Page 4 of Bruised MC Bear

She nodded and took another sip of her drink. “Better believe it, sugar.” Batting her long eyelashes one more time, she pivoted on her high heels and sashayed her luscious ass as she headed toward the door. “Maybe I’ll see you around,” she said over her shoulder.

Axe grabbed his coffee, quickly checking to confirm his name was indeed on this order.

“Not so fast,” he called out, maneuvering through the crowd after her. He was not letting this one slip through his fingers so easily. Not when a simple wink, head turn, or slight smile from her had done what no other woman had been able to manage.

She stopped at the front door and whipped around. “What’s up, slugger?”

“One second. After you,” he said, opening the door so the pretty little thing could slip outside onto the sidewalk.

“I see now that someone at least tried to raise you right,” she said with a grin.

He nodded. “Damn straight.”

“Except they didn’t quite succeed at getting you to speak without cursing.”

“Maybe so.” He dragged out his phone and quickly keyed in his unlock password to get to the contact list screen. “Let’s make sure I get my chance.” Smiling broadly, he held up the phone. “Name and number, doll…unless your bark is bigger than your bite.”

“Real smooth…what’s your name anyway?”

“Call me Axe.”

Angel raised her eyebrows and bit down on her bottom lip. “Of course it is,” she said, rolling her eyes as she took the phone into her free hand and passed him her coffee cup to hold. “So what makes you so sure I won’t just put in some fake number to get you off my case?”

He leaned forward until his lips were almost pressing against her ear. “Because, you already know what you’ll miss out on if I don’t see you again,” he growled out through his teeth.

Axe didn’t have to wonder about how Angel would respond. He had her right where he wanted when she moaned out a hot, sultry breath at his suggestion. Sure, he’d have to wait a little longer to make her scream his name until everyone in the clubhouse knew exactly what was going down. She was more than worth it, and hell, she herself would probably regret every second she’d lost without knowing the feel of his hands all over her curves. His very own Angel had just dropped from heaven right into his sinful arms. He planned to show her what hell was all about, one scorching hot lick at a time.

Without another word, she keyed in her contact details. Because his hands were busy with the two coffee cups when she was done, the feisty little thing grasped his left jeans pocket and slowly slid the phone down into the opening.

“My kind of girl,” he drawled, returning her coffee cup. “How about a drink? Tonight.”

Angel’s phone rang from somewhere inside her purse before she could give him an answer to his offer.

“Hang on a second,” she said, biting down on one side of her bottom lip as she fished around through her things. Her hand emerged with the phone, and the second she caught sight of the phone screen, her disposition changed. Her face transformed from flirty and sexy to full-on panic mode. The color drained from her already pale skin, her shoulders slouched forward, and her confident posture vanished.

“Hey, you okay?” Axe asked her, gently resting a hand on her upper arm.

“Sorry, I’ve got to run.” She let out a nervous giggle. “Family errands and all that jazz. Maybe a rain check?”

He wasn’t buying that attempt at laughing off whatever had just alarmed her, but he didn’t know her well enough to push the issue.

“Sure. Rain check it is.”

“Thanks. See you, Axe.” Angel spun around and bolted off, and Axe vaguely noticed something flutter from her purse onto the ground. His eyes couldn’t look away long enough to check it out while Angel gave a cursory glance in each direction and darted across the street. It took everything in him not to follow her, but that type of stalker-like behavior was creepy at best. He continued to watch until she climbed the steps of the public library and disappeared inside.

Taking a few long gulps of his coffee, he refocused on his surroundings. Right. Something had fallen from her purse. He checked the ground. Damned if he would let that go without a proper investigation. It was a tiny pink square of sticky note paper, still stuck to the concrete pavement a few feet away. The non-stick end waved slightly, threatening to get picked up by a light breeze. He snatched it up and flipped it right side up to read.

Fuck.

He should have known someone like that sweet-looking, mouthy minx had to come with complications. Axe stuffed the paper in his pocket and threw a look over his shoulder at the coffee shop patrons. The note had simple handwriting with the words ‘Meet Dean Roman for Sonya, Hell Valley Saloon, 215 Ponderosa Drive, Red Ridge, Tuesday at 7:30p.m,’.

What kind of dealings did Angel have with Dean?

Dean Roman.

Also known as Death Adder, President of the wolf shifter MC, a club that had gone from allies, to neutrals, to possible rivals of the Beartooth Brotherhood, at a time when the allegiances were constantly shifting.

I have got to be out of my fucking mind.