Then, I retreat, lifting her to her feet and slapping her nice, round bottom.
“I should have kept my mouth shut apparently,” she whines softly.
“Go take a shower.”
“Are you coming with me?” She gives me an innocent blink that I believe until her smirk curls her mouth.
“Fucking tempting, wife. I’m going to take care of some business and bring back breakfast, so take your time. Your sore muscles will need it.”
I like the way she looks at me as my words sink in. If I let myself, I’m going to find myself in deep trouble. Backing away, I offer her a small, sultry smile, and go to do as I said. Confirming current business, looking over new plans, new evidence.
I prefer to go through it in stages, it allows me to process information in pieces.
After, I collect breakfast plates from the kitchen, feeling domestic. What has this woman done to me?
Before I make it back to the stairs, the revving of motorcycles outside sends a zap of warning down my spine. The accompanying hollering has me setting the plates on the bar and stepping toward the front door.
“Saint,” a man calls. Not one of mine. “Saint. Come out and talk business with me.”
I palm my gun as I take the exit and step out to the soft morning light. It’s prettier than the previous, the bright pink on the horizon starting to fade. But the group of twelve red bikes in my yard pulls at my frown.
“Ah, there’s your fearless leader.” The head of a rival motorcycle club—Julio—smiles at me, showing off the two gold teeth on the left side of his mouth. He’s younger than me, but only by a decade. I know better than to consider that an advantage for either of us.
I step closer as his men rev their engines. My men still, guns pointed at each of them, waiting for a flinch to pull the trigger.
“Why are you here, Julio?” My men part for me as I approach.
“Heard you captured a princess.” His smarmy smile raises my temperature. His men’s laughter doesn’t help my wavering calm.
“What business is it of yours?”
The other man shrugs, looking nonplussed, but the rigidity in his stance tells me otherwise. “Been bringing people into our territory. Disrupting jobs. Sending Knox on a rampage. I’m not so appreciative of that.”
“Part of doing business.”
His head tips to the side. “Maybe. Or maybe she’s more trouble than she’s worth.”
My grip tightens on my gun. One more comment about my wife, and he’d have a bullet in his head, and we’d be in an all out war. Julio laughs at the way I glare at him.
“Must be one pretty little thing to have you so uptight about it.”
He might be right. Julio and I might be rivals, but we’ve always been respectful. As much as our business allows.
Then, his eyes flash to something behind me, and his smile becomes downright lecherous. “I see I was right.”
Our gazes meet for a long second before I step aside and find Wren standing at the door. Those long, curvy legs on display, my vest engulfing her torso, red locks wet and clinging to her neck. It’s her eyes though, bright and intelligent and a bit too innocent for her own good that sends Julio’s men into hoots and hollers.
Her gaze narrows at them, frown almost a scowl.
“Back inside.”
Wren shoots her attention to me and lifts her chin. Didn’t we just have a conversation about this? My jaw clenches with the want to yell at her to get back to safety.
But she listens. It takes her longer than it should, but she slips back inside. I don’t wait to see her hover in the window, but she’s there. I have no doubt about that.
“Pretty and soft, too. Bet it’s a pleasure to break her in.”
Facing Julio again, that smug smile makes my carefully restrained rage bubble to the surface. My gun points at his face. “If you say one more word about my wife, you’re dead.”
