Dauntless (Sons of Templar MC #5)(5)

“I know you,” I said, searching the recesses of my mind.

He put his hand on his impressive chest. “Well, consider me touched. The little firefly remembers our brief but passion-filled meeting three years ago.” Again his tone was teasing, but something lay underneath it. A heat. An intensity. Or maybe that was just me. It was easy to imagine things when I was coming down. Hard to pick apart what was real and what my high mind had plucked from unreality.

“Though we weren’t properly introduced, apart from you threatening to throw a Molotov cocktail at me,” he continued, winking. “I do like a girl with spirit. Lucky.” He held out his hand.

I stared down at it, unmoving. I did remember that particular conversation. It had not been an idle threat either. Three years back, I’d had to pick Lily—Lily, of all people—up from the biker compound of the notorious Sons of Templar MC. This guy had been there, and had the gall to flirt with me while a red-eyed Lily had been standing in her clothes from the night before, holding her shoes, and obvious sorrow and shame, in her hands. On that day, she looked more like me than herself, and I hated that. I despised everything that turned her into that. Including this guy.

The same went for Asher, the man who’d painted that look on her face, until I realized how much he cared about her.

“Yeah, well, that promise still holds true if any of you decide to f*ck with Lily,” I told him icily, suddenly feeling stone-cold sober.

His easy grin instantly dissipated. His hand left the shake position and he crossed both arms across his chest. “That ain’t gonna happen. You’ve got my word on that. That girl won’t be seeing more hurt. I’ll personally mix that particular cocktail if my brother f*cks it up again,” he promised seriously.

I regarded him for a long moment. For whatever reason, I believed the hot biker with the questionable sense of humor. “Good,” I said finally, nodding. “I’ve got work to do, and you two probably have a couple of steroid shots to take.” I gave their muscles a pointed look. I was saying this mainly to be a bitch, as their muscles didn’t look like overinflated balloons like the bouncers here. No, they were much more enticing. Hence the reason for me needing to get out of Dodge. I might try and lick one, and that would be embarrassing.

“Oh I like her. She’s got fire.” He nudged the staunch and emotionless man beside him. He didn’t take his eyes off me. “Dibs,” he said suddenly.

Oh no, he didn’t.

I put a hand on my barely clad hip. “Did you just say ‘dibs’ after talking about me like I wasn’t here?” I asked slowly.

He nodded, unperturbed. “You see, our club has a history of beautiful, spunky women blowing through. I’ve missed out.” He held up four fingers. “Four times. I’m not missin’ out this time. I’ve got a feelin’ all those times were meant to be so I could meet you.” His gaze flickered to his emotionless friend. “I don’t want this f*cker snapping you up, so dibs,” he said, his eyes latching back onto mine.

I narrowed my gaze at him. “You can’t ‘dibs’ a human being,” I snapped.

He grinned at me. “Think I just did, darlin’.”

Glancing to the mute giant who had his scarred arms crossed and his unnerving blue eyes on me, I swallowed the unease that came with that stare. “I get this now.” I gestured between the two of him. “You’re obviously his caretaker or something. I’d suggest you get him back to his padded room before that crazy takes him somewhere it shouldn’t.”

I went to turn on my heel, deciding to indulge in one last hit to get me through the rest of the night and forget the slight pang at the bottom of my stomach I got from this guy. I didn’t need that. Not right now.

Not ever.

He grasped my elbow, not tight enough to be painful but enough to stop me and pull me slightly closer to his body. “Wow, not so fast, firefly,” he murmured. “We’ve barely gotten to know each other. I think it’s only proper we exchange names after exchanging threats.” He raised an attractive brow. “Phone numbers would also be a good start.”

I raised my own brow back at him. “Cocky, aren’t we?”

He shook his head. “Nah, I’m Lucky, but we’ll get to that part,” he said, grinning.

“That’s one thing you won’t be getting tonight, Lucky,” I clarified, irritated at his demeanor. It confused the shit out of me. He was a biker, hot as balls, and looked scary as hell. That was until he grinned like a maniac and joked like a goof. I was also irritated at the fact I found this extremely attractive. I didn’t do jokers. Bikers, yes. Scary, yes. Funny? No. I also got the inkling that this was a good guy. I stayed away from those at all costs.

“I already have been. Got to talk to the most beautiful lady in the room, and got to see the firefly has bite, as well as a great ass,” he countered.

I was robbed of my sharp retort by a huge presence. “No touching,” Tyson barked at Lucky.

Any other moment I would be loath to have this steroid-ridden oaf in my presence, but right then he was a godsend. It didn’t matter that he never came and enforced that particular rule of the club. He usually encouraged all sorts of touching as long as money was exchanged. Money he got a cut out of.

Lucky glanced his way, his grin gone entirely and the scary look that his appearance promised in its place. He didn’t let go of my arm, commencing in a stare-off with Tyson.