Fuck, he really is a damn psycho on that thing. I'm surprised he's not dead yet from the way he rides, but I can't exactly judge him when I'm not the picture of safety, either.
Blowing out a breath, I gave in to the inevitable. "Good, you're going to need it to not raise their suspicion. As soon as Sebastian finds something worth tracking, he'll pass it along, and I'll need you to follow up unless it's something going down at the clubhouse." I look at Sebastian, and he bobs his head in acknowledgment without taking his face off the screen he's buried in. "If I hear anything around the clubhouse, I'll text you a time or a location, so I need your phone on you at all times. I don't give a shit if you're balls deep in a hooker or in the shower. Keep your phone on you."
He scoffs. "Hookers aren't really my style. Now the girl at the front desk-"
I hold up my hand. "I really don't give a shit what you do, as long as you're focused when I need you. That means no drinking."
"But-"
"No. Not while we're here working. You need to be able to hop on your bike and go anytime, day or night."
He sighs, sitting back up. "Yeah, fine."
"Now tell us the rest so you can get back," Sebastian mutters, finally looking up again. "You're not hiding your anxiousness very well."
I realize that my leg is shaking with nervous energy, and my whole body is tense, so I try to relax. Knowing Grim is watching Gigi doesn't help that much since I don't know how much I can really trust him, and Brutal limping into the bar before I left is fucking with me.
"There's a girl-"
"Of course there is," Sebastian says, rolling his eyes, and I'm fucking shocked it's him talking shit and not Julian. If the look on Julian's face is any indication, he's just as surprised as I am.
I glower at Sebastian before starting over. "There's a girl I met at the clubhouse. It's a long story for another time, but what you need to know is I promised to get her out. Yes, she's a complication, but I'm not going to be talked out of it, so I need you to help me with a couple of things. Ryan's still good with desk duty, right?"
Julian nods. "Maddox would have your balls if she stepped foot into the field, and then he'd probably come after me."
"Jesus. Thanks for that stunning visual." He chuckles, and I throw the pen I find on the desk behind me at his face for being a dick. "I've got some ideas I need her to start looking into," I say and fill them in on what I'm thinking. I have grand plans for Gigi's future—and hopefully our future together—that I'm keeping a secret until things are more stable between us. The last thing I want to do is make her think I'm her only option, and she has to be with me to get out of the life she's living.
I want her to want to be with me, which is why I'm not telling her that I'm in love with her, even though I'm so fucking desperately in love with her, I'd give her the very air in my lungs if it meant she could go on living.
Wrapping up the meeting, I feel more settled having Sebastian and Julian here with me, knowing they're within a close range so that if shit goes south with the club, I'll have them at my back. As much as I want to believe I can trust Savage and his officers, I don't know him. He was raised by Devil. While he seems to be a better man than his father, years in the business of protecting people and their secrets have taught me people aren't always what they seem.
When I get to the clubhouse, the first thing I want to do is find Gigi and see for myself that she's okay, but Savage intercepts me as soon as I step through the damn door. "We need to talk," he says, but it sounds more like an order, and I bristle.
I'm typically the one giving orders, and it doesn't settle well with me that he thinks I'll just submit to his command. "After I see Gigi," I tell him, daring him with the look on my face to try to tell me no. There's a battle of wills between us as we stare each other down, but he finally nods and gestures for me to go ahead of him into the bar area.
As soon as I step inside, our eyes connect like she's been waiting for me to walk through the door the entire time I've been gone.
The air between us crackles with electricity, and the last thing I want to do is go have a chat with the group of biker assholes at my back. No, I'd much rather throw my little demon over my shoulder and take her back to my room to show her how much I missed her in my bed last night.
"You've seen she's fine," Savage drawls from behind me, and I sigh, knowing I can't have what I want right now, but the tiny smile Gigi gives me has my pulse fucking soaring, and my dick stands up and takes notice. Grim still sits at the bar, and he dips his chin in acknowledgment of me before he goes back to his vigil.
I follow Savage, Saint, and Ruin back to his office, and with the four of us in the small room, it's cramped as fuck. None of us are what you'd consider small. Savage sits behind his desk, and Ruin takes up his post beside the closed door. Saint drops into one of the chairs in front of the desk, and I take the other.
"Where were you?" Savage asks, smirking at me like the fucker already knows. I cut my eyes to Saint sitting next to me, who returns my side-eye with a cocky smile of his own. I don't know how they managed to find out since the only thing I did to plan the meeting was text with Sebastian and Julian, but at this point, that wasn't my biggest problem.
"Why even bother asking me that? Clearly, you already know."
"We wanted to see if you'd lie," Ruin supplies from his spot by the door, and I think that's the most I've ever heard him say at one time. Honestly, I'm surprised this guy's not the enforcer because he has that whole strong, brooding, silent type vibe going on.
"Well, I didn't," I snap, tired of this day already and it's only half done. I'm sure it has nothing to do with how Gigi gave me the brush off, so I was up all night wondering what the hell I did wrong.
Three sets of eyes watch me expectantly, so I sigh and lean back. I was going to fill them in anyway, and now's as good a time as ever. "A couple of my guys are in town. With just me, I couldn't follow the four of them by myself, and if any of them saw you in on it, they'd bail, and we'd never catch them. So, I called them in, but they're not on club property and won't be unless we need them."
I dig out the USB stick and the micro SD and hand them to Saint, who immediately pulls out his laptop and plugs in the stick, his eyes scanning over what I'm assuming is the code. "This is good," he admits, staring at his screen.
"Yeah, Sebastian is a fucking magician with tech," I say, feeling a sense of pride over the guy I found and brought into the fold. He found a home with us, and I hope he never wants to leave.
"I want to meet him," Saint says, pulling the stick out.
I shrug. "Maybe. If he agrees to it. I won't force it."
"Fine," Saint agrees, handing me back the stick before turning to Savage. "It'll give his guy remote access to any computer it's installed in. Well, his guy and now me," he says with a twisted smile.
"You want us to figure this shit out for you, you let me and my team do our jobs. You can look at whatever ends up coming through, but don't get in my way." Savage bristles at my words, but that's the way it has to be. "I know this is your club, and you're used to being in charge, but they'll sniff you out from a mile away."
"I'm trusting you," he tells me, his eyes so fucking intense they're practically glowing.
"Yeah, and I'm trusting you with Gigi, so it goes both ways."
"Fair enough," he says, leaning back and seeming to relax.
"I should also tell you that I've got something for their phones, too, if I can manage to swipe them and get it installed."
"If you have any issues with that, let me know," Ruin says, and I nod.
"Now you're up to date, so if you don't mind, I have shit to do," I say, shoving the chair back and standing up. Ruin looks to Savage for the okay to let me out, and it's a damn good thing he gets it because I might've had to throw him through the fucking wall.
I leave the office feeling more determined than ever to wrap this shit up, and the distance between Gigi and me is pissing me off. I need to do something about i
t, and an idea hit me while I was riding my bike earlier. I take off toward the garage, hoping they have what I need, but I'll go back into town if they don't while Grim's still standing point watching over my woman.
If I can't take her out, I can at least bring a little romance to this shithole, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.
“Go!” Lola laughs as she pushes me out from behind the bar. I don’t know what she’s up to, but if I had to guess, I’d bet it had something to do with the devastatingly gorgeous man covered in ink leaning against the doorframe that leads to the storage room. He’s holding a blood-red rose between his fingers and holds it out for me as I step up in front of him.
The gesture makes me feel like shit for stepping back and putting some distance between us. I was so miserable last night I hardly slept, and I have the ugly purple bags under my eyes to prove it. There’s not enough concealer in the world to make me look well-rested today. I get this intense pang in my chest to step up into Connor and rest my head on his chest and let him take me back to his room so we can crawl in bed and take a nap.
Somehow I’ve become that girl who can only sleep when her man is in bed with her and ho-ly fuck. Did I just think of Connor as mine?
Damn, I really must be tired. I refuse to think about the future with him, even though the way that Chastity, Crystal, Candy, and Jade look at him like they’re hunting prey makes my stomach twist and rage burn through my veins. I’m also refusing to admit that I’m jealous and insecure and scared he’ll get tired of me pushing him away and sleep with one of them.
It would not be the first time around here I thought one of the guys was different and sweet, and then he fucked one of the Cunt Club behind my back. There’s a reason bikers were never in my future, and it was because they spent too much time fucking up my past.
“Hey, baby,” Connor practically purrs, and I can already feel myself melting as he hands me the flower. I stab myself on one of the thorns, and when I wince, he lifts my finger and sucks the drop of blood into his mouth. It feels like he’s sucking on my clit, and my core clenches. Shit, why is that so hot?
When he takes my finger out of his mouth, his eyes are hooded, and he drops a kiss to the tip before threading our fingers together and tugging me toward the door.
“Where are we going?” I ask, glancing around to see if anyone’s watching us. As much as I want to leave the ROC property, after what happened a few days ago, I’m not in the mood to be thrown in a cage again, so I’m not really thrilled at sneaking out and dealing with the consequences.
He must sense my hesitation because he stops and turns around. “We’re staying on club grounds, so you can relax. I fucked up when I let them haul you down into that room, and I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
The sun is low in the sky when we step outside, and Connor’s cast in this warm, orange glow that makes him look otherworldly. I’m walking behind him, and the view is mouthwatering as his muscles move and flex under his tight black t-shirt. Absently, I wonder if he always wears black because it hides any blood he might have to deal with when he’s working.
For some reason, that idea makes his wardrobe even hotter. With Connor, it takes next to nothing to have me squeezing my legs together, ready to drop to my knees and beg him for relief. It’s insane, and I feel wild, like I’ve lost control over who I used to be and have become this sexual creature I didn’t know I had in me.
Sure, I liked to mess around every once in a while before Connor came along, but now it’s like he has a direct line straight to my vagina, and whenever he’s in my general area—or I’m thinking about him—a craving for him makes my whole body tingle. I swear to God I’ve never felt more empty than the times I feel it, and he’s not around.
That’s how I know I’m royally fucked.
I tried to put distance between us, but it was torture. Not only that, but he’s now made it clear that he’s not willing to step back. He also hasn’t said whether he actually wants to be exclusive and official, and my insecurities crop up as flashes of the girls from the Cunt Club skewer my mind. They’re all pretty and have made it clear they’re more than willing to get under him if he throws them a scrap of attention, so why would he want to cut off his options with only me?
Am I being stupid for denying myself the only good thing I’ve ever really had a chance at here?
I chew on my lip and tune out my surroundings, letting Connor blindly lead me into the scorching desert. The sun may be setting, but this place is still as close as we get to hell on earth, so sweat is beading on my forehead, and my hair is starting to stick to my neck.
Wherever he’s taking me, if it’s much further, I’m going to look like a hot mess when we get there, and that’s not helping me feel more secure in how much he wants me. “How much further?” I ask, realizing I sound whiny, but I’m not wearing the right shoes to hike through the roasting desert.
Connor chuckles. “Impatient, are we? Just up ahead.”
It feels like we’ve been walking forever, but really it’s probably ten minutes max. I may be so hungry I’m cranky and tired from being on my feet behind the bar all day, though, so not a great judge of distance or time.
The sky is painted with purples, pinks, and golds as the first stars pop out right as we step behind a massive boulder, and I gasp. There are twinkling white lights strung between huge rocks, and in the middle is a table and chairs.
Connor moves behind me, and his palm skims across my waist, settling on my stomach. His fingers are splayed wide, and he tugs me back into his hard chest. I spin around, so we’re facing each other, and I look up at him. His expression is guarded like he’s unsure what my reaction to his gesture will be.
“You did this for me?” I ask and then feel stupid for the words. There’s no one else out there; of course, this is for me.
“I’m doing my best to show you how enjoying someone’s company can be, but this club and their fucking rules have gotten in the way every time. I figured instead of dealing with the consequences of trying to take you off the property, I’d bring a little romance to you.” He kisses me, and when my head is spinning from all things Connor, he pulls back and turns me around again. His palm on my lower back pushes me toward the table.
He steps around me and pulls out the chair, gesturing for me to sit. When I do, he moves to the cooler he has stashed there, pulls out a couple of beers, and pops the top, passing me one. “Out here in this heat, I couldn’t really swing fancy, so I thought we’d do cold fried chicken and salad and beers under the stars.”
“I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m trapped here against my will and haven’t really had the opportunity to get used to anything even remotely luxurious. Fried chicken and beer are totally my jam, so you did good,” I reassure him, and he gives me that lopsided grin that makes my heart beat wildly.
“You deserve all the best stuff life has to offer, Gigi. Once you get out of here, you’ll see everything you’ve been missing.” He seems like he wants to say more, but he doesn’t. Instead, he finishes serving us up, and we eat as the stars come out in full force.
By the time we’re done, the sky is inky, and the stars are bright. It’s quiet, and I can see at least ten things I want to draw, and am trying to commit the details to memory so I won’t forget before we get back.
“Dance with me?” Connor asks, startling me out of my observations. He’s moved to stand beside me, his phone on the table in front of me. The first notes of Conversations in the Dark by John Legend start to play as he holds out his hand.
“I don’t know how to dance,” I tell him, putting my hand in his anyway and letting him pull me to my feet. Outside of shaking my ass to some upbeat song while I’m cleaning, I have never danced before.
“It’s just the two of us out here. The stars aren’t going to judge you, and I’m sure as fuck not. C’mon,” he says, pulling me into his arms and wrapping his arms around my back. He sways us to the music, and I lay my head on his shoulder, letting h
im be the one to move us around to the music. I don’t even know if we’re swaying to the beat, but it doesn’t matter.
I close my eyes and breathe him in, feeling like, for once, everything in my world is good. Just for this moment, no one needs me for anything. No one’s trying to hurt me—or worse, Connor—and I can sit back and enjoy right now.
When the song’s almost over, the music cuts out, and Connor’s phone starts ringing loudly. “The fuck?” he asks, loosening his hold on me and stepping away. “How is it ringing? It was on vibrate.” He shoots me an apologetic look. “Give me a second? It’s Sebastian, one of my guys.”
I nod and lean back against the boulder. The air is cooler now that the sun’s gone down, so I let my head fall against the giant rock and stare up at the sky.
“Shit,” Connor hisses into his phone, and the tension in his voice makes me look his way. “Yeah, have Julian meet me.” He ends the call and slips his phone into his pocket. He steps toward me, looking apologetic. “Bomber’s on the move, and I have to go tail him. I’m so sorry, Gigi. One of these days, I swear we’re going to get a break and have a real date.”
I wave him off even as a pang of disappointment settles uncomfortably in my gut. Maybe the fact we keep getting interrupted or bad things happen after we spend time together is because it’s not meant to be. “It’s fine. Go. I can find my way back.”
He looks at me like I should know better. “There is no fucking way I’m leaving you out in the middle of the desert in the dark with a clubhouse full of fucking predators that could easily come out here and hurt you. You’re coming back with me, but we have to go now, and we’re going to have to jog.”
I sigh because I fucking hate jogging but based on the way his arms are folded over his chest and his jaw is ticking, I know I don’t have a chance in hell at winning an argument to get him to leave me out here. “Let’s go,” I finally say on an exhale. “But shouldn’t we clean up?”
Captive: A Bodyguard Romance (Hollywood Guardians Book 1) Page 17