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Jerking my head back offendedly, I narrow my eyes. “Or maybe you’re the one who did it.” I knock back my liquor, then slam the glass on the bar.
“I’ve just about had it with you,” Jason growls through his gritted teeth. “Do yourself a favor and go home.”
“No,” I snap back, snatching his glass and tossing the contents into his face. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
It’s just my luck that the band chooses this precise moment to take a break, meaning everyone in the room just heard me yelling. Jason snatches my wrist and holds it tight, sending a stab of panic straight through me.
“Bad move, Spitfire,” Jason growls, wiping his face with his free hand.
My blood rushes to my feet, weighing them down. It suddenly dawns on me how much trouble I’m in. My hunch was right. Bodie’s killer has been right under my nose all along. In a fight or flight movement, my free hand flies up to slap Jason hard across his face. Everybody’s looking. Even Mohawk Man and his toothless goons. Even Maxine, the skanky barmaid, is gawping at us with her mouth agape. Shocked that someone like me had dared to stand up to the mighty Havoc. There are slack jaws all around. One guy’s cigarette is stuck to his bottom lip and is just hanging there, the white smoke unfurling around his face in curled wisps. Jason’s face twists with fury, his hands plucking at my flailing arms as I struggle to avoid capture.
Mohawk Man stands up from his chair to get a better view. “Looks like you’re losing your touch, Havoc,” he calls out to Jason, much to the fury of the Knight Hawks.
“Are you just gonna stand there and let her talk to you that way?” Tex growls. “She ought to be punished – club rules,” the buzz-cut tattooed giant not so kindly points out, jabbing his sausage-sized finger at me.
“I’m aware of the fucking rules, Tex. I made them,” Jason snarls at him. “Hold the fort while I spank some manners into her. Keep your eye on those fuckers in case the Jackal shows.”
“We gotta see proof of her punishment,” another guy yells, but I don’t see who. “Or else it’s time for a change of management.”
Jason huffs a curse word under his breath. “Sorry, Peaches. I warned you, but I can’t let this one slide,” he asserts, grabbing me.
“Get your hands off me!” I wail at the top of my lungs, causing a scene. “You murdering, lying son of a bitch!”
ChapterThree
Jason drags me through the dive bar, my heels scraping across the grimy floor as he pulls me into a dingy room adjacent to the bar. It’s not a bathroom, just a dark room with a desk covered with papers. He slams the door and shoves me roughly against the pitted wood, clamping his hand over my mouth. His hands are clean as a biker’s hands can be, I guess, but I can still smell a hint of engine oil and nicotine.
“Do you remember me telling you that one of these days your motormouth is gonna land you in trouble?” he growls, and his words hold so much vehemence I’m not sure if it’s a warning or a personal threat.
I nod my head, tears pricking behind my eyes.
“Congratulations, you succeeded in pissing me off. What the fuck were you thinking, coming to a biker bar and throwing around wild accusations like that? I can’t let you walk out of here without a reprimand; you’ll be fucked seven ways from Sunday before you make it to the parking lot. And then what? Who do you think will save your ass after you’ve discredited me? Tex? Hustle? Rooster?” He huffs a doubtful laugh. “You’ll be lucky if they recover your body after the shit you just pulled. If I don’t smack some manners into you, people will think I’ve gone soft, bending the rules for a loudmouth chick just because I’m sweet on her.”
The slight admission drains from my mind, making me doubt whether he said it at all. There’s no way in hell Jason Knight has any feelings for me. Just guilt for what he did. That’s all there is to it.
“It’ll make me look weak in front of the club. Do you know how many guys are waiting in the wings to fucking challenge me? Do you?” He huffs, his eyes wild with outrage. “You’re a walking liability, coming here, thinking you know shit when you don’t know jack. You’re not gonna like what happens next, but tough. I gave Bodie my word that I’d look out for you, which leaves me no choice but to stake my claim on you before any of those fuckers out there do it first. And you better believe it, they will. I would if I were on the other side of that door. I’d beat the fucker down to get my hands on you.”
I can scarcely breathe, thinking these are my last moments on Earth. Jason’s intense glare bores through my eyes, making me realize how much shit I’m in.Claim me. I’m not sure what the fuck that means, but I get the feeling I’m about to find out.
“Nod, if you understand me,” he orders, and I obey, nodding quickly. “Good, now I’m gonna remove my hand, and you’re gonna keep that motormouth of yours shut until I say you can speak.”
Jason moves his hand away, and my fingertips feel around blindly for the doorknob. I seize the opportunity to yank the door open, but I’m not fast enough. An inch is all I manage before the fucker is on me in a millisecond, slamming it shut again. This time, shoving my face against the wood. Jason’s hard body is flush against my back, sandwiching me between the cold, painted wood and his hard, masculine heat. With a little effort, he pins both my wrists high above my head with one hand, squeezing a little harder than necessary.
“You’re either brave or just plain stupid, but you’re damn well gonna learn how things work around here. This isn’t a day at Disney World, Kiera. Out there, you’ll find a bar full of the nastiest fuckers you’ll ever meet, just waiting to tear into a peach like you. Now, do yourself a favor and listen to me because I won’t repeat it. Do as I say, and Iwillprotect you. Disobey me, and you will be severely punished,” he rasps against my ear, the gruff rumble of his voice tickling my spine, his hot breath and cologne drowning my senses.
“Let me go,” I utter meekly, trembling from head to toe.
“Not so confident now, are you?” he taunts me. “A word to the wise, Princess. If you can’t handle a little heat, quit playing with fire, or else you’re gonna get burned.” Jason nips my ear with his teeth. “Leave what you think you know at the door. It’ll do no good carrying the weight of it around with you. Bodie died doing club business. It’s my job to avenge him. Not yours. Your cute peach belongs indoors, either beneath the hood of a car or sprawled under me. Pick one, because I prefer both. You’re mine, Keira. I’ve had my eye on you for a long, long time.”
I swallow hard, unable to pull free or avoid the solid lump he keeps pressing against my ass. All the back and forth. Every snarky exchange. Jason kept coming back for more like he couldn’t get enough. And all this time, it’s because he likes me.
“Look,” I start, dragging my tongue across my bottom lip. “I just want answers, that’s all. If you have any respect for me at all, you’ll tell me what really happened.”
“Respect?” Jason mutters, releasing a breathy chuckle. “That works both ways. I’ll respect you if you respect me.”
Jason releases my wrists, sliding his hands around my hips, squeezing almost intimately like a lover. Then he feels around the swell of my breasts, cupping one in his palm, his thumb grazing across the puckered nub of my nipple.
“Is that really fucking necessary?” I utter, my breath skittering through my lips. “This is not the way to earn my respect, just so we’re clear.”
