Dirty Ride (Wind Dragons MC, #3.5)(19)

He smirks at that and starts to drag me to the room. “Fuck yeah I did. Don’t think you’re going to distract me from your little comment, though.” He pauses. “Although I wouldn’t exactly say I’m good.”

“You’re good to me,” I say, placing my palm on his chest. “I go by how people treat me, and you’ve treated me like a princess.” I pause. “Except in the bedroom, but then, who wants that?”

“Compared to my competition, I’m f*ckin’ Prince Charming,” he jokes, then lowers his gaze to my mouth. “Speaking of the bedroom. We should head there. Now.”

“You think so?” I ask coyly, batting my eyelashes at him. “I think if you want me in the bedroom,” I say, taking two steps back, “you’re going to have to catch me first.”

I bolt into the kitchen, and all I can hear is his amused chuckle filling my apartment. I hide in the pantry, but then realize how much of a stupid move that is: it’s not like we’re playing hide-and-seek here. I hear him enter the kitchen and I try to make my breathing as soft as possible, hoping he’ll think I ran through the kitchen and down the hallway into the bedroom. However, when I hear him hum the tune to a Justin Bieber song under his breath, I can’t help it—I lose it laughing. I push open the door and stare at him, holding my stomach as I continue to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” he asks, looking confused.

“What song were you just humming?” I ask, on the verge of more laughter.

“I don’t know, something I heard on the radio today. Why?” he asks, standing there, looking badass in his all-black getup, cut, biker boots, scarred neck, and . . . singing Justin Bieber.

Just the thought sends me into another fit of laughter.

Biker badass likes Justin Bieber.

I run to my bedroom, and he stalks behind me.

I can’t wait to tell that story to his brothers, whenever I finally do get to meet them. He picks me up and throws me onto the bed, then lands on top of me. “What’s so f*ckin’ hilarious, Valentina? Let me in on the joke.”

“Nothing,” I say, trying to keep a straight face. “It’s a good song, is all. Very good taste you have. I’m just surprised you know it.”

“You’re weird,” he mutters before slamming his lips down on mine and kissing me senseless.

I forget about Bieber.

Hell, I forget about everything.

Except him.





ELEVEN




I’VE just finished with a client the next day when Ardan comes flying into the salon. He looks straight at Jess and says, “Valentina needs to leave early.”

Jess simply nods, looking a little worried. “No problem, Irish.”

He grabs me by my upper arm and leads me outside to his bike. “Get on, darlin’. I’m taking you to the clubhouse.”

“What?” I ask, shaking my head in confusion. “What the hell is going on?”

“Nothing yet,” he says vaguely, infuriating me. “Get on, I’ll explain when we get there.”

I take the helmet he offers me, putting it on and climbing onto the bike behind him. He’s taking me to the clubhouse? I finally get to meet everyone? But why? Has he found Darren? So many questions, and the fact that I don’t know what’s going on makes me feel anxious. It takes about twenty minutes to get there. After I get off the bike and take the helmet off, I take in the huge compound in front of me.

This is where he lives?

With a hand on my lower back he ushers me forward. I stop at the door, so he takes my hand and pulls me inside behind him. We walk through until we come to a living area with a huge TV and comfortable-looking couches. When Ardan finds it empty, he keeps walking until we come to a kitchen. Three men are sitting there, one of whom I recognize as Arrow. Another guy has shoulder-length blond hair tied up in a bun and looks like Adonis, while the third has short blond hair and beautiful green eyes. Him I recognize.

They all look up as I enter.

“Valentina, these are my brothers, Rake, Tracker, and you’ve already met Arrow,” Ardan says, nodding at each man as he says their names.

“Umm, hi,” I say, waving awkwardly.

Tracker smiles and even winks at me, while Arrow remains his usual brooding self. Rake lifts his chin at me and offers me a small grin.

“Nice to meet you,” Tracker says, gesturing to the chair opposite him. “Have a seat, sweetheart.”

I glance at Ardan, who nods at me, before I take the offered seat. Ardan sits next to me, instantly making me feel at ease.

“We did some research,” he says, sliding a folder across the table to me.

I open it and glance over Darren’s information.

“Your ex is as dirty as they come,” Rake says, absently playing with his lip ring. “Drug dealing, making deals with criminals—you name it, he’s done it.”

“He’s applied for a transfer to come over here,” Ardan says, making my stomach drop. I clench my fists so hard the knuckles turn bone-white. He wants to move here? Is he f*cking insane? What else is here for him? He has his parents; his baby brother, Cody; and all his friends there—does he hate me so much he’d leave them all behind just to f*ck with me?

“That was our reaction,” he mutters next to me. “We’ve had a meeting about it. We’re going to wait for his next move, but we’ve got some ideas on how to handle it. Until then, one of the men will always be with you—usually me, but in case I have to be somewhere, one of my brothers will be there.”