The moment her name passed his lips a second time, myspine stiffened and my eyes narrowed. The ends of my fingers tingled with a need to knock him flat on his ass, right then and there.
“So that’s what this is about,” I muttered, the anger expressing itself by the convulsive twitching in my jaw.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” he whispered, with no conviction in his words at all.
“Like fuck you don’t.” I took a step back, distancing myself from the reality of what was staring me in the face.
“Drew.”
“Don’t, Kenny.” My growl was quiet, but the threat mixed with the irony of what I’d just said to him was obvious. “Don’t lie to either of us. I’m a man with a dick and perfect vision. I know what she is, I know how lucky I am, and I know she doesn’t belong here with me. She could do better, she deserves better, but that doesn’t mean I would ever give her up without a fight—and by fight, I mean until the man who tried to take her away from me wasn’t left with a single breath in his lungs. I’m the most selfish bastard to walk this earth. Everyone in Babylon knows that. But just because I’ve learned how to hold a girl in my arms without bending her over a table, don’t you dare make the mistake of seeing me as weak. She ismine. Fucking mine. Do you understand me? Mine. Make of that what you will. I won’t be having this conversation again.”
My eyes lingered on him for a few seconds longer, but when I finally chose to turn away, I was left with an image of my brother imprinted on my eyelids. An image of a man who saw me as both someone he loved and someone he despised, and no matter how much I tried to ignore that as I wanderedback through the bar, I couldn’t.
There were certain types of problems that couldn’t be solved with any kind of strategy.
I had a feeling Kenny was going to be one of them.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ayda
Iwasn’t sure why I agreed to a new car. I blamed Drew and make-up sex. I was normally so lost in my own head and the numbness in my limbs that I didn’t even realize what I was agreeing to until I saw that look of victory shining from his eyes. Apparently I needed airbags and a frame that wouldn’t bend when I sneezed on it. The truth was I was expecting to end up with a tank, although I wasn’t quite sure they had airbags. I made a mental note to look into that.
Against my better judgment, my poorCorolla’sfate had been decided. It was older than me, and finally being sent out to pasture. Beyond that motorway to retirement, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. That thing had taken me to college, brought me home and taken me to and from three shitty jobs with great gas mileage. It had done everything I’d asked of it and more. Even then there was nothing really wrong with it. I just saw thatdon’t arguelook when I finally realized what I’d said yes to and left it at that. I justified it to myself as keeping Tate safe and giving my over protective meathead some peace of mind.
I was so lost in my thoughts as I passed through the main room, I almost walked straight into the man of my dreams, all while envisioning myself in theCamaroI’d seen them tow in last week.
“Hey, you,” I said, reaching out and fisting the front of his shirt, just above his belt. “I thought you had a meeting with the boys this morning?”
It was only when our eyes met that I saw the look he was wearing. Drew’s nostrils were flared, his chest heaving as he looked down on me and I was instantly reminded of the time I tried to leave the clubhouse, before we got together. The anger in his face was apparent, but just when I was about to ask what happened, his hand flew up to my face, gripping tightly as his lips crashed down against mine.
He caught me by surprise, and before I’d so much as thought about it I was on my toes, my body pressing against his as a quiet whimper left my mouth, only to be swallowed by him. There was no intimacy in the kiss he was giving me, no tenderness or adoration. It was possession, one hundred percent marking his territory in the only way he knew how.
Not that I was complaining.
By the time he pulled back, I was breathless and boneless. My body was upright only because he was keeping me there in his grip, and by the small glint in his eye he’d achieved his directive, although I wasn’t entirely sure who it was for.
“Damn. I should run into you more often.”
“Or never leave my side,” he said quietly, his eyes falling to my mouth as his tongue ran over his bottom lip.
“That’s tempting, but I fear you’d get bored with me. It’s my absence that keeps the mystery.” I finally rocked down flat on my feet, but stayed grinning up at him like the love-struck fool I really was. “I was just going to drool over theCamaro, unless you have aTrans Amout there. Wanna come?”
His jaw set tight, even though he was now smiling. “No to both those options. I want you in an inflatable car that doesn’tgo above fifty.” His laugh was much softer than his desperate grip on my waist as he dropped another kiss to my lips and spoke against them. “As much as I’d love to make sure you don’t burn my money on something you’ll get yourself killed in, I have some things I need to take care of.”
“Hey! They both have airbags and solid frames. They’re American-made muscle cars. If I’m upgrading, I wanna look cool, not like a soccer mom,” I said, partly in humor, partly serious. I put my hands on his shoulders and rubbed gently. “Not nagging, but do these things need your attention now? Is it something I can help with?”
“You can help by not buying yourself a muscle car, darlin’.” Pulling back and forcing us both to stand taller, he didn’t let me go as his eyes flashed to the door of his office then back at me. “Apart from that, it’s all good. I’m just speaking with the guys about clearing up the mess with these kids. Then I have some accounts crap to go over, which will bore the hell outta you and make you horny while I try to work and look all studious. It’s probably best you climb this mountain without me. Don’t expect to go too far, though. My guys will have their eyes on you the whole time.” His grin faltered and his grip tightened, those small frown lines of his making a quick appearance before disappearing again. “Stay close to Deeks for me, okay?”
“I’m only going out into the yard, Drew,” I said quietly, my hands running down to his biceps as I tried to read the undecipherable look he was giving me. Lifting one hand, I tugged on his growing beard. “I may just punish you and pick out aHarley, or would that be a blessing?”
“Hmm. Interesting,” he whispered before sliding his other hand down to the top of my ass. “That could be a blessing anda major distraction. Best get that charm and charisma out of here before I show you just how good you’d look on one of those things.”
My laugh was genuine as I pushed my ass back into his touch, my eyebrows rising as I bit the tip of my tongue.
