Page 16 of Tanner (Dirty Misfits MC 5)
I turned around and saw her standing in the doorway of one of the more luxurious rooms. It had a king-size bed in it with its own ensuite bathroom, and I knew it was one of the ones that was suped-up with both a walk-in shower and a massive tub. I helped build these rooms with my bare hands a few years back. We all thought Hyde was insane for wanting to purchase the place and make it a back-up compound for our crew, and my tongue filled with words I needed to chew on now that we were forced to use it.
But Summer’s shortness of breath pulled me out of my trance.
“Summer, you have to breathe for me.”
She shook her head and slapped her hand over her heart. “I—I-I-I—I can’t. Tan—ner. I—I can’t—”
I scooped her into my arms and walked into the bedroom. “In and out. As steadily as you can.”
She shook her head as her body trembled. “No. I can’t. It hurts. So much.”
I sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped my arms around her, trying to fend off the panic attack that we both knew was coming. I buried my face into her wild hair as she tucked her own against the crook of my neck, and her ragged breathing worried me. I rocked her softly side to side, cradling her like a child as her hands gripped tightly to my leather jacket.
Pulling me closer every time she thought I was about to move.
“Don’t let me go,” she said breathlessly.
I kissed the top of her head. “I never did.”
I kept whispering how sorry I was as she struggled to breath. I knew there was nothing I could do except comfort her and be there for her while she worked through them, but it didn’t make it any less difficult of a pill for me to swallow. I had caused this. I was the source of this. And in our history, there had been a time where I was the cure-all for this kind of panic. Where I had been her safe space instead of her trigger zone.
Just more proof that we shouldn't be together.
“There we go. Just like that. In… and out.”
Summer finally took her first big, uninterrupted breath, and relief rushed through my veins.
“There’s a good girl,” I whispered.
She whimpered softly. “I’ve missed you calling me that.”
I kissed her sweating forehead. “I’ve missed you being my good girl.”
She swallowed hard before she sat up, and when her eyes met mine the words simply tumbled off my lips.
“I never wanted you to get pulled into this mess, you know.”
She nodded quickly. “I know, Tanner.”
“I never wanted you to be in danger or be scared. I thought I could protect you from all of this all those years ago.”
She cupped my cheek. “I know.”
My forehead pressed against hers. “I hate seeing you so scared like this.”
She sniffled. “I don’t like seeing you this way, either.”
Our noses nuzzled softly together before she pulled her head back. “What about Cheyenne?”
I lifted my head. “What about her?”
“What if they find her before we pick her up tomorrow? What will they do to her?”
I pinned her with a stare. “They won’t get to her. Not on my watch. You have my word on that, okay?”
She sighed. “I still need to make some phone calls.”
I stood and placed her on the bed gingerly. “There’s a SAT phone we have in case of emergencies. I have to call Finn first for an update, then you can make your calls. But they have to be less than thirty second, all right?”
She nodded. “I can do that.”
“Great. I’ll be right back. You gonna be okay for a few minutes by yourself?”
She laid her head on one of the pillows. “Yeah, I’m just gonna slip under these covers really quickly.”
I grinned as I stepped out into the hallway. “You do that.”
Once I was far enough away from her bedroom, however, I broke into a dead sprint. I powered through the door that led into the panic room we built at the very back of the warehouse and I stepped inside before yanking the SAT phone off the wall. I placed a call to Finn before I held it to my ear, hoping and praying that the man picked up.
And when he did, I couldn't speak quickly enough. “Is everyone alive? Where are you guys?”
His bike engine revved before he spoke. “We’re good. All is good. Once Brooks showed up, they realized they were outnumbered and retreated.”
I sighed. “Thank fuck.”
“You need anything? We’re about to hit the main road now.”
“Actually, I do. Can you and Porter break off from the rest of the pack? I’ve got somewhere I need you guys to be.”
“Sure thing. Where we headed?”
“The house where my daughter is having her birthday sleepover.”
Then, Summer’s voice appeared behind me. “I can give him the address when he’s ready.”
