Page 16 of Cole

“You got a car here?”

She nodded.

“Good. Use it.”

Someone knocked on the door as I took a step away from this mysterious little temptation. I’d been momentarily insane to think that fooling around, when I was under the pressure that I was, was a good idea. Fucking deluded… and the reason for that lapse in judgment was standing before me, all big beautiful eyes and pouty lips, smelling like expensive perfume on skin used to only the best. She was a rich girl pretending to slum it, and I could trick myself into thinking that I wouldn’t care about being her walk on the wild side, a token fuck, a bucket list item, before she went back to country clubs and sororities… but honestly, maybe I would. She was my little brother’s friend, for Christ’s sake.

Regardless, I couldn’t afford the distraction.

“Boss, you got a second?” Ronnie asked from the doorway.

“I’m coming,” I told her. I looked at Belle, if that was even her name. “Get out of here, and think carefully before coming back. Like I said, it’s members only, and tonight should have given you a glimpse into why.”

I left the room and walked down the hall toward the bar. Belle dogged my steps.

“And if I find someone to invite me?” she asked.

I shook my head. “You won’t.” After the way I’d protected her tonight, no one would dream of approaching her again. She was now marked as my territory.

“You don’t know that. Maybe Finn⁠—”

I stopped abruptly, and she walked into my back. “Enough,” I growled at her, my patience slipping.

My hand closed around her arm, and I led her toward the door. Talk of Finn always set me off, and the thought that someone might use him to get their own way made me furious.

Outside, half the bikes were gone. Off to chase the Iron Vultures. I’d join them as soon as I was sure things at the bar were under control.

“If you’re smart, you won’t come back here,” I said, marching her across the lot. There was a white sports car parked in the far corner that looked out of place and proved my initial instincts right. Rich girl looking for a big, bad biker to rough her up a little. As I marched her through the lot, I saw Errol’s bike pulling in. After all this time, my dad’s best friend was still balls deep in Hounds business. Some of the older members would prefer if he was Pres over me, but that wasn’t an option. My father had never wanted Errol to be head of the club, and while he’d never made many good decisions in his life, that one made sense. Errol was callous about risk. He lacked the loyalty that would have made him part of my inner circle. I walked past him as he pulled up, tugging Belle after me. She needed to get the hell out of here before she got even more involved in Hounds business.

“And if I’m not smart?” she challenged. God, the girl had been shot at, locked up, cut, scared, but now she was fully recovered, it seemed.

I gave her a smirk. “Then don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Is that a threat?”

We’d reached her car. I took her keys from her purse and opened the door, then crowded her into the space until she sat down. She protested, but I leaned over her, my face passing so close to hers, I could feel her warm breath on my lips, and she went quiet.

I grabbed the seat belt and slowly buckled her in. “It’s a promise. You don’t belong here. I don’t want you to get hurt. Now, go.”

I leaned back and shut the door.

She stared up at me through the window for a moment, and then sighed. I could see her shoulders drop. Then she looked down, starting her car.

She was going. Finally. I’d make sure she got home safe. She’d nearly been hurt at my establishment. That made her my responsibility. One of the Hounds was lingering by his bike. I jerked my head toward Belle’s car, pulling out. The Hound nodded, before climbing onto his ride. He’d follow behind her, and make sure she got where she was going.

I turned on my heel and headed back toward the bar and my bike, gravel crunching loudly underfoot.

five

ISABELLE

My breath fogged out lightly as I sat on the hard bleachers of the ice hockey rink, watching one of my best friends, Eve, finish her ice dancing practice. She was amazing on the ice, and I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Her boyfriend could barely keep his eyes off her, let alone focus on his hockey practice. Eve had nearly been my roommate in freshman year, until a mix-up had landed her in a room with her brother’s grouchy bully of a best friend. The rest was HHU history. The stunning ice dancer and her billionaire’s son boyfriend, lead defenseman on the Hellions hockey team.

She skated over when she was done, and I looked at her accusingly.

“‘Meet up at the rink,’ she said. ‘It won’t be that cold,’ she said.”

“Hey! Cold helps me focus on studying, its science.” She grinned and sat down next to me.