Journey (Soulless Kings MC: Marble Falls, TX #2)

11. Journey

CHAPTER 11

JOURNEY

This woman got her hooks into me from the moment I laid eyes on her.

“My name’s Annie.”

I stare at the woman curled up in the fetal position behind the couch. Her beautiful eyes swim with unshed tears, and her body trembles. I know she’s a grown-up, but she’s acting very much like a small child.

“Annie, I’m Journey,” I say carefully.

I remember reading about Annie in the notes from Wren’s therapist. Based on Dr. Young’s observations, Annie is approximately five years old, the same age Wren was when her piece-of-shit father killed her family.

“You have to leave,” she says, her bottom lip quivering. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Why would I get hurt?” I ask.

Her gaze drops to my chest, and I glance down to see what she’s looking at. A second later, she stretches a hand and points at the patches on my cut.

“He hurts people that make him mad. And you’ll make him mad.”

What?

“I’m not gonna let him hurt me.” I hesitantly wrap my hand around hers, fully expecting her to pull away. Shock hammers in my chest when she doesn’t. “I won’t let him hurt you, either.”

Wren’s—or is it Annie’s?—eyes widen. “You won’t?” she asks.

“I’ll never let anything happen to you. I promise.”

The words resonate deep in my soul, and I realize how much I mean them. This woman got her hooks into me from the moment I laid eyes on her, and those hooks have only dug themselves deeper the more I’ve learned about her.

I just wish I learned it all from her and not reports Tracer dug up.

My president’s words roll around in my head.

“Aw, fuck,” Crow mutters.

“What?”

“You’ve fallen, and you can’t get up.”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

Crow smirks. “All I’m sayin’ is I’ve seen that look before. And man, are things about to get interesting.”

“My mommy says you shouldn’t make promises.”

The tiny voice coming from Wren’s mouth snaps me back to the present.

“Why’s that?”

“Because promises can be broken, and breaking a promise is lying, and lying is bad.”

I smile at her. “You’re right. Lying is bad. So, it’s a good thing I’m not a liar.” I squeeze her hand reassuringly. “Do you think you can come out from behind the couch for me?”

Slowly, she uncurls her body, each muscle seeming to visibly relax one by one. “Are you sure he’s not here?”

“Who?” I ask, knowing exactly who she’s referring to but needing to hear her say it again.

“Daddy,” she whispers.

I make a show of glancing over my shoulder and around the room before returning my attention to her. “He’s not here, Annie. It’s just you and me.”

And Wren.

After a few moments, she nods and uses my hand for leverage to pull herself up. Even at her full grown height, she’s small compared to me. The top of her head is level with my shoulders, and without thinking, I pull her close and tuck her under my chin.

She shudders as if letting go of all her apprehension. “You’re warm,” she says against my shirt.

I chuckle. Having her this close is pure torture, but I remind myself, and my cock, that now is not the time.

“Are you cold?” I ask.

“A little.” As soon as the words leave her mouth, she yawns loudly.

“Tired, too, huh?” She nods so I continue. “Why don’t you let me tuck you into bed so you can get some sleep?”

“But then you’ll leave,” she says almost frantically. “And if you leave, he can get to me.”

“I won’t leave.”

“Promise?”

“I thought promises were bad.”

She shrugs. “You said you aren’t a liar so I guess it’s okay if you promise.”

“Then yes, I promise I won’t leave.”

“Okay.”

I lift her into my arms and carry her down the hallway until I reach an open door. A quick glance tells me it’s her bedroom, and when my legs hit the mattress, I gently lay her down.

“Will you sit with me until I fall asleep?” she asks, rubbing her eyes with her fists.

Um…

“Sure.”

As I crawl onto the bed next to her, she pulls the covers over herself, and I’m careful to stay above them. I should stand up and walk out immediately, but I can’t bring myself to move. I made a promise, afterall.

Time seems to stand still as she tosses and turns, and before I know it, I doze off. And then I’m rudely awakened by a sharp elbow to my stomach.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

I blink several times to clear the sleep from my eyes and turn to face Wren. Rage and confusion war in her expression, and when she raises her arm to elbow me again, I grab her hand mid-air.

“Hit me again, and there’ll be consequences,” I snarl, rattled by her behavior.

“Answer my question,” she retorts as she swings her legs over the edge of the bed, yanking the blanket with her, and stands.

“You asked me to stay,” I blurt. When her forehead wrinkles with confusion, I go on. “Well, you, but not you.” I rub my hands over my face, trying to find the right words. “I think it was you when I got here, but then something happened. I, uh…”

“Fuck,” she mutters harshly.

I hurry to my feet and face her. “Wren, it’s okay, really. I, um, was happy to stay.”

“Who asked you to stay?” she demands.

“What?”

She walks around the bed and comes to a stop a foot in front of me. “Who asked you to stay last night? You said it wasn’t me, so who?”

“Annie.”

Her entire body stiffens. “You need to leave.”

“What?”

“Go,” she snaps. “Get out of my apartment before I call the cops.”

“Wait a damn minute,” I bark. “Why the fuck would you ca?—”

Wren’s entire demeanor shifts from angry confusion to distraught. Her shoulders slump, and she twists to plop onto the mattress.

“Please, Journey,” she says with sadness in her tone. “Please just go.”