Making the Cut (Son's of Templar MC)(55)

That was all I saw before Cade took us through a dirty house and out  onto the street. We were in a seriously dodgy neighborhood, nowhere that  looked familiar, and I wondered where the hell these bastards had taken  me. I didn't have much time to contemplate this as an SUV screeched in  front of us at the curb. I jumped for a moment, thinking it was more of  the Spider's.

"It's okay baby it's the Lucky." Cade told me quietly.

Lucky jumped out of the drivers seat and hissed when he saw me, his normally carefree face marred with fury.

"Those fuckers dead?" He barked at Cade, his voice almost feral.

"Yep." Cade clipped. "You take my bike, I'll take Gwen in the cage."

Lucky nodded tightly, starting to the house. He stopped in front of me, stroking my cheek softly before continuing.

Cade opened the passenger door, depositing me carefully on the seat  before buckling me up. Our eyes locked for a beat, something passing  from him I didn't entirely understand, but something important. I didn't  get long to scrutinize it as he closed my door and rounded the car. He  took off quickly, weaving through the streets at speed.                       
       
           



       

"Where are we?" I whispered, trying to find a familiar landmark.

"Barnett, next town over." He replied, eyes focused on the road.

That would make sense as to why I didn't recognize where we were.  Silence descended as we left the town behind, the road looking all but  abandoned. I felt overwhelmed, but numb at the same time, my brain not  being able to handle all the crazy shit that had just happened. My face  was hurting like a mother fucker, not to mention my ribs which felt like  they were on fire. I gingerly touched my lip, wincing at the pain that  erupted. Cade must've seen this because he slammed on his breaks and  pulled off the road. He was out of the car and by my side at lightening  speed before unbuckling me and turning my body to face him. He lightly  touched my face, eyes hard.

"You hurt anywhere else?" He asked evenly, voice flat.

I gulped and glanced down at my torso, not being fooled by his flat  tone, I knew he was barely restraining his fury but he would see my ribs  sooner or later. His eyes followed mine and he lifted the edge of  Brock's tee up to expose my ribs. I heard his hiss of breath as his eyes  encountered the purplish bruise already forming. His stare came level  with mine, eyes glittering with caged fury.

"They touch you?" He managed to grind out, I knew how much he feared the answer, looking like he was barely holding on.

I clasped my hands around his neck, pulling him between my legs. "He  didn't touch me, you got there in time. I knew you would." I spoke  softy.

His eyes focused on my lip, the bruise that I knew was already forming  on my cheekbone, his huge palm spanned my ribbed touch feather light.

"I didn't get there in time, the fucker put his hands on you. Had you  hanging off the fucking ceiling in your underwear." His voice was almost  a snarl. "He marked you. You're hurt."

"You don't get it Cade, I knew you would come. I have been in that  situation before, and I was paralyzed with fear last time … " Cade's eyes  became midnight at my words, body stiff. I tightened my grip on his  neck. "This time I wasn't paralyzed with fear, I didn't feel hopeless.  Because I knew you would come for me." My voice was fierce.

Cade stared at me for a second as if he was mentally pulling himself  together. He closed his eyes then plastered my body into his, my butt  left the seat and I had no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist.  He held me tight, face in my hair.

"Fuck baby when I got that call you'd been taken. I never want to relive  that moment as long as I fucken live. You were gone for four hours,  longest four hours of my life. Knew the boys were one step away from  locking me down, but I couldn't have that. I knew how terrified you  would've been, not knowing what was happening to you, the way we left  things. I walked through that door, not knowing what I was going to  find, but if you hadn't been whole baby, I would be Bull, breathing,  existing, but not living." He pulled his head back, resting his forehead  on mine. "Need you Gwen, like I need air. This life is fucked, it ain't  what you deserve, but I am going to clean this shit up now. It will  never touch you again." His voice was firm, resolved and I believed him.

"I can't promise you I'm going to be a choirboy, that'll never be me.  But I am getting the club away from any kind of business that could get  you hurt, cause I am never putting you in danger again for as long as I  fucken live. And I intend that to be a good long while, so I can make my  life with you, put a ring on your finger, my babies in your belly."

My breath left me in a whoosh, this was a shit ton of information to  take in at one go. Babies? Marriage? I had never even considered this,  my life having been focused on my career, my friends. Now I had this  declaration on the side of the road after being kidnapped and beaten,  this day was definitely crazy. I gazed into Cade's eyes, not knowing how  to reply but somehow knowing I wanted all of that with him. I didn't  know what to say so I kissed him. He complied for a moment before gently  pulling away.

"Gwen your lip, I'll hurt you." He sounded conflicted, I could see the  desire in his eyes, the same need that I had to be close to him, to  connect with him.

"I don't care." I whispered against his mouth, resuming the kiss. His  reservations forgotten, Cade attacked my mouth with a ferocity that I  had never experienced. It was beyond a kiss, it was a promise, a claim. I  ignored the pain in my lip he pushed me back against the car, mouth  never leaving mine. I felt his hardness pressing up against me and I  moaned, wrapping myself against him even tighter.                       
       
           



       

Cade stopped the kiss, eyes on mine. "Jesus Gwen, fuck." He shook his  head slightly as if he was trying to get his thoughts straight.

"As much as I would love to get inside you, I am not doing it on the  side of a road, with you hurt, we need to get you to a hospital."

I gave a little mew of protest as he deposited me back in my seat, he  smiled, it was tight and his eyes were stormy but it was a smile.

Cade got back into the car, getting us back on the road home. I looked  over at him, he had one hand on the wheel, the other lay on my bare  thigh.

"Honey I know the concern you have for me comes from a place of love,  but can we maybe skip the hospital visit? It's just a couple of bruises,  nothing that Ibuprofen and a bottle of wine can't fix." I attempted to  sound breezy, but my voice was shaky. I wasn't going to deny that I was  hanging on by a thread, I had been kidnapped and beaten by murderers for  Christ's sake, that was kind of scary. But I also knew I wanted to  steer clear of hospitals, not only due to the fact I fucking hated those  places, but I was scared at the memories those sterile walls might  uncover.

"A couple of bruises?" Cade replied quietly, his knuckles were white on  the steering wheel. "Look in the fucking mirror Gwen. Half of your face  is swollen and bruised, your lip is busted. Best case scenario is your  ribs are badly bruised, but they're more likely cracked so you're going  to the hospital. And you're staying there until someone can assure me  beyond a shadow of a fucking doubt you will make a full recovery, in  addition to prescribing painkillers that numb everything down to a  broken fuckin fingernail." His tone brokered no argument.

"Okay I get your need to protect me, and your alpha male blood is  probably boiling right now but I hate hospitals. Not just because they  are full of germs and death, or because the bed sheets are as scratchy  as a fleabag motels, don't even get me started on the gowns. I could get  over all of that to give you peace of mind, but I just can't go into  another hospital, not after spending weeks in one a year ago, I don't  think I can stand being the victim again. Please Cade." I knew my tone  might have bordered on pathetic but I would rather wear Crocs for a  month than be back in a hospital bed.

Cade glanced at me, I knew he was battling internally, and I'm sure my  puppy dog eyes didn't help his struggle, but they helped mine.

"I'm getting a doctor to meet us at your place, he can check you over  there, but if he even thinks you might need a hospital visit you will be  going." He sighed as if he was dealing with a child who didn't want to  have a nap.

"Thanks Cade." I replied quietly, placing my hand atop his.

The hand at my thigh squeezed. "Sure baby. We can't have my precious  princess in scratchy sheets." A hint of teasing was in his voice.