Time for the whole world to know that Oaklee was mine … well past time.
Stalking forward, I made it to the table to hear the arsehole suggesting to my girl he could do her.
Like fucking hell.
“No! She means to get the fuck off her lap, right fucking now, or I will drag you out the back and beat the living shit out of you for even daring to put your grubby hands on my girlfriend,” I growled, so fucking pissed at seeing another man so close and touching what was mine, and her touching him. Oaklee had her hands on his chest in an effort to push him off, but the stupid prick was so oiled up, she wasn’t getting the traction needed. Instead, all she was accomplishing was slipping all over his pecs, and that was ramping up my desire to kill him.
Oaklee’s shoulders tensed the second she heard my voice, her hands stilling, her fingers clawing into his skin. I watched as her neck fell back, and a tiny gasped moan left her lips.
Yeah, baby, I’m here. And fuck have I missed you.
“Temptress, how about you take your hands off the fucker, so I don’t have to look at you touching another man. As it is, seeing him sitting on your lap practically naked is going to take a lifetime to get out of my head.”
Now, look at me, baby, and give me those greens, heal me with one of your smiles. The ones that belong to me and me only.
Unable to wait for either of them to get over their shock, I grabbed him under the armpit and hauled him to his feet, grimacing at the oil now on my hand.
“Get the fuck away now, and I suggest you run before I find you and kill you,” I threatened menacingly. The idiot hesitated, stumbling to get his footing, and I was about to do something about his stupidity when the music suddenly cut off.
“Harrison, do as Cole says. Quickly,” Mannix bellowed, coming up to stand beside me, his arms crossed over his chest, his tone menacing, just like mine.
Satisfied that Mannix had the stripper in hand, I switched my focus back to my girl. She was yet to look at me, but her body, every sexy inch of it, was vibrating. And going by the way Thayer’s mouth was hanging open, her eyes wide with shock, I got the impression neither woman was expecting to see me here tonight.
Wrong assumption.
If Oaklee had some asinine idea that we were done, then she was in for one hell of a shock. Not only was I going to take Oaklee home with me, I fully intended on putting my ring on her finger and ending this nightmare I have been in over the past weeks.
No more fucking around, no more secrets, and no more darkness.
Turning to face Oaklee, I dropped to my knees in front of her.
“Baby,” I whisper growled, seeing up close what I couldn’t see from the window in my hide-out. Her beautiful … so beautiful face was gaunt and hollowed in at her cheeks. Her eyes had dark circles under them, and her eyes were so sad. Making a quick swept of her, I noted the protruding collar bones, her skinnier shoulders, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying. Resting one hand on her knee, I cupped her face with my other hand. Touching her again after so long eased the dark beast inside me, even in this simple way.
“Oaklee?”
“Wha—what are you doing here?” she stammered, her eyes moving all over me, unconsciously moving further into my palm.
“Really? That is what you ask me first after weeks of being apart?”
“Your mum, didn’t she tell you that I—”
“Quit? Yeah, she told me, she told me a lot of things, and I told her a lot of things too.” Keeping my voice gentle, I leaned in and pressed my forehead to hers, inhaling the sweet scent that was uniquely Oaklee and ignoring the offensive smell of scented body oil.
Fucking arsehole better run fast and far.
“I have been going crazy, baby, not knowing where the hell you were, not being able to contact you. Jesus, Oaklee.” Taking in a deep cleansing breath, I took a second to just appreciate being close to her again. “What were you thinking, sweetheart, going off the grid that way?”
“I was thinking of your relationship with your father; our being together is putting a wedge between you two, Cole,” Oaklee whispered. My name falling from her lips like a prayer.
“What about our relationship, Oaklee? What about us?”
Shaking her head, Oaklee smiled sadly, her teeth capturing her bottom lip, working it.
“Don’t do that, baby,” I scolded softly, using my thumb to pull it free.
“Cole, your mum made it perfectly clear that we weren’t a good idea. That I was making you lie to your father.”
“Shhh, baby.” I stopped her, not ready to hear again what the Flock and my mum said to Oaklee, what they accused her of. During one of the many phone calls to the compound, I spoke to my mother. She came clean about what happened when she, Rainn and Charlotte confronted Oaklee, only to have their plan blow up in their faces. When Mum detailed what their intention had been, to basically confront her, let her believe they knew everything, and Oaklee would confess to our relationship, and then the women would give her a little hell for the deception. Lesson learnt and interrogation over, or something stupid like that. What Mum and her Flock had not counted on was my girl didn’t like to be backed into a corner. They didn’t know about her parents or the hell they had put her through. They also didn’t count on Oaklee taking all the blame on herself, she would rather sacrifice herself than see my dad and
