Hero (The VII Knights MC)

“Come on. Get on in there, Phil,” a male voice says. Low pitched snorts rumble through the air, and my eyes narrow in on what the hell is about to happen. An English bulldog comes waddling in. The moment his ass is inside, the door shuts. He sees me and stops, licks his mouth, then sits. Blinking a few times, I stare at the dog. Why is it in here with me? Is this a test or something? Is it mean?

Both my hands on the arms of the chair, I keep my guard up in case I need to jump into the seat to escape the savage beast. He just stares at me, breathing heavily. I’ve always wanted one of these little pig dogs but could never afford one.

After a few minutes pass and it hasn’t growled or even attempted to move, I lean over with my hand out, palm up, offering my friendship.

“Phil is your name?” I ask, not liking it for such a strong breed. They could have named him Zeus or Bullet, something a little more intimidating. At the mention of his name, he snorts like a pig and jumps to his feet to come see me. He licks my hand, resting his whole body against my legs, as if it’s just too hard to stand on four chubby legs. He’s so cute, my heart melts into a puddle.

A smile spreads along my face, and I pet him. God, why are animals so much better than humans? They don’t care what you look like, what kind of house you live in, or how much money you have. They’re genuine and just want to be with someone. Instead of getting a boyfriend for companionship, I should have gotten a dog.

The door opens, and I snatch my hand up, my smile fading quickly when Godric walks in.

“Careful, Phil. She’s a siren this one. She lures you in to kill you.” He side-eyes me before stopping in front of me, crossing his arms to where one of his hands cups his chin and he’s staring down at me. I hate how much I like how bad he is.

Phil forgets all about me and goes straight to his master, sitting at his feet. It’s a good sign if the dog likes him, right? If Godric truly is evil, Phil would sense it and not show his affection like he is. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. But Godric murdered his girlfriend, so maybe Phil’s taste in masters is about as good as mine with men. “The only one who’s known for murdering anyone is you.” I raise a brow. This seems to get his attention.

He charges across the room, slamming both of his hands onto the arms of the chair, his face in mine.

“You want to challenge me, Monet?” His voice is deep and piercing. He tilts his head to the side like a demon sizing up his victim. “Do you have a death wish? Do you want me to kill you?” His questions brush across my face, his hand raising until his knuckles caress my collarbone. It’s as if he’s fascinated with my skin, like I’m some precious gem.

Inhaling a breath, my exhale is a little shaky, but I force myself to answer.

“I could do without the last year of my life, that’s for sure.”

His calloused fingers freeze near my throat, our eyes locking.

“Me too,” he confesses. He stands upright and turns around, his broad leather back with the colors of his club on full display. If I didn’t hate all of mankind right now, I would admit I want him in the most dangerous way. Which is why I can’t show even a hint of my desire for him. Richard was a dick and caught me off guard, but Godric, he has playboy written all over him. He’ll surely wreck me. After a man like him, there wouldn’t be anything left to salvage.

“What do you want from me?” I ask, ready to get this over with and far away from him.

“You tried to kill me, and I’ve buried people for a lot less.” He doesn’t make eye contact, but I bet the threat in his voice matches his eyes.

Lifting my hand, I tap my nails on the armrest. If he was going to get revenge for what I did, he would have already done it. Turning around, he leans against the dresser, crossing his feet at the ankles, his hands resting behind him on top of the wardrobe.

“I have two weeks to accomplish my tasks—the ones you read while digging through my cut. You help me get the gavel, and you walk free.”

“Ha!” Rolling my eyes, I stand and cross my arms. “I’ve been told that one before.”

Not a muscle in his face flinches at my outburst. Promises to be a free woman and have zero debt only to owe even more at the end of the day.