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He was going to.
But he hadn’t.
He had chosen me.
Every time.
At the party, he saved me from two patched members without knowing who I was.
He arranged to have my broken door fixed because he wanted to keep me safe—yep, it didn’t take me long to work that one out.
In the cemetery, he stayed with me when he should’ve been protecting his president.
And in the garage…
In the garage, despite the fire, the smoke, the danger to himself, he saved me.
I couldn’t deny my feelings for him. I always said actions spoke louder than words, and Nick’s actions had proven his intentions.
There was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I called out, settling the blankets back into place. It was probably the doctor coming in to see me one last time. As soon as I saw the dark hair and piercing green eyes, the air in my lungs shuddered out of them. “Nick.”
He stood in the doorway, indecision clearly written all over his face. He wasn’t sure I wanted him here. I couldn’t blame him. “Hey, baby,” he said, shoving one hand into his pocket. He was dressed in dark jeans and a t-shirt, but not his cut. The absence was slightly jarring. My gaze traveled down his arm to find a rucksack dangling from his fingers.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Rixon wanted to exile me to save my life. The president of our mother chapter persuaded him to let me be a nomad instead. I’ll base myself out of Columbus.”
I looked down at my blanket. “So you’re leaving?”
“Yes.”
My breathing stuttered at the thought of losing him on top of everything else. “When?”
“Now. I should’ve left last night but…”
“But what?”
Dropping his bag, he reached into his pocket as he approached the bed. “But I had to see you and give you this.” He handed me my phone.
Tears crowded against my lashes, trembling there. “That’s it?”
Hooking his thumb under my chin, he tipped my face up to his. His green eyes were luminous, intent, and hauntingly sad. “I have no right to ask.”
My throat stung with the pressure of held back tears. “Ask what?” I whispered.
“Ask you to come with me. I have no right, but I’m asking anyway.”
I blinked, my tears fusing my lashes together for a moment. “You want me to go with you to Columbus.” I didn’t pose it as a question because I knew what it really was. It was a statement of fact.
“I want you with me always, Alex.” He stroked his thumb over my cheek. My jaw. I leaned into the touch. Even before my brain caught up, my heart had already decided. I couldn’t be away from him. I couldn’t be away from this man who had taught me to trust again. Who had taught me that I was strong. Brave. Beautiful. Smart. Independent. That I had a backbone. That I had a voice. He taught me that despite my shitty childhood, and my even shittier biological family, that I could choose to be something different. He never wanted to cage me. Despite the need to keep me safe, he still wanted me to have my freedom. To choose. Just like he chose not to use me for his own gain.
He chose me.
“I want to be with you, Nick.” My whispered words were loud in the otherwise quiet room. For a long moment, all he could do was stare at me; then he swooped forward and pressed his mouth to mine. The kiss was demanding yet gentle at the same time. His tongue stroked the seam of my lips, sweeping inside and tasting me when he gained access. I moaned, locking my arms behind his neck, and pulling him closer. He smelled of leather and gun polish andhim.
When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine and we breathed each other in for a moment. “When are you being discharged?”
