by Naomi West
No point in trying to lie. She nodded.
He hauled her to her feet, shoving her roughly against the wall. “Was this what you were after when you were at the bar? Trying to get information out of me by pumping me with all those questions? I was stupid enough to think you were just flirting, but I can see now that you’re up to a lot more than that.”
Piper gaped up at him as he towered over her. He had looked so hot when she had met him in the bar. Ever since, she had spent several nights dreaming about what it would be like to tumble between the sheets with him. But he had warned her that he was dangerous, and now she could see that it was true. “I didn’t know anything about this,” she gasped, hoping the truth would set her free.
“Yeah? Then how did you figure it out? And why the fuck do you care about what I do?” He was snarling at her now, and it made her stomach cringe against her spine.
“I’m a reporter.” She flinched, waiting for him to hit her. It was doubtful that a man like him would appreciate a journalist. “I was just looking for a good story. I didn’t know anything about you until I came to the bar, and I thought you were worth following.” Piper knew she should look away from him, act a little more subservient in the hopes of earning his sympathy. But even when he was angry, there was still something very attractive about him. The light from the flashlight wasn’t a strong one, but it was just enough.
“And I suppose I should be flattered by that?” He dropped her arms roughly, keeping her pressed against the wall merely with her presence. “Tell me, just what did you think was going to happen to me when your little story hit the papers?”
“I wasn’t thinking that far,” she admitted. She scared of him, but she was also angry at herself for getting caught. She should have waited longer before going into the warehouse. She should have taken Alexa’s advice and brought someone with her. Hell, maybe she even should have told Mr. Walter and let him assign someone else to the job. Piper had thought she could rely on her investigative skills to get the job done, but there was a much bigger picture that she hadn’t been able to see. It wasn’t just about getting the story; it was about getting back out alive with the story.
Tank lowered his face so that it was close to hers. “I should have known you were a nosy reporter. You didn’t belong in that bar, and you definitely don’t belong here.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” Her lungs had finally recovered from having the wind knocked out of her, and Piper wasn’t sure she could ever stop talking now. “This wasn’t how any of this was supposed to happen, okay? But my boss was giving me these horrible little stories that nobody ever reads, and I knew I would never get anywhere unless I had something worthy of a headline. I thought you would lead me to it, and I guess I got too caught up in things.”
The big man growled. “I see. So I’m just a casualty of your career. How nice. What do you think I should do to you in return?”
“You told me yourself that you are dangerous and that you do what you want, no matter what the law is,” Piper spat back, her anger directed at him now. Yes, she was in his warehouse, but that didn’t mean he had to be such an asshole about it. “You can’t blame this entire thing on me. The way you flaunted your business, you must have wanted someone to know about it.”
“Oh no, you’re not going to make this my fault. You were the one who came in looking for a story, you were the one following me, and you are the one who broke into my warehouse.” With each phrase, he poked a thick finger in her chest for emphasis.” I’m pretty sure I never told you to do any of that.”
If he had any idea that she had also placed trackers on his vehicles, he just might kill her on the spot. Things were bad enough as they were, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to volunteer the information. “Maybe not, and I’m sorry. But it’s over and done with now. I’m not going to say anything. I wasn’t even able to figure out exactly what’s going on here. It’s just a warehouse full of stuff, just like every other warehouse around here. I won’t tell anybody anything.”
“You’re goddamn right you won’t, because you’re not going to get the chance.” Tank grabbed her wrist once again and pulled her away from the wall. He pushed her toward the door, marching through the warehouse.
When they got outside, he let go of her with one hand to lock the door. Piper considered her chances of making an escape, running off into the darkness. She would never be able to get into her car and get it started before he got to her. He was a big man, but he was probably still pretty quick on his feet. She might have a chance if she went for something longer distance and came back to get her car later, once she had contacted the police, but just as she made up her mind to try it, he grabbed her with both hands once again.
“Come on.” He shoved her forward, moving around to the front of the building.
Piper’s heart thumped in her ears. While she had still been in the warehouse with him, she’d thought she might still have a chance of getting out of this alive. But she saw his Barracuda parked just a few feet away from her own car; the same vehicle she had been tracking. Somehow, the idea of getting in it seemed far more dangerous than anything he could do to her here, even though he could kill her just as easily, no matter where they were.
“Really, I don’t want to cause you any trouble. Let me make a deal with you. I can sign some sort of agreement, a non-disclosure contract. I won’t be allowed to say anything by law.”
Tank gave a sharp laugh as they reached his car. “You must think I’m really stupid.” He shoved her to the ground, pressing his foot into the center of her back as he opened his trunk.
She flinched as the sharp rocks of the gravel lot pressed into her skin. “Then just tell me what you want!”
“I haven’t quite decided yet.” He removed his foot, only to roughly tie a rope around her ankles.
Piper heard the sharp click of a knife opening, and her blood ran cold. But her captor used the weapon to cut off the rest of the rope. This next section he tied tightly around her ankles. When he was done, he took a step away from her to open the back door of his car. There was no point in trying to get away now, as she wouldn’t be able to do much more than roll across the gravel.
The next thing she knew, he had picked her up in his arms. He was so strong, it was scary, maneuvering her body as though she didn’t weigh a thing. Piper winced as he put her in the car, expecting her to chuck her into the backseat without any care about hitting her head. Fortunately, he either hadn’t thought about it or she was just lucky. She bounced a little against the leather seat, but that was all.
As Tank got in the driver’s seat and took his phone out for a second, Piper assessed her situation. Hoping he wouldn’t notice, she tugged a little at the ropes. The ones on her wrists were tight and well-knotted; there was no way she was going to be able to squirm out of them. If he had tied her hands in front of her, she might have had a chance to free her feet. But he had been smarter than that, and her hands were behind her.
If she leaned forward just enough, she thought she might be able to reach the door handle. But then what? Bound as she was, she would only be able to fall out of the car. She would serious injure or even kill herself, and then there was no telling what Tank might do to her.
She studied his profile, wondering if she could get away with pulling her legs back and kicking him in the side of the head. If he had been a different man, maybe one of the guys from the office, then she might have been able to overpower him that way. But Tank was definitely not just an ordinary guy, and she had a feeling that an act like that would only provoke him more. As it was, she would be lucky to get out of this alive.
Tank put the car in gear and they headed out onto the street. As tired and scared as she was, Piper wasn’t going to just give up. She sat up, paying attention to every turn they made, noting street names and looking for other cars so that she might be able to find some way of signaling them. Unfortunately for her, the hour was late and most people had gone home.
At a s
top sign, an old sports car full of teenagers pulled up next to them. Piper knew she couldn’t make any noises, but she stared at them desperately, hoping one of them would happen to turn their head and look at her. But they were too busy flirting with each other and showing off, and they zoomed away from the stop sign without ever noticing that something was wrong.
“Maybe there’s something I can do for you, something that will make up for me following you and spying on you.” Her mind was spinning as she tried to imagine what this man could want that she could offer. Her first thought had been her body, but that wasn’t ideal. Granted, he was one hell of a stud, but it would be a lot easier if she could get herself out of this situation without going that far.
His dark eyes found hers in the rearview mirror as he gave out a low laugh. “Oh really? Like what?”
She knew he was only listening to her idea for his own entertainment, but at least he was listening. Talking was better than the other things he could do to her. “I don’t know. I mean, I am pretty good at investigating. Is there a club that you don’t get along with? I could spy on them for you and find out some information about what they’re doing or who they’re in business with. Or I could join them. Aren’t there some women in the clubs, too?” As she said it, Piper felt stupid. Here she was, tailing this biker, and she didn’t even know much about how his organization worked.
Tank laughed again. He glanced at her just before turning off the main road. “Not women like you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Piper felt insulted by the comment.
He adjusted the rearview. “You look like a pretty innocent woman, one of those chicks who thinks she’s too good for most men. You’re just a cock tease.”
“That’s not true!” If her hands had been free, she would have slapped him. It was basically true, though. She had rarely let herself get into much of a relationship after the incident with her parents. If she couldn’t trust her own father, then what other man could she possibly trust to be faithful? None, as far as she was concerned. Piper had tried once or twice, but he had always left as soon as she felt herself start to get too close.
“No? You’d be willing to hook up with a motorcycle club? And I do mean hook up. A club girl is property of the club, and it’s her job to keep the men satisfied.”
With a wave of horror, Piper realized that the girl Tank had taken to the bathroom at The Dive had probably been one of them. With only a look from the biker, she had obediently followed him. “They don’t have any choice?” she demanded shrilly.
He lifted one large shoulder and let it fall. “Within reason, they do. There are some men in the club that the girls won’t have anything to do with, and I don’t enforce it. But I could, if I wanted to. That’s enough talking about me and my life, though. You’re not doing a story on me anymore, remember?”
“A little hard to forget,” Piper muttered, once again angry at herself for pursuing this. She should have found some other way to get a big story, a safer way. But then again, it was always the journalists who were heading into hurricanes and battlefields that made big names for themselves, not those who went the easy route.
She slumped against the back of the seat, wondering what the hell she was going to do next as Tank pulled into his driveway and into the garage.
9
Tank
Tank waited until the garage door was closed completely before he got out of the car. He had done his best to blend into this neighborhood, and the last thing he needed was for his neighbors to suspect that he had a woman tied up in his home. It was late, and he hadn’t seen anyone around, but that didn’t mean it was worth the risk. He made sure he grabbed the rest of the rope he had tied her up with and shoved it in his back pocket.
With a grunt of frustration, he hauled her out of the backseat and threw her over his shoulder. What the fuck was he thinking bringing her home, anyway? He should have just shot her on sight, or maybe put his dick in her for a bit and then shot her. There was no denying that she was sexy, and maybe that was what had thrown him off so much. The way her pale hair brushed against her cheek, the curve of her hips, the fullness of her breasts … it was a lot for him to resist. The club girls kept him satisfied to a point, but there was something different about this woman that he liked.
Heading down the hall, he opened the door to the stairwell and descended. Her legs were long and firm in his grip, and he resisted the urge to reach up and grab her ass. There was no reason why he shouldn’t. She was the one who had done him wrong, and he deserved a little something to make up for it. But he wanted to wait. His mind was still too busy with figuring out exactly what he was going to do with her and if he would let her go at some point, and if he had the chance of fucking her then he wanted to be all in it. He didn’t need to be worrying in the back of his mind about whether or not he had secured the basement well enough.
“What are we doing?” Piper’s voice shook a little as they reached the basement.
Tank reached up and pulled the chain on a bare bulb. “None of your business.” He examined the basement. He didn’t come down here much. The entire house was too big for just one man as it was. The basement had been finished with drywall and carpet, but he had never bothered to put much in the way of furniture in it. There were a few boxes stacked on a table over in the corner, and a pool table that he hardly used in another. At the back of the open room was a door to a large storage closet, and he headed toward it.
She was starting to panic, now. He could feel it in the way her breasts heaved against his back and the way her legs trembled. “Really, Tank. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I’m sure we can find some way to work this all out. I don’t know what you want or what might help you, but I’m a resourceful person. Just give me a chance to make this right.”
Ignoring her, Tank turned on the light in the closet. He set her down for a moment while he fetched a chair from the table in the corner. He almost felt sorry for Piper when he returned and found her sagging against the wall, her eyes wide and her makeup running down her cheeks. But he reminded himself that she had gotten herself into this situation. It wasn’t his fault.
He set the chair down and pointed at it. “Sit.”
To his pleasure, she wobbled the few feet across the little room and did as he asked. He wondered just how much he could manipulate her, using her as his sweet little puppet. What else might she do at his command? For now, though, he grabbed the remainder of the rope that he had used on her. She was already tightly bound, but it wasn’t good enough. As she liked to point out, she was resourceful. He wasn’t going to give her any opportunity to escape.
“You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to tie me up at all. I promise, I won’t go anywhere until you tell me I can. I’ll cooperate. Hell, I can cook or clean your house for you. At least then you would get something out of me while I’m here. Let’s talk about this.”
When her feet had been tied to the legs of the chair and her middle bound to the back of it, Tank stood back to admire his work. “Don’t make me gag you.” He turned off the light and left, shutting the door firmly behind him. The lock on the handle wasn’t much in the way of security, but Piper had been tied tightly and had nothing in the closet to pick it with. It would have to be good enough for now.
He turned away from the closet, once again wondering just what the hell he had been thinking. Having a hostage in his basement meant a lot of work. He would have to make sure she was fed, for one thing. He couldn’t leave the house unless he assigned someone else to watch her. Granted, she had very little chance of getting anywhere, but he didn’t believe for a second that she would just give up. Her offer of cooperating and becoming his little maid around the house was a tempting one, if only because he liked the idea of making her perform her duties naked while he watched. And maybe he still would, when he had a little free time. For the moment, he had to let the rest of his men know what was up. He headed upstairs as he dialed.
Tar answer
ed immediately. “Where are you, man? I thought you would be back by now. Is everything okay?”
“Maybe not okay, but I have it under control.” He briefly explained what he had found when he got to the warehouse. “I’ve got her at my house right now, tied up in the basement.”
There was a moment of silence from the other end of the line as Tar absorbed this. “I guess you were right about someone following us.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think it’s anything we have to worry about. She’s just a nosy little reporter looking for a story, and I caught her before she had a chance to really get it.”
“Are you sure? I mean, how do we know she didn’t tell anyone where she was going or what he knew? Those journalists have no ethics, you know.”
Tank had thought about that as well. “I’ll find some way to make sure. For now, just let the guys know that I’m not coming back tonight. Have Chain come out here first thing in the morning. I’ve got her secured, but I’m not leaving her alone for a second.”
“Can do. Anything else you need? I can have some more men go to the warehouse, make sure she wasn’t working with anyone.”
There was a reason Tank kept Tar so close. He was an older man, washed up by many standards of the motorcycle club lifestyle, but he was smart. He thought of everything, even the things that Tank missed. “Not a bad idea. I’m pretty sure it was just her, but it’s better to be on the safe side. That’s already been proven tonight. Keep the guys in check for me.”
“All right, boss. You know how to get a hold of me if there’s anything else.”
Hanging up, Tank turned to look at the basement door. He could go down there and do whatever he wanted to that woman. He could rape her, torture her, beat her until she told him every single shred of the truth. But he needed some space while he figured it all out. That was probably what disturbed him the most. He never needed time to think. He just did what seemed to be the best thing at the time, and if he was wrong then he dealt with it later. Piper was the most frustrating thing he had encountered since he had become a member of the Chrome Kings. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a beer.