CHAPTER ONE
Aidan Barnes was on a mission. Working for the Devil's Stepbrothers as a mercenary that handled other biker clubs' dirtiest work, he was almost always looking for something or someone. There were days he had to be a lover and other times he'd had to be a murderer. It was all in a day's work. Fortunately, today was the former.
He'd checked out a few seedy dive bars in the last few days as he surveyed the sexy woman he was going to pump for information, and he hoped the pumping would be literal and figurative. This assignment should have been one that was quick and to the point, but it was hard to get a handle on where the mark actually spent his time, and he'd been told that this woman was the key to Lucca Giovanni's location.
At times, it was difficult to walk into other people's shit and clean it up, but this guy must have fucked up pretty bad to make The Undertakers want to see the last of this man. He'd not gotten a crap load of information about Lucca. All he knew is he was the caporegime-a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made man with major social status and influence. He also knew that the people who paid him to do their dirty work wanted to make an example out of him. In other words, the Cap- that was the nickname of the mark he was after- was living on borrowed time.
The woman sitting at the bar was too far away to see exactly what she looked like, but what he did know from her picture is that she was shaped like his best wet dream brought to life. Although he had trailed her, she was slippery. He didn't know where she came from or where she went because she seemed to appear and disappear within seconds. She also changed her look quite frequently. This was all going to change because tonight he would sit down and talk to her. That way he could find out more since the way he was going about it didn't seem to be working.
She changed her look as often as she changed her clothes, apparently, since he'd seen her long, thick, dark hair just yesterday. Now, she wore her hair in a short blonde swingy style that would have been cute if he hadn't had fantasies of twisting her hair in his hand and using it as a handle to bring her pussy slamming onto his cock time and time again. This is why Maverick, the boss of the Devil's Stepbrothers, tried to keep him on a leash. Aidan knew his cock had a lot to say and played an important part of some of his dumbest incidences. Even now as he walked over to the bar, his fingers twitched watching her stand up on the rungs of the stool to lean over to talk to the bartender. That ass was made to squeeze and slap. Judging by the choice of leggings the woman wore, she knew it was one sweet asset she was showing off. He liked a woman who knew what she had and used it to get what she wanted. Now he just had to figure out what that was.
He slowed his gate to take in the situation. In his line of business, one had to be careful and figure out the best way to get what was needed. Aidan wasn't from here, so he knew he'd be looked at as an outsider, and as a man, that was dangerous anywhere you went. This woman looked very out of place in this dark din of misery. Like a crystal vase full of flowers on a poker table, it made him wonder what her purpose was and why was she here. There wasn't a guy in the place whose gaze didn't keep visiting the vision of loveliness that sat in their presence almost daring someone to come over and say something. The bar was full except for the chair on either side of the woman he kept his eye on, and even if he didn't make what he was looking at obvious to people, he figured they were probably watching him. Those chairs remained empty although there were people who stood by the bar.
Moving right next to her, Aidan slipped into the stool and settled in. He could almost feel her surprise. A woman like her probably enjoyed the men making her feel like an untouchable queen, but it was going to be a different ballgame this night. What she didn't know was that he was much different from the guys here who seemed to be content to sit around and watch the woman like live entertainment. Aidan had nothing to lose and everything to gain by talking with her.
"So what's good here," he said picking up the dirty piece of paper that was the menu he scanned it quickly. Aidan wondered what her response would be to such a ridiculous question.
"I hear the quiche is good." Her voice was as alluring as her ass had been. How did these men just sit here and let this woman marinate without even trying to talk to her? He was sure there was a reason, but he just wasn't sure he cared what that reason was.
He turned in his chair a little so he could see her up close but more to let her see him. There was a lot riding on this little endeavor. This was a chance to prove himself to be more than the fuck up he'd been previously and a chance to let the big boss know that he was ready to commit to the job and, more than that, he was ready to accept more responsibility. Aidan hadn't been willing or able to show that recently and had been caught up in a few wonderfully dumb situations that came from fast cars, faster woman, and his cock that was a powerful leader. Did it help that women liked where that cock would lead them? It shouldn't, but it did.
He knew that his pretty boy looks was one of the reasons he stayed in such trouble, but it was also the main reason he was given a chance with this assignment.
"Have you tried it?" he asked and enjoyed the expressions that crossed her face. Aidan knew a little about a lot of things, but he knew women inside and out. Women were fascinating, and he liked learning about each one that crossed his path. Most of the women he'd been with thought he was a great lover and although he liked to let that stroke his ego every once in a while, he knew the truth. Going from foster home to foster home had given him a few skills like learning people quickly and finding out what they liked. Little things from noticing that they liked to be petted or learning that they like a more rough treatment. It wasn't always sexual, but as he'd gotten older he'd honed it to that particular skill set.
"Tried what?" she said with her deep brown eyes blinking a few times like she was trying to clear the smoke that filled the room from her eyes.
"The quiche." This was Aidan's favorite part. He knew the exact moment she became interested in him from the slight widening of her eyes to the subtle parting of her lips to get just that much more oxygen to slip between them. It wasn't enough to let him know she wanted to meet the powerful leader between his legs, but you wouldn't be able to tell that to the rising flesh in his pants. Hungry looks from pretty girls always got him going.
She looked down at the menu and shook her head. "I don't think I'd eat anything they made here."
"Where would you eat?" This game she'd started was more fun than he'd had in a long time especially while on a mission.
"Are you looking for quiche?" she asked, was puzzled.
"Is that what you're offering?"
She smiled, and he could tell she was at a loss of what to say. The woman studied him like she was going to be tested for accuracy when describing him later. He threw up a couple words of thanks for his sweet Irish mother who gave him the blackest of hair combined with the lightest of green eyes. He'd been told it was a stunning contrast. That was about all his mother or father had given to him, and there were times he was grateful that they had given him at least that and other times he cursed the couple that didn't use protection and thought to throw away the baby boy they didn't want.
"My name is Danny," he lied as he stuck out his hand for her to shake. It was not something most men in this environment would have done, but he wanted to touch the soft looking hands that were fiddling with the napkin that she pulled from under her drink.
"Laura," she said with a smile. "Who are you, and where are you from?"
"I'm just a guy looking for a meal and a bit of conversation from a beautiful woman." He was used to giving quick witty replies, but for some reason he didn't think they would go over that well with this woman.
"Judging from the décor of this place on the outside and inside, it's hard to believe you thought you'd find a suitable match for either of those needs before you walked in here." She looked at him as she waited for a reply, and his smile got wider. He loved an intelligent woman. It wasn't something he went looking for because woman who just liked him for his looks were easier, but they weren't as exciting.
The bartender chose that moment to come over with Laura's drink and asked what he wanted.
"I'll take an Irish Whiskey, neat." It was the only thing he liked to drink. Maybe it kept him close to his heritage or maybe he just liked the way it tasted, but if he had a choice that's what he chose.
"Coming right up." The bartender walked away to get his drink but was hounded by other people with orders as he walked away. It was a good thing he wasn't in a hurry and he didn't like his drinks with ice or he'd have been disappointed.