Hawk Wild (Lost Boys MC Book 2)

by Janice M. Whiteaker

  It’s hot as hell and I’m a little jealous of how Becca looks in it. She’s got more curves than I do and that dress makes the most of all of them.

  “I’ll let you borrow that if you let me borrow the one you’re wearing.” Felicity lifts her brows in question at the offer.

  “Deal.”

  She shoves her hand my way wanting to shake on it. I see why Becca’s studying her.

  The chick is weird.

  I grab her hand and she gives it two good pumps. “Ready?”

  I am more than ready. I spent way too much time getting fixed up, trying not to think about what I was doing this time last week. My wavy hair is pressed as flat as it’s ever been and I’m pretty sure I managed to use more products on my face then it makes sense to own. I’m covered in a silky body spray that has just enough sparkle to catch in the club lights and make me feel shimmery.

  And I need to feel shimmery tonight.

  I give Felicity a sharp nod.

  She smiles and grabs my hand, hauling me toward the door. “Let’s go bitches.”

  Thirty minutes later our Uber driver is dropping us off in front of what looks like an abandoned warehouse.

  But the bass oozing from the structure promises an evening of mind numbing fun.

  “Have you been here before?” I trail behind Felicity as she marches in her stilettos toward the back of the line waiting outside.

  “It’s brand new.” She frowns at the number of people waiting to go in. “I heard it was awesome.”

  A tall dude wearing all black walks down the line of people, mostly men, corralled behind the ropes that form the line. He stops at us and nods to the doors. “You guys can go in.”

  I try not to gape at him.

  I thought Hawk looked scary. If he does this guy is terrifying. Shaved head, pierced eyebrow.

  And most of what I can see is covered in ink. A screaming skull on his arm. A horse on his neck.

  And a freaking knife tattooed around one eyeball. The guy literally has a tattoo on his face.

  Every parent’s worst nightmare.

  Felicity gives him a wide smile, seemingly unfazed by his looks. “Thank you.”

  She brushes past him, squeezing one bicep as she goes. “Wow. You’re strong.”

  He doesn’t look impressed. Doesn’t look anything actually. Just wears the signature bouncer scowl that must be a job requirement.

  We head for the doors and another serious-faced bouncer opens the tinted glass as we climb the cement steps. “Have a nice time.”

  He has the same weird horse tattoo on his neck. Must be the dude version of a tramp stamp. Bet they all regret that shit now.

  “Thank you.” Felicity’s words are mostly cut off by the volume of the music pouring through the open door.

  I blink at the change in light, trying to force my eyes to adjust to the darkness and flashing glow of strobe. The place is huge.

  And it is packed.

  Felicity reaches out to grab my arm and pulls me toward the bar set to one side of the large dance floor where bodies bounce off each other in time to the steady beat of the music. A DJ stand is set up across from the bar at the other end of the dance floor with booths lining the sides. Most of the booths are occupied but a few are roped off and empty.

  We get drinks just as the DJ starts playing a mashup of a Nicki Minaj song that always makes me want to move. Soon I’m three drinks in and shoving Hawk further from my mind with each sway of my body. Becca, Felicity, and I have attracted a decent group of guys dancing around us. This is my kind of no strings attached. Bodies pressed into mine. Hands on my hips. No names. No questions.

  No emotions.

  More than this and things get sticky.

  Felicity has been taking pictures all night and she leans back to take another over her head just as a heavy hand clamps around my arm.

  Ugh.

  There always has to be one.

  No matter what there’s always one guy who thinks he should get more attention. Thinks because a chick dances with him she wants more.

  Spoiler alert.

  We just wanna dance.

  I yank hard, trying to break free but he holds fast.

  Son of a—

  Felicity’s eyes narrow at where the hand grips my arm and she starts my way.

  She might be a bitch, but chick knows the girl code and it makes me hate her a little less.

  I spin, ready to take this guy down with my new partner in crime.

  Instead I come face to face with Hawk, Butch and Gypsy.

  You’ve got to be kidding me.

  Butch and Gypsy are scanning the room but Hawk’s eyes are only on me. Hard and almost angry.

  Well fuck him.

  I yank at my arm again trying to get free but he still won’t let me go. Mother fucking prick.

  I lift my foot, ready to dig the teeny tiny tip of my heel into his boot or whatever else I decide to go for when he spins me, taking advantage of my single-footed stance and pulls my back against his chest, pinning me in place with one arm as he leans into my ear.

  “This isn’t the kind of place you want to start shit, Kitten.”

  Kitten.

  I almost liked it when he called me that before.

  Now it makes me want to show him I’m anything but a sweet pile of fluff with tiny claws. I elbow him in the ribs as hard as I can. He grunts in my ear but doesn’t let go.

  Felicity steps in close and I’m expecting her to come to my defense. Instead she just scoots to Hawk’s side between him and Gypsy.

  Then I notice the fun going on around me has stopped. No one is dancing. All the men who I was having fun with are gone or at least standing a hell of a lot farther away than they were a few minutes ago.

  But there are some men who are coming a little closer.

  Men who look a whole lot like the ones who let us in this place tonight. Before I can get a good look at any of them I’m jerked around, shoved behind a wall of biker along with Felicity and Becca. The music is still blaring, making it impossible to hear anything that’s going on.

  But whatever it is, it isn’t good. Hawk’s body is tight and his hand is still on my arm, the fingers gripping it a little softer than they were before. Butch has Becca tucked close to him at the other end with Felicity behind Gypsy between Becca and me. She looks the most freaked out by the whole thing. Her eyes are wide and she has two fistfuls of Gypsy’s shirt gripped tight.

  What is happening?

  Felicity mouths the words at me.

  I wish I knew. I thought it was just some knuckle dragging show of testosterone. A man trying to act like he has rights that aren’t his.

  But honestly that’s not how Shaun is. I know that.

  That means he’s here for another reason.

  With backup.

  That’s the part that has me worried.

  I can feel the rumble of his voice but I can’t tell what he’s saying. A few seconds of him talking, yelling maybe, and then we’re moving. Him grabbing me and leading me toward the door, calm and controlled.

  Almost like we’re taking a stroll through a garden instead of through a packed bar with an unnerving number of scary-looking men watching us with hard eyes.

  All with that same stupid tattoo on their necks.

  I don’t remember seeing this many of them when we came in, but to be honest I wasn’t looking.

  I was just here to have fun.

  See how that worked out for me.

  The humid evening air hits me as the doors yank open. Two different bouncers are there as we leave and they practically snarl at me as I pass, looking like they want to abandon post to kick me as I run away.

  What kind of fucking place did Felicity take me to?

  And why in the hell did Hawk show up?

  “What the fuck is going on?” Felicity teeters in her heels trying to keep up with Gypsy as he practically drags her down the street. She turns my way. “Who the fuck are these men?” Her skin pales. “Oh
my God. Are we being kidnapped?” Her wide eyes move back to Gypsy and move up and down his long, muscular frame.

  “Stop looking at me like that.”

  I’ve never heard Gypsy be anything but easygoing and chill but right now he sounds more like Hawk.

  Pissed off.

  Becca is managing to keep up with Butch. Probably because she’s the only one of us not trying to figure out what the hell is happening.

  Which is really weird.

  Hawk hasn’t slowed down since we got out of the club and he still hasn’t given me so much as a glance.

  And it’s really starting to piss me off.

  “What is your fucking deal?”

  He spent the night at my house.

  Then fucking walked out.

  No call.

  Nothing.

  Now he’s showing up when I’m finally starting to have a good time, acting like I’m the one who’s done something wrong.

  He stops in front of three bikes parked along the road. A fourth bike sits at the front of the line with Wind still straddling it. He gives me a wave. “Hey, Shelly.”

  Hawk glares at him.

  Normally I’d be pissed about it but right now I’ve got a bigger problem. I point at the cruiser. “I’m not getting on that bike in this dress.”

  Hawk finally looks at me. He leans in close. “You’re getting on that fucking bike and you’re getting on it now before someone gets hurt.”

  “What?” I glance at Becca who’s basically jumping onto Butch’s bike, short dress be damned.

  “You and you’re little friends ended up someplace you shouldn’t be.” He climbs onto his bike. “Get on the bike now.”

  The tone of his voice stops me short.

  I look back at Gypsy and Felicity. She’s doing her best to finagle her way behind him in an ungraceful sort of sliding side split. Gypsy nods at me.

  I turn back to Hawk, really looking at him for the first time tonight.

  He doesn’t look mad. The hard line of his mouth and the tight clench of his jaw made it seem that way, but it’s not anger that lingers in his gaze.

  It’s worry.

  “Please get on, Shelly.”

  Fuuuuck.

  I’m right back where I started.

  I blow out a breath and grab his shoulders, thanking the lords of fashion for the invention of spandex. Without it my dress would be at my waist.

  It’s close enough as it is.

  The bikes all come to life and in a second we’re moving. A tight line speeding down the streets and away from the club.

  I hang onto Hawk, pressing my face against his back to keep my eyes from watering as the wind whips the hair I spent so much time on into a rats nest.

  All I wanted was to have fun. Forget about Hawk and the weak, needy girl hiding inside me that I didn’t know existed until recently.

  She’s the reason I spent the whole week butt hurt about the way things went between us.

  Now that same side of me is a little too happy about the turn this night’s taking, but I need to stuff her down. Force her back to wherever she’s been hiding all these years.

  Because she will let me think this is something it isn’t.

  Can’t be.

  Hawk made that perfectly clear last week.

  8

  I CAN’T EVEN look at her right now. Can’t even appreciate the press of her body behind mine.

  Not without having to deal with the way I feel, and that scares me more than what just happened.

  I pull up in front of Shelly’s house and shut off the bike. “Go inside.”

  Everything inside me wants to drag her in there myself. Shut her away.

  Prove she’s safe.

  But she’s not. Not now.

  And it’s my fuckin’ fault.

  I should have told her she had to be careful now, but I was hoping I might be wrong.

  I wasn’t.

  Shelly doesn’t budge from her spot behind me. “I can’t.” She shifts around, tugging at the bottom of the dress she painted on her body tonight.

  Then wore to a club run by The Horsemen.

  I shove off the bike and she scrambles to keep her balance without me holding her in place. Before she can tip over I grab her by the waist and lift her off the bike, yanking my hands free of her body as fast as I can. I point one finger toward her house and repeat myself. “Go inside.”

  I know better than this. Maybe that’s why I’m doing it.

  Shelly’s eyes narrow and I swear to God she stomps one foot. Like a kid who’s been told they aren’t getting the toy they want. “You don’t get to fucking talk to me like that, and I deserve to know what in the hell is going on.”

  I step closer, glaring at her, making myself hide any trace of the way I really feel right now. “I’ll talk to you however the fuck I want, and what’s going on is none of your business.” I lower my head and my voice, bringing on the side of me that no one fucks with. “Go inside now.”

  She steps toward me, mimicking my stance. “No.”

  I got nothing. The best I had was trying to intimidate Shelly into doing what I need her to do. It’s the only way to keep from risking the stranglehold I have on my control right now.

  But with her standing so close, hair wild from the ride, eyes wilder from anger, I’m barely keeping it together.

  She scared the shit out of me tonight.

  “Don’t fuck with me right now, Kitten. Get in the house and lock the goddamned door.” I need her inside with a deadbolt between us before I do something else I’ll regret.

  “Who the fuck do you think you are?” Shelly takes a swing at my face, sending me a step back to avoid her fist in my jaw. “You don’t get to fucking call me Kitten anymore.” She swings again, rage raising her voice and making her a little unsteady on her feet. “I was having fun and you ruined it.” Another step my way and the skinny heel of one shoe sticks in a seam of the cement driveway. Shelly teeters, arms waving as she tries to keep her balance. Unsuccessfully.

  I grab her as she starts to fall.

  It’s a mistake.

  The ride to The Stable was the longest thirty minutes of my life. Not being able to get updates from Kerri, not knowing if anyone there knew who Shelly was allied with.

  I thought I was going to lose my mind.

  She wrestles against me as I hold on tight, needing to know she really is fine. “Let me go, asshole. I hate you.”

  I grab a fistful of her hair and pull her head back so she looks at me. “You don’t hate me. Not even a little bit.”

  I barely catch her knee as she lifts one foot up to go at me with her heel. At least she could hold her own against someone who’s not expecting her to be as feisty as she is. I wish there wasn’t a chance she would need it.

  But there is. Especially now.

  “Stop.” I take a deep breath, trying to keep hold of her as Shelly puts up more of a fight than most men have given me. “Stop.”

  If anything I’m only making her madder and a mad Shelly is a vicious thing. One hell of a sight to behold and something I will fully appreciate.

  Later, when she’s not trying to take out my left nut.

  But right now I have to get her under control and I have to do it quick. Lights are already starting to flick on in the houses around us as she raises hell. I use one arm to pin her against me and hold her hair tight, forcing her to look up at me. I need her to see I’m serious.

  But what I see in her eyes throws all my good intentions into the fire.

  Shelly’s mad as hell at me. The flare of her nostrils and the set of her jaw makes that almost as clear as the fight she’s been giving me.

  But it’s the look in her eyes that undoes me.

  I soften the grip of my fingers in her hair. Maybe I should just let her have at me. Shred me the way she wants to. It would be better than the hurt simmering in her gaze.

  It’s my fault it’s there. I left. Walked out after breaking one of my own rules our first nig
ht together.

  And I can’t help but want that hurt to go away. For her.

  For me.

  I cover her mouth with mine.

  Shelly stops fighting immediately and stands perfectly still. Eyes open as I kiss her.

  I pull back. Her arms fall to her side, shoulders slumped. “Fine.” She pulls away and walks to her door, fishing through the small purse chained across her body.

  I should let her go. This is what I wanted. Her inside. Me outside.

  I don’t want to feel as attached to her as I do. That’s why I left. I don’t want the way I feel about a woman to control me.

  But I left too late.

  Tonight’s proof of that.

  “Wait.”

  She shoves open the door as I walk after her. “Just leave me alone, Hawk. I get it.”

  She calls me Hawk and it digs at me like a thousand little fingers clawing at my skin.

  I catch the door just as she starts to shut it and bump it open, making her step back to avoid it as it swings in. She tosses her purse on the counter and kicks her shoes off. “Go home. We had some fun and now it’s over. It’s fine.” She plants one hand in the middle of my chest and shoves. “But you don’t need to feel like you have to watch out for me. I’m a big girl.”

  Is that all she thought tonight was about? I thought she was getting herself into some trouble and showed up to bail her out?

  “You walked into The Horsemen’s new club tonight.”

  The press of her hand stops but her palm doesn’t leave my body. Her head barely tips to one side. “What?”

  “The Horsemen own that club you and your friends went to.”

  “So?”

  “It’s not a safe place for you to be.” I can’t look away from her face. From the slow shift in her eyes as realization slides in.

  But she won’t let herself believe the same truth I tried to run from. “Why would they care if I was there?”

  “Because of me.” I move in close. I’m tired. Tired of pretending I can walk away from this.

  From her.

  I tried and it was the longest goddamned week of my life. “Because they know you’re mine.”

  Her eyes flash. The fire that draws me in reigniting in an instant. I can’t tell if it’s hate or heat burning in them.