Reign (Sin City Outlaws #1)(10)

“You going to arrest me, Rookie?” Zeek rasps, his voice holding an Italian accent to it, the woodsy smell of him making me uncomfortable. I clear my throat, lift my chin, and square my shoulders, trying to muster that bravado deep inside me. He squints, his lashes thick and beautiful, and my resolve instantly starts to fade. The way he looks at me, it makes me lose sight of who I am, and who he is.

“You’re… um,” I stumble.

“Oh, now you’re going to go soft on me?” He lowers his head and I stiffen, my fingers strangling the hand cuffs. “‘Cause I sure as hell am not soft right now, Rookie.” My eyes widen in shock at his lewd remark, my body surprisingly reacting with a burst of warmth between my thighs.

“There’s no witnesses, Deputy Adams,” Lieutenant Oaks states from behind me. I clear my throat, trying to get a hold of my chaotic emotions, and pull away from Zeek. My cheeks flush, showcasing my embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t have—” I lose track of where the hell I was going with that sentence when I look up and see his eyes, his left holding more of a gray iris than brown. They are cold and dark, but they hold a beauty to them. I feel a lot of people don’t really see the man before me. Fear scaring them into looking the other way before they can really see what hides behind those brooding eyes.

Lieutenant Oaks steps up behind me and whispers in my ear, “Drop it. The situation is stable so we need to be on our way. Let the city cops deal with him.”

I shake him off and snap my gaze back to Zeek, who is smiling arrogantly. He knows he’s untouchable, committing crimes with impunity.

“You might want to listen to him, Rookie. You’re in over your head, little girl.” I grit my teeth at his insult and step up to him. Our chests only inches apart, the smell of leather and cologne fills my lungs. For some reason, he’s getting under my skin—every insult, every smirk, making me want to pull my Taser out and hit him where it hurts.

“You may have this whole town fooled, Zevin Deluca, but not me. I will do whatever it takes and go out of my way to bring you down,” I threaten. He smiles and my jaw tenses, my hand brushing against my Taser.

“I’d like to see that, truly.” A growl erupts from my throat at his words. “I’m the law in this town, bitch.”

My mouth hangs open, every curse word I can think of on the tip of my tongue. My hands ball into fists of pure anger.

“Zeek, get out of here, eh?” Lieutenant Oaks breaks in, his hand clutching my shoulder with force, calming me.

“I think that’s probably best. Go home,” I demand, not needing Daddy to come to my rescue. I can handle this. I am handling this.

“You got it, Rookie.” He brings his hand up and my body stiffens, my anger fleeing into terror. He thumbs my nametag, and his lips silently read my name. “Let’s ride, boys,” he mutters, his eyes never leaving mine. My arm is suddenly pulled on, snapping me from my staring contest. I can’t decide if I want to slam my nightstick into his gut or stare at him in awe. He’s so dangerous—beautiful but dangerous. It’s infuriating to say the least.

“5Paul55, status check.”

“5Paul55, stable,” Lieutenant Oaks, responds.

“5Paul55, 2155.” The radio always uses military time, which can sometimes become distracting considering most of the public doesn't use it.

I pull away and stride back to the car, but before getting in, I look over the roof and zero in on Zeek’s gaze. Everyone has resumed walking back and forth, but I easily find him in the chaos of the crowd. He smirks like the Devil and turns away.

If this altercation taught me anything, it’s that I’m not as tough as I thought I was ‘cause Zeek Deluca, scares the shit out of me.

“You bitch!” the woman we arrested earlier screams from the back of the car. She must’ve woken up during the episode with the Outlaws.

“What was that?” Lieutenant Oaks asks me, his tone angry as I get in.

“Everyone *foots around them, letting them get away with everything. His tone was wrong, and his respect was lacking. He’s about to learn a lesson, because I won’t tolerate any of it,” I reply, my voice laced with promise.

“You do that and you’re as good as dead. You come to the scene, make sure everything is stable and you leave, Jillian! You leave! We cannot take them down, and those who have tried have been killed. And even if you do manage to take one down, the club will avenge their brother and come after you. Just… just listen to me on this one, and don’t try and play the hero, goddamn it.” My eyes snap to his, wide with surprise at his language. He’s hardly ever cusses, especially at me.

“Seriously, listen to him,” the woman from the back chimes in. “Those men are a scary breed.”

“Shut up and sit back!” I holler, not caring to hear her lecture.

I get it, they’re dangerous. But if Zeek wanted to hurt me, he would have.

So, why didn’t he?





TWO





ZEEK


Watching the sheriff’s car drive away, I rub at the back of my neck. That little bitch has a mouth on her, disrespecting me the way she did. However, my dick finds it sexy as hell. She reminds me of a wet kitten—feisty as can be.

“What the f*ck was that?” Taking a deep breath, I look over my shoulder at Felix. He’s my vice president, and a pain in my ass. “You going to answer me, or just stand there with a love-struck look in your eyes?” Strands of his hair fall from his man bun as he slides his hands along the sides of his beard.