He exhaled through his nose like he was choosing his next words carefully. "I—"
"Kod..." She curled her fingers around his wrist. "Talk to me."
Kodiak's eyes darkened. Then, slowly, his fingers left the whiskey and turned to her hand, pressing his rough, warm palm against her own.
"I'm not tired of running the club. I need to finish this business with Nate, make sure you're safe." His gruff voice wrapped around her. "You're who I'm worried about."
"You think Nate will—"
"No, because I won't give him another chance." He leaned forward. "You're the most important thing I have, baby girl."
Roma's pulse kicked against her ribs, but she held Kodiak's gaze, searching for the truth behind his words. She needed to believe him.
His firm, strong touch reassured her. His thumb traced lightly along the side of her hand.
"You mean that?" she murmured.
"Yeah."
A breath she hadn't realized she held slipped past her lips. All she ever wanted was for him to see her as an equal and admit they had a connection that exceeded the walls of the clubhouse, the fence of the compound, and the stars in the sky.
"You in?" Kodiak's fingers twitched against hers.
His grip shifted, eliminating any space between them. She clung to him.
"I've always been in," she whispered.
"Can you trust me after what happened tonight?"
Her breath hitched. Trust. A dangerous word. A fragile thing. But when she looked at him, really looked, it wasn't only trusthe was asking for. It was something bigger, something that stretched beyond the club, beyond duty, beyond every carefully drawn line between them.
She'd fought with her feelings for the last two years, believing that losing her father in such a way had proven to her that she couldn't trust anyone. But that wasn't true. Her father had trusted Kodiak, not only with his life, but with her. It was her dad's last wish that Kodiak take care of her, protect her, love her.
Kodiak saved her life tonight, and every second she was with that mad man, she trusted that Kodiak would find her. There was no doubt that he was doing all that he could to keep her from harm.
And, while she'd lost her dad and she'd witnessed the brutal world of living within Royalla, there was one person she trusted, and she was looking into his eyes.
"I love you," she murmured, barely above a whisper.
His thumb slowly brushed the edge of her palm. "I'm gonna make sure you never stop. You're my old lady, baby girl."
She wet her lips, guilt making her nauseous. "I wish I could take back the whole day. If I hadn't played Nate in pool and agreed to go outside—"
"Not. Your. Fault."
Her throat tightened, but she nodded, fingers curling around his in silent apology.
Maybe this was how trust was built. One word at a time. One promise at a time. One touch at a time.
She wasn't sure how long they sat with their fingers laced together across the table, the weight of their responsibilities stopping them from moving forward. But their future sat in the empty chair beside them, waiting for them.
She was physically exhausted, emotionally wounded, and could barely put two thoughts together. But one thing was sure.
She loved Kodiak.
Chapter 33
Kodiak rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension he couldn't shake off. He hadn't slept for sixty-two hours. Every time he closed his eyes, Nate's face crawled in behind the lids, whispering,You'll never keep her safe.
