Dare To Run (The Sons of Steel Row #1)(18)

“If you hadn’t just been brutally attacked in an alley, I’d show you exactly what we have between us.” I stood slowly, my gaze locked on her the whole time. She flushed and didn’t back off. “You started something last night when you came up to me in your bar and called me Lucky. You knew exactly what you were doing, and you know exactly what you’re doing now. You’re f*cking with me.”

She lifted her chin. “Yeah. So why are you smiling, then?”

“Because I have a secret.” I skimmed my fingers down her arm, watching the goose bumps rise as I went. She stood her ground, not retreating from my touch. “I know exactly what I’m doing, too.”

“And what, precisely, is that?”

Leaning in, I brushed my lips across her cheekbone. Just a featherlight touch, enough to show her I wasn’t messing around. Enough to make her slightly afraid of me, because she needed to be afraid of me. If she wasn’t, I’d have no defenses against her.

“Oh, funny you should ask,” I said, grinning against her temple. I cupped the back of her head, threading my fingers through her silky curls. “Even funnier? I have no intention of answering. You’ll just have to wait to find out, like a good girl. But I’ll give you one hint.”

Her breathing increased. “What’s that?”

“We’re not over and you’re not refusing my protection. I didn’t stick my neck out for you to see you get jumped in an alley tomorrow night, without me there to save your pretty little ass. I own you now, darlin’, and you’d best accept it.”

She stepped to the side as far as she could with me holding on to her hair, glaring up at me. “God, you’re so—”

“Devastatingly charming?” I let go of her completely, rubbing my jaw and grinning at her show of anger. “You’ve told me that once or twice.”

“Annoying. Insufferable. Cock—”

Her cheeks turned red as soon as she started to shout that last one.

I spluttered before bursting into laughter. “I have one of those, yes. But don’t think you’ll be seeing it anytime soon. Now, go to bed before I change my mind.”

She scowled at me and spun on her heel. As soon as she cleared the bedroom door, she slammed it behind her. I dropped the smirk and sat down, letting out a shuddering sigh. This was a f*cking mess. Not only had I broken my code of keeping my nose out of other people’s business, but I’d done it with another gang.

One that was a reliable repeat customer.

I’d killed two of their men and almost killed the third.

I should have just finished the third * off, too, so there would be no one to talk. If this wasn’t a shit storm, I didn’t know what was. I’d just declared war on Bitter Hill, a gang that was our ally, and over what? A girl? A challenge?

The door opened and she came out. She’d taken my shirt off and stood clothed in that damn see-through bra again. “I no longer want to sleep in this. It feels dirtier than the blood-soaked shirt did, because it’s yours. Unlike me.”

With that, she stalked across the room and chucked my shirt at me, hitting me dead center in the chest. “Heidi, put the damn shirt back—”

“No.” She tossed her hair over her shoulders, her blue eyes flashing beams of fire at me. “And when I’m asleep in your bed, think of this. I sleep nude . . . but you’ll never get close enough to see that for yourself. Because this is over.”

With a dramatic hair flip that only a woman like Heidi could pull off, she turned on her heel and went into my room, shutting the door behind her. As I held my shirt—which now smelled like peaches—she slid the lock into place.

Okay, yeah, I’d started a war over a woman.

But what a woman she was . . .

And she was all mine.





CHAPTER 6





HEIDI




The next night, I cleaned the same spot on the bar for what had to be the millionth time, my motions jerky and rough. Jimmy sat on the corner stool, watching me like usual, but that wasn’t what had me on edge. I could handle him with my eyes closed and my hands tied behind my back. All night long, from a table toward the back, a few guys had been staring me down all night. Watching. Waiting. Planning. I could tell from their clothing that they were from the same gang as the *s who’d attacked me—Bitter Hill.

And the man Lucas had let get away?

Yeah, he was here, too. Watching me.

I had a feeling they were lingering to see if Lucas showed up, whether he’d really staked his “claim” on me or not. If he didn’t, I’d be fair game. Lucas had told me as much last night, but I’d refused to accept it. Refused to pretend to be his “property” to scare off a gang that had suddenly decided I was interesting. I didn’t know what I’d done to earn this level of attention, but I didn’t want it. Even so, I had a feeling the scrutiny wasn’t going anywhere.

The second Lucas had claimed me, the wheels were set in motion.

And the fact that he’d killed two of their guys to protect me? Well, that didn’t help, either. I’d seen enough to know that a challenge had been thrown down, and now I was going to be smack-dab in the middle of it, whether I liked it or not. It was becoming clear that I was stuck with Lucas, and his protection. And I didn’t get a say in that, either.