Page 4 of 12 Months of Mayhem

Sin

The Next Night

It’s strange having a random woman walking around my clubhouse, asking everyone questions, requesting access to areas that I wouldn’t dare allow for outsiders to ever gain access to. But we prepared for Elizabeth’s arrival long before she got here. We made sure that everything was above board. That everyone was trained in what to say and what not to say.

We should be fine.

I should be fine.

I can fight whatever this attraction is, just as she can.

As I sit back in the clubhouse’s main room, sipping quietly on a beer and watching Elizabeth make her rounds, yet again, I can’t help but admire the way she carries herself or the professionalism in how she talks to the people in my club. I don’t know what I was expecting when she arrived, but this leather-clad wildcat was not it. I guess when I think of how a reporter might dress, I have blazers and knee-length skirts in mind. Reading glasses and perfectly styled hair. A picture of virtue and morality.

Elizabeth Hale does not scream virtue to me.

That woman is tough to the core.

I know when people have been through shit, have seen things, or have lived through a life they never should have. I know because I’m the president of men and women who come to a club seeking refuge from lives just like that—just like Elizabeth’s—even though I’m sure she will vehemently deny it. Just like our conversation yesterday in the kitchen with Millie, Elizabeth let Millie believe she came from a good background and a happy home. I see right through that bullshit card she’s trying to sell, and I really want to do some investigating of my own when it comes to her. Elizabeth doesn’t back down, and that has caught my attention. She could be incredibly bad for us, for me, if I get in over my head if I don’t watch her like a hawk. So, I have to keep my wits about me, but there’s something about Elizabeth Hale that’s drawing me to her like a moth to a flame.

I just have to hope that she doesn’t fucking burn me—or the club.

A sudden movement to my left has my eyes finally shifting from Elizabeth as Nitro pulls up a seat beside me. A faint smirk crosses his lips while he relaxes back in his chair. “You keep staring at her like that, Pres, and people are gonna start talking.”

Snorting out a laugh, I scrub at my beard. “You’ve been shadowing her today. Tell me, what’s your gut telling you?”

Nitro tilts his head to the side, pulling some kind of indifferent face. “Honestly… I can’t tell. She’s hard to read. Woman’s built walls up so high she’s clearly holding something back.”

I hum under my breath. “It might just be because she’s trying so hard to put on that tough-girl exterior for us.”

Nitro chuckles. “Yeah, I can spot it a mile away. She’s trying everything she can to make herself believe she’s not terrified to be here with us, but the fear is practically dripping off her. It reeks… but if the bravado is what she needs to reassure herself that we’re not the bad guys, then go for it. Hell, maybe she should be an actress instead of a reporter with the performance she’s putting on.”

Chuckling, I nod in agreement. I’ve seen it. The subtle glances when no one is watching. The way she’s clocking each exit point, making sure she knows every single way she can make a fast escape if she needs to.

Elizabeth is smart—cunning even.

The problem with her is I have no clue what she’s thinking unless her body language gives her away. And the only cues I have gotten from her are disdain and lust.

Two polarizing emotions.

She’s clearly conflicted, so it’s my job to get her to meet somewhere in the middle. Because if I can’t by the time she’s supposed to be finishing this damn feature, who knows what the hell she’ll say about us.

“All I know is I have to keep her close. Keep my fucking eyes on her constantly,” I say just as my cell starts ringing in my pocket.

Nitro nods in agreement as I draw out my phone, glancing down at the caller ID. Millie’s name lights up the screen. Furrowing my brows, I show it to my VP. “Wasn’t she supposed to be out with her friends dancing tonight?” I state.

Nitro frowns, sitting back in his chair. “Yeah, so if she’s calling you and not her father, there’s gonna be an issue.”

Gritting my teeth, knowing that Nitro is one hundred percent right, I swipe the call. “Millie, you okay?”

The muffled hum of music in the background sounds down the phone, but Millie’s rushed breaths are what capture my attention first. “S-Sin… I-I’m in serious trouble!”

Sitting up taller, my eyes instantly shift to Will, our prospect, knowing that he’s going to go crazy if Millie is in danger. They try to hide their feelings from us, even from each other, but I know he’s going to be the first to dive headfirst into whatever this is. “All right, stay calm and tell me what’s going on.”

She sniffles, trying to keep quiet, which only makes my anxiety heighten. “The girls I was hanging out with tonight decided they wanted to go to the strip and have some fun. I was all on board with that, but then they started heading toward the casino district—”

“Oh fuck, don’t tell me,” I reply, knowing full well where this is going.

Millie can’t hold back her tears as the sobs echo down the cell. “Sin… they dragged me into the Hidden Hand Casino before I had a second to tell them I couldn’t go in there. The girls wouldn’t take no for an answer. When they went to the dance floor, I took off for the bathroom stall, and I locked myself in there. I’m too scared to go out in case the Alliance finds me.”

Running my hand through my hair, I let out a long groan. “Fuck.”

Nitro furrows his brows. “What’s going on?” he urges.

“Millie’s stuck in a bathroom stall at the casino. We gotta go get her.”

Nitro’s eyes widen, knowing precisely what that means.

Millie continues to cry on the other end of the phone. “I’m so, so sorry, Sin. I never meant for this to happen. To put the club in danger because of me… again. I’m so fucking stupid!” she whimpers.

“Don’t you ever say that. You know we’ve got you, Millie. You stay where you are. We’re coming right now, okay? Do not move,” I warn as I stand along with Nitro.

“Sin?” she whispers.

“Yeah?”

“Please hurry… I can’t go through that again.” The fear in her tone sends a shudder down my spine.

Swallowing hard, a fierce determination runs through me.

“We’re leaving now. Be there soon. Just stay hidden, okay?”

She whimpers again. This time, I don’t miss the clear sniffing of someone crying. “Okay. See you s-soon.” Her voice cracks, and then she ends the call.

Letting out a hefty huff, I slide my cell into my pocket while Nitro shakes his head. “The fuck is she doing at the casino? I thought that would be the last place she would want to go, you know… considering?”

“Her stupid friends took her there,” I grumble, my boots pounding as I make my way over to the rest of the guys, and unfortunately, Elizabeth is with them.

Bear glances up, the first to spot me. “Everything okay, Pres? That call seemed intense.”

Exhaling, I shake my head as the rest of the guys and Elizabeth turn to look at me. My eyes shift to Will, and I figure it’s best to just come out with it. “We have to ride to the Hidden Hand Casino—”

“What? Why the fuck would we do that?” Ghost spits out, interrupting me. The toothpick in his mouth almost falling out with his shock.

Elizabeth raises her brow as if she’s very interested in this, but I keep my attention on Will. “Because Millie’s there hiding in a bathroom stall, and she needs us to—”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Will yells, making everyone look at him, but he doesn’t seem to care as he starts edging toward the exit. “She’s there? At the fucking casino. Hiding from those maniacs right now?” His breathing comes in hard and fast, his face turning redder with each passing moment.

I raise my hand to placate him. “Yes, prospect, she is. That’s why we need to formulate a plan—”

“Fuck having a plan, Pres. No disrespect, but if they find her, we won’t have time—”

“Will, take a breath. It’s going to be okay, son. We’re gonna go get her, aren’t we, Pres?” Bear states, placing a placating hand on his youngest son’s shoulder.

Will pants harder, his eyes frantic as he stares at his father. “Dad… I haven’t told her how I feel. If she…” he hesitates, but we all know where he is going with it.

Bear wraps his arm around his son for comfort, his eyes meeting mine for an answer. “Okay… we go. Now. We get Millie out of there alive—”

“I want to come with you,” Elizabeth interrupts, and for a brief moment, I forgot she was even here.

I snap my eyes to meet hers, letting out a mocking laugh. “No,” I reply succinctly, then signal for my guys to begin heading out to our bikes.

But she doesn’t give in, her heels clicking on the floor as she runs behind me. “Hey, I’m here to gather information on the club and how you handle business. This is exactly what you have me here for. To watch how you handle business. It doesn’t get any more real than this, Sin. If you want to prove to me, to the world, that your club is the good guys you say you are, then you need me to see how you handle this. Otherwise, all I can say is that you went off into enemy territory and refused to let me go with you. And from that, I can only surmise that the negative connotations that have been raised against you and your club are, therefore, founded.”

Letting out a frustrated growl in anger, I spin to face her, gritting my teeth. “This kind of confrontation, wildcat, is no fun and games. It can get messy. We’re not the bad guys in this scenario, but we might do bad things to the bad guys to ensure the safety of the people we love. I don’t know what the hell you’re about to witness, but I don’t apologize for what we have to do to make sure that Millie comes home to her father. That she comes home to Will. You have to understand that if you’re going to come with us, that Defiance going into the Hidden Hand Casino is a breach of the treaty we formed with them. We’re breaking the rules by doing this, and in doing so, we could get hurt. You could get hurt. So, if you’re willing to be injured or possibly die for this part of your story, then by all means, Elizabeth, tag along,” I snap mockingly, hoping like hell it will deter her.

But the crazy bitch just smiles, reaching for her bag containing her notebooks and recorders, then throws the long strap over her shoulder. “I’m not easily scared, bossman. I’m here for the scoop. To me, this is where the headlines start. I’m coming. You won’t talk me out of it.”

Groaning, I throw my hands in the air in frustration and spin, stomping my boots as I head for the exit. “You better keep up and don’t lose us. We don’t want to save Millie and then have to go in to protect you too.”

“Got it. You won’t even know I am there,” she states. The happiness in her tone makes me question if she even cares that Millie is in danger or if she only cares that she is heading into the heart of chaos to get her shot at some sort of epic story right now.

Stupid, crazy woman!

I step up beside the SUV and glance at Will. “Prospect, take Elizabeth and keep a close eye on her while we’re heading into the casino. I know you want to go in all guns blazing, but we need to play this right. We’re going into their turf, we play by their rules, or everyone will end up dead—”

“But Pres—”

“Prospect, don’t be a fucking hothead! For the sake of Millie… Do. You. Understand. Me?” I snap.

Will slumps his shoulders as Elizabeth steps up to his side, looping her arm with his. “I got him. We’ll be okay. We will hang back and let you guys take the lead, won’t we, Will?” She smiles kindly at him, and he exhales and slowly nods.

“Yeah. Can we just go, though, please?” Will begs.

I dip my head in thanks at Elizabeth, then turn to face the rest of my brothers. “All right… we know what can happen when we enter the Alliance’s turf. They don’t know we’re coming, so they probably won’t greet us with welcome arms. If we show no hostility toward them, this might go smoothly. Don’t be a fucking hero. We just want to get Millie back and leave. It’s too close to bringing in the new year for any Iron Man, End Game shit.”

My brothers laugh as Elizabeth tilts her head at me with wide eyes. “Who knew you were a closet geek?”

Snorting out a laugh, I lean past her, opening the SUV door for her. “Not a geek at all. Once a month, we have a movie night, and a brother gets to pick the movie. Every time it’s Ghost’s turn, he picks the next in line from Marvel. We’ve been slowly going through the franchise… again. Last time, it was End Game. It’s just the freshest reference I could find that I thought the guys would remember.”

She smirks, sliding past me to sit in the car. “I see… well, hopefully, I get a chance at picking a movie one night while I’m here.”

I snort out a laugh. “Yeah, maybe.” I close the door, and she winds down the window as I rush for my ride, throwing my leg over.

“Hey, Sin?” she yells as my bike growls to life. I tilt my head, the leather of my club cut creaking with the motion, a silent question. “Do I look like the kind of woman who needs the car door opened for her?”

Her words, sharp and teasing, cut through the rumble of my engine like a blade. “You’re no woman, Elizabeth. You’re a banshee. You won’t fucking shut up.” My jaw tightens. Rolling my eyes, I rev the throttle in response, the growl escaping my chest, deepening as if it could drown her out. But it doesn’t. It never does. Her laugh rings out, light and melodic, effortlessly slipping through the noise like my insult only enlightens her.

That laugh.

Dammit, that laugh.

It twists something deep in my chest, like nails dragging across raw skin.

So tempting.

So fucking sexy.

My cock jerks against the seam of my jeans, making me even more furious at her.

How can someone be so goddamn infuriating and so fucking stunning at the same time?

I grind my teeth, fighting the heat building in my veins.

God, she’s so impossibly annoying.

The frustration boils over, and I slam the throttle, the bike roaring under me as I tear out of the compound. Gravel sprays in my wake, the rear tire skidding just enough to jolt my balance. A cloud of dust from my back tire spinning over the sand rises behind me, matching the haze clouding my mind.

My fingers clench the handlebars like they’re the only thing tethering me to reality, the tension so fierce it makes my knuckles ache. The cold bite of the wind stings my cheeks, but it’s not enough to snap me out of it.

Elizabeth Hale—she’s everywhere, under my skin, in my head, a relentless itch I can’t scratch. I don’t know what it is about her—her sharp tongue, her fearless grin, or the way she looks at me like she knows exactly how much she’s messing with me, but it keeps pulling me in whether I like it or not, and it’s driving me insane.

I grit my teeth, forcing my thoughts to shift.

There’s no room for this.

Not now.

Millie is in danger, and we’re about to enter enemy territory. I need my head in the game, not spinning over Elizabeth-fucking-Hale and the way she somehow manages to tear me apart and piece me back together without even trying over and over again.