Rough & Raw (Notorious Devils Book 2) by Hayley Faiman Page A

thinking about running from him.”
    “I am running from him, you’re helping me,” I say, confused at his words.
    “Not the piece of shit. Sniper. You’ve got it written all over your face. I know the look. I fuckin’ saw that shit in the mirror every day for three goddamn years,” he explains. I exhale shakily at his observation.
    He’s completely correct.
    Bates scares the shit out of me.
    “It would be better if he discovered I wasn’t the one for him. He’s living in the past,” I coolly remark, not believing a damn word of it myself.
    “Bullshit.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “Bullshit, Brentlee. You’re scared shitless, as you should be. Snipe ain’t the same kid he was before the Marines. I never met that version of him, but I know the man he is now, and sometimes he’s fuckin’ terrifying. You should be scared. But he ain’t gonna let you run from him. You gotta know that, right?”
    I don’t answer him. I can’t . Fury is right. Bates will never just let me run from him. He’s already made it perfectly clear that he wants me, wants a relationship and wants a family. He knows Stella is part of the package and he’s accepting of that, accepting of her, and accepting of us. Pushing him away is going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
    “I am scared, but not of Bates. I’m scared of myself,” I admit.
    “Are we there yet?” Bear’s tired voice calls out from the back of the SUV. He’s sleepy and groggy and ready to get the hell out of the car.
    I’m thankful he woke up before I confessed just how scared I truly am for myself. How I fear that once Bates discovers just how I behaved when he left me, he won’t think of me as his sweet Brentlee anymore.
    He’ll discover the disgusting, weak woman I am. The dependent woman. No man as big, strong, and capable as him wants some weak, broken woman at his side.
    “Yeah, buddy, we’re here,” Fury says from the front seat. I watch as everybody rustles around, stretching and yawning with the news.
    We’re in Boise, and now I’m to discover my fate and the fate of my daughter. Will the attorney tell me I’m a lost cause? That I am destined to be under the control of Scotty? And my Stella? Will she be ripped from me and given to that sick fuck?
    “I’ll go with you,” Kentlee offers as we pull in front of the attorney’s office. It’s a big, tall building, and that in and of itself is intimidating.
    “I’m goin’,” Bates announces immediately.
    “No,” I practically yell. “I need to do this on my own.”
    Fury’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror and I see what must be his form of pride, possibly, looking back at me. Kentlee wraps her hand around mine and squeezes gently. Bates doesn’t say a word. Instead, he gets out of the car and opens my door for me. He’s too fucking nice. Way too nice for a person like me.
    “Bates,” I say once I step out of the car and close the door. I don’t need anybody else to hear me. I don’t want anybody else to hear me.
    “You ain’t doin’ this alone, Brent. That’s the end of the discussion,” he growls wrapping his hand in mine as he takes a step toward the doors. I plant my feet firmly to the sidewalk and tug my arm back.
    “This is my shit, Bates. My problem. I caused it and I’m going to deal with it by myself,” I yell.
    I look like a crazy person yelling at this bad ass biker in the middle of the sidewalk. He’s in boots, tight jeans, a tighter t-shirt, and his leather cut—I made the mistake of calling it a vest while shopping in Target, and he put me in my place on the proper name for it.
    “This was your shit, you’re right. But you’re mine now, so it’s our shit,” he announces.
    “I’m not yours, Bates,” I counter back.
    I don’t sound convincing, I probably never will when it comes to him. I’ll never convince myself that I don’t belong to him, because I’ve belonged to him since I was fourteen years old.
    “You’re mine. Been mine since I