Final Ride (Lords of Mayhem 4)

“Prospects. They’ll be keeping watch around the clock.”

“Do we really need that many?” she asked.

“We aren’t taking any chances.”

He dismounted, and she followed, stumbling. He caught her around the waist as she focused on her spaghetti legs.

“Easy, it’ll take a minute to get your land legs back.” He pulled her to his side and guided them toward the porch. The two story home boasted light blue siding, a manicured lawn and a wooden swing on the porch. She fought the urge to gape. This is at total odds with the man I know. “You good now?” he asked

“Yeah, I think so.”

He released her and she instantly missed his warmth. He climbed the porch steps and unlocked the door. Stepping to the side he motioned for her to precede him. “You go in and have a seat on the couch while I get everything from the saddle bag.”

“O-okay.” Out of her element, she floundered like a fish on land. The living room screamed bachelor pad. Unadorned beige walls, Beige carpet, a navy-blue couch with matching chairs, and dark wood end tables greeted her. She sank down onto the sofa and sighed with relief. Directly in front of her, mounted on the wall was a massive television. Easily forty-five inches, the sleek black square was hooked up to a bevy of game systems located in the entertainment system below. Boys and their toys.

Boots sounded on the tile entryway and she glanced up, suddenly nervous to be alone with him.

“I know it’s been a long day, so I’ll give you a tour and let you get settled in your room. The uh, girls came in and got it all girlified for you.” He scratched his eyebrow.

“Sounds good.” She stood. He dumped the saddle bags beside the door and they began their tour.

“This is the kitchen. I don’t have any fancy crap, but it has all the basics needed to make a meal. I can cook, but I usually bring in food or eat out. It’s easier with the hours I keep. Can you cook?”

“Yes,” she said huffily.

“Good. The pantry is through that door. The girls stocked it with things you’d find useful. Anything else you want, make me a list, and I’ll get it for you. Out the back,” he pointed to a door, “is another porch and a decent-size yard. You can spend time out there if you want. The whole place is rigged with surveillance cameras, minus the bathroom and the bedrooms, of course. The security system is pretty easy to arm and disarm. I’ll write down the code for you and give you a day to memorize it. Then I want it destroyed.”

“I understand.”

“Good, you can explore more tomorrow, this is a bare-bones kind of thing. They continued through the home until they reached the room that would be hers. The beige room welcomed her with its polka dot bed spread and decorative pillows. A small desk in the corner held fresh wildflowers and the end tables boasted candles. The smell of roses made her smile.

“You have your own bathroom in there, so you uh, don’t have to share with me.”

“Thank you, Hawk.”

“Yeah, no problem. I’m going to crash now, unless you need something else.”

“No. this…is more than enough.”

He nodded and left the room swiftly, leaving her to wonder what was going on behind his stoic expression.

Exhausted, she closed the door behind him, slipped off her clothes and crawled into the bed. She’d have plenty of time to try to piece together the puzzle that was Hawk.

Chapter Six

She’d managed to set up a meeting with the victims after her hair appointment. Hawk had dropped her off personally, stunning her. He took his job of guarding her seriously. He’d been her shadow from the minute they arrived at the house. Clad in a tiny pair of black jean shorts, black cowboy boots, and a black T-shirt that clung to her every curve, she felt exposed. As much as she tried to pretend this was a role she played like an actor, her subconscious got the best of her. This was her life, and it had spiraled out of control so fast and so far she had nothing left but straws to grasp onto.

“Are you ready to see your look, Hil?” Donna asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Donna laughed. “Don’t worry, you look amazing.” She spun the chair around, and Hilary held her breath.

The spinning stopped, and she found herself peering into a reflective surface and not recognizing the face that looked back. The hair color made her skin glow and brought out flecks of light brown in her eyes she hadn’t realized were there.

“Wow.” She turned her head to the left and the right, admiring the subtle layers Donna had added.

“I know you wanted to look like another person, so I did a little nip here and there.”