Skeletons of Us (Unquiet Mind Book 2) (38 page)

He let out a growl and the cords in his neck pulsed. “Oh, I’ll be inspecting that in great detail later, but now, I’ve got somethin’ else.” He stepped back and intertwined our hands together. “First, we need to get out of here before your and my insane fuckin’ family burst in and we never escape,” he said, dragging me out the back door that led to the parking lot. “And before your equally insane fans swarm my bike and I have to start shooting them.”

I scowled at him, though he couldn’t see it in the dark parking lot. “My fans are not insane, and I don’t like your threat of shooting them.”

Killian stopped us by his bike. “We forgetting the one fan that will most definitely be lookin’ down the barrel of my gun when I catch him?” he asked, all teasing gone from his voice.

A chill settled on my arms. I rubbed them absently. “No, I haven’t forgotten that,” I told him, which was kind of a lie. In all the chaos, I actually had let the murderous stalker creep to the back of my mind. We hadn’t had any problems with whoever it was for a while. And being back in Amber was like being in a protective bubble. Killian owned most of the property in my mind. “Plus, that’s one. The rest are quite sane.”

Killian sighed. “What about the one who spent thousands of dollars on plastic surgery so she could try to look exactly like you?”

I stepped back. “How do you know that?” I paused, answering my own question. “I think I preferred it when you and Sam weren’t talking.”

Killian kissed my head. “Get on the bike, baby.”

“Where are we going?”

The corners of Killian’s mouth tipped up. “It’s a surprise.”

I folded my arms. “I don’t like surprises.”

Killian pulled me to his chest. “I haven’t forgotten.”

I frowned up at him. “Then why must you inflict them on me?”

He kissed my noise. “’Cause you’re fuckin’ cute when you get all irritated.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Really? Then I’m about to get real cute.”

Killian let me go, fastening a helmet to my head. “Just get on the bike, freckles.”

I stayed where I was.

He gave me a look. “For me?”

I glared at him. “Just to be clear, I’m doing this under protest,” I said, swinging on the bike.

“Duly noted.” He swung on in front of me and his hand came behind me to yank my body flush to his. I let out a little gasp at this; then my hands automatically went around his middle.

Without hesitation, he roared out of the parking lot. We sped past the crowds at the front of the building, which had grown since we’d arrived. They were gone in an instant.

I closed my eyes as the bike picked up speed. I didn’t think I’d ever get sick of riding with Killian. It was better than any dream or fantasy I could conjure up. Though, I did feel like he deserved some kind of punishment for subjecting me to a surprise. Another one. Last night’s surprise hadn’t turned out that great and it meant I’d had to spend an entire night without him. I knew I’d spent four years without him, but now we were together, one night was almost unbearable.

My hands trailed down from his waist and snaked up his tee, my nails raking up the taut ridges of his abs. His entire body stiffened as I skimmed my hands up then down. Way down. I teased the top of his jeans while I nestled my head into his neck. I could feel the veins in his neck tighten and my hand skimmed over something decidedly hard in his jeans. I grinned, my own body responding to his. The vibration of the bike was doing terrible things to me. I had been so focused on my task until now, I hadn’t realized where we were going. Now, as the bike climbed a familiar winding road, I knew. I knew where he was taking me and it hit my stomach.

Killian maneuvered the bike expertly over the bumpy dirt road that lead to a place I hadn’t been to in almost four years. A place that I only let myself visit in my dreams.

Our place.

He parked the bike, and before I could rake my eyes over the cliffs and the ocean beyond, I was lifted so I straddled Killian on the bike. My helmet was off in seconds. Killian yanked me to him, his mouth covering mine. The kiss was furious and unyielding. My body pressed up against him and the hardness in his jeans hit the perfect spot. I moaned into his mouth and grinded against him, needing friction.

“You’re an evil woman,” he growled, mouth inches from mine.

“Less talking, more kissing.”

Killian heeded my command, but before things could get really steamy, he lifted me off the bike.

“Can’t keep kissin’ you, baby,” he rasped once we’d gotten off the bike. “’Cause if I do, I’ll never stop.”

I stepped forward and grasped the edges of his cut. “Is that a problem?”

He rested his hands on my hips. “Fuck no. I’m plannin’ on spending the rest of my life drowning in you, freckles.” He paused. “But I gotta show you something first.” He grasped my hand and walked us to the edge of the outcrop, where the waves crashed against the rocks.

I let the sound wash over me and breathed in the ocean air before giving Killian a sideways look. “As beautiful as this is, Kill, I’ve been here before,” I said, for once not being content in the silence.

Killian turned me to him. “Do you remember what you said to me when we were up here after you’d played a gig at some jock’s party?” he asked.

I thought on it.

My heart stilled as I remembered what I’d whispered to him over the ocean air.

“I wish we could stay here forever. Build a house here and live out our days.”

“Killian,” I whispered.

“Bought this the moment I could scrape up enough cash. Livin’ simple the past four years, Lexie, it didn’t take long. Been waitin’ to build on it though. Waiting until I had something to build on. Waiting till I had a reason to build myself a home. Waiting for you.” He paused. “Crew breaks ground tomorrow.”

I opened my mouth then closed it again. I searched for the words, but there were none. I was struck dumb as tears streamed down my face.

Killian gently stroked my face. “Fuck, Freckles. I can call them, tell them not—”

“Don’t you dare,” I interrupted him, my voice barely above a whisper.

He stilled.

“I just need a second,” I whispered.

“I can give you that,” he murmured.

“Actually, no I don’t,” I corrected. Then I launched myself at him.

He caught me, like I knew he would. There were no slow, tender kisses for me. It was frantic, urgent. I impatiently yanked off his cut while my mouth stayed glued to him. I trailed my nails along his abs and he growled against my lips.

“Baby,” he rasped.

“No talking.”

He heeded my command immediately, lifting his arms so I could yank his tee off. The moment it was gone, I had no more control. Killian pulled me up his body, my dress riding up as he did so. I let out a little moan as my sensitive skin grinded up against his hardness encased in denim.

Then we were down, on the grass, Killian on his back, yanking me on top of him. His rough hands went to the tie holding my dress up, tugging it so the front tumbled down, exposing my breasts to him in the moonlight.

He cupped them almost reverently. “So fuckin’ beautiful,” he growled, then he yanked me down so he could fasten his mouth over one of my nipples.

My body sang for him as he sucked and turned me into a mess of hormones. When he let me go, I made short work of freeing him from his jeans, urgent to get him where he belonged. Inside me.

Our cries mingled in the night as I positioned myself and sank down on his hard length.

He didn’t stay on his back. Instead, he knifed up, crushing the bare skin of our chests together, his hands diving into my hair, resting his forehead against mine. He pounded into me from below, never tearing his gaze away from mine as he stoked the fire kindled within me.

“Kill,” I moaned.

“Tell me what you are, Lexie,” he commanded.

“Yours,” I said. “Always yours.”

His grip tightened on my hair. “Always,” he repeated.

TWO WEEKS LATER

“You’re not coming with me,” I said, trying to make my voice sound stern. It didn’t exactly work, considering my entire body was bursting with happiness.

Pure happiness.

Killian stepped forward, his face hard but his eyes were twinkling. “I’m comin’,” he declared.

I let out an exaggerated sigh. “No need for the bodyguard duty anymore. Stalker caught. I’m in no danger.”

The police had called two days after I’d played the concert in Amber, the day we got back to L.A. They had caught someone matching both my and Duke’s limited description lurking around my Calabasas house. When they’d caught him, he’d been rambling about how he and I deserved to be together and I had to know that, how it was God’s plan. They hadn’t been able to get much out of him thus far, but they were sure they had their guy. I wanted to be angry at him, like Killian and the boys were—no, it was safe to say they’d been furious. Furious he was actually caught.

“Prison cell is not what he deserves,” Killian bit out.

I raised a brow. “And what does he deserve, then?”

“A bullet,” Killian replied immediately.

It shocked me. That cold certainty. That glimpse of the man I’d seen in the ring. The one who had been borne out of the skeletons of us.

“He’s severely mentally ill, Killian,” I said softly.

“He hurt you,” Killian gritted out. “He doesn’t deserve to breathe. Can’t believe the fuckin’ cops caught him before we could get to him.”

“We could pay someone, you know, on the inside to get him out so we can deal with him,” Sam added in from the sofa.

I glared at him. “Don’t fuel my murderous boyfriend please, Sammy. Go back to your coloring.”

His jaw was hard, but he turned his attention back to the book. Yes, he was coloring. It calmed him. It was quite a sight, seeing the muscled, tattooed rock star coloring, but not one that was most important to me right now.

“Can we please forget about him and promises of murder, honey?” I asked softly, cupping Killian’s face. “Let’s just be happy.”

Killian’s jaw softened slightly. “Doesn’t sit well with me, not getting revenge.”

I kissed him chastely. “Happiness is the best revenge.”

He kissed me back. “Bullets are better,” he muttered, but he stopped talking about murder, which was a win for me I thought.

“You’re goin’ to a fuckin’
Vanity Fair
photo shoot, babe. I heard the word
topless
used in reference to that shoot. You think there’s any way you’re going to that without your man, you’re sorely fuckin’ mistaken,” he growled, back in the present. “Plus, the fuckin’ vultures are relentless. I’m not letting you wade through it without me.”

I stroked his face. “I’m used to it. Kind of comes with the territory.”

Though even I had to admit it was a bit crazy. There were hundreds of videos splashed throughout the media of Killian kissing me on stage then dragging me off. It was the story of the week. It was even bigger than Drew’s death, though there were all sorts of speculation about how I moved on “so quickly.” But mostly there was fascination with Killian. I found it quite funny. Killian did not. He’d actually started getting his own letters. I didn’t blame the girls; my man was hot. In addition to that, his Sons of Templar cut was clearly visible in the videos, so the story broke about that, and Zane and Cade were battling with media at their doors.

I didn’t think they were exactly battling though. Gage had done something, I wasn’t sure what, but I didn’t think it was anywhere near legal, to scare the paps off. They’d quickly fled Amber, but that didn’t mean there weren’t all sorts of stories going around about me and a “gang member.” I was sure Jenna’s head might actually explode at any moment from the sheer amount of press we were getting. It was doing wonders for the tour ticket sales apparently. The entire tour was sold out.

Though Mark had told me I had to do something to address the rumors flying around, hence the
Vanity Fair
article.

“You’ve got stuff to sort out with the club, I’m sure,” I tried to coax him out of coming. “Especially since you’re coming on tour with us in two weeks and leaving Gage in charge. You’ve got to make sure the new clubhouse has fire extinguishers. Lots of them.”

Killian didn’t budge. “I’m comin’.”

I sagged against him. “Fine, but you have to promise you won’t hit any photographers.”

Killian raised a brow and didn’t say anything. He’d already punched two.
Two
. I was waiting for the lawsuits.

Before I could say anything more, Wyatt came through the door. “This has nothing to do with me,” he said by greeting.

“What do you mean?” I started to say, but I was silenced by a small, angry person bursting through the door.

“You!” She pointed a manicured finger at Killian.

“Oh shit. Brace positions, people,” Sam muttered from the sofa.

I ignored this and stepped out of Killian’s embrace. “Emma,” I said in a soft voice.

She scowled at me. “I’ll deal with you later,” she snapped. Then, without saying anything else, she surged forward and punched Killian right in the face.

“Fuck,” Wyatt said, rushing forward to yank her away from Killian, who grinned. Yes, grinned.

“She’s got a better left hook than you,” he told Sam, who’d stood to get a better view. He didn’t seem at all perturbed by the violence. In fact, he was grinning too.