He didn’t get into that.
He got into something else.
“Jagger would never hurt a woman,” Dutch said through histeeth.
“There are different ways to hurt people and the vastmajority of them do not involve physical pain,” she fired back.“Of all theguys she’s taking for a ride, I think the only one she genuinely likes is yourbrother.So yes, when Carolyn hooked up with Jagger, I did a deep dive into MCculture and Chaos.She’s my sister, and she’s messed up, but I love her, soexcuse me, because you might be you, and Chaos might be Chaos, but even youcan’t stand there and deny hardcore MCs are what I think they are.Yours mightbe a different kind of hardcore, but Chaos is hardcore, and you know it.But Ididn’t, until I met you.So I got worried.And maybe I developed an attitudeabout bikers.She’s my sister and she’s screwing up her life in a number ofways.Sue me.”
“Georgi—”
“And,” she cut him off, “you’re right.I’m off thekids beat.I talked to my editor and she agreed it was time I explored newhorizons.She said I have talent, and she wants to see me stretch myself.Sothank you for that, because that was a load off.We’re going to try a fewthings, see where I land in the New Evolution of Georgiana Traylor, AceReporter.And the crime beat was discussed and it’s an option.But I amnotusing a seventeen-year-old’s heartbreak to further my career.And just youthinking that, Dutch, says it all about what you think of me.”
On that, she whirled again and headed to the back door.
He was faster, and taller, so even though she got it partlyopen, he reached over her shoulder, palm flat to the door, and he slammed itshut.
“I’m leaving, Dutch,” she told the door.
He felt pressure on it against his palm and knew she wastrying to open it, so he leaned into it.
And her.
She smelled like cherries and almonds.
Christ.
“I fucked up,” he said softly to the back of her head.
“Agreed.”
“Babe, let go of the door.We’ll go back inside and talkthis out.”
“No, thank you.”
“Okay, let go of the door, let’s go back inside so I canapologize for being such a colossal dick.”
“You know, I thought you were mad at me because you werebeing protective.”
Again, not what he expected to hear.
“What?”he asked.
“When you dragged me here.I thought you were mad becauseyou thought I was putting myself in danger and you’re an alpha biker guy who’dget ticked because some woman was somewhere she shouldn’t be, even though hewas at the same place for the same reason.And I thought…insanely…that wasn’tannoying.It was cute and kind of sweet.”
At the end of that, she let out a littlehuhpuffof air that stated plain she felt all kinds of fool he turned out not to becute or sweet.
Fucking fuck.
“Georg—”
“Let me go.”
“We need to talk.”
“I did it for you.”
She turned her head, tipped it back, giving him big, brown,wounded eyes, and goddamn it.
He barely knew this woman.
