Her Valentine by Amanda Anderson Read Free Book Online Page A

hadn’t made a sound since they’d left the warehouse.  He was worried about her, but Chester looked like he had one foot in the grave.
    “Chester listen to me.  If there is a chance Flores traced her to the safe house then we need to go now.  We aren’t far behind him.  She could be in danger.”
    Chester was coughing.  His skin was the color of day old oatmeal and he was sweating like a whore in church.
    “I’ll drive.  You take care of Daisy.”
    Chester just nodded.
    Nick drove like a maniac.  He was terrified.  For the first time he realize how much Storm mattered to him.  It had been such a short time and he was already insane without her. 
    His phone rang.
    “Valentine.”
    “We are headed to the safe house.  Maria sent a distress call about ten minutes ago.”  Law said.  “Said Flores put out feelers about a girl that had run away from him.  He has Storm’s picture.”
    “Fuuuuck.  We are on the way.  Do you trust that woman?”
    “No, but she knows she’s dead if she crosses me.”  Law sounded deadly.  That only made Nick want to get to Storm that much faster.
     
     
    Storm was a wreck.  The men had pulled out before dawn and she had been given orders to shoot anyone who came into the house.
    She paced behind and chewed off her finger nails.  She knew no one would tell her anything until it was all over and she hated it.  She hated being left out of everything, but honestly she was terrified of Flores.  She hoped Maria was trustworthy.
    Lawless had been like a very scary big brother through the years.  He had visited more than most of the others and had genuinely seemed to care for her, but things had changed when she was fifteen.
    Three men had cornered her in the alley behind the bar when she had gone out for a breath of air.  They had taunted her and made threats, but they hadn’t even touched her.  Lawless had stepped around the corner and his eyes had shined with hatred in the light of the moon.  He had gutted the men and dragged them out into the night and he had taken pleasure in doing it.
    After that she had been afraid of him.  It had annoyed him at first and then it had made him angry.  He had taught her to hide her fear, even from him, so she looked less vulnerable, but it was still there.
    She was too soft for this life.
    She had heard Chester say that into the phone and to Preach more times than she cared to count.  He thought that was something to protect, but Storm wanted to cut that softness from her body so she would be able to stay with him and help him.  She was nothing more to him than a liability and an obligation and it cut her open inside.
    She closed her eyes and scrubbed her hands over her face. The bar was the only home she had ever known.  How could she ever fit in anywhere if she couldn’t even fit at home?
    Chester’s voice swam into her mind.  “Someday that soft heart will save you sweetheart.  It’s a gift to treasure.”
    She had found a  kitten and had tried so hard to take care of it, but it had been too far gone to save and she had been weeping over its still form.
    “Loving isn’t a bad thing Storm.  Loving you has given me a reason to settle down and be happy.”
    He wasn’t happy though.  Chester had always pined for the days of riding the open road with his brothers, but she had ended that.  Caring for her had taken everything from him.
    “Would you stop that before you ruin my rug?”  Maria glared at her.
    “I’m sorry.”  She plopped down on the couch, but couldn’t settle down.  Something was wrong, she could feel it in her bones.  “When will they let us know something?”
    Maria rolled her eyes.  “They won’t.  You will sit right here until your time is up and then you will be on your own.  You do not put your trust in men like those unless you are a fool.”
    Storm wouldn’t believe that, she couldn’t.  The club had always made sure she was taken care of.
    “Unless you are one of theirs, are