That was not good.
I had no concrete recollection of how I had ended up at the bar. Getting so drunk that you got into random people's cars was dangerous for any woman. For me, it was doubly so.
Groaning, I massaged my temples with my fingers. What the hell had I been thinking?
“Woofy, your momma is a royal screw up.” And wasn’t that the truth. “I could have gotten us both killed.”
Still, I had arrived in one piece clearly. We were both alive, and no one would be able to find me. I was sure of it. My dad’s considerable wealth made sure of it too.
Dear ol’ dad.
We had never been particularly close, but that didn’t mean I didn’t love him. That I wouldn’t miss him.
A low knock on the door startled me, making me jump. Next to me, Woofy started spinning circles and barking furiously. Usually he was a gentle giant, so to see him react so violently sent a chill up my spine.
Glancing at him, he quietened almost instantly. It was probably nothing. Just him being so bonded with me that he had picked up on my nervousness.
“It’s ok, boy.” I rubbed his ears affectionately. “Alright, I’m coming, hold your damn horses for a second,” I shouted out angrily as the person on the other side of the door pounded on it again.
Swinging it open, I blinked in surprise as the sudden burst of bright sunlight assaulted my eyes, spearing my already fragile head like a shard of glass. I stumbled backwards with my hand thrown across my face to block it out.
Damn my dad and his ‘drink your worries away’ strategy. With the sun fully in my face, I felt like my head was going to explode.
“Hey.” The man I could only just make out chuckled. “Rough night?”
I grumbled a reply before turning my attention to him and almost instantly doubled back. Too big, too menacing. And even if he was one of the hottest bearded men I had ever seen, I knew he was trouble. My eyes blinked rapidly as I tried to take him all in.
He reminded me a little of the man who had tried it on the day before. My would-be hero had been riding a bike, and the man in front of me was definitely a biker. The leather vest that fit snugly over his massive frame told me that much.
“What do you want?” I hated being rude, but I was hungover to all hell and had no time to fight off yet another bearded admirer. There was so much to do, and if I didn’t get started quickly then I would never be ready for opening night.
“I’m Hansel.” He thrust out his hand. There was silence while he waited for me to say something. All I could do was stare at him blankly.
One, who in their right mind would call their kid Hansel?
And two, why was he acting like the name should mean something to me.
It didn’t.
“You have no idea who I am, do you?”
“Absolutely none,” I admitted ruefully.
“Ok, let’s start again. I’m Hansel.” His hand hung between us. “Vice president of the Savage Sons.”
I continued to stare at him. “Ok,” I said slowly. “That’s nice for you, but I’m really busy and...”
His hand came out, curling around the door as I tried to close it in his face.
“Either you had way too much to drink last night, love, or you really are as dumb as you look.”
I scowled. As dumb as I looked? What the hell kind of narrow-minded thinking was that? I was dumb because of what? My hair, my clothes? Or maybe it was the van outside?
The irony of his statement was that I was about as far from dumb as anyone could get. I had a first-class degree, I had gone to medical school - hell, I’d been an exemplary... I shook myself out of my past and opened my mouth to give the big buffoon of a biker a piece of my mind.
“I don’t know who the hell you think you are…”
“We are the ones that own this place. Well, half of it now.” Again he thrust his hand out. “I’m Hansel.”
