Arrow's Hell (Wind Dragons MC #2)(45)

I swallow hard. “Okay.”

I close the space between us and press a sweet kiss to his lips, unable to stop myself from running my hand over the bulge in his jeans. “You better not use anyone else to relieve this.”

His eyes darken. “I’m going for a cold shower as soon as you leave.”

“Is that your promise to not screw around with anyone else until we sort out whatever this is between us?” I ask boldly, my eyes not leaving his.

He tilts his head slightly, which I take as agreement. Another quick kiss and I walk out of the room, where Rake is waiting for me in front of his bike.

“You know,” I tell my brother, “maybe it’s time I got my own bike.”

His smile is so wide that I can’t help but smile with him.

“I’ll teach you how to ride, then I’ll happily buy you a bike,” he says, handing me a helmet.

“A hot-pink bike?”

He laughs at that. “If that’s what you want.”

I get on the back of his bike, still smiling.

Life is looking up.

*

I was having the worst day ever.

After a long and tiring day of observations at the zoo, I wait at the bus stop. I finished classes early and didn’t bother to message Rake because it was just easier to take the bus than hassle someone for a ride.

“Hey, Anna,” Damien calls out, coming up to stand next to me.

“Hey, Damien,” I say, smiling. “How was your day? I saw you talking with some of the students and didn’t want to interrupt.”

He grins. “That would have been a welcome interruption considering I was on babysitting duty all day.”

“Got stuck showing around the freshmen, huh?” I tease.

He puts his hands in his pockets. “Something like that. Do you need a ride home? I’m parked just over there,” he says, nodding his head to the student parking lot to the right.

I look to his car and consider it. “Thanks, but it’s all right. I live close by.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, frowning. “I honestly don’t mind.”

He is sweet, Damien. We talk in class sometimes, usually about the work we were doing, nothing personal. But like I said, he is sweet, and I didn’t need Rake or Arrow scaring the shit out of him.

“I’m good,” I say as the bus arrives. “I’ll see you around.”

I get on the bus before he can protest.

Ten minutes later, as soon as I step off, it starts pouring.

Just my luck.

Dripping wet and moody, I walk from the stop to my apartment, which takes a couple of minutes. As I walk to my front door, dying for a hot shower, I notice something that makes me stop in my tracks.

The door is open.

What the hell?

Taking two steps backward, I pull out my phone and walk to the parking lot, where there would be people around. I dial Rake.

“Anna?”

“Hey, Rake, can you come to my apartment, please?”

He’s silent for a second. “Talk to me, Anna.”

“I just got home and the door is open. Something doesn’t feel right. I mean, it could be nothing; maybe I left the door open?”

But I know I didn’t.

“Are you safe?” he barks into the phone, and I can hear movement around him.

“Yeah, I’m in the lot, so I’m in clear view of the main road,” I say, shuffling my feet.

“Good girl,” he croons. “I’m on my way.”

“Thanks, Rake.”

“Oh, and, Anna?”

“Yeah?”

“You should have f*ckin’ called me when you finished class.”

He hangs up, leaving me cringing at the phone.

I sit on the curb, lifting my head when I hear the sound of rumbling motorcycles about ten minutes later. I can just imagine the lecture I’m going to get from Rake, about how all of this could be avoided if I just lived at the clubhouse like he wanted. Resigned to my fate, I stand as Rake and Arrow approach, both wearing identical scowls on their faces. Arrow lifts his hands to me as he walks up but drops them at the last second. Rake pulls me into his arms as Arrow watches, staring at my face. He looks like he wants to touch me badly but can’t because of my brother’s presence. I know the feeling, because I want to be in his arms too.

“You okay?” he asks me, our eyes connected. I nod.

“I’ll go in and check it out,” he says, giving me a gentle look before he walks in the direction of my apartment. Rake and I follow behind and watch as he disappears inside my apartment.

“Fuckin’ hell, Anna, you’d be safe if you weren’t so stubborn and just stayed where you belong.”

“Don’t start, Rake,” I mumble, staring at the door, waiting for Arrow to reappear. When he does, he’s empty-handed.

“Place is a wreck,” he says. “Doesn’t look like anything is missing though. Lock’s broken.”

Probably because I had nothing of value to steal. Luckily Lana wasn’t over, since she has a key and drops by whenever she feels like it. A key I actually gave her, unlike my brother.

Arrow removes his leather jacket and places it over my shoulders. “You look freezing, Anna.”

I sigh. “It’s been a long day.”