“Why?”
I sighed. “I just feel like a liability if I can’t even protect myself.”
“But you can protect yourself,” Sam said. “You can’t fight some orders of angels or the highest-level demons. So what? Neither can any of my hunters or most of the angels of Heaven. Chances are, you’ll never have to.”
Only that wasn’t true. I’d already come face-to-face with a grand prince of Hell, and I would again. But now wasn’t the time to get into that with my brothers.
“Let’s call it a day,” Nate said, tucking his wings away and dragging a shirt over his head. “Do you need a ride back to your place?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll call Hayden.”
Sam scowled, but I pretended I didn’t see it.
Ten minutes later, a motorcycle pulled to a stop right outside the club. Hayden yanked off his helmet and practically ran toward me.
“Are you okay?” he asked, cupping my face between his gloved hands.
“I’m fine.”
“You didn’t sound fine over the phone. Tell me what’s going on, baby.”
I let my eyes fall closed, his touch bringing me a peace that nothing else ever had. “I’m just tired. My brothers are trying to teach me how to be a badass, and I’m failing miserably.”
“I doubt that.” His lips brushed over my forehead.
“You didn’t see me.”
“What do you need?”
“Can you just take me home?”
“Of course. Let me call Caleb.”
“No. I want you to take me.”
“Sunday School, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but all I have right now is a bike. I literally don’t even have a spare helmet with me.”
“Just don’t ruin my dress and we’ll be good.”
A startled laugh escaped him. “That’swhat you’re worried about?”
I smirked. If we crashed, I would walk away without any damage; the same couldn’t be said of my clothes.
“Just for the record, we are never doing this again. I’ll get you a helmet and some real gear if you want to ride in the future.”
“Fine.” I doubted we’d have another chance before Hayden learned the truth and realized how little I had to fear from a motorcycle accident.
He climbed back on the bike, and I settled in behindhim, wrapping my arms around his waist and laying my cheek against the back of his padded jacket.
The rush of wind going by as we sped through the streets was the closest I’d felt to flying without actually flying. I closed my eyes and fought against the sting of tears at the thought that I might never do this with Hayden again. I hadn’t even known he owned a motorcycle. How many other things would I never get the chance to learn about him?
When we were back home, Hayden barely let the front door close before pushing me back against it. His fingers found the strip of bare skin on my stomach, his thumbs stroking over my ribs and creating trails of goose bumps in their wake.
“Have I told you how much I like this outfit?” he whispered against the shell of my ear.
“No.”
“It’s one of my favorites.” His lips dragged down my neck and along the tops of my breasts where they peeked over the top of my neckline.
