Three sets of eyes pinned me as I walked through my front door, but the other two faded away under Dare’s fierce frown.
I remembered my strategy and smiled brighter. “Thanks, guys, for the help, I appreciate it. Can I get you some tea? Or brownies? I made them last night.”
Silent communication passed from Dare to the other two. They both declined very politely and left. Zayn arched one eyebrow when he passed by me.
“Where’s your stuff?” Dare leaned against the bare white living room wall, arms crossed.
“I uh...don’t have any.” I snapped my spine straight. “Why are you here? I’ve had a long day.” I crossed my arms and met his questioning gaze with my own flat stare.
A hint of a smirk passed before he closed the distance between us, pinning me between his arms. “You. I wanted you, but now I want answers.”
“That’s not going to—”
He growled and I jumped.
“—happen.” It came out as a squeak. “You need...to go.” I dragged the final two words out. I pushed away the words I wanted to say because please fuck me defeated my goal. I had to shut down all my crazy notions.
Chapter Three: Dare
Earlier in the day
Red’s kiss changed the game. I liked women, but few struck me like lightning with only a kiss. Now I’d have her, tonight if I was lucky. I started my Dyna and sped out of town. The Old Man loved picking at anyone who showed up late to council meetings, I had no intention of being the ass of his jokes today.
I parked next to Jericho’s bike. I loved that brother as much as I hated his father, the Old Man. The council meetings were shadow games of manipulation where the Old Man enjoyed fucking with Jericho.
I strode into the club and was not even close to the last one there. Jericho spoke with Wolf, the sergeant at arms. I slid into the seat on the other side of Jericho; we weren’t subtle in our unity.
The Old Man came into the room like some king, but he was a joke, only he didn’t know it. The meetings were never the same, except for one thing, he wanted to know profits right away. We moved around the table and reported. I gave mine, and we moved on to Bear, who ran the JB Productions, our porn business, then to the Jericho Security company, and finally Bound, the sex club, which barely broke even month to month because of the way Renegade and the Old Man used it as their personal harem. But I wasn’t the Prez, and the Old Man was.
“We need some muscle up at Bound, this stupid fuck, Joe Morgan, is roughing up women. Dare and Jericho, take care of it. He’ll be there at five tonight. Make sure he’s too sore to return to my club.” The Prez leaned back with his eyes settling on his son.
I hated this shit. The Old Man loved making Jericho and me do his dirty work. This should be Wolf’s job. The worst part was I wouldn’t be seeing Red in two hours, probably not even today.
Eventually the Old Man declared the meeting over, and Jericho and I headed outside. Bear joined us.
“This guy will be an asshole, and you’ll end up bruised,” Bear said.
“Yeah.” Jericho shrugged. “We’ll clean his clock. You having any more Renegade trouble?”
“Nah, my fist to his face, my foot to his ass, then he hightailed it back to Bound to play with girls nobody protects.” Bear stomped the cigarette under his boot.
“All shit ends sooner or later,” I said, and if Jericho’s complicated mind fuck of a plan worked, he’d be Prez by this time next year.
We talked a while longer before Jericho nodded to his truck.
“Let’s go,” Jericho said to me before he slapped Bear’s back. “See ya soon, motherfucker.”
Bear headed to his bike and back to directing the girls at the porn building just a mile from the club.
The job in Ardmore turned out to be easier than I’d imagined. The dude talked tough, but when he saw the two of us headed his way, he lost his nerve. I didn’t even get a love tap from the pussy as I reminded him one fist at a time, over and over, not to hurt our girls.
Jericho stood back while I pounded him. He called enough, and I gave him one final kick with the warning not to come back to Bound.
No one hurts women. I had few standards and gave a shit about even less, but that pissed me off, even more than it did Jericho. I just wished I could do the same to Renegade—that asshole was rougher on women than anyone I’d ever met, but he was a brother.
“You want to go to Bound?” Jericho gave me that shit-eating smile of his. He already knew my answer.
“I got business back home.”
“Redheaded business.” He laughed. “You’re in full hunt mode.”
I stepped into the cab of his old Ford and slammed the door closed. “It’s what pussy hounds do, and I got the scent.”