“Hilary, let’s head back to my cabin. You’re going to be with me for a while,” Hawk said.
“I’m sorry?”
Me too.
“We’ll talk once we get there,” he said not about to be embarrassed in front of his brothers. She was gearing up for a blowout. He could see it in the turned down corners of her mouth and the fire in the depths of her brown eyes. She wrapped her arms around her waist and followed him out the door. Her delicate jaw tensed and released. She’s going to let me have it when we get inside. Funny that this woman had more balls than any woman three times her size.
They stepped inside the cabin and he gestured toward the couch. “You should take a seat.”
“I’ll stand.”
He shrugged. “We’re going to call off lockdown, make them think they have one over on us, and you’ll be going undercover with me.”
“Undercover as what? No one would buy me as a biker babe,” she said with a scowl.
“You’d be surprised what good makeover will do. You’re going to be a house mouse, my house mouse.”
“Your what?”
“House mouse. It’s a woman taken in as part of some sort of deal. She works off the debt in ways predetermined before she arrived at a brother’s home.”
“You’re turning me into some sort of prostitute?” Her shrill voice made him wince.
“Because they do a number of things, from keeping house, to caring for kids. Not everything is sexual, Hilary. Or is that what you’d like to do with our agreement?”
“N-no,” she stuttered.
Seeing her frazzled made him smirk. “For me, it’d be a glorified maid.” He shrugged.
“Listen, Harpy, if I took you, you’d want it, and I’d damn sure be shutting that mouth of yours. This is to keep you safe. You think I want you all up in my space? Cause I don’t. Pres laid this down, so we’re following it to the letter.” Her mouth opened and closed. “What, cat got your tongue?” he goaded. If he had to be uncomfortable, she could be too.
“You’re such an asshole.”
“Not the first time I’ve heard that and it sure as hell won’t be the last. Let’s lay down some ground rules. Then maybe we can avoid killing one another.”
Hilary sneered. “Somehow I doubt it.”
“You and that mouth.” Hawk shook his head. Most women would be afraid for their lives right now. If Hilary is, she sure as hell doesn’t how it.
Chapter Two
Hilary tried not to let her nervousness show as she sat on the couch and took in her surroundings. The adrenaline was wearing off, and she began to realize the gravity of her situation. For the unforeseeable future, she and Hawk would be joined at the hip. The cabin smelled like him. She was surrounded by the scent of leather and a subtle cologne that made her mouth water. She scanned the space with a critical eye, shocked to find it neat and orderly.
“You expect a pig sty?” Hawk said. The amusement in his voice struck a raw nerve. It was like he saw through her front to the terrified woman shaking her boots. This was heavy shit. She’d seen what these men were capable of and knowing she was number one on their list of things to fuck over was nothing to sneeze at.
“I didn’t know what to expect.”
“I keep a clean house, and I run a tight ship.” The authority in his voice made her want to purr. She respected strong figures. A pool began to form in the center of her panties. Traitor. Her long-neglected body saw sex on two legs. It didn’t give a fuck about her feelings.
“Is this where you lay down the law to the little woman?” she huffed. While the M.C. wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined, she couldn’t stand the skanky biker bunnies ready to do whatever they needed to do just to gain a morsel of someone’s attention. It sickened her.
“Harpy, we both know there’s nothing small about you.” His gaze raked over her, leaving flickers of fire in its wake. Unable to withstand his penetrating gaze, she looked away.
“Harpy? Are you really calling me that?”
“Sharp tongue, take no shit attitude. I think it fits.”
“It’s not very flattering,” she said.