I nodded and slowly released him, my fingers aching for his warmth. A shiver wracked through my body when the air conditioning came on and blew over my cold skin, but I didn’t dare move. Felt like any movement without Capone touching me in some way would make all that ugliness in my past come racing back.
Capone quickly dropped all his clothes to the floor until he was naked, and then he grabbed my hand. I watched as he got on the bed, leaning his back against the headboard. When he patted his lap with his free hand, I quickly moved, the towel falling from around my waist. I straddled his lap, my legs on either side of his hips. And then I wrapped myself around him, tucking my face into the curve of his neck.
One would think after two years, I’d be able to handle it, but I couldn’t. I still struggled every fucking day. Barely got any sleep at night time. Most nights, I ended up in Tank’s bed, seeking the safety I so desperately needed wrapped around me.
“You’re safe, Smokey,” Capone murmured, his calloused hands running up and down my back. “If anyone dares to come for you, I’ll slaughter them. Rip their fucking throats out. I know you and Tank are close, but all of us here will go to fucking war over you.”
A tear ran down my cheek. “I love you,” I croaked.
Capone shivered. It was the first time I’d voiced those words to him and the first time I’d said those words to anyone but Tank.
Capone gripped a handful of my hair and gently pulled my head up. He ran his eyes over my face. “I love you, too,” Capone rasped. “I’ll gladly fucking bleed for you, boy.”
All day that day, he laid in bed with me, forcing water down my throat and my favorite comfort foods—lemon cake, jalapeno jerky, and applesauce. We watched stupid cartoon movies that were just funny and comforting, and he held me until I came out of my funk, never once leaving me alone.
Capone was a hard ass. He was easily one of the most dangerous men I’d ever met. But he loved each of us deeply. And that day was the first day I’d witnessed how deep his love for me went. He had club business that needed his attention, but he shoved it all to the side to take care of me.
I now had his words tattooed on my back: I’ll gladly fucking bleed for you.
“Lost you for a minute,” Tank murmured. I blinked, not realizing I’d gotten so deep in my head. He chuckled. “Thinking of Capone?”
I nodded, my cheeks warming the tiniest bit. Tank raised his hand and brushed his fingers over my cheekbone before draping his arm back over me and April again.
“He’ll probably come snatch April from you when Hawke is doing okay again.”
Fuck, if I thought Capone loved me deeply, it was nothing compared to how deeply he loved our woman. And I was perfectly okay with that. She deserved everything good in this world. And one of the best things in this universe was Capone’s adoration.
I chuckled and looked down at our woman who was still peacefully sleeping. “I don’t think she realizes how much we all love her,” I said quietly.
Tank hummed. “Some could say the same for you, baby.”
Though I could feel his eyes on me, I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, his words hitting too close to home. He just slid his hand fully over my hip and clamped down, his touch saying everything he didn’t voice out loud.
CHAPTER 11
River
April walked outside in nothing but one of Smokey’s t-shirts, rubbing at her eyes. A soft smile tilted my lips as Capone and I looked over at her. She’d been napping most of the day in Smokey’s room. Smokey was her safe place to recover. I knew all of us took a lot out of her. So, when she was with Smokey, none of us bothered her except to check in on her.