“No, Miss Evans, I’m not a real reverend.”
“Then how did you get the nickname?”
“Yo, Rev!” the man from the truck called impatiently.
With a grimace, Nathaniel/Rev shook his head. “Listen, I have to take care of this. Just go on inside, and I’ll be there in a minute.”
Inwardly, I groaned. I didn’t want to go in the roadhouse alone. I would have much preferred having Rev by my side. But when he started walking away from me, I realized I’d better head inside out of the oppressive heat, despite feeling out of my element.
As I entered the door, I took a deep breath to try and still my out-of-control nerves. Smoke hung heavy in the air, stinging my eyes and causing me to cough. Several men in leather biker cuts lounged on stools at the bar, nursing beers. Across from me, a heated pool game was taking place.
I took a few steps inside and then froze. “Are you lost, darlin’?” a big busted woman in a halter top asked.
“Uh…I’m looking for David Malloy,” I said.
Two men at the pool table whirled around. The shorter of the two, a tough but cute looking blond, cocked his head curiously at me. But then the moment my gaze locked on the other man, I knew he was Willow’s father.
They had the same dark hair, soulful dark eyes, and heart-shaped face. David, however, had dark scruff covering his face. Although he was Rev’s brother, I didn’t see any resemblance between the two. Although he was shorter and slightly less built, David was just as good-looking as Rev.
“Mr. Malloy?” I questioned, as I closed the distance between us.
He tossed the pool stick on the table. Taking a long drag on his cigarette, he then stubbed it out in an ashtray on the table. “What do you want?” he demanded.
Without even glancing around the room, I knew that every eye in the place was on us. “I really need to speak with you for a moment.”
His dark eyes narrowed as they raked over my body. Then the next thing I knew, he leapt at me, knocking me back into the wall. As his body pinned me in place, fear like I had never known overwhelmed me, sending my heartbeat drumming wildly in my ears. It was so loud it felt like a cannon blast going off around me.
“Please,” I murmured.
David glared at me. “They’re really falling down on their job at the academy.”
“E-Excuse m-me?” I stammered.
With a smirk, he replied, “Don’t they train you ATF bitches to hide your fear a little better? I mean, you’re practically pissing your pants right now, not to mention your heart is beating ninety to nothing.”
I shook my head slowly back and forth as I tried processing his words. “ATF? I don’t understand.”
He rolled his eyes. “A white-bred piece of ass comes waltzing into my clubhouse wanting to talk to me alone. It doesn’t take a fucking genius to realize you’re a Fed.”
A Fed? It took me a moment to process what he meant. Holy shit, he thought I worked for the government as an agent of some sort. Quickly, I replied, “No, no, I’m not.”
A voice came from behind him. “Deacon, man, you’re gonna get your ass jacked up even further for this.”
Glancing over his shoulder, Deacon said to the young, blond haired man, “Stay out of this, Bishop.”
Bishop held up his hands. “Fine. It’s your fucking funeral.”
When Deacon turned back to me, I said, “I’m not who you think I am. I swear!” I protested.
“Then just who the hell are you?” he demanded.
Before I could answer, a tiny voice came from behind us. “Miss Alex?”
The sound of Willow’s voice caused David to release his hold on me. As I fought to stay upright on my shaky knees, Rev entered the clubhouse. When he saw me, his eyes bulged, and he broke into a run to reach us.
Grabbing David’s shoulders, he slung him away from me. “For fuck’s sake, Deacon, what the hell are you doing?”
“I’m giving this undercover ATF bitch what she deserves,” Deacon spat, taking a step back toward me.
