by Nina Levine
“They’ve just moved out?”
“No, they got their own place a few years ago.” He continued his search of the house while I followed blindly behind him, unable to let go of my need to understand him.
“And you still haven’t replaced the furniture?”
He stopped abruptly and gave me his attention again. “Why the twenty questions, Vegas?”
I held his gaze. “I’m trying to figure out why you don’t have any furniture.”
“No, you’re trying to figure out me. You’re a lawyer, it’s what you do. But I’m telling you now, there’s nothing to figure out. I’m a man who has no interest in furniture or decorating or any of that bullshit, so quit with all the questions.”
I stepped closer, leaving very little space between us. “I don’t believe that, Nitro.”
“Believe what?”
“That there’s nothing to figure out. I think there’s a lot you keep hidden.”
His nostrils flared and when he spoke again, his voice held a dangerous tone. “Last night you wanted nothing to do with me. I’m not sure what the fuck happened between then and now, but let’s go back to the way we were.”
My lips spread out in a grim smile. “That’s the thing about life… We can’t often go back to the way things were.”
“Yeah, well, we can, and we will.” His words fell out in a harsh directive before he pushed past me and stalked to the front door. When he reached it, he called out, “Wait here while I go check for Dustin at Marilyn’s house. Lock the door after I leave.” With that, he left, the front door banging after him.
I strode to the door and locked it.
God, he could be a prick. A moody, stubborn prick who I would avoid if I knew what was good for me.
It seemed I never quite learnt my lessons very well in life.
* * *
He’d been gone for about ten minutes when two men snuck into his front yard, balaclavas in place, and guns in their hands. I’d been keeping watch from the front window of his lounge room when they appeared.
They were almost to his front door when one of their phones rang. The guy with the phone paused to answer it while the other one waited behind him. A short conversation ensued before the guy with the phone slipped it back into his pocket and said something to his mate. They then continued their trek towards the front door.
My fingers curled around the gun I’d found stashed in Nitro’s cupboard when I searched it just after he left me alone. I hadn’t been able to resist snooping, but had been disappointed when all I’d found was the gun. As well as owning very little furniture, he didn’t keep many personal belongings.
I watched as Nitro entered the yard, picked up his pace and advanced on the two guys fast. A few moments later, he punched the guy at the back in the head, causing him to stumble forward. With the element of surprise, he managed to wrap his arm around his neck and knock the gun out of his hand.
The guy struggled, trying to shift Nitro’s arms. As he fought, his friend turned around to help him, but Nitro pointed his gun in his direction. “Stay where you are or you’ll stop breathing,” he barked.
The guy ignored Nitro’s threat and immediately lunged at him. Nitro fired, but the guy had ducked low enough when he’d lunged to avoid the bullet. When he landed, it was with enough force to knock all three of them to the ground. A fight then broke out, and I feared that Nitro was at a disadvantage being on his own against two.
Exiting the house, I made my way to where they fought. Nitro’s eyes briefly met mine as he knocked one guy flat on his back before turning to deal with the other guy who was right behind him. I didn’t miss the scowl in his glance, but chose to ignore it. Pointing the gun I held at the guy Nitro had just knocked down, I said, “Don’t move, asshole.”
He stared up at me, his eyes holding a clear challenge. “Or what, blondie?” As he said the words, he moved to stand.
Without hesitating, I shifted the gun so it aimed at his leg, and I pulled the trigger. “Or I’ll fucking shoot.”
“Motherfucking bitch!” he roared, his agony spilling out all over the place.
The gunshot slowed him, but it didn’t stop him completely. Figuring from the way he moved that I must have only grazed him with the bullet, I took aim again. That time, the bullet did what I wanted it to—it slowed him right down, planting him on the ground, clutching at his bullet wound. A string of expletives and threats spewed from his mouth, but my attention had already shifted to Nitro.
“You got a spare bullet there, Vegas?” He had the other guy on his knees facing me. Nitro had his arm around his neck in a vice grip, and the guy struggled for breath while trying to claw his way out of the choking hold.
I nodded. “Where do you want it?”
“In his leg.”
As I took aim and shot, a black van screeched into Nitro’s driveway and two Storm bikers jumped out. Everything happened in a blur after that. Nitro and the two bikers quickly moved the two men into the back of the van and then the vehicle and all the men were gone, leaving me staring at Nitro in surprise.
“Where did they come from?” I asked as he guided me inside his house.
“I saw their bikes on my way back here from Marilyn’s and called King for backup.”
I jumped as he slammed the door closed behind us. Staring at him, I processed the anger written across his face. Anger that seemed to be directed at me rather than at what just happened. “What?” I demanded, tensing for an argument.
“I gave you one directive when I left the house—stay inside.” His eyes flashed with as much fury as his body seemed filled with.
“You needed help so—”
“No, I didn’t. What I needed was to know you were inside away from those assholes.”
“I seem to recall that you asked me to put a bullet in one of those guys after I already did the same thing to the other guy. How is that not needing my help?” God, he was so damn infuriating.
“While I appreciated that, I would have preferred for your safety to not have been compromised.”
“My safety wasn’t compromised so I don’t know why you’re carrying on about it.”
He blew out a long breath and raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m carrying on about it because I don’t want this kind of shit to happen again.”
We faced off, both glaring at each other in silence for a few moments. I was annoyed as fuck at his inability to admit my help was appreciated, but the lawyer in me took the time to think through what he’d said and why.
Finally, the tension in my shoulders eased and I said, “You were worried about me.”
He blinked and his breathing slowed. It took him a beat to reply, and when he did, it came out a little snappish. “Of course I was. The last thing I need is Billy coming down on me because you got hurt.”
I shook my head. “No,” I said quietly, “you were worried about me and it had nothing to do with Billy.”
His face clouded over and he clenched his jaw. “Tatum, we don’t have time to stand around arguing over this. You need to get our ass outside and in my ute so we can find Dustin and Renee and then get back to the clubhouse.” He barked his orders like he was used to them being carried out.
Stepping closer to him, I said, “I’m not sure why you can’t just admit you were worried about me, Nitro. It’s okay to care about someone’s safety.” With that, I pushed past him so I could head out to his damn ute. Bloody men and their inability to admit when they cared about someone.
15
Nitro
“Kick Start My Heart” by Alannah Myles
I’d had enough of Tatum Lee and her argumentative ways. The woman seemed intent on pushing as many of my buttons as possible. Every time I thought we were getting somewhere and that she would just do as I said, she managed to get under my skin, again.
And yet, she fucking impressed the hell out of me. When she’d put a bullet in the Silver Hell member without flinching, and then done it again, I’d watched in
awe. I wanted to wring her neck for not staying inside while at the same time, I wanted to rip her fucking clothes off and see just what she was made of.
I wanted to know if she fucked the way she seemed to live—full of passion and fierce energy. And that shit right there sent alarm bells ringing all over the damn place because wanting to know that about a woman wasn’t something that ever interested me.
I turned to her, my hands squeezing tightly around the steering wheel as I thought about her naked body wrapped around mine. “What’s your cousin’s address?”
She’d been silently watching the streets pass by as I drove. At my question, she faced me, a frown set across those gorgeous lips of hers. “Why?”
“So you can check on her.”
“What about Dustin?” Renee had texted just after we’d left my place to say she was at the clubhouse, so Dustin was the only one we still needed to find.
“I’m pretty sure I know where he is. The fact Silver Hell sent two members to my house just now tells me they didn’t send anyone earlier, so I’d say he’s safe and we have time to look in on your cousin.”
“I thought you were in a hurry to get back to the clubhouse.”
I gripped the steering wheel even tighter. “Fuck, Tatum, do you ever stop questioning shit?” I glanced at her as I asked this and caught the flattening of her lips as she stared at me.
A moment passed, and then she rattled off an address before adding, “Thank you.”
I gave a quick nod and steered the car in the direction of her cousin’s place.
Fifteen minutes later, we pulled up outside a tattoo parlour. I cut the engine and turned to her again. “She works here?”
Reaching for the door handle, she shook her head. “No, she owns it.”
As I followed her inside, I wondered who I was about to meet. If her cousin was anything like Tatum, I’d have my hands full.
* * *
“Monroe, meet Nitro, the pain-in-my-ass biker who likes to boss me around,” Tatum said, gesturing towards me before adding, “Nitro, meet Monroe Lee, my cousin.”
Monroe eyed me warily before asking Tatum, “This is the biker who saved you?”
Tatum nodded.
The wary glint in Monroe’s eyes didn’t leave, and resentment crept into her voice as she said to me, “Why can’t you leave her alone? She’s done nothing to you or your club.”
Before I could reply, Tatum held her hand up. “It’s okay, Roe, he’s actually trying to keep me alive. Silver Hell found out I was there the other night.” Her eyes met mine. “But he does like to issue orders left, right and centre, which is annoying as hell.”
Her cousin didn’t back down and I saw Tatum’s feistiness in her. They looked nothing alike—Monroe had voluptuous curves and huge tits whereas Tatum’s curves were much smaller, and Monroe had flaming red hair in contrast to Tatum’s blonde—but their inner fight seemed the same.
Monroe squared her shoulders and challenged me. “So you’ll keep her alive and then let her out of your sights?”
“I don’t make promises to anyone.”
“Figures,” she muttered, her glare not letting up. I had to respect a woman who stood her ground.
“Why haven’t you been returning my calls and texts this morning?” Tatum asked, diverting her cousin’s attention. “I’ve been worried about you.”
Something passed between the two women and Monroe’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, I forgot to charge my mobile and I paid the shop’s phone bill late, so they cut me off.”
Tatum let out a long breath and her body visibly relaxed a little. “Thank God.”
Monroe touched her on the arm. “Posey’s okay. She’s out the back with Fox, giving him a haircut.”
Tatum frowned. “Huh?”
“Yeah, who knew your girl was a hairdresser as well as a stripper? We’ve been quiet this morning and got to chatting, and when he found this out, he asked her to cut his hair.” Her gaze zeroed in on Tatum’s face. “How are you? That eye still looks nasty.”
“I’m sore, but I’m okay.”
“That eye’s gonna take a little while to heal and so are her ribs,” I said.
Monroe’s attention swung swiftly back to me. “If it wasn’t for bloody bikers, she wouldn’t be in this mess,” she snapped.
I stepped forward and got in her face. “Careful,” I warned. “Far as I can see, Tatum got herself into that mess.”
Monroe’s eyes flashed with venom and she shoved her face closer to mine, which intrigued me. These Lee women seemed to have no fear. “Because a biker murdered her brother!”
Tatum slid between us, her back to me, and forced Monroe away. “Let it go, Roe. Nitro hated that man as much as I did.”
“I don’t get it, Tatum. Yesterday you wanted nothing to do with Storm and now you’re defending him.”
“A lot can happen in a day. I’ll fill you in later, okay?”
Monroe sent one last glare my way before agreeing to what Tatum had asked. It was obvious to us all, though, that the last thing she wanted to do was let it go.
“Tatum,” a petite blonde woman said as she entered the parlour from a back room. She walked with hesitation, her eyes not meeting mine. “Did Dwayne go by the club last night?”
“I haven’t heard anything to say he did,” Tatum replied. “How are you doing?”
Before she could answer, a guy joined us. Tattoos covered almost every inch of skin I could see, and I figured the familiarity between him and Monroe that he worked with her.
Leaning casually against the front counter of the parlour where we stood, he frowned at Tatum. “Who the fuck gave you those bruises, T?”
I folded my arms across my chest and clenched my jaw. This guy may have been familiar with Monroe, but there was something intimate about the way he spoke to and looked at Tatum. Something that irritated the fuck out of me.
“No one important, Fox, and he won’t ever do it again,” Tatum said. The fact she seemed closed off to discussing it with him caused the tension in my shoulders to ease a little.
“Yeah, well if he does come back, you call me, okay? I’ll take care of him for you, babe.”
“He won’t be back,” I grunted, unfolding my arms. “And I’ve got Tatum under control.”
Her gaze swung to meet mine and she raised her brows. “You’ve got me under control?”
“I’ve got the situation under control.” I didn’t let her gaze go.
“Yeah, that’s better,” she said, irritation still clear in her tone.
We stood watching each other for a few moments, a new tension settling between us. It was as if everyone else in the room faded away leaving only the two of us. Again, I found myself facing an inner battle of being both frustrated with her and turned on, all at the same time. This was an unfamiliar feeling and it unsettled me. I usually kept sex separate to every other part of my life. The women I fucked weren’t women I associated with, and I never formed a relationship with any of them. Brittany was the exception to that and my association with her hadn’t turned out well.
Monroe’s voice cut through my awareness. “No one controls Tatum, Nitro.”
Without taking my eyes off Tatum, I said, “I’m getting that impression.”
Fox pushed off from the counter. As he moved past Tatum, he placed his hand on her stomach and slid it across her body as he said, “I’ve missed you, T. You should call me.”
She gave him a smile, and although it seemed vacant and didn’t reach her eyes, I couldn’t help balling my fists at my side.
Fuck.
My stomach churned with annoyance, which in itself also pissed me off. What did I care if he was fucking Tatum? She was nothing to me. Nothing but a woman I had to keep alive for my club.
And yet I couldn’t deny that the sight of his hand on her stomach sent a wave of fury through me. I didn’t want his hand anywhere on her body.
16
Tatum
“Break On Me” by Keith Urban
/> I eyed King warily. The man scared me, and it wasn’t often I said that about anyone. Nitro and I had arrived back at the clubhouse hours earlier after finding Dustin and since then, Nitro had been busy with club stuff. I spent the afternoon catching up on work in the bar as well as chatting with Renee. King had wandered through the bar a few times, directing a glare my way each time. There was something about him that I wasn’t quite sure of. What I did know for certain, though, was that King was a man to be kept at arm’s length. The sooner I escaped his radar, the better.
“He’s okay,” Renee said, dragging my attention back to her.
“Who? King?”
She nodded. “Yeah.” At my frown, she continued, “I know he comes across as freaking scary, but he’s helped our family a lot over the years. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t cross him, but I definitely know he’s loyal to those who are loyal to him.”
I looked back over at King who stood near the entrance to the bar. He was deep in conversation with one of the club members, a nearly bald guy who glanced at me a few times while they talked.
Turning back to Renee, I said, “All I know is that for those he has no loyalty to, he’s unpredictable and can be an asshole. And word on the street is that he’s a man to avoid, so it’d be fair to say I’m not impressed by him.”
She smiled. “I like that about you, Tatum.”
“What?”
“That you say it like it is. And that you don’t let Nitro get away with shit.” At my surprise, she added, “He might be my uncle and I might love him to death, but he can be a jerk. He’s way too bossy and I like that you challenge him.”
I laughed. “You’re smart for a teen, you know that?”
She stared at me in mock offence. “Are you saying teens aren’t smart?”
As she spoke, my attention shifted from her to the bald club member King had been talking to. He made his way to us and rested his hands on the backs of our chairs. “Tatum, you got a minute?”