being one of his enemies.
The fact that I’d been unable to get much reliable information about him made me more unsettled. Whispered rumors weren’t a good sign. This was a guy I wasn't sure about dealing with already, and now I'd gone and bedded his daughter. If a guy like this found out...I didn’t want to think about what he would do to me or to the club. Or to her.
Dani was angry with me. She had every right to be. Her father had dropped this bomb on her, and here I was, the one taking her here against her will. But she had to understand I was just doing my job. It wasn’t like I had run off with her on my bike the night we screwed and taken her up here to the cabin. Although I had to admit, the thought of doing that wasn’t completely unappealing.
No, this girl is off limits. I needed to remember that if I wanted to survive- and if I wanted her to survive. Her father was dangerous.
Then Dani looked at me with those big eyes, and I melted inside. Shit, this was going to be hard.
“This is the safe house?” Dani asked.
I nodded. “It’s my place.” Say something snide, I thought. Something about this shitty little cabin. Something I can hate you for saying. I felt vulnerable bringing her here and showing her the house. It was personal, and it felt too much like letting her into a part of myself I was sure she didn’t belong. She was from a different world, one that had no place in it for me. This cabin was mine, the only place where I could be away from all the other dirty shit in my life. Letting her intrude on this might be a huge mistake.
“It’s really quiet up here,” she said, looking around.
“It’s why I like it.” I didn’t just like it- I loved it. There was no one around, not for miles. I had saved for years to buy my patch of dirt up here in the middle of nowhere. The nearest neighbor was ten miles away. Almost all of this was forest. The road that ran through here was a dirt one, and there was no internet, no cable, no cell phone connectivity. It was away from the tourist crap, and that made it perfect for me.
“Listen to that,” Dani said.
“What?” I looked over my shoulder. I’d been careful about checking for a tail on the way up here. I thought I’d spotted one when we left Guillermo’s place, but I couldn’t be sure. The car had disappeared before we got too far, and I was confident we hadn’t been made coming up here.
“There’s nothing,” she said. “Absolutely nothing. It’s completely still. No honking, no traffic.”
“Yeah, just the sounds of birds and the wind rustling through the trees. It’s why I love it here.”
“So, this is yours?” Dani ran her hands along the porch railing. “It’s a real log cabin.”
“It is. Built it myself.” In fact, I had spent two years constructing this place, little by little.
“No white picket fence?” She smiled, for the first time since we’d met again, and I felt my heart melt. God, this girl was going to break me.
“Not yet.”
Dani touched the rocking chair on the porch and set it in motion. I couldn't stop myself from picturing her sitting in it, reading a book or drinking her coffee.
“So you really built all of this yourself?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Built it by hand.” I was unable to keep the pride out of my voice. This house was my baby. At the same time, I was waiting for her to say something snide or condescending about my little cabin. After all, my cabin wasn’t exactly in the same zip code as her father’s multi-million dollar home. Hell, it wasn’t on the same fucking continent as what she was used to. What was I thinking, bringing her here?
“You built this completely by yourself?”
“Not totally,” I said. “I had to hire out a couple of things I couldn’t figure out how to do.” I had sourced as much as I could from the land, taught myself construction along the way. The few things I hadn’t been able to do, I’d contracted out, but I was careful about it. I’d paid cash, paid for confidentiality. You couldn’t be too careful.
“So you’re a biker and a carpenter.” Was that a compliment? I wasn't sure how to take it.
I shrugged. “I figure, there are some things in life you should know how to do for yourself.” I loved my club, but growing up the way I did, you learned real quick that backup plans were a necessity if you wanted to survive. This place was my backup plan. If shit went wrong, I could always bail and come here. I didn’t have to rely on anyone else.
“This isn’t a safe house, is it?” Dani asked.
“No,” I said. “The club thinks I’m bringing you to one of our places. So does your father.”
“So no one knows I’m here with you.”
“No.” The way she said it made me feel like some kind of creep. “I thought it was safer this way, better that I’m the only one who knows where you are.”
“Great,” she said. “I don’t know if I feel safe or scared you’re going to chop me up in pieces and bury me in the backyard.”
“I’d never chop you up into pieces. It’s easier to get rid of a body whole. There’s a lake nearby. I’d just dump you in it.” I grinned.
“Great.” She turned away, her voice flat, and I felt the tension between us again. So much for trying to add a little humor to the situation. All business, that’s what I needed to be.
“Come on. I’ll show you around.” I escorted her inside, my eyes never leaving her as she walked around, silently surveying the place. This was a girl used to the best of everything, and here she was, examining my things, evaluating this part of me I had not shown anyone. I didn’t want her judging me.
Dani put her palm flat against the stone on the fireplace, and I remembered the way she had put her palm against my chest, the heat from her hand warming me. No, get her out of your head. I cleared my throat. “It’s stone from the riverbed,” I said, before she asked. “There’s a creek that runs back behind the house.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “The whole place is gorgeous, Blaze.” She looked up at the ceiling, at the beams that ran the length. It took me forever to figure out how to put those in. “You’re really talented,” she said, and I felt warmth run through my chest at her words, then a flash of anger at myself for the reaction. I needed to not give a shit what she thought, even if it was positive.
“Thanks.” I walked into the kitchen. I needed a beer. Dani followed me, still poking around.
“Did you do all this yourself, too?” She touched the granite counter, her eyes wide. "If you ever decide not to be a criminal, you could totally be a carpenter.”
If I ever decided not to be a criminal. There is was, the condescension I was waiting for. She was exactly what I’d figured her for, a spoiled little princess who was slumming it by screwing the dirty biker. I pulled out a beer and opened it, consciously not offering her anything. “Thanks for the career advice.”
Her expression said she knew she’d overstepped her bounds. “I’m just saying, if you went legitimate.”
“Noted. Thanks for your opinion.” I walked down the hall toward the bedroom and she trailed behind me.
“So what’s the plan here?” she asked.
"We lay low and wait to hear from Mad Dog."
“Who’s Mad Dog?”
“The club president,” I said. “The other guy with me at your father’s house.”
"Do I even need to ask if we have cell reception or anything?"
"You can ask. The answer is no. Everything is cut off."
"Awesome. So basically I'm stuck here with you and no entertainment."
"Yep." The way she said it made it sound like the worst thing in the world. She was making it easier and easier to dislike her. I should be grateful for that. At least there would be no temptation to fuck her again.
“Great. So is this my bedroom or are you going to suggest sharing the bed?”
It sounded snide, the way she put it. It was a huge mistake bringing her here. Obviously, I wasn’t going to share the bed with her. I wasn’t a total douchebag. Just because I’d screwed her back t
here didn’t mean I thought I was entitled to screw her again. This was all business now that I knew she was Guillermo’s daughter. Maybe I wasn’t clear enough about that. I’d have to make myself clearer.
“There you go, Your Highness,” I said, opening the door to the bedroom. “And trust me, I have no intention of sharing any bed with you.” I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind before, but I’d already made it up well before she got here. I wasn’t about to cross that line again. I’d be sleeping on the couch.
Dani walked inside, looking around, touching the edge of the bed. No more than two seconds ago had I resolved to be a hundred percent professional with her, and all it took was her touching the edge of the bed for me to picture myself grabbing her, pulling her jeans down over her ass, and spanking her for all the attitude she was giving me. I definitely needed to get that image out of my head. There was no sense giving her the satisfaction of seeing me get a hard on for her.
“The bathroom’s right there.” I pointed.
Dani's back was to me. “Well, anything else?”
I felt my face tighten. “Nope, not at all.” I closed the door. It’s going to be a lot easier to dislike her than I thought.
I leaned against the door, grateful at the prospect of having some time to myself. I was exhausted and pissed off at my father for sending me here and at Billy for being an asshole; and pretty much at the entire world for everything. Now Blaze, who I thought might be a good guy somewhere underneath all the biker shit, was just as much of a bad guy as my father. One of his hired lackeys.
I knew I was acting like a prima donna, exactly the way I’d never wanted to be. It probably confirmed every preconceived notion he had about me, ideas he’d gotten from the fancy clothes and expensive car. He thought I was a spoiled brat who had been given everything her entire life. But that was true, right? I had been given everything in life. I had led a pampered existence in many ways.
He just sees you for who you really are, and that makes you upset.
No, that wasn’t true. I liked this place here in the middle of nowhere, away from everything. It felt like him- safe, warm. How do you even know what he feels like? The part of my brain that was always questioning everything jumped on board. You obviously misjudged him earlier. Now you know he’s just like your father.
I couldn’t get the thought of what my father was going to do to Billy out of my head. He didn’t deserve to die, but my father would have him killed. I wondered if it was already done, whether he had contracted Blaze to do it. No, Blaze was stuck babysitting me. His club, then. Or he had hired some other lackey to do it. Either way, whoever did it was a dead man. Billy’s family would see to that. They had the connections to make it happen. They’d bring down anyone remotely associated with it. A part of me hoped the Randolphs would come after my father. I ached to see the look on his face when he was taken down. I fantasized about being able to smile smugly and say, “See? I told you so. There are people in the world who are more powerful than you. You are not invincible.”
Climbing into bed, I pulled the covers over my head. Right now, I just wanted to go to sleep and wake up when this was all over.
I didn’t make an appearance outside the bedroom until the next evening, too exhausted to do much of anything else once I had crawled into bed. Blaze knocked on the door once, but got the message that I didn’t want to be bothered and never checked on me again. It wasn’t like I could run away out here, not unless I wanted to jog twenty miles.
I had to come out sometime, though, and the two of us were going to have to live together for the next- however many days we were going to be stuck together. I needed to make the best of it. What were we going to do to pass the time? The thought of spending the next few days in bed with Blaze immediately flashed through my mind, and I had to actively shove it out of my head. No. Hooking up with someone who was one of my father’s business associates, a pawn in my father’s game? No thanks. I’d rather die.
Following the sound of pots and pans rattling in the kitchen, I padded down the hall in a tee-shirt and jeans, my feet bare. Blaze was at the stove, an apron tied around his waist.
“I wondered when you were going to come out,” he said.
“I was tired.” It was the easiest explanation, easier to explain than existential angst.
“I figured as much. I’m cooking up dinner if you’re hungry.”
“Okay.” The answer was a resounding yes. I was starving. “Should I do something?” I asked the question like we were a pair of old friends. Or a couple cooking dinner together.
“Nope. There’s wine on the table though, if you want it. I don’t know much about wine, but I thought you might be more of a wine girl than a beer girl.” It was another little dig at me and my upbringing. Wine was exactly what I needed right now, having to deal with him.
I poured a glass, grateful for the distraction. It was awkward having a conversation with your kidnapper. Correction - my protection detail.
A little sex might cut the tension, though. I pushed the thought out of my mind, irritated with myself for even entertaining the idea.
Walking around the living room with my glass of wine, I perused the bookshelves. “You have a lot of books.”
“Yeah, I read a little bit.”
I peered close to the shelves, reading the spines. Homer, Faulkner, Buddha, Sun Tzu. “This isn’t really biker reading.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I realized how snotty they sounded.
In the kitchen, Blaze laughed. “What exactly is biker reading?”
“I don’t know. ‘10 Steps to Drug Running’?” Damn it. I was trying to be funny, but it fell flat.
“I guess I’m not your stereotypical biker, then.” Blaze set two plates on the table. “Now, sit. Eat. I’ve seen what you can pack away when you’re hungry.”
We made casual conversation in between lots of silence, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable as I expected. Maybe being confined here with him for a few days wouldn’t be as awkward and horrible as I thought. I told myself I could get through it.
“So how did you get into doing this anyway?” I curled up on the sofa, my feet tucked under my legs, watching Blaze from across the room as he cleaned up. With food and half a bottle of wine in my stomach, I was feeling more relaxed and at ease.
“Your father wanted someone he could trust to watch you. Someone outside his regular security group.”
“Oh, no- I could guess how you were the one roped into watching me,” I said. “I meant how did you end up being an outlaw biker? Didn’t you ever want to do anything else?”
Blaze grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat across from me. “I didn’t have many other options. After a couple years in juvie, I came out with nothing. Bikes were my thing. It was the natural order of the universe.”
“But you’re obviously sm -” I started to say it, but realized it sounded completely pretentious.
“Smart?” Blaze laughed bitterly. “Yeah, bikers can’t be smart, right?”
“That’s not what I was saying.” I was, but the larger question was how he had been so stupid as to get in bed with my father. That was the one I wanted answered.
“You didn’t have to say it. I knew what you meant.”
We sat in silence, the room filled with tension. Then Blaze stood and brought the wine bottle over, refilling my glass.
“Trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?” The words came out more accusatory than teasing, and I regretted saying them as soon as they left my mouth.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “Business and pleasure don’t mix, no matter how much you want them to.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I wasn’t suggesting anything. Once was more than enough.”
“It was more than once, if you remember correctly.”
I did. I remembered it vividly. It was burned on my brain. I couldn’t get the thoughts of him out of my head, the way had me rough on top of the car, then tenderly at the hote
l. How could I forget? I wanted to forget. It would be easier to hate him.
Blaze spoke after a few minutes, breaking the tension. “So you’re Guillermo Arias’ daughter. Seeing you at the house was a real kick in the nuts.”
“You mean you didn’t know?” What if he knew who I was the whole time? How could he not know, working for my father?
“Know what? That you were his kid?” He stopped. “You think I somehow engineered things so that you would run out of gas on the side of the road? What, so that I could sleep with you and then bring you here?” He was angry. No, not quite angry. Disappointed? As soon as he said, I knew it had not happened that way.
“How would you not know, working for him?” I spit the word out like poison.
“I haven’t been working for him,” he said. “This is our first job.”
“Oh.” I sipped my wine. “Oh.” Holy shit. My head was flooded with thoughts, faster and faster as I tried to piece things together. “This is your club’s first job for my father.”
“Yeah,” he said. “The first job and I’m the babysitter.”
I chose to ignore what he'd just said and instead focus on more important things. Like the fact that this guy was connected to my
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