“You really don’t have to do that,” I said, trying desperately to ignore Mr. Arrogant Ass. I could feel the heat of his piercing gaze sliding over me like a warm caress.
“I think we kinda do,” said the man I was now calling Mr. AA. “Unless your plan was to cause traffic chaos this afternoon.”
I rolled my eyes at him, but he just gave me a ridiculously sexy grin.
Because he was an ass.
“Bull’s right. It’s almost rush hour,” the nice biker said. “We need to get the Honda back to the clubhouse.”
Bull.
Nope.
Mr. AA suited him better.
I turned to the nice one. “I appreciate your help. Thanks.”
He smiled and reached into his vest for his phone. When he stepped away to make a call, Mr. AA stepped forward.
“I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself the other day.” He offered me a hand. A big hand. “Name’s Michael, but people call me Bull.”
I shook it. “Taylor.”
Our handshake lingered, and a warm rush swept through me. “Nice to meet you, Taylor.”
The way he said my name sent a ripple through me. Our eyes locked onto one another in a tense standoff.
“The pleasure is all mine,” I said sarcastically.
His eyes gleamed. “Not yet. But I can guarantee you that it will be.”
Which earned him an eye roll.
The nice biker reappeared. “The prospects are on their way.” He looked at me. “Come on, you can ride up-front with us. It can get a bit rough in the back.”
But Bull didn’t let go of my hand or remove his eyes from mine. “Don’t worry, Caleb…I don’t think this one minds it rough.”
I flashed him a dark look, trying to ignore the warmth of his fingers still wrapped around mine.
Finally, I pulled my hand away and raised an eyebrow at him. “You have no idea.”
Bull and Caleb drove me to their clubhouse, while two bikers with the word Prospect written across their vests took care of my car and followed us. There was only minor damage, one of them assured me, and they could have it fixed in no time.
By the time I’d reached the hallowed halls of the Kings of Mayhem clubhouse, I’d managed to calm my nerves.
And somewhere during the five-minute drive, Mr. AA had managed to lose a little of his arrogance and assholery. We stood in his office, his massive timber desk between us.
“How’s the kid?” he asked.
His concern seemed genuine, and it was enough to lower my guard.
“Mad as hell at me for the other day.” I slid my hands into my back pockets. “I’m sorry about that. I’m just a bit protective of him. He’s had a rough time lately, but I really shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
Whether or not he accepted my apology, he didn’t acknowledge it.
“Has he had any more problems with the bullies?” he asked.
“Are you kidding me? Apparently, the encounter with you the other day lifted him to legendary status. It’s been all around the school that he’s friends with you.”
His beautiful lips pulled with a hint of a smile.
“Thank you,” I added. “I don’t think you realize what you’ve done. It’s helped him with his confidence, and I can’t tell you what a relief that is. He’s been struggling for a while and needs someone besides his annoying older sister in his corner.”
He frowned but then his eyes found mine and his face smoothed. “Has he been deaf since birth?”
“No. It’s recent.”
“You mind me asking what happened?”
His courtesy was surprising, and caught me off guard. I exhaled deeply. When it came to my brother, I tended to be a bit of a mama bear, ready to sharpen my claws on anyone or anything who threatened his wellbeing.
“He had meningitis a couple of years ago and it left him with significant hearing loss.”
I watched as Bull absorbed the information. “Can the doctors do anything?”
“They did enough when they failed to diagnose him,” I snapped before I could stop myself.
The experience had been a traumatic one, and it was still raw, and even though I taught Noah to move on and focus on the future, sometimes it was a little hard to swallow my own advice. Especially when I thought about how close I’d come to losing him.
“Sorry. It’s been a rough journey.” I gave Bull a wry smile. “And I think we’ve already established that I can be a little overprotective.”
I continued and told him about Noah falling sick and how the overworked ER doctors had discharged him twice, one telling me that it was a virus, and the other suggesting he had behavioral issues and was struggling with the symptoms of a migraine. I also told him how I’d shown up a third time and almost gotten myself arrested because I wasn’t leaving until someone did something to help my brother.
“By then he was so sick he almost died.” I thought of Noah lying in that hospital bed, and my blood still chilled in my veins. “But he’s a tough kid.”