Before I can remember where I was going, the waiter shows up. I have no idea what I might possibly want from a restaurant that serves food I've never had on perfectly pressed white linen tablecloths, so I let Connor order for me.
When the waiter leaves, I start talking again, even though every word burns on the way past my lips. "If you don't already know, I'm club property. This is my whole life. I can't leave club property except for this one day once a month. You taking me here to eat is the only new experience I've had outside of those three buildings in longer than I can even remember."
Fuck, I sound so pathetic. I curse my mom once again for doing this to me.
Connor's thumb rubs soothing circles on my upper thigh, and I press on, knowing I have to say this before he gets the wrong idea about what's possible between us. "Nothing can ever happen between us. Well, nothing more than what's already happened. I can't have a relationship, and even if I could, I refuse to do it with a biker. Not after how I've been treated like property my entire life."
He goes completely still and tense, and I don't know what he's thinking. Damn, being a psychic right now would really come in handy. My heart's frantic in my chest because I want him to fight for me, and I also want him to step back because if I let my guard drop, I know he could steal my whole heart, and there wouldn't be a damn thing I could do about it.
Connor is easily the kind of guy who I could fall for and never look back. But then what would my life look like?
"Gigi," he says my name like a promise, and his voice is so raw, I have no choice but to turn and look at him. What I see in his eyes makes my breath catch in my throat, and my stomach erupt with butterflies. The intensity in the way he looks at me has every hair on the back of my neck standing up. I want to crawl into his lap and wrap myself around him—just give up and let him fix everything that's wrong.
And I hardly know the guy.
"I promise you I will get you out of this club. Even if you don't want to be with me in the end, I'll get you your freedom no matter what. I promise." He grabs my hand and puts it on his heart like he's sealing some sort of vow, and I blink furiously, so the tears stinging my eyes don't fall.
"You really mean that, don't you?" I finally say, in total awe of this man sitting beside me and willing to take on my problems as his own.
"I do." The vehemence in his voice settles something inside me, and I start to think maybe I can let him in a little and see what happens. It's risky and dangerous, and he could smash my heart into a billion pieces, but he's also made me feel more alive than I ever have before. If he's willing to help, that's twice the chance I'll get free, right?
Our food comes, and it's delicious and decadent and unlike anything I've ever had before. When Connor kisses me at the end, it's sweeter than any dessert I could've hoped for. "Thank you," I whisper against his lips, the two words meaning so much more than just for the food.
His hazel eyes bore into mine as he says, "I told you you were going to be mine, Gigi. I meant every fucking word. Soon you'll understand exactly how serious I am about that."
For the first time, I believe him, and for the first time, I think I want that, too.
My eyes have barely closed when I hear the distinct pop pop pop that comes from automatic machine gun fire. It’s a sound I doubt I’ll ever forget, and out here in the nearly silent desert, it’s somehow even louder than I remember. I’m out of bed and yanking on my jeans in the next breath, the gunshots still ringing out in a steady rhythm as I grab my gun.
My pulse is pounding in my ears as I run out into the hall and almost collide with Grim, who stops beside me. His eyes slowly collide with mine, and all I see is fury. “Do you have a weapon?” he asks through gritted teeth, his jaw ticking with his anger and impatience.
“What the fuck do you take me for?” is all I manage to ask before we’re both running down the hall, the weight of my handgun comforting in my palm. It’s evident at this point someone is attacking the compound.
From the second I pulled up here, it struck me as weird that they didn’t have any gates or any security measures to keep people out, especially knowing they have another local club who just took out their president. It doesn’t matter, though. This isn’t my circus, and those shots aren’t mine to call.
If they were my clients, I’d want to kick their asses for being so fucking clueless.
By the time we run down the three flights of stairs and burst out the front door, all we see are the red glow of tail lights hazy from the desert dust. The faint roar of bike engines is getting quieter by the second. This wasn’t some stealth attack. They weren’t trying to hide who carried out this act of blatant hostility against the Reign of Chaos.
Now that the immediate danger has subsided, I’m struck with a horrible sense of panic. Where the hell is Gigi? I spin, quickly scanning the faces of everyone who’s come to stand outside like this is some sort of show.
What the fuck is wrong with these people? Don’t they have any sense of self-preservation? Even the women are standing around like this is no big deal. The only sign that what just happened was serious is the look on Savage’s face.
At this moment, he looks every bit his name. His features are cast in shadows and sharp lines from a flashlight Ruin holds from his position beside his president. His eyes are sharp and menacing, and his jaw tics relentlessly. Savage’s fists clench and his eyes meet mine with a look that promises retribution.
I knew I was signing up for some shit when I took this mission on, but I had no intention of getting in the middle of some low-rent gang war. My heart is skittering around in my chest like I’m about to go into cardiac arrest because I’m so fucking worried about Gigi. I still haven’t laid eyes on her, and with all the other sweet butts and old ladies gathered around in a huddle near the clubhouse, I’m left wondering where the fuck she is.
Unfortunately for me, I can’t go prowling through the club’s property to find her until I make sure Savage doesn’t need me. I walk over to where he stands, flanked by Ruin and Saint, and tuck my gun back into my waistband. “The Death Kings?” I ask because, as a supposed member of the ROC, I should definitely know the name of the club’s mortal enemy.
He gives a sharp nod, but it’s Saint who speaks. “First they take out Devil, then they come here to our home and shoot up our clubhouse. They’re getting too goddamn brazen.”
“They didn’t even try to hit anyone. This was them fucking with us, showing us that they can walk all over our club whenever they want,” Grim adds, glaring into the dark where the bikes disappeared only a few minutes ago.
“What’s our move?” I ask, not really wanting to get involved but not seeing that I have any other choice at this point.
Savage exhales and looks around at the fifty or so members and women staying on the property right now. I wonder if it’s hitting him how much responsibility really sits on his shoulders now to keep all these people safe. Somehow, he looks older at this moment than his twenty-five years.
His eyes narrow as he scans the crowd again. “Where the fuck are Vandal, Poison, and Brutal?”
The four of us all do another sweep of everyone present from where we stand in a loose circle near the driveway leading onto the property, but I don’t see the three old bastards anywhere, and they’re always here.
Ruin taps me on the bicep and jerks his head toward the other brothers standing around. I follow him as we casually walk through and triple check that the three guys, who’d already managed to get on my shit list for being a part of Devil’s inner circle before I ever even dropped into this shitshow, were actually missing.
After completing our circuit, we meet back up with Grim, Saint, and Savage, and Ruin subtly shakes his head.
“Fuck,” Savage bites out, running his hands down his face like he’s trying to wipe off the last fifteen minutes. “Wasn’t it Poison who signed off on that manifest yesterday?” He asks it so quietly I almost don’t hear him. It’s like he’s putting the pieces of a p
uzzle together, and I have to admit I’m impressed.
Even if I really don’t want to.
I don’t want to like anyone in this shithole. I want to tear it down with my bare hands and dance on the ashes.
My thoughts flick to Gigi. We have more than just the three club members mysteriously absent, and my mind immediately goes to how this club stole Moon away. Would they do that to Gigi? It would help if I knew what she really meant to this club. The pieces don’t add up, and I know there’s got to be more to the story than she’s telling me—or maybe than she knows.
“It was him,” Saint confirms, glancing down at his phone.
“Hmm,” Savage says as the most non-answer answer ever. It’s somewhere around two a.m., and if it wasn’t for the surge of adrenaline from hearing gunshots outside of a literal warzone, I’d be dead on my feet. Somehow, I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until I find Gigi and see with my own eyes that she’s safe, and that’s troubling as fuck.
I didn’t come here to make friends or form attachments.
I definitely didn’t come here to find myself captivated by a woman with ties so deep to the club, I still don’t know how I’m going to get her out. Yet my panic in this situation has just shown me how fucked I truly am because my little demon has already dug her claws in deep.
My stomach twists and turns the longer I’m forced to stand here instead of seeking her out. “If you don’t need me, I’m heading to bed,” I finally announced, tired of waiting to be dismissed. I fucking hate needing to be dismissed. I keep my expression stoic even though inside, I’m pissed at having to act like some submissive jerkoff. That’s not me in any capacity.
I’m used to running the show, and holding that part of myself back takes a whole shit ton of effort that I don’t have the energy for tonight.
Savage waves me off like he has bigger problems than my potential insolence. “Yeah, go. We’ll have a discussion at church in the morning and then fill you in if we need you.” It’s a dismissal and a relief all wrapped up in one, and I don’t waste time lingering around. I have a feeling I know where to find Gigi, so I stalk through the shadows until I find myself standing outside the garage.
Damn, maybe I do live up to my club name after all.
The door is shockingly silent when I push it open. Once I’m inside, the low murmurs of conversations that I could hear just outside the door are gone completely. I wonder how soundproof this place really is, and I make a mental note to really explore it soon. If this building is soundproofed, there’s a reason why and I want to find out.
I don’t let myself focus on it for long because I’m climbing up the ladder to the loft area that everyone but Gigi seems to have forgotten is here. It’s tucked away in the back of the building and small, not covering the entire space.
It’s so dark in here I can’t see my hand in front of my face and have to climb by feel, which is stupid and dangerous, but I don’t have a lot of choice. It’s not like I can hold my phone to use the flashlight and climb with one hand. When I finally feel the flat surface that signals the start of the loft, I heave myself over the edge and pull out my phone.
The flashlight beam is so bright I have to squint, but as soon as I see Gigi curled up on a blanket in the corner passed the hell out, I damn near drop to my knees in relief. Air fills my lungs fully for what feels like the first time in hours, and I stand here watching her for a somewhat creepy length of time.
It’s a good thing she’s asleep and has no idea.
When the adrenaline starts to wear off, weariness sets in, and I know I’m going to crash hard soon. I move around some randomly stacked boxes and over to her little blanket and pillow nest, kneeling down beside her. I transfer my phone into my other hand and run the backs of my fingers along the cheek, keeping my voice low and gentle. “Wake up, little demon.”
She stirs at the sound and my touch, a small smile playing on her lips before she even opens her eyes. She leans into my touch as if she’s seeking me out, and a thrill runs down my spine. Never has a woman affected me like Gigi does.
The universe must have a fucked up sense of humor to throw her into my path right now in possibly the worst timing ever.
I can’t help myself and lean down, pressing my lips to hers as gently as I can, speaking against her mouth, so my lips brush across her mouth with my words. “Time to get up, gorgeous.”
This time her eyes flutter open, and we’re so close our noses are touching as she runs her fingers up into my hair and pulls my mouth down on hers. I groan and kiss her back hard, my tongue sliding against hers as I ravage her mouth with everything I’ve got.
I may be tired, but I don’t think I’ll ever be too tired to kiss the hell out of this woman.
Breaking the kiss, I lean back and rest my forehead against hers. I’m seriously considering just curling up on the hard-ass floor and thin blanket to stay here with her because I’m that tired.
Her green eyes stare sleepily up into mine. “Is this a dream?” Her voice is a little raspy from sleep, and my dick takes notice, already half-hard from that kiss and now fully invested in what comes next.
“Not a dream, but you need to get up. You’re coming to sleep in my room,” I tell her, making sure it’s not in any way a question. Wherever she is tonight, I’ll be right next to her.
She must hear how serious I am because her hand drops to my chest, and she presses. I move back to let her sit up, and I stand, pulling her up with me. “Let me grab my sketchbook,” she says, looking around the ground where she was sleeping. I tilt my phone so the area’s lit up by the flashlight, and she bends down to scoop the book up, tucking it under her arm.
I grab her other hand, sliding our fingers together while I walk us toward the ladder. “We’re going to have to climb down in the dark. I’ll go first, and we’ll take it slow.”
“This isn’t even close to the first time I’ve fallen asleep out here,” she informs me with so much attitude I have to bite my cheek to keep from snapping about how fucking dangerous it is, in a place full of predators, to fall asleep completely out in the open like this.
This fucking woman is going to drive me insane.
“I’m going to pretend for now like I didn’t hear that,” I finally tell her through a clenched jaw as I switch off the light on my phone and start climbing down. It takes a few minutes for my eyes to adjust, but by the time my boots hit the floor, I can at least make out some shapes around me.
I get my phone’s flashlight turned back on just quick enough to watch Gigi climb the last few rungs down, her ass perfectly hugged in the tight jeans she’s wearing. My heart pumps harder as I watch her, and my need to bury myself inside her to prove that she’s still here with me ratchets up. I’m so fucking tired, I don’t know if I have it in me, so for now, wrapping myself around her like a damn cobra’s going to have to be enough.
On the walk back to the motel-slash-apartment building, it’s silent. Everyone who came outside for the shooting had retreated back inside, apparently content that the Death Kings wouldn’t strike again tonight. I’d be sleeping with my gun under my pillow because I refuse to underestimate any potential enemy.
My eyes slanted over to Gigi, her delicate features even softer in the dim lights of the hall outside my room. Now I have her to protect, and I don’t plan on letting anyone near her.
I’m surprised she didn’t fight me at all on the way here, letting me lead her to my room with our hands tangled together, not caring who sees. When we step inside, I pull off my t-shirt and toss it to her. She drops her sketchbook to catch it and raises an eyebrow at me.
“What? It’s either my shirt or naked.” Both of which I’m one hundred percent okay with.
She rolls her eyes and turns her back to me, pulling off her shirt and stepping out of her shorts before tugging my t-shirt over her head. It falls to her upper thighs, and my gaze drops to the soft skin there, wondering if I can muster up enough energy to run my tongue up…
“Don�
�t even think about it.” She interrupts my dirty fantasy in the making with a glare that makes her look more cute than dangerous, and my lips twitch with the effort not to smile. “I’m wrecked, and I need sleep.”
“Me, too, little demon. Come get in bed.” I step out of my boots and jeans, making sure to grab my gun and slip it under the pillow. I slide between the sheets, holding the corner back for her. She doesn’t hesitate before climbing in with me, and I pull the blanket over us and then yank her against me, her back to my chest.
My face is buried in her hair, breathing in her scent and letting her hair tickle my face. She smells like fresh brewed coffee and vanilla, and I absently wonder if it’s her shampoo or perfume that I’m salivating over. Doesn’t matter. It’s intoxicating because it’s her.
It doesn’t take long before her body relaxes against me and her breathing evens out. It’s only then that I let myself follow her into oblivion.
Before I open my eyes, I know she’s gone. Her scent lingers on my sheets, but the bed is cold. I groan and sit up, hating that she didn’t stick around for what I was hoping would be a full morning spent balls deep inside her.
A grin tugs at my lips because I know she’ll be worth the chase. Getting Gigi to admit she feels something for me, even though she thinks she shouldn’t, is going to be one hell of a challenge, but I can tell when it happens, it’ll be fucking monumental.
And make no mistake about it—it’s going to happen.
As if my mental fog is suddenly lifting, I remember Savage said something about church this morning. That will be the perfect opportunity for me to sneak into places I wouldn’t otherwise be able to, so I need to haul my ass out of this bed and see if I’ve still got time.
Hurrying, I throw on my jeans from last night and grin when I notice my t-shirt is mysteriously absent. I pluck another out of my drawer and pull it on, stepping into my boots and grabbing my gun. I take thirty seconds to brush my teeth, and I’m out the door, running down three flights of steps and under the weird outdoor hallway before I slip into the main clubhouse building.
Captive: A Bodyguard Romance (Hollywood Guardians Book 1) Page 7