I looked up at Fighter. “I don’t intend to either,” I added, ignoring the rumble coming from Fighter’s chest.
God, he was beautiful.
He really was the Devil.
Dark, delicious, and perfect to seduce virgins.
He’d seduced me; every single part of me, body and soul.
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” the other man replied, drawing my attention back to him.
“I do. I’m saying that I have no intention of letting him find out that my kidnapping had anything to do with any of you. Not any of your men, or the club, nothing.” I took a deep breath. “But I’ll warn you that he already suspects it. I don’t know how, or why, but I swear it had nothing to do with me.”
The other man’s jaw ticked and he took another drag on his cigarette. “And how did you know it was us?” he asked.
I could tell him the truth—that I’d seen Fighter’s club tattoo across his back—but then I had no doubt that he’d get in serious trouble, and I needed his help. Putting him in danger wouldn’t do me any favors.
“Call it female intuition,” I eventually said with sarcasm, praying he wouldn’t press the issue further. “I mean it, my daddy will never find out it was the Highwaymen—at least not from me. I’m not a snitch.”
“Ain’t loyal either,” the other man rumbled.
“Rider,” Fighter warned.
“Well, it’s true.”
“It’s not true!” I bit out, feeling hurt and angry. “Just listen to me, please.”
The silver-haired man, who I guess was Rider, smirked. “And why should we listen to you? Do you have any idea the danger you’ve put us all in by coming here?” His eyes narrowed to slits.
I pulled out from under Fighter’s grip and stepped closer to Rider. “I need your club’s protection.”
“Protection from who?” Fighter interrupted, his handsome face turning darker.
“From my daddy and his club,” I replied, the words uncomfortable on my tongue. But it was the truth and I needed to accept that. After that night, after what he’d done to Scratch and his threat on me…I needed protection.
“And why’s that?” Rider said, his cockiness giving way to unease.
“Because my daddy is ready to hand me over to whichever man finds out who took me. He’s handing me over like I’m cattle, Rider. But he’s not the sort of man you say no to.” I let out a shaky breath but kept my gaze on him. I wondered who he was in the club. Considering that my daddy was the president of the Vipers MC, I didn’t actually know a whole lot of biker life. Still, I knew enough to know that there was a pecking order. Fighter was a soldier and I hoped to hell Rider was someone important enough for me to be begging to.
Rider’s gaze moved over my shoulder to Fighter.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” another voice growled out to my right, and I turned to see another Highwayman coming toward me. He was huge, with a mane of long dark hair, a dark beard, and a jawline that was chiseled to perfection. He had one of his huge arms slung over the shoulder of a woman who I guessed was a sweetbutt, and a bottle of beer in his other hand as he came toward us. “We’re all fucking dead,” he said, looking between me and Fighter. “Someone fucking punch me and wake me up, ’cause this bitch can’t be here—she can’t be alive.”
He pushed the sweetbutt away from him and she glared at me and stalked away. He reached for me and I ducked, but it didn’t matter because Fighter was there, standing in front of me and pushing me behind him before the other man could even get close.
“Back off,” Fighter warned, his threat making my stomach clench.
The dark-haired man blinked before laughing. “You fuckin’ kidding me, brother?”
Fighter didn’t reply; instead his silence spoke volumes.
“Gauge, stand down, brother. Let’s get her out of sight and talk,” Rider said, stepping to Fighter’s side.
“Stand down? Stand. The. Fuck. Down? This bitch is supposed to be dead.” He jabbed a finger toward me, and then another thought occurred to him because he swung around to look around the club. “Is that fucker Benite on his way with the Vipers?” he said, his words directed at me. His mouth was pulled into a nasty snarl, all beauty gone from his face.
“No one’s on their way. Least not yet, apparently,” Rider grunted. He turned to me. “Gonna need you out of sight while we figure this shit out. If our prez sees you, your boy and you are going to ground.”
“He’s not my boy,” I replied with a frown. “I don’t even know him other than he’s a psycho kidnapper.”
