Page 42 of Tico

I carry her into the bathroom but then hesitate. What if her legs give out again?

Ember narrows her eyes at me. “You’re not staying in here while I pee, Diego.”

I hesitate again but then give a curt nod. “Fine, but holler if you need help. I don’t want your legs giving out again or you getting hurt.”

She rolls her eyes, but her lips twitch as if she’s holding back a smile and her cheeks pinken slightly.

I slowly lower her and my hands hover around her waist until she’s stable. Then, I head back into the bedroom and pick up her bag that she’d dropped when she collapsed. Setting it on the counter, I back up toward the door and give her a hard look in the mirror. “I mean it, Vicious. You holler if you need any kind of help.”

Her face softens. “I will, Diego.”

I shut the door behind me and pace my room. My heart is still racing from the attack. Thank fuck no one was killed or seriously injured. I exhale hard. Tomorrow we’ll get answers, even though I know the main purpose of this attack was most likely to test our defenses and take back Ember and Pyper if possible. Pushingaway my anxiety, I take off my cut and lay it over the back of an armchair. Then, I take off my boots and strip down to my boxers.

I hear a grunt coming from the bathroom and pause, but Ember doesn’t call out for help. A moment later, I hear her zip up her bag and then she opens the door as she leans against the door frame. She’s dressed in a little tank top and some short shorts. I bite my tongue to keep back a groan at how sexy she looks. She pauses, her eyes widening as they roam over my body. My chest puffs when I see the appreciation and desire in her eyes.

“See something you like?” I tease and she smirks.

“You know I do, but I didn’t realize you had this much ink. It’s gorgeous.”

I grunt as I step forward and lift her back into my arms, needing her close. “Daemon did most of it. If I hadn’t mentioned it already, your ink is stunning as well.”

“Daemon did most of my earlier work, too, but I did the vast majority of them.”

I walk over to the bed and sit her down on the edge. She reaches up, wincing slightly as she groans in pain. I sit down next to her, but she flinches slightly when my hands reach forward to help her. It takes me a moment before I realize the side I’m sitting on is the same side as her scar on her face.

“I would never hit you, Ember,” I tell her, purposefully using her real name so she knows I’m serious.

She swallows thickly as she nods. “I know,” she whispers, “but it’s hard to break that habit.”

I raise my hands again, slower this time. She doesn’t flinch this time, but her body tenses.

“Relax, Vicious. Let me take care of you.”

My fingers work to undo her bun, taking out the multiple hair bands before gently unbraiding her hair. It takes a few moments, but her body gradually relaxes. When I run my fingers throughher hair to untangle it, she moans and fuck if my cock doesn’t twitch in response, but nothing is happening tonight. Especially after her near collapse just a moment ago.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask as I continue running my hands through her hair, hoping she’ll open up with me. For a moment I don’t think she’s going to say anything but then she nods, ever so slightly.

She tells me about growing up, how her father treated them, how he killed his first two wives in front of her, then she tells me how she got into fighting.

“That was the only time he ever looked at me with pride. After that, if he looked pleased, it was only because I won a fight and made him and the club money.”

She then fills me in on what else happened over the years and what led up to them leaving and coming here.

“Well, I for one am glad you came here.”

“Me too,” she replies as she leans back against me. I wrap my arms around her.

After a few minutes, I hesitate to ask, but I am curious. “How did you get your scar?” I ask gently.

Her body tenses again and I feel a slight tremble go through her.

“It was the day after we buried Mom,” she whispers as she clenches and unclenches her hands. “Normally, we were never allowed near the homestead part of the compound, but that day, Dad dragged both Pyper and me there. I was nine and she was two. I ended up having to carry her to avoid getting hit every time she couldn’t keep up or fell down. He left Pyper with some other women and took me further into one of the buildings. When I first saw Jezabelle kneeling on the floor, one of the other women they keep there, I froze. Those few seconds gave Dad, Scooter, and Uncle Ryan enough time to tie me to a chair.”

Another tremble runs through her and I tighten my arms around her, but not so tight that I’d aggravate her injuries from tonight.

“Dad told me that all the extras Mom had allowed were no longer permitted. That Jezebelle was going to teach me how to behave otherwise I’d be beaten. When I refused, Uncle Ryan held me still while Dad and Scooter each carved a section of this ‘v’ into my face to mark me as Viper property. Dad said I needed a visual reminder to remember that my life was not my own and that he owned me. Then, Uncle Ryan gave me the scar that runs over my ribs,” she says as she pulls up her shirt and shows me a diagonal scar that is about five inches long.

“Jezebelle cleaned and stitched me up after that. It took a long time for the scars to heal, but that didn’t stop Dad from hitting me for his so-called infractions. Even when I was strong enough to take him, he still ended up beating me. But that was only because it was him and three or four others attacking me at the same time.”