A flagstone tiled patio extended out toward another wing. Hammer pointed. “What about there? That patio slider might be unlocked.”
“This place looks pretty pricey. Might be an alarm system,” Shades warned.
Hammer felt a tap on his shoulder and turned.
The prospect put his finger to his mouth, then pointed toward the front. The men all watched, no one making a sound. They heard a jingle, and a man came into view, walking a black Labrador on a leash. He wandered down the drive and up the street.
“Now’s our chance. Maybe he didn’t lock up,” Ghost suggested.
“Yeah, he may not be gone long, though. If we’re goin’, we better be quick,” Shades said. The four of them ran, crouched down toward the back of the home. They moved along the shrubbery to the patio door.
Ghost slid closer, studying the frame. He motioned them forward, whispering, “It’s open an inch already. Alarm can’t be operating.”
Hammer followed him inside. There was indeed an alarm system with a device up high on the door that made a connection when the door was closed. When the door was open, the connection was broken, and the alarm couldn’t be set.
They moved inside, and Shades returned the slider to its almost-closed position. They’d entered a large room that appeared to be a family room.
Shades motioned toward a hall that led in the direction of the other wing. They moved silently and entered the door at the end to find themselves inside the room with all the windows. They only had the fading light of dusk to see.
Hammer had a pen light in the inside pocket of his cut, but he was hesitant to use it.
The place was set up like an art studio with several easels set up with canvases in different stages of progress. He studied them. One was of a naked woman with long dark hair standing in a garden; definitely not Tink.
Ghost whistled. “That’s some painting.”
Hammer moved to another. It was not very far along, but the outline of the woman revealed she was naked, her hair short like Tink’s. Was this her? The body shape was the same. He glanced around the room. What would she be doing here? She said her work was odd jobs. Was she really modeling for this guy?
“Satisfied?” Shades asked.
“Hardly,” he snapped. “I want to search the place.”
“You serious?” Ghost asked. “There might be someone else around. And Leonardo da Vinci here might be back from walkin his pooch any minute.”
“da Vinci?” Shades asked with a grin.
“Sorry, the Mona Lisa’s the only painting I know.”
“You don’t have to stick around if you’re fucking worried about that asshole, but I’m staying.”
“Hammer—” Shades started.
“I mean it,” Hammer cut him off. “Go if you want, but I’m searching this place.”
Shades let out a sigh. “Fine, but let’s be quick.”
They moved quietly down the hall and back through the house. Shades put his hand up as they entered the other wing, halting them. He put his finger to his mouth and motioned around the corner.
The sound of water running came from a kitchen. They heard a woman humming and singing softly in Spanish.
Maid, Shades mouthed. Hammer and Ghost nodded. Shades indicated with hand signals for the prospect stay as a lookout.
He nodded and took up position. The other three moved down the hall. They stopped at a door on the end that was open. Hammer glanced inside and froze.
Holy hell. A six-foot stretched canvas leaned against the wall across from the foot of a king-sized platform bed. It was a nude painting of Tink.
Shades and Ghost moved to his shoulder, their eyes on the painting.
“Fuck, brother, is that Tink?” Ghost asked.
Hammer reacted on instinct. Before he realized what he was doing he had Ghost by the throat, pinning him to the wall. Shades shoved him back, hissing, “Get a fucking grip, Brother, or I will knock your fucking lights out.”
Hammer released Ghost, who shoved him violently back and looked ready to kill him.
Shades shoved them both apart with a fist gripping each of their shirts and a hissed, “Quit!”
They both shoved his hand away, glaring at each other.
Shades turned on Ghost, murmuring, “You’d be flipping out too if that were Jessie.”
Ghost blew out a breath and nodded.
Shades turned to Hammer. “Let’s go.”
Hammer ignored him, moving to the painting, his gaze traveling over her naked body. She was bent at the waist and standing in the water at the edge of a lake. What the hell? Where the hell was this lake? Had she stood out in the open and let him paint her? He scanned the frame. The damn thing was too big to get out of here unseen. That left only one option. He pulled his bowie knife from the leather holder at his waist.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Shades hissed.
Hammer moved to the painting, jamming the blade into the corner and slicing down the edge and quickly cutting it from the frame. Then he rolled it up like a map. He turned to find his two brothers speechless, staring at him. Then Ghost smiled. “You’re smarter than I give you credit for, Hammer.”
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Shades ordered.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Tink pulled up at Hammer’s place for her turn to watch Ethan. She couldn’t deny she was also excited. After this past weekend, things were going great between them, and she was happy and eager for something for the first time since Raven had returned.
Passing Hammer’s Harley parked out front, she smiled and skipped up the step. The screen door squeaked as she opened it and stuck her head inside. “Hello?
“In here,” came Hammer’s deep voice.
She walked in, a big smile plastered on her face. He was sitting on the couch, leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, rubbing his hands together slowly before him.
“Hey,” she said, her smile fading. “Where’s Ethan?”
He met her eyes. “Skylar’s. She and Jessie are watching him.”
“Why?”
“I needed to talk to you.”
She pulled her head to the side. Something was up. “You can’t talk to me with Ethan here?”
“Not this conversation. Sit down.”
There was no room for argument in the way he said it. She gingerly sat on the edge of the opposite couch. Hammer looked unapproachable right now, so she kept her distance. “What’s wrong? What’s this about?”
He blew out a breath, searching the floor and rubbing his palms together. Now she was worried. Had she done something to piss him off? Things had been fine between them when she’d last seen him. She frowned. “Is it your sister?”
He shook his head and pushed off his knees to stand.
She tilted her head back. He towered over her. “Hammer?”
He put his weight on one foot and stared down at her. “Come here.”
She followed him as he walked around the fireplace and picked up something off the dining table. It looked like a map.
“They say a picture’s worth a thousand words. This one definitely spoke to me.” He moved to the end of the table, and with a jerk of his hand, unrolled it down the length of the polished top.
Her eyes widened as the colorful painting unfurled. It ran the full length of the six-foot table.
“She look familiar?” Hammer bit out.
Her mouth fell open, but no words escaped her.
“Did you stand there naked and let some guy paint you, Tink?”
“Where did you get this?”
“Answer the question!”
“Yes, I did.”
“That the job you’ve been at?”
Her chin came up. “That’s none of your business.”
“Babe, knowing the way I feel about you—you really think I’d be okay with that guy having a life-sized painting of you naked?”
“I don’t understand. The painting was destroyed. He said a leak in the ceiling had ruined it,
and we had to start over.” She shrugged. “I was going to get more money for the extra time it would take—” She shook her head. “How do you have this?”
“Had the prospect follow you. Just being safe—lookin’ out for you.”
“What?”
“He told me where you went. Said he looked in the window, saw some nude paintings.”
“Hammer, you had no right—”
“You think, when I heard that, I wouldn’t be makin’ a trip out to find out where the fuck you been goin’?”
She shook her head. “It’s not your business.”
“Everything about you is my business, Tink. You want to know where I found this destroyed painting? His fucking bedroom, Tink. Leaning against the wall at the foot of his fucking king-size bed! He probably lay there and jacked off to that painting of you. Hell, there’s no probably about it. I guarantee it.”
“But he said the first one was destroyed… damaged beyond repair. That’s why we had to start over with the second one.
“He lied to you, babe. Big shocker there. That’s what kind of a creeper he is.”
“No, no there has to be an explanation.”
“Why’d you pose for it, Tink?”
“It paid good money—money I needed!”
“Taking off your clothes like a stripper?”
“It’s art, Hammer.”
He nodded. “Not saying it ain’t beautiful. It is. Fucking gorgeous. But knowing you stood naked for him… I want to string the bastard up from a tree.”
“The painting was supposed to be for a gallery showing, not his personal collection.”
“You still believe that? Knowing where I found it.”
She folded her arms and turned away.
“So, all those times you left to work, you were standing there naked for this guy?”
“It didn’t start that way.”
“I bet it didn’t,” he bit out.
She whirled on him. “Don’t be an ass.”
“I’m the ass? How’d he talk you into it?”
“It paid a hundred dollars an hour, and I needed it.”
“For what?”
She didn’t want to tell him.
“Because you plan to leave town?”
That brought her head back. “How did you know?”
“This start before we hooked up?”
“Yes.”
“But after we were together, you kept going over there?”
“The painting wasn’t finished.”
“He take any pictures of you?”
“No.” She blew out a breath. “Look, Hammer, it’s my life. My body. You don’t own me.”
“I ain’t trying to own you. But if you’re mine, you are mine!”
“I’m property of no one.”
“For a girl whose hung around the MC as long as you have, you don’t know shit about how we operate.”
She looked away. She knew, and she knew what that meant. If she wanted to be with this man, she’d have to get right with that. If he wanted her long term, then he’d be possessive as all hell, right up to and including marking her as his property.
Is that what she wanted?
He started to roll the canvas back up.
She held her hand out. “Give it to me.”
“Nope.”
“Hammer, give it to me.”
He lifted his chin, looking down at her, almost challenging her to try and take it.
“Are you seriously keeping it?”
“Hell, yeah, babe.”
“Why, so you can burn it?”
“So I can put it where no one can appreciate it but me.”
She rolled her eyes, her hand coming down on her hip. “It’s not like you haven’t already seen it all.”
His hot glance slid down her body, and he licked his lips, his head pulling to the side, he smirked. “I have, and now thanks to you, so have Ghost and Shades.”
Her stomach dropped. “What? They went with you?”
He nodded. “Think that’s not gonna be drilled into my head from now on—them standin’ there, staring at you in the flesh? Shit, you might as well have stripped for them.”
“That’s not fair. I never meant for them to see it. They wouldn’t have if you’d have minded your own business.”
“Stop talking, girl. Right now.”
She whirled and headed for the door.
“Where you goin’?” he snapped, but that didn’t slow her down. The screen door banged as she pushed through it, not stopping until she was in her car.
He stood in the doorway, watching her. As she backed out, she saw him run a hand through his hair and then slam his hand against the doorframe, cursing.
She spun the car toward the road and gunned it. Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, and she watched him grow smaller in the reflection until the image blurred with her tears.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Tink sat in her car in Clay Ashton’s driveway, fuming. She wanted to go in there and tell him she knew the first painting hadn’t been ruined like he’d told her. But then he’d realize she knew his painting had been stolen and would assume she either was in on the theft or knew the person.
No matter how mad she was at Hammer for what he’d done, she couldn’t do anything that got him arrested. That would never fly with the MC. And from what Hammer had told her, not only was he involved, but Shades and Ghost as well.
She stared at the front door. She wanted to confront Clay so badly, but she couldn’t. So, where did that leave her? She couldn’t let on she knew he’d kept the painting. She had to continue the ruse of believing it had been ruined like he’d told her.
But she could at least demand the money he owed her. Once she had the money in hand, she would never come back here. But how was she going to ask for it without giving herself away? If the painting was cut from the frame, would he already be suspicious of her?
She’d have to try and play it cool, because one way or another she was getting that money. He’d put her off several times, telling her she’d get paid when the painting was complete. Then when the first one was supposedly damaged, she was told she’d have to wait until the second painting he’d started on was finished.
Fuck that. He was going to pay her, and he was going to do it now. If she had to make up a plausible story to keep him from getting suspicious, she’d do it.
She climbed out of the car and walked to the door, hiking her purse on her shoulder. She hit the doorbell.
A few minutes later, he came to the door. “Alexandra, I wasn’t expecting you today.”
“Yes, I know. I was wondering if you could pay me the money you owe me so far.”
“I told you before, I only pay when the work is complete.”
“I know, Clay. It’s just… my rent is due, and I don’t have the money. I don’t even have enough to eat on. Please.”
He blew out a breath. “Okay, fine. I’m thinking of having you pose for another one also.”
“Sure,” she said, but her stomach turned. She had no intention of sitting for any more of his paintings.
“Come in.” He held his arm out, and she stepped into the entry. She followed him into the living area and sat. He moved to a desk and opened the center drawer, taking out a checkbook.
“So, is there a date set for the gallery showing yet?”
He looked up from the checkbook, his pen poised over it, studying her with hard suspicious eyes. “The gallery showing? What about it?”
She shrugged. “I just wondered when it would be.”
“You can’t attend it, now can you, Alexandra? Not if you want to keep your anonymity.” He scribbled out the check, tore it off, and walked to her.
“Where is it going to be? What gallery?”
He held the check out to her, but when she reached for it, he lifted his arm, putting it out of her reach. “Why all the questions, Alexandra?”
“Is it a secret or something?” She arched a brow.
“Like I
said, I think it’s best you not attend.” His jaw tightened.
“Fine.” She snatched the check from his hand, glancing at the amount for the three weeks she’d been modeling. Thirty-six hundred dollars. “I need to go cash this so I can pay my rent.” She shoved it in her purse. “I assume the money’s available in the account?”
“I don’t know where this animosity is coming from, Alexandra, but I don’t like it.”
He could still stop payment on the check. She needed to get to the bank before he thought twice about it, so she pasted on a smile and changed tactics. “I’m sorry. I’ve got my period and a migraine to go with it. I’m just in a shitty mood today. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I’ve had some stressful events myself lately. I think someone broke in here the other night.”
She managed to look surprised. “Oh my gosh. Were you home?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure when or how they got in. The only time I didn’t set the alarm was when I was either home or when I walked the dog, but Maria was here.”
“Did they get anything valuable?”
“Yes, something very valuable to me.”
“What was it?”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Just some personal items, some jewelry, a Rolex watch.”
“That’s horrible,” Tink whispered, wondering if the guys had taken more than the painting or if he was making it up. She also wondered if he had any evidence of them. “Do…do you have cameras?”
“Of course. But usually only when I’m not here, or sleeping. There’s one at the front door that always works, but the ones at the rear of the house only work when the alarm is set. I believe they came in the slider in the back room. I think Maria must have left it ajar when she cleaned the windows.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.”
“Yes, well, I’ve fired her. I can’t have that kind of incompetence.”
“I’m so sorry.” Tink wondered how she could have been so wrong about Clay. She’d thought he was a good guy. She’d actually looked up to him. He was nothing but a rich man who used people and discarded them when he had no more use for them. Tink hated to think that Maria had lost her job because of something Hammer and the club had done. But perhaps in the long run, Maria was better off not working for a man like him.
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