Bear’s eyes bugged. “You did what? Why would you promise those asshats anything?”
“Wait a minute.” Tori turned on Bear, her wild hair flying. “You know about the Council.”
He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Of course I know about the Council. I’m not a moron.”
She sucked in air, her pretty skin flushing red. “Wait a fucking minute. You know about mating?”
“Uh.” Bear bit his lip. “Yes.”
“Are you a witch, too?” she spat.
He reared back in the chair. “A witch? You think I’m a witch? Fuck, no. A witch.” He shook his head, starting to mutter to himself.
Adam rolled his eyes. Bear was too fucking crazy to be a witch, that was for damn sure.
“Bear, you lied to me,” she said, her voice heated.
Bear calmed. A second later, a small smile played on his mouth.
Adam tensed. Oh, he knew that smile on his old friend, and he didn’t like it. Not at all. “What?” Adam snapped.
“Lying. It’s an interesting concept.” Bear seemed to cheer up in front of their eyes. “Tori, would you like to tell Adam why you’re really here?” Glee almost cascaded from the Grizzly leader.
Tori’s shoulders hunched.
Warning ticked through Adam.
She licked her lips, glared at Bear, and then focused on Adam. So many thoughts scattered across her face, it was impossible to guess at one. Finally, she frowned. “Why are you here?” she asked Adam.
His chin lowered. If she was playing at being dense, she wasn’t going to like his ultimate response. “Excuse me? I was looking for you.”
Her pretty lips pursed. She bit the inside of her cheek, her mind obviously working hard. “Yeah. I get that. Adam, you’re an Enforcer for Titans of Fire.” She gave Bear a thoughtful look. “You’re the leader of the Grizzlies.” Her hands swept out. “You’re rival motorcycle clubs—even enemies. Not allies.”
Bear shook his head and dropped it into his hands, muffling his voice. “Secrets. That’s why secrets are so stupid. I don’t like secrets. I moved here, to the end of the States, to get away from secrets. Just wanna be left alone. Wanna ride, wanna fuck, wanna eat, wan—”
“Bear,” Adam snapped.
Bear lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot and his shoulders weary. “What?”
Adam paused, taking a good look at the leader. “Are you all right?”
“No.” Bear shoved away from his desk, swinging his arms out wide. “I’m not all right. Your fucking people kidnapped me, and now my sister is locked down where I can’t see her.” He growled low, the sound impressive. “You and your brothers are no closer to figuring out your problem, and now it’s becoming my fucking problem.” He gestured toward Tori.
Adam tried to wade through the outburst. Oh, Bear often didn’t make sense unless one knew him, but Adam had been his friend for a long time. “Okay. Did the Council do something to you?” Something that had obviously affected Bear’s health.
“No.” Bear breathed out, his chest rattling. “They didn’t do anything but piss me off. I’m fine. Just a minor cold.”
Well, okay. Adam kept a close eye on Bear and moved on to the next concern. “Your sister is fine. Nick has her at demon headquarters, and the Council can’t get to her. I promise.”
Tori’s mouth gaped open. “Are you a demon, Bear?”
Bear rolled his eyes so aggressively his entire head moved. “God, no. Geez.”
“Who’s your sister?” she asked, her voice almost timid.
Bear looked at Adam, who shrugged. “It’s a long story, but Simone Brightston is my half sister.” He held up a hand when Tori started to speak. “No, I’m not a witch. We’re just half.”
Tori shook her head as if life had just become way too confusing.
It probably had.
Then Adam turned to the third part of Bear’s outburst. “How has Tori made my mission your problem?”
Bear’s expression cleared. “Oh yeah.” He smiled again and turned toward Victoria. “How about you explain it, chickie?”
She shuffled her feet, eyeing the door to the garage behind Adam.
Adam centered himself, his heart ticking a bit too fast. “Victoria?”
“I wanted to make sure Bear was okay after our kidnapping, and I also wanted to see Lucas and have some fun,” she said, her posture straightening.
Some of that was true, but the rest smelled like a lie. He clenched his fingers into a fist, releasing them one by one. He truly didn’t like being in the dark, and his temper strained to be free. Now. “The time for lying has passed, woman.”
Sparks lightened her blue eyes. Her neck elongated and her chin lifted. “Listen, man. My life is none of your concern, and it’s time you butted out.”
Bear threw back his head and laughed, the sound more subdued than normal. He shook out his arms, skirted the desk, and loped toward Adam, reaching the back door. “Good luck with this. I need to run.”
Adam grabbed Bear’s arm, noting a loss of muscle mass. “Are you sure?” What the hell was wrong with the guy?
Bear glanced at the hand and then back up to Adam’s face. “Yes, Mom. Running helps.”
Adam released him, and Bear strode out of the office and into the darkened garage. A far door opened, and then Bear was gone.
“What’s wrong with him?” Tori asked.
Adam shook his head. “I really don’t know.” Perhaps it was just a cold or a touch of the flu. Totally possible, maybe? He wasn’t sure. “For now, let’s concentrate on you. What the hell are you doing here, and don’t even think of lying to me, damn it.” He couldn’t believe she’d crossed into Bear’s territory all by herself, and to know she had an ulterior motive just angered him more. “Are you interested in Bear?”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Bear? God, no. He’s nuts.”
Adam barked out a laugh. “Yeah. He is.” But he was also sick, and Adam would have to figure that out next. For now, he and Victoria needed to come to an agreement. “Why are you really here?”
She edged toward the front door. “I like to party. You should already know that about me.”
At the blatant lie, the insult to his intelligence, the shackle holding his temper frayed like an old rope. “Last chance. Tell me the truth, or I get serious.”
* * *
Tori measured the distance to the door at about three feet. Oh, she could make it there, but could she get it open before Adam pounced? He lounged against the far wall, his body seeming relaxed. But she’d seen him move before. The man was fast.
Plus, if she made it outside, what then? “My life is really none of your business,” she said.
Tension rolled from him, swelling through the small room, heating the air. How did he do that?
There had to be a way out of the office. She tilted her head to the side. Bear was gone. If she ran outside with Adam on her heels, other Grizzly members would see a Titans of Fire member chasing a woman who’d been seen with a Grizzly. They’d stop him and probably start whaling on the guy. Yeah. Good plan. “Okay, Adam.” She drew a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “This is the full deal.” She turned on her heel and leaped for the door, scrambling to open it.
He was on her before she knew it, slamming it shut, his hand over her head. The door vibrated, and the frame cracked down the side. Rough hands flipped her around, and his face lowered to hers. “Nice plan. Run out, yell, and get Grizzly members on my ass?”
She gulped down her suddenly too-dry throat. “Yeah.”
His lip curled. “Actually, that was a good plan.”
Yeah, but she’d underestimated his speed. Again. “Everything has just gotten too confusing,” she whispered.
Heat rolled off the witch, surrounding her, speeding up her pulse. His now familiar scent all but poured inside her, warming the breath in her lungs. Her knees trembled, and for the first time that evening, it wasn’t from fear. “Let go of me.”
“Not bloody likely.”
Boisterous voices and the deepening beat from the loudspeakers cut through the silence.
Adam angled his head to look out the window. “We need to get out of here. So you’re going to follow along, meekly, until we reach my bike. At that point, you’re going to relax your entire body and clear your mind. Hopefully the bike will work.”
She tried to jerk free of his hold. Unsuccessfully. “There’s nothing meek about me.”
He pressed her against the door, body to body. “I’m done, Victoria. Got me?”
Yeah. She got him. He was one long line of pure muscle against her, and she didn’t have a chance in a physical fight. “Fine,” she muttered.
“Bear is gone. Lucas is probably not happy you left with Bear. We both need to get the hell out of here so we don’t have to deal with a bunch of drunk Grizzlies. Got it?”
That did make a bit of sense. “I said okay. Let’s go.” Would relaxing her body and clearing her mind actually work?
He gave her one more hard look and reached over her head to open the door. Drawing her out into the light rain, he grasped her wrist. “I swear, it takes near violence to gain your obedience.”
The word. The damn O-word nearly shot her head off her neck. Heat flashed through her.
A couple of Grizzly members wandered by from the other garage. Oh yeah? He thought she was obedient? Fuck that. Sucking in air, she opened her mouth to scream.
Adam pivoted and put her back against the building, his mouth crashing down on hers. The first kiss from him, the one in Ireland, had been all seduction and heat. Not this one. No. This one was punishment and fire. He growled low and pressed a knee between her thighs, partially lifting her off the ground. His fingers speared through her hair, and he jerked her head back, giving him deeper access.
She was immobilized, helpless.
A growl rolled from his chest and into her mouth, electrifying her body. Sparks shot through her, zinging out, landing in her erogenous zones. His mouth worked hers, his tongue conquering her mouth. Every inch of it.
Her eyelids fluttered shut as overwhelming sensations claimed her. His hold was sure and hard. Every man she’d ever met, every kiss she’d ever thought she’d had, faded into nothingness, into mere whims in a world of harsh reality. Before she could protest, before she could fight, she found herself kissing him back.
Even so, he didn’t relent, his five o’clock shadow rough against her skin, his mouth forceful. She moaned, her body liquefying, leaving her wanting and weak. His thigh muscle tensed against her aching core, sending raw shards of pleasure through her womb. Her legs gave, but he easily held her up with that one leg, forcing her to ride it, making it feel so good she couldn’t protest.
Finally, he jerked free.
Her mouth, bruised and aching, opened. She breathed him in, her gaze unable to move from the harsh planes of his angled face. Hunger, ravaged and true, glittered in those dark eyes. His rosy lips looked familiar and dangerous . . . a weapon she hadn’t recognized before that moment. His nostrils flared as if catching a scent, and his heart beat against her chest as wildly as if he’d run a marathon.
She couldn’t breathe.
Suddenly, sounds came into focus. Rain on concrete. Music pounding. Laughter rolling.
She blinked.
He pressed his leg against her one more time, hard.
She almost dropped from pure need.
Then he released her, allowing her feet to reach the ground, waiting until she stood before stepping back.
There were no words. No words or even thoughts to describe what had just happened. How her body still ached. How her mind had numbed and then fizzled. No words. She couldn’t find a one.
So when he took her hand and turned for the parking lot, she followed along silently. Easily. She shook her head, allowing the rain to wash over her face and clear it.
Man, her body hurt. Desire edged with a sharp blade of pain pulsed inside her. Every step forward rubbed her aching clit against her jeans. She bit back a whimper, still moving as if in a daze. What the hell had just happened? How had he done so much damage to her with just one kiss? Oh, she’d underestimated Adam Dunne, but she wouldn’t do it again.
“Hey,” an unfamiliar voice called.
She lifted her head to see they’d reached the far side of the parking area. Three tough-looking guys leaned against a classic car, something red, smoking cigarettes. “Who the hell are you?” the same voice called. The guy was in his late twenties, swaying, and wearing a plain T-shirt, as were the other men. They must either be guests or hopeful Grizzly prospects, or they’d probably be wearing cuts.
Adam set her behind him. “Doesn’t matter. We’re leaving.”
“The fuck you are.” The first guy threw down his cigarette. “Titans of Fire isn’t welcome here. Prepare to bleed, asshole.”
Then he charged.
Chapter 11
Adam pivoted to keep the man from Victoria, swinging out and nailing the younger loudmouth right in the nose. Blood spurted, and the guy fell to the side. His buddy instantly leaped into action.
Thank God. Fury rang through Adam’s veins on the heels of a desire so intense he couldn’t believe he hadn’t formed fire when he’d had his mouth on Victoria’s. He morphed the lust into anger, kicked the second guy in the gut, neck, and finally jaw. A combination three-two-five punch, and the kid staggered back. Finally, Adam kicked him directly beneath the chin, snapping his head, and throwing him back into the classic Chevy convertible. He hit with a crunch, denting the pristine metal. Unconscious but still breathing.
Adam winced. He should’ve protected the car, damn it.
The third guy finished lounging and moved forward, making fists. At the same time, the first guy managed to get to his feet. At least number two was out cold for the duration.
“What are you doing in our territory, anyway?” The first one, a guy with long dark hair, circled him, no doubt looking for an opening.
“We both know this isn’t your territory,” Adam said easily, keeping both men in his sights. They were in their early twenties and were human, so he’d need to continue pulling his punches. Didn’t mean he couldn’t hurt them a little, however. “You’re not Grizzly members.”
“We will be,” said the other guy, a blond with amazingly frizzy hair. “Beating the shit out of you will definitely help.”
Adam grinned. These guys would never be full Grizzly members, but he couldn’t very well explain that to them. He could, however, teach them a lesson. “Grizzly members don’t just attack guests in their parking lot.”
“You’re not a guest,” Blondie spat. “You’re a Fire member. Are you trying to infiltrate our club?”
What a moron. “No. How do you know I’m part of Fire?” It was a question that required answering.
“We just do,” the dark-haired guy answered.
Interesting. Adam feinted back, turned, and grabbed Blondie in a headlock. His buddy tried to help him, but Adam kicked him square in the jaw, and he fell to land hard on his shoulders. Then Adam held tight, despite the blond kid’s furious struggles, until they stopped. He dropped the unconscious body to the cement. “He’ll be okay,” he reassured the guy with black hair, who was rubbing his jaw as he stood, his eyes a furious hazel. “Although he’ll have a migraine, I suspect.” A quick glance at Victoria confirmed she’d pressed herself against a Ford truck and was watching the altercation with wide eyes. He should probably get her to safety. “Now you talk.”
The guy shook out his arms. “Why are you here, damn it?”
Adam sighed. “I came to get my woman.” He ignored the not-pleased gasp from Victoria at that.
“Your woman?” The kid glanced at her and then back. “She’s with Lucas Bryant-Clarke.”
“Just Clarke,” Victoria piped up. “He’s decided finally to just go with the Clarke part of his name. Too confusing.” Her voice stuttered, and her eyes appeared a bit dazed.
The guy gaped at her like she’d lost her mind.
“Now I have to get her out of the rain,” Adam said. “She’s mine, and Lucas agrees, as does Bear. If you have a problem, ask them.”
The guy looked at his two fallen friends. “Um, okay.”
Adam’s brow furrowed. “I’m afraid we can’t leave it at that.” He advanced on the guy, noting the widening of the kid’s eyes. “I need to hear what you know about me and about Titans of Fire. Why are you guys following us?” Something was seriously off if a couple of hopefuls were watching him, studying him. “I’m having a rough night, and breaking a couple of bones will calm me.”
The guy backed up until his ass hit the Chevy. “I don’t want any trouble.” He held up both hands, and one was bleeding freely.
“Then you shouldn’t have attacked me,” Adam said reasonably. “The only reason you’re still breathing is because you came after me and seemed to take pains to keep my woman out of harm’s way.” Of course, the guy had thought Victoria belonged to Lucas.
The guy gulped. “I wouldn’t harm a woman.”
Yet another reason to let him live. “Good,” Adam said, standing only a foot away. “Have you been following me?” He would’ve caught a tail.
“Um, no.” The guy wiped blood off his lip. “I’ve studied files on you and a bunch of the Fire members, and we’ve conducted, uh, surveillance on their headquarters. I’ve seen you there.”
“Based on whose orders?” Adam asked, the need to punch somebody rushing through him again.
The guy shuffled his feet and looked down at the rain-splattered ground. “I’m not going to say.”
“Then I’m going to hurt you.”
The kid looked up, his bruised jaw firming. “Yeah. You probably will.” He shook out his arms, his hands, and settled his feet.
Damn, but Adam was starting to like this kid. “Just tell me who ordered you to watch us. Watch Titans of Fire.” It made sense that Bear was keeping an eye on a rival gang, but he would’ve left the Enforcers from Ireland out of any surveillance plan. They were old friends, and Bear knew all he wanted to about them. About witches in general, actually.
Voices lifted through the rain, and three Grizzly members came into view, one of them Lucas.