Dare To Run (The Sons of Steel Row #1)(23)

“I don’t take orders from you, darlin’.” I gripped her hands and forcibly removed them from my shirt. “In fact, you’re supposed to take them from me.”

“I’m not one of your men,” she argued, her hands stiff under mine. “So you can take your orders and shove them up your—”

“Heidi.” Amusement trickled past my irritation at her resistance, but it wasn’t strong enough to win the battle. Didn’t she see I was trying to help her? “Get out of my way.”

When she didn’t move fast enough for my tastes, I picked her up and set her aside. But she didn’t let go of me. In fact, she curled both hands in my shirt and shoved me against the wall. If anyone else had done that, they’d be dead on the floor right now.

I stumbled back. “What the f—?”

Throwing her arms around me, she kissed me. Unlike my cold, calculated kiss . . . she was all f*cking in. Her mouth moved over mine, and her tongue swept inside my mouth, seeking mine. I kept my eyes cracked open, refusing to let those shits out of my line of sight. They watched us intently, so I cupped her ass and hauled her against me, letting out a groan to make it look realistic.

Oh so slightly, I let my fingers trace the insides of her thighs, barely brushing against the heat of her *. Man, I wished we had privacy, so I could actually enjoy this. But we didn’t, so I couldn’t. She, however, had no qualms about letting her feelings take over, and practically melted in my arms. A moan escaped her, and it distracted me.

Almost dragged me in.

If this had been an actual kiss, one that would end with her naked beneath me, I’d spin her, press against the wall right now, and my hands would be learning every inch of her body. Every. Delicious. Inch. It wasn’t real, though.

And that would have to wait.

If she wanted to sell the story to these guys, I would let her. We were together, and f*cking—as far as Bitter Hill knew, anyway. Whatever. But I’d be damned if I lost myself in her, in fiction or real life. I wanted her, yes. But that was it.

No matter how she made me feel, or how much I liked her, it would never become anything else. It couldn’t. She’d have to know that before I touched her for real.

Breaking the kiss off, I pushed her behind me. Miraculously, she didn’t fight me this time. In fact, she clung to the back of my shirt, shuddering slightly behind me. “Holy shit,” she muttered under her breath.

I almost smiled. Almost.

“You need to back off my girl,” I said, my voice low and hard. I didn’t need to shout to get my point across, and all six of us knew it. “Find somewhere else to drink and cause trouble. I let you off with a warning last night. It won’t happen again.”

The lieutenant motioned for his boys to stay back, and rounded the table. “You consider last night a warning? You killed two of my guys.”

“It could have been three, Phil.” I shrugged and stared at the man who’d dared to “shoot” my girl. “Still could be. Tonight.”

Phil laughed and ruffled his brown hair with his left hand. “We have four guns, and you have one. It’s hardly a fair fight.”

“You’re right.” I eyed them and just as quickly dismissed them. Easy. “You should have brought at least two more guys. We all know George and Patrick aren’t the best in a fight, and I already bested this idiot last night.”

“Fuck you,” said idiot snapped.

He came a step closer, and I lifted my shirt a bit, resting my hand on my Sig. It was a violation of my parole to carry, but I didn’t give a damn. In my line of work, doing business unarmed was a death sentence. “That’s close enough. You want a fight? I’ll give you one, gladly. But take it outside my girl’s bar.”

Phil laughed, and the other three joined in. Admittedly, their laughter sounded a little forced. “You talk a big game, but you let a hot piece of * stop you from fighting?”

“Excuse me?” Heidi tensed behind me and let go of my shirt. I knew without looking they’d managed to piss her off. And once she was pissed off, there’d be no shutting her up. In the time I’d frequented her bar, I’d learned that. She came out from behind me, her finger raised as she pointed to them. “You can take your untouched beers, and kiss my a—”

“Enough.” I grabbed her and propelled her toward the bar with a gentle shove between her shoulder blades. “Finish closing up. I’ve got this, darlin’.”

She shrugged free of my hold. “The hell you do. I refuse to be shuffled aside like a good little—”

“Heidi.” I locked eyes with her, giving her the look that Chris always said could scare the clothes off a nun. “Go.”

For a second, I thought she wasn’t going to listen. Her eyes flashed with anger, and she jabbed a finger at me. “We’ll talk about this later.” And then she spun on her heel and went behind the bar, slamming things around as she finished closing up.

I sighed. Tonight was going to be a bitch.

Phil laughed again. I’d never wanted to kill someone for laughing as badly as I did right now. “Shit. If I had any doubts about your relationship, they just went away,” he said, amusement clear in his tone.

“Oh?” I turned around and raised a brow. “Why’s that?”

“Because she yelled at you and you didn’t shoot her.” He grinned. “Also, the evidence that you’re *-whipped is there for any fool to see.”