To my surprise, desire wasn’t the only emotion that she’d inspired. I’d felt a surge of warmth and protectiveness. She was so small and feminine, breakable. She needed someone to watch over her.
Seeing the sheriff’s hand on her had instantly filled me with rage, and I’d wanted to break it off. Especially when I’d noticed the fear and panic swimming in her gorgeous blue eyes. She’d trembled, and a possessiveness that I’d never experienced before had risen to the surface. My gut told me she was in trouble.
She didn’t need just anyone watching over her. She needed me. She was mine.
It barely registered when the sheriff had told me she’d picked my pocket—which I would be dealt endless grief for by my brothers. In my defense, no one from around here would dare to steal from a Silver Saint, and I was in the bar we owned, so I’d had my guard down.
All I knew was that she was frightened, and I couldn’t let the sheriff take her away. So when I ordered him to leave her to me, I was grateful for the influence we had because he backed down and handed her over.
My little doll gazed up at me with worry and regret. “I’m so sorry. I’ve never done anything like this before”—her eyes filled with tears, and a sharp pain pierced my heart—“I swear, I won’t ever try to steal again. Please, just let me go.” My instincts told me that she was telling the truth, but I wasn’t about to let her go.
I didn’t think she’d be receptive to hearing me stake my claim at that moment, though, so I just shook my head and led her toward the exit. I needed to get her back to my place before we got into whatever was going on. When she stumbled after a few steps, I spun around and scooped her into my arms. She made a small sound of protest, but a smug grin spread across my face when she immediately cuddled into me and tucked her head under my chin.
Luckily, the rain had cleared, and I didn’t have to worry about how to get her home without us both getting soaked. Not that the idea didn’t have merit…it would make it easier to get her out of her clothes.
I set her on her feet beside my motorcycle and laced our fingers together in case she tried to get away. Although, she looked too terrified to bolt. “Relax, doll,” I murmured in a soft, soothing tone. “No one’s gonna hurt you.”
She must have felt some of what was between us because a little of the fear in her eyes seemed to abate. “But you’re taking me to biker jail?” she squeaked.
I nearly barked out a laugh, but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Which shocked the shit out of me. Had this badass enforcer turned into a pussy-whipped marshmallow like Mac and Link with one look at this girl?
Rather than answer her question, I asked, “What’s your name?” She’d figure things out soon enough.
She hesitated, and I narrowed my eyes in warning. “Don’t lie to me, little doll.”
“Lucy,” she whispered.
I waited for her to give me the rest, but she remained silent. “Lucy what?”
She swallowed hard and glanced away. “I’d rather not say. Trust me, the less you know about me, the better.” There wasn’t a trace of dishonesty in her tone or expression. And it hadn’t taken me long to recognize that my doll wore her thoughts and feelings on her face. The fact that she really believed what she said just confirmed my suspicions that she was in trouble. I would’ve bet my cut that she was running from something or someone. Another excellent reason to get her back to the Silver Saints compound as soon as possible.
“Let me worry about that,” I stated as I grabbed my helmet from one of my saddlebags. “Last name, doll,” I demanded as I lowered the protective gear onto her head and secured the strap. It was really big on her, and I smiled because she looked ridiculously fucking adorable.
“Skye,” she muttered so quietly I almost missed it.
“I’m Dominic. Hop on.” I didn’t wait for Lucy to attempt to climb onto my bike since she was so small I was worried she would fall and hurt herself. With a firm grip on her waist, I lifted her onto the seat and immediately swung my leg over to straddle it right behind her. The law said I should put her behind me, but I was so big compared to her that I felt better with her caged in by my strong arms and thighs.
“Um, what about my car?” she asked suddenly.
Shit. I didn’t think about how she’d gotten to the bar, only where she was headed to now. “I’ll have one of the prospects pick it up tonight and bring it to the compound.”