Thumper (Cerberus MC)

“Jinx took a bullet for you,” he begins.

I look over at Jinx, but his eyes are locked on his president, jaw flexing as he grinds his teeth.

“He’d do it again,” Kincaid says, and Jinx’s eyes turn to find mine as he nods, agreeing with Kincaid.

My throat clogs as I look at him, and there’s no amount of swallowing that will dislodge it.

“I’d do it,” Rocker says.

“Same for me,” comes from Dominic at the front.

“Wouldn’t have to ask me twice,” Scooter adds.

An echo of agreements float around the room, each man looking in my direction as he makes his claim.

Tears burn the backs of my eyes, but I manage to keep them from falling as I look back to Kincaid.

“I betrayed you. I broke your trust.” I nod as if I need to convince myself I’m doing the right thing. “I appreciate your hospitality, but I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

“Why would you leave? Do you plan to go back to the FBI?”

“There’s not a chance in hell of that happening. That fucking organization leaves a black mark on my soul with every job I do.”

“We want you to stay. The vote was unanimous.”

A chorus of agreements makes its way around the room.

I shake my head in confusion.

“You’re an excellent part of the team.”

“I don’t meet the requirements. I don’t know how much you know, but—”

“We know everything,” Max says from his spot behind the computer.

“Then you know I was never a Marine.”

“Max wasn’t a Marine, and he’s no less of a member,” Tug says.

“Cannon works for Cerberus too,” Rivet adds.

“But that doesn’t negate the fact that I betrayed you.”

“Your position in Cerberus had much more to do with Samuelson than yourself. You had a job to do, and you did that in good faith. You came in and didn’t test anyone. You never once tried to get someone to slip up so you could take some dirt back to your handler. You did your job with integrity,” Dominic explains. “Cerberus needs men who take the job seriously. Men who are passionate about helping and protecting those that need it. You are a man with all of those qualities.”

“Are you forgetting that I deceived you? That you spent weeks thinking I was an honest to God sex trafficker? That you had to corral your families because you thought I’d hurt them.”

“We haven’t forgotten,” Kincaid says without a second of hesitation.

But he wasn’t the one who was uprooted from their homes.

My eyes look back over at Jinx and Rocker before refocusing on Kincaid.

“How can anyone trust me in the field? How can I trust that everyone would have my back? It’s too dangerous to risk.”

Jinx stands so quickly, his chair starts to roll across the room. Kid stops it with his foot before it smashes against the wall. He grips his shirt at the back of his neck and pulls it over his head. Although several of the guys wolf whistle at him, he isn’t grinning when he turns around and shows me the two yellowing bruises on his back.

“I had your back before we pulled you out of South America. Having your back now is no different.”

My eyes leave him, darting to the door, and of course it doesn’t go unnoticed in this room of trained professionals.

“If you need to talk to your girl about it first, we fully understand,” Kincaid says. “But don’t walk away because you think Cerberus won’t be the exact same as before you left. If it helps, she’s welcome here as long as you’re on the team.”

“She’s welcome until she wants to leave,” Dominic clarifies. “Her staying is not dependent on you being here.”

That right there is what makes these men so incredible. Cara will be protected no matter what I decide.

“How long do I have to decide?” I ask Kincaid.

“As long as it takes for you to say yes.”

I nod my head, and the meeting is adjourned. I stand, trying my best not to showcase the pain I’m in, but it doesn’t keep several of the guys from walking past and slapping me on the back. I figure they don’t realize just how much I hurt, or the more logical reasoning would be it’s their little form of retaliation for letting them think I was one of the men they’ve dedicated their lives to wiping out.

I head straight to the room, the walk taking much longer than it ever should, but Cara isn’t in there. I don’t bother settling back on the bed like my body is begging of me. I know I wouldn’t be able to relax without her in there. So, I turn right back around and head out into the living room.

She’s sitting on the sofa between Ivy and Delilah, her face bright with a smile as she chats and laughs. I can’t help but notice just how perfectly she fits in with everyone.