“Hello?”
“What are you doing up so late?”
She absolutely recognized Kline’s voice. The fucking snake didn’t know when to stop. “Stop calling me.” She lowered the phone from her ear, ready to disconnect.
“Wait!” he screamed.
“What?”
“I know a piece-of-shit biker spent the night at your house.”
Her hands started to tremble. “Where are you?”
“Don’t worry about that, Ms. Bethel. Don’t you know we’re judged by the company we keep?”
Before she could respond, he hung up. Afraid he might be outside, she dropped her phone on the table, then rushed to the sofa to grab the quilt off the arm. She wrapped it around her center like a towel, then headed for the front door. Right or wrong, she refused to be held prisoner in her own home. The bastard would pay for his criminal behavior. All she had to do was catch him.
She yanked the door open, anger building inside. Her apartment was located close to the parking lot, so if she stepped into the breezeway, she could see several parking spaces.
“Where are you going?” Vincent asked.
Oh God, she didn’t want to involve him. She twisted around, finding a very naked and intimidating figure standing close by. He rubbed his eyes, looking confused.
“I heard a bang outside.”
“So you were going to creep around in the dark draped in a blanket?”
“Um…”
“Don’t lie to me, Tina. I heard your cell ring.”
She closed and locked the door.
“Did Kline call again?”
“Yes.” She faced her inquisitor, feeling a little guilty for fibbing. “Please don’t worry about it.”
He blew out a breath. “Too late, baby.”
Her eyes traveled down his front, stopping on his magnificent cock. Maybe she could convince him to do something else…
“Hey.” He waved his hand. “Up here.”
She met his penetrating gaze. “Sorry.”
“Don’t try to sidetrack me with sexy looks. After what we just shared, and this last week, I’m involved. Understand?”
“Sex doesn’t change the way you felt before, Vincent. I offered a no-strings option, remember? I’m prepared to accept that. Please let me take care of Kline on my own.”
“No,” he growled. “Not with the look of fear in your eyes.”
“That’s not fear, it’s irritation.”
“Bullshit.” He closed the distance between them and gripped her shoulders. “I changed my mind, Tina—I want to spend more time together.”
She didn’t know what to say.
“You don’t want that?” he asked.
Desperately. “Yes.”
“Good,” he said, then pulled her into a hug. “What did the asshole say?”
“He knows you’re here.”
Vincent withdrew, cursing under his breath. “This is getting out of control. Now he’s stalking you at home.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “Give me some time to come up with a solution. I need to catch him in the act. Maybe another meeting at work with one of my bosses sitting in will scare him off.”
Vincent laughed savagely. “If my patches didn’t intimidate him, some dick in a suit won’t. Trust me.” He rubbed his chin, looking more dangerous than any man she’d ever seen. “One more phone call, one more late-night episode where he follows you, and I won’t hold back, Tina.”
His threat frightened her more than Kline did. Vincent couldn’t know the kind of dark energy he gave off when he was angry. “Can we go back to bed?” She forced a yawn, determined to defuse the situation.
He nodded. “Tomorrow doesn’t change anything, baby.”
“I know,” she said, capturing his hand with hers. “But sleep resets the brain.”
He followed her down the hallway and pulled her into his arms after he climbed into bed. “Good night,” he said, kissing the top of her head.
“Sweet dreams.” A real yawn escaped her this time. Maybe if she prayed hard enough, Kline Barnes would simply disappear from the face of the earth.
Chapter 16
The new day didn’t change Vincent’s perspective on anything—not on Kline Barnes, and certainly not on the club’s growing tension with the Man-o-Wars. He’d spent a restless night weighing his options. The Sons of Odin were due back in town next Sunday. With Dog Tag and his new old lady living at the clubhouse, it made keeping an eye on them easier. If he could talk Tina into staying there too, he’d consider it a small victory.
But he knew her—obstinate and proud, she’d already expressed her refusal to let Kline scare her away from her home. He turned into the parking lot at Valhalla, then opened up the gas, and his bike shot forward; there was nothing like the sound of raw horsepower. He smiled. Correction: Tina-moans were a close second. The girl didn’t hold back when she cried out his name last night.