My brows shot for the sky. “My prisoner?”
“That’s what this is, isn’t it?”
Maybe it was best she thought so. Maybe I should inject her full of fear.
Warn her of the things that would happen to her if she didn’t obey.
Instead, I snatched up her bags and mumbled, “Think whatever you want to,” as I turned on my heel and returned to storming a path across the area between the shop and the clubhouse.
Through the massive white oaks that stood proud over most of the property, the two-story building came into view.
The square, block structure hedged within the dense, leaf-laden branches.
It basically looked like a bar out front, two swinging doors leading into the fray normally going down within the walls.
A slew of motorcycles were parked facing it, and heavy music poured from the walls. No doubt, my crew had already kicked the unwinding at the end of the day into gear.
They’d be getting messy by six and devolving into complete debauchery by ten.
Which was why I angled around the side of the building toward the staircase at the back, hoping to keep Brinley out of the thick of it the best that I could.
I glanced back at her to make sure she was keeping up.
She glared at me with that prideful head held high, a pro as she strode along in these black patent leather heels that were sky-fucking-high.
Red-painted toes peeping out.
Black pants hugging every delicious curve, that delectable body making her plain white tee appear designer.
God.
Just what I needed.
A stunner strutting around on my property.
I rounded to the back of the building. The volume of the music faded to a dull throb on this side, and I started up the set of wooden stairs.
She hesitated at the bottom.
“You’d better hurry up so I can show you to your cell.” I injected as much sarcasm into it as I could.
I could feel the huff of her breath, then those heels began to click against the slats as she hurried to catch up.
With her breathing down my neck, I dropped one of her suitcases and punched the code into the pad next to the door.
“85641. Don’t forget it,” I said as the lock beeped and automatically disengaged. “Only my vice president and sergeant at arms have this code.”
I held the door open for her.
She scowled at me as she passed. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? Like I’m supposed to trust them?”
I pushed through the doorway and had her pinned to the interior hallway wall in a flash.
That sweet apple pie scent nearly bowled me over.
I angled in close, my voice a low scrape. “I would think that would be preferential to trusting your brother.”
Harvest eyes widened.
