Burned (Devil's Blaze MC #3)(89)

Missing you tonight, sweetheart.

There’s a brief lull. I figure she’s already sound asleep. I’m just putting my phone down when a message comes through.

Miss you too, Sabre. Please be safe. Love you. Xoxo

Love. I don’t know what that is really. I’ve never had it. Yet, I like the idea of Annie loving me. I like it a f*ck of a lot.

Before I met Beth, I had no life anyway. I think on Skull’s words. I think I’m starting to understand exactly what he means. I’ve never had someone to come home to before. Someone to worry about me and take care of me. Annie does all of that and more. I need to appreciate that, cherish it, and make sure it’s safe. I sure as hell don’t want to be grieving like Skull does. I grab my phone and text Latch, a patched in member of the club who doesn’t go on runs and shit. He’s got a little sister at home he takes care of; she’s only sixteen and Latch is her only family. They lost their mother a year ago to breast cancer. Latch and I are tight. We have a connection the other brothers don’t know about and would never understand.

Me: You keeping an eye on my woman?

My phone vibrates a few minutes later.

Latch: Outside her house right now. Never fear.

Me: Everything cool?

Latch: She got a visit from an uncle, today. Carl something. It seemed to freak her out. I’m keeping a close eye.

Me: Do that. I’ll check in tomorrow.

Latch: I’m on it. Later.

I don’t like the idea of Annie having problems with me so far away. If her uncle is anything like her father, I know why she is upset. I’ll have to call her in the morning. I roll over in the bed to get some shut-eye. Tomorrow is going to be a long-ass day.





Chapter 12


Annie


How does someone you barely know feel like they own your soul?



I lie there holding my phone after Sabre’s text. I can’t sleep. I may have only been with him for a short amount of time, but I’m used to the way he spoons me and wraps his arms around me at night. He always takes one hand and wraps it around my breast, kisses my neck, and whispers goodnight in my ear. I’ve become addicted to that and have found that even one night without it and I’m wide awake. I crave him like an addict craves his next fix. I even want to cry after his text. That’s how far I’m gone. I get up out of bed and walk to the bathroom, it’s almost morning, I might as well stop pretending I’m going to sleep. The hour nap I had will be it.

After a quick shower, I stumble into the kitchen to find coffee. It’s going to take a lot of coffee to get through today. It’s just finishing up when there’s a knock on my door. That single-girl-all-alone-it’s-3 a.m. panic hits me. I walk cautiously to the front door, afraid it’s Carl. He came by earlier today, said he heard talk I was living with a man. There was no sign of Sabre though and his old truck was hid in the garage, so I think I covered. Still, I know there is trouble coming on that front and I have no idea what I’m going to do about it. I go quietly to the door and glance through the peephole. Latch is standing on the other side. He’s the man that Sabre has watching over me while he’s out of town. He seems like a nice guy.

“What’s up?” I ask, opening the door. I’m worried something happened since it’s the middle of the night and he’s here.

“I was wondering if my sister could spend what’s the rest of the night here. She got picked up at a local party and the deputy called me to come get her. I can’t trust her not to go back out if I’m not there.” He pulls a sullen-looking young girl from the side of the house; I hadn’t noticed her before. She’s beautiful. Her hair is the color of midnight and she’s got these deep, inky dark eyes and long, thick eyelashes. Her skin is pale and flawless, and she could easily be on the cover of any magazine, coming or going. She’s also full of anger and looks like she wants to kill someone.

“Sure, come on inside,” I tell them both, opening the door wider and stepping back.

“Annie this is my baby sister, Lucy. Lucy, this is Annie, she’s Sabre’s old lady.”

“I’ll be seventeen in two weeks, I’m not a baby,” she grumbles.

“I think we’re always babies to our big brothers. I know I was,” I tell her trying to make her feel better as I lead them into the kitchen.

“Was? How on Earth did you get him to stop treating you like a child?” Lucy asks.

“Well, my brother died in a car accident and there’s not been a day since then I haven’t wished he was back here to be over-protective again,” I answer, hoping my message gets across. I watch out of the corner of my eye and see her look at Latch.

“I just made a pot of coffee, would you guys like some?”

“Thanks, that sounds great. I didn’t want to bother you, but I saw you had your light on and figured it’d be better for Lucy to sleep here instead of my truck.”

“Why on Earth are you sleeping in your truck?”

“Remember, Sabre asked me to keep an eye on you. I can’t hardly do that Annie if I’m not around.”

“I thought you went home! You can’t stay outside all night. I’ll fix you a bed on the couch, and Lucy can have my spare room.”

“Annie, we should probably talk about that with Sabre, and I don’t mind….”