It seemed like the world might have stopped and gone in slow motion for as long as she stared at Phillip and the half-dressed woman he was with. But then everything came rushing back when strong fingers pressed into her jaw and she was forced to look at Malice. He wore this very concerned expression on his face. She saw his mouth moving, but there was this buzzing in her ears and she couldn’t hear anything aside from that. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Phillip start to walk toward them. Although he was across the street and wouldn’t be able to tell that she was in the passenger’s side, or at least she hoped not, this fear that he would still be able to sense her like he was some kind of rabid animal filled her.
“Adrianna? Christ, what in the hell is the matter?”
Malice’s deep voice finally came through the buzzing in her head, and she blinked rapidly. Not telling him that Phillip was right across the street was at the forefront of her mind, but she knew that was foolish. Malice deserved to know why she was acting like a freak. But when she looked over at the prick that was acting like she hadn’t affected him in the horrifying way he had changed her, the tears from her anger burned hot in the corner of her eyes. She glanced at Malice again to answer, but she saw that his focus was on Phillip. He obviously wouldn’t know who he was just by looking, but she could see how clenched his jaw was, heard the sound of his rapid, harsh breathing, and saw that he kept clenching and unclenching his hand. He knew. “Malice?” She said his name softly, and after a few seconds he finally turned her way.
“That’s him,” he said between clenched teeth, but she didn’t need to nod or verbally tell him that it was Phillip because she could see in his grey eyes that the knowledge was already there.
Adrianna didn’t know what she expected him to do, but reaching into his cut and getting his phone out wasn’t one of them. He dialed a number and put the phone to his ear. After a moment he told someone to meet them at the bank. She looked over at Phillip again and saw him going into the one and only bar in Fairview. It was barely nine in the morning, but he had always been thirsty no matter the time of day.
“Stay in the van, Adrianna,” Malice said in a hard, cold voice. He looked at her again, and she swallowed roughly.
She thought he was going to climb out of the vehicle and go after Phillip, but he didn’t move. “What are you going to do?”
He shook his head and focused on the bar across the street. “Nothing that doesn’t need to be done.”
His cryptic words had her stomach tightening. But Adrianna didn’t move, and she sure as hell didn’t try to get out of the van. She felt safe with Malice, and the thought of leaving that feeling and his side, especially with Phillip just across the street, was not a step she was going to take. By the time the sound of a motorcycle pierced her thoughts it had been almost twenty minutes later. The time had seemed to stand still as she sat beside Malice in this very uncomfortable silence. The man she had heard Malice call Rock pulled his bike to the curb right in front of the van. He took off his helmet, and his shaggy blond hair stood up around his hair. He had dark sunglasses on, and when he turned she could see ink coming up from under the collar of his shirt and leather vest.
“I’ll be right back.” Malice was out before she could even respond.
Adrianna watched him walk over to Rock, who was dismounting off his bike. They spoke too softly for her to hear what was being said even though the windows were open, but even if she hadn’t seen Rock look over at the bar she knew they were speaking about Phillip. After a few minutes it wasn’t Malice that came back to the van and sat in the driver’s side, but Rock. She looked at him for a minute, wondering what was going on and if she should even ask. But right when she opened her mouth Rock started the engine and put the van in reverse.
“Malice has some business to take care of but will meet us back at the clubhouse.”
“But my money, Phillip, and will Malice be okay—”
Rock shook his head. “Don’t worry about any of that right now. I was just told to take you back to the club, and I’m not about to argue with Malice.”
She was so stunned that she didn’t even argue. She looked at Malice and saw that he was watching her. But he didn’t stare at her long. He turned and walked across the street and right into the bar that Phillip had gone in.
****
Leaving Adrianna like that without a word on what he was doing hadn’t been the classiest move, but then again Malice wasn’t a classy type of guy. He acted first and thought about the repercussions later. Right now he wanted to beat the shit out of that fucking little prick that had hurt Adrianna. She might not have come out and told him that it was him across the street, but her body’s reaction, and the way she looked like a deer caught in the headlights told him his answer. So, without thinking and just calling Rock over to take Adrianna back to the clubhouse, Malice had made his way to the bar.