Page 10 of Heat (The Royal HArlots MC, Quebec City-Canada #1)

Chapter Nine

On the staircase, Sayer heard a scream coming from the second floor, then snuffed out with the loud slam of a door.

He moved before he had time to think, taking the steps two at a time. His heart pounded as the sound of the struggle bled into the hallway, spurring him faster.

His hands curled into fists. Whatever was waiting on the other side of that door—he was ready to tear it apart.

Sayer could hear the pounding footsteps of his brothers hot on his heels. They’d heard the scream, too. His pulse hammered as he reached the hotel room door, shoving the key card Diamond had given him against the reader. Nothing.

Inside, Diamond’s voice rang out, sharp with panic, tangled with the shouts of an unidentified man. A crash, glass shattering, a lamp hitting the floor.

“Where are they?” the unidentified man shouted.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Diamond’s voice loud as she shouted in response.

Sayer cursed, jamming the card in again. The reader beeped red. Again. His hands shook. Green. The lock clicked.

He shoved the door open and lunged, barely taking in the scene before tackling the man inside. His shoulder rammed into the stranger’s waist, driving them both backward over a chair. The impact sent them sprawling, the fight already in motion.

The air left Sayer’s lungs in a sharp grunt as they crashed to the floor, the stranger landing beneath him with a heavy thud. He barely had time to react before the man twisted, slamming an elbow into Sayer’s ribs. Pain flared, but Sayer pushed through it, grappling for control.

The man bucked beneath him, twisting like a wild animal.

Sayer caught a glimpse of a scarred jaw and narrowed eyes before a fist clipped his cheekbone.

White-hot pain shot through his skull. Snarling, Sayer drove his own fist forward, feeling the crunch of knuckles meeting flesh.

The man grunted, head snapping to the side.

A hand shot up, fingers clawing for Sayer’s throat. He barely dodged, rolling them both until they hit the leg of the overturned chair. The stranger got a knee between them, using the leverage to shove Sayer back. They scrambled to their feet at the same time.

Diamond’s voice cut through the chaos—sharp, desperate—but Sayer couldn’t take his eyes off his opponent.

The man lunged. Sayer twisted at the last second, catching the bastard by the arm and using his momentum to slam him into the dresser.

The mirror above it cracked, the wood rattling under the force.

The stranger snarled, swinging wildly. Sayer ducked, landed a brutal hook to the ribs, then another. The man wheezed, staggering, but he wasn’t done yet. He drove forward, taking them both into the wall with bone-jarring force.

Sayer’s head cracked against the plaster, stars bursting in his vision. The man pressed in, one hand locking around Sayer’s throat. Pressure closed in, cutting off his air.

His vision tunneled.

Then Diamond moved—fast, a blur of desperation.

And suddenly, the fight wasn’t just between them anymore.

The man’s grip tightened around Sayer’s throat, darkness creeping in as he struggled against the vice-like hold. He tried to pry the fingers away, but the stranger was stronger, fueled by something raw and violent.

Then a sharp whoosh cut through the chaos.

The impact was sudden—a dull, cracking thud as the floor lamp slammed across the man’s back. His body lurched forward from the blow, his hold on Sayer’s throat breaking as he stumbled.

Sayer sucked in a ragged breath, vision swimming as the man collapsed to his knees, his hand flying to where Diamond had struck him.

Before he could recover, Sayer didn’t hesitate. He surged forward, seizing the bastard by the collar, and drove his knee into his ribs. Once. Twice. A pained wheeze escaped the man before Sayer shoved him onto his back, pinning him down.

The fight was over. The room pulsed with heavy breathing; the only sound left in the aftermath of the struggle. Sayer’s brothers finally pushed through the door, but they were too late.

Diamond had already finished it. Diamond stood, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths as she locked eyes with Sayer. He rubbed his throat, voice rough when he spoke.

“This is the same guy from earlier.” It wasn’t a question. It was a fact.

Diamond gave a tight nod. “Yeah. It’s him.”

Sayer’s jaw clenched. “Who is he, Diamond?”

“I don’t know who this crazy bastard is, Sayer,” she snapped, frustration crackling through her words.

His gaze didn’t waver. “He said you know where someone is. Who does he think you’re covering for?”

Diamond exhaled sharply. “Sayer. I. Don’t. Know.”

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken things.

“Alright,” Sayer finally said, but the doubt in his voice was clear. He glanced towards his brothers. “Someone call the cops.”

“No cops,” Diamond said quickly. “Call security. Have them remove him from the property.”

Sayer and his brothers exchanged looks.

Diamond squared her shoulders. “I can’t afford to have a police report attached to me. It’ll cause problems with the foundation.”

Something in her voice—earnest, edged with quiet desperation—made them hesitate. Sayer studied her, reading the concern written plainly on her face.

After a beat, he gave a slow nod. “Security, then.”

Sayer didn’t take his eyes off the man still sprawled on the floor, groaning as he tried to push himself up. His brothers stood just outside the door, waiting for his call, but Sayer wasn’t about to leave Diamond alone with this bastard.

“Get security up here now,” he told them.

One of his brothers nodded and disappeared down the hall while the other stayed posted by the door, arms crossed, keeping watch.

Diamond stood a few feet away, still gripping the battered lamp, her knuckles white. Sayer’s throat ached from the bastard’s grip, but he ignored it, stepping between her and the man on the floor.

The guy let out a rough chuckle, wiping blood from his lip as he rolled onto his side. “You don’t even know what you’re protecting her from,” his voice was hoarse but laced with something mocking, like he knew something they didn’t.

Sayer didn’t respond. He just crouched down, grabbed the guy by the collar, and yanked him up just enough so they were eye to eye. “I don’t need to know,” he said, voice low and cold. “You come near her again, and I’ll make sure you don’t walk away next time.”

The man smirked, but his eyes flicked to Diamond, studying her, before Sayer shoved him back to the floor.

“Hotel security’s here, Sayer,” Teller said from his spot inside the door. He barely stepped aside as two uniformed guards strode in.

“This guy attacked her,” Sayer said bluntly. “Get him the hell out of here.”

The guards hauled the man up between them, but he didn’t struggle. He just smiled—something about it was wrong, like he knew it wasn’t over.

Diamond didn’t say a word.

Sayer watched as they dragged him out, his brothers following behind them, and waited until the hallway was empty before shutting the door.

Silence stretched between him and Diamond until he finally asked, “You okay

Diamond let out a breath, her grip loosening on the lamp as she set it down with a dull thud. “I will be.”

Sayer ran a hand through his hair. He should leave. Let her get some rest. But he couldn’t. “I’m staying,” he said instead.

Diamond turned to face him, brows furrowed. “You don’t have to?—”

“I do,” he interrupted. His voice was firm. Unwavering. “I’m not leaving you alone tonight.”

Something flickered in her expression. Hesitation, maybe gratitude, maybe something else entirely—but after a long pause, she sighed. “Fine,” she muttered, rubbing a hand over her face. “But don’t think this means you’re sleeping in the bed.”

Sayer smirked, stepping toward the couch and kicking off his shoes. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

But he wasn’t leaving. Not until morning.