The Chase

From there, Pike ducked inside a stunning white kitchen, decorated with marble and gleaming stainless steel appliances that looked like they’d rarely been used.

He yanked open the fridge and grabbed another beer. “Want something to drink?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.”

“Suit yourself.” He shrugged, then brushed past her, opened a gorgeous set of French doors, and gestured her outside.

Easing past him, she smiled tightly and stepped onto a red-brick patio that felt both expansive and cozy. Massive urn-shaped planters filled with ruthlessly sculpted bushes lined one side of the beautiful space, towering privacy bushes the other. A shimmering marble-edged swimming pool lay just beyond. Mere feet from a gorgeous stucco and Spanish-tile fire pit sat a table decorated with a stunning arrangement of pink hydrangeas.

Pike moved in behind her. He didn’t touch her, simply nodded to one of the chairs shrouded beneath a huge tan umbrella. “Have a seat.”

Nerves pinging, Heavenly eased down on a thick burlap cushion and watched him claim the chair across from her.

“So what do you want from me?”

For once, she wasn’t annoyed by his abrupt manner. “I’m having a problem with my former landlord.”

“You mean the one your boyfriends nearly beat to death? Yeah, I heard about that.”

That reminder sent Sanchez’s bruised and battered face spooling through her head. “Yes.”

Pike took a long pull of his beer. “Your boy toys should have finished him off that night. You wouldn’t be having a problem with that asshole now if they had.”

“Killing him isn’t the answer.”

“Then what is? What’s the prick holding over your head that has you lying to Beauty and the Beast?”

Was that what he’d nicknamed Beck and Seth? “Why call them that?”

“In certain circles, all the ladies love Seth’s pretty face. His supposedly talented tongue probably doesn’t hurt, either. And Beck is a beast of a sadist; everyone knows that. Though maybe I should call them Beast and Beast since Seth was so pissed at me the night I eye-fucked you at Hammer’s place, he knocked me out cold with one punch.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Oh, my gosh. I didn’t know. I’m so sor—”

“Don’t apologize, sunshine. You didn’t do anything wrong,” he pointed out. “The landlord. What’s he got on you? Maybe I can help.”

Suddenly, Pike didn’t seem as self-absorbed or as surly as he wanted everyone to believe.

Heavenly shifted in her seat. “First, I need you to promise that you’ll keep this conversation between us.”

“If you’re on my doorstep, how much bargaining power do you really have?”

None. Pike was her only hope.

“All right. The rental company is insisting that I help them retrieve my father’s hospital bed from my old apartment. It’s part of the agreement.”

Pike pinned her with fathomless dark eyes that made her shiver. “But since Beauty and the Beast beat the shit out of your landlord, he’s not playing nice. Am I right?”

Swallowing tightly, Heavenly nodded. “Exactly.”

“So…you’re not telling them because you know they’d happily confront that motherfucker.”

“And end up in prison or dead, yes.”

Pike nodded slowly. “You love them too much to stand over their graves or let them become Bubba’s butt bitches in prison. Got it.”

Either scenario made Heavenly want to throw up. “Something like that.”

Pike took another long swallow of his beer. “And what do you think I’m going to do? Look, I like you and all, sunshine, but I won’t bust up your landlord’s face. I’m not willing to risk taking a bullet or some horny convict’s cock for you.”