Page 10

Jade

I wait for the other shoe to drop.

I’ve neglected enough of my life to playhouse with Saint. It’s been four days since he rescued me, and the man has barely let me out of his sight. On the rare occasions he has to be away, he always has someone watching me. But it’s times like those when he’s away that I am reminded of the fact that I do have a life outside of this house, and yet, I’ve been neglecting it to stay here.

It's for my safety, Saint was clear about that.

At least this time, he didn’t leave me with Knox.

The dim light from the television flickers, and I turn to look at the prospect seated on the edge of the couch. He’s young, with boyish features that remind me of some of the freshman at my college. His hair is tousled, dark and slightly messy, framing his face in a way that makes him look innocent. The kid, Kyle, doesn’t look a day over eighteen, and I question what the hell he’s doing with the Steel Rebels. Even though I am glad that it’s him I get for company instead Knox and his ridiculous nickname, I can’t help but feel sorry for the guy. He has to babysit me because Saint told him to, despite my insistence that I would be fine alone.

I clear my throat, and Kyle pulls his attention from the TV to look at me. “So, um, how long have you been into bikes?” I ask in an attempt to fill in the awkward silence.

“Since I was like seven,” he responds, and I expect him to go on, but Kyle doesn’t explain further.

“Uh, okay. Which one’s your favorite?”

He lights up like a Christmas tree. “I really love the Harley Davidson Softail, especially the Heritage Classic model.” He beams, leaning in to explain. “It’s got that retro vibe with the detachable windshield and saddlebags. Oh, I’ve heard that the Milwaukee Eight engine gives it great balance. I’ve only ever seen one, never ridden it though. Too expensive.”

I nod with a confused smile on my face. I don’t know anything about motorcycles, so I simply nod along. “That sounds…lovely,” I finish pathetically, unsure what else to say.

“I heard that Prez has that exact model. I think he keeps it in his garage here,” Kyle says, sitting up with a look of longing on his cherubic face.

“Do you want to go and check it out? I’m sure Saint wouldn’t mind,” I offer, and I didn’t think it was possible for one’s eyes to get that big.

“Can we? Are you sure? We need Saint’s permission first.”

I don’t know the dynamics around motorcycle club members and their bikes, so I hesitate for a bit before deciding I might as well get the man’s permission. “Give me your phone; I’ll call him and ask.”

I’ve never seen someone move so fast as Kyle fumbles around with his jacket, looking around for the phone, nearly dropping it when he finds it. He unlocks it and dials Saint’s number before quickly passing it over to me.

The call rings once before Saint’s sexy voice breaks through the speaker, and just like that, I forget how to breathe. “Kyle, problem?”

“It’s me,” I say, flushing for no reason. I turn around to hide my face from the man watching me eagerly.

“Jade,” Saint’s voice softens a bit. “Are you okay? Do you need me to come home?”

“No,” I cut in, chewing at my lip as my heart starts racing, his concern doing things to me that shouldn’t happen in polite company. I feel that familiar pulse between my legs that always happens anytime I hear the man’s voice.

“Jade?”

Right. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” I say. “Kyle mentioned that you own a Harley Softail something.”

“Harley Davidson Softail, Heritage Classic Model,” Kyle calls out from behind me, practically shaking in his seat. I can hear the couch moving.

“Yeah, a Harley David… You heard him, right?”

Saint laughs, the sound warm, and damn him, it sends the fire in my body burning so hot I find myself crossing my legs. “Yeah, it’s in the garage.”

“Can we go check it out?”

“You don’t need to ask, precious.”

My heart swells, and my flush deepens. “So that means I can take it for a ride around town?”

“Now let’s not get carried away.” It’s my turn to laugh, and a part of me wants to lean back on the couch and talk to him all day, but I remind myself that I have company and he’s working. Coupled with the fact that this isn’t even my phone.

“Okay, I’ll let you get back to what you were doing,” I say. “We won’t touch your precious bike, just look.”

“Nothing in or out of that house is more precious to me than you, Jade Purdy.”

If I wasn’t already fully and utterly in love with the man, this is the moment I would have fallen. My cheeks are on fire as I hang up the call before turning around to pass Kyle back his phone. If he notices that my cheeks are the color of ripe tomatoes, he doesn’t mention it.

“What did he say?” Kyle asks, excitement clear in his voice.

“He said we could check it out, but unfortunately there will be no riding across town.”

“Motorcycles are an extension of a rider and touching it without permission is the biggest form of disrespect.”

“Well then, come on,” I say, getting up and gesturing for him to follow me. “Let’s check out the bike in the garage.” His face lights up, and I can see the thrill coursing through him. We’ve been cooped in here all day, so I welcome the distraction. As we step outside, the cool breeze brushes against my skin, and I lead him down the path to the garage.

“I’m nervous,” Kyle whispers from behind me, and I can’t help but chuckle. He’s acting as though he’s about to go on his first date or something.

“Okay, here we go,” I say with a smile. The door creaks open when I punch in the code Saint gave me on the keypad, revealing a spacious area filled with not just one motorcycle as I was expecting, but five, each one a work of art. The scent of oil and metal fills the air, and when I turn around to look at Kyle, I find his eyes wide with awe.

“I…I can’t believe it,” he breathes, stepping closer to a stunning black bike with chrome accents glistening under the overhead lights. “He owns a black cruiser!”

“Is that the one you were talking about?”

Kyle doesn’t spare me a glance as he shakes his head. “No, this is the Harley Davidson Soft Tail Slim, and it’s an absolute beast,” he chokes out, and is that a tear?

I watch with amusement as he moves from one bike to the next, stating some random fact about each one that flies right over my head, but I humor him, and an hour and a half later when I suggest heading back to the house, his expression falls like a child forced to leave a candy store empty handed.

We walk out and I close the garage, deeply humored as we make our way back to the front door, but Kyle grabs my hand and stops me halfway to the door. He quickly positions himself in front of me, and my brows knit in confusion until a familiar voice calls out.

“Jade?”

A chill runs down my back and my heart threatens to stop. “Please leave, this is private property,” Kyle calls out, his voice steadier than I’ve heard it before.

“Hey, I’m a friend of Jade’s, and I was hoping I could speak to her. Jade?”

I lift a trembling hand to Kyle’s shoulder before stepping to the side, and there she is. In a tight red dress with lipstick to match. Her long blond hair is styled in waves, and she looks like something out of an old Hollywood movie.

Natalie is stunning. I always thought so. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, but those eyes are cold. For the first time since meeting her, I realize that all her beauty is surface level, and I question how I never saw the darkness in those stunning blue eyes.

“Why are you here, Natalie? H-how did you find me?”

She offers me a smile. “I was worried. I’ve been calling you, but your phone kept sending me to voicemail,” she says, taking a step forward. “So, I went to the club, but no one was there except for a few guys in leather vests, and it was completely boarded up.”

Saint!

The name pops up in my head at her words. Did he close down the club? Does he have the power to actually do that? Maybe the police were called and raided the place. There are a hundred explanations of what could have happened that do not involve Saint, and yet, something tells me that the man is responsible.

I am more dangerous than any of those men looking for you, but I am no danger to you, Jade. I will stand between you and anyone who dares come close.

“I don’t want to see you, Natalie, please leave.”

Hurt crosses her expression, and she takes another step closer and then another. “W-why would you say that? We’re friends!”

I don’t see it coming, and I imagine neither does Kyle by the looks of it. We both miss the taser in her hand until it’s pressed against Kyle’s chest. I catch the loud crackling sound first before watching helplessly as Kyle jerks and convulses, his entire body seizing up before he falls to the ground. I stare at him in disbelief, my feet frozen and unable to move. Before I can reach down and try to help him, Natalie grabs my arm and jerks me away.

“What the hell Natalie!” I cry out, yanking myself from her grip, but she’s stronger than I would have given her credit for and it’s impossible to break free.

“Stop fighting and follow me, or you are next.”

“I’ll go, but please, let me make sure that he’s okay,” I plead, unable to stop the tears from forming. This is my fault. Kyle getting hurt is my fault, and I can’t just leave him lying on the ground alone. “Natalie, please.”

“It’s just a small taser, he’ll be fine in a few minutes,” Natalie snaps, but true to her words, Kyle groans. and I notice him struggle to open his eyes. “See, good as new!”

Kyle’s eyes find mine, and I can’t help the tears that spill. I see him try to get up, but his muscles won’t let him. This time, I let Natalie drag me away, afraid of what she’ll do to Kyle if he gets up before we’ve left.

For the first time, I notice the car parked a few houses down, and the second we reach the street, it comes speeding down the road. My heart falls to my stomach when I notice Buck’s guard from the club in the driver’s seat, a cigarette in his mouth and those dead eyes filled with so much hate, it gives me pause. He stops the car next to us and rolls down the window, running steely eyes over my body and scoffing at me dressed in the oversized hoodie and a pair of shorts Saint got me.

“Get in, bitch!” he barks, and I can’t tell if the words are directed at me or Natalie, but she opens the back door and pushes me inside before getting in after me. “We need to get the fuck out of here before that fucking animal gets back,” he shouts, and the tires screech as he tears away from Saint’s house.

I bite hard on my lip to stop the tears from falling as I wonder if I’ll ever see Saint again. If the last memory I have of his voice is from the phone call we had earlier.

Nothing in or out of that house is more precious than you, Jade Purdy.

The tears fall, and I use the sleeve of the hoodie to wipe them away. “Why?” I ask, turning to look at Natalie. “Why are you doing this to me?”

“It’s nothing personal.” She shrugs. “Buck promised us good money if we brought him a virgin, and you just fell into my lap.”

“Us?” I ask.

Natalie gestures to the man driving the car. “That’s Nero, my boyfriend. He runs the club with Buck. We find the girls; Buck arranges for the payday.”

“That’s it?” I ask with surprise. A part of me thought that maybe she had some kind of vendetta against me. Maybe I’d said something hurtful in the past or was a bad roommate or something. “You’re doing all this for money?”

“That’s not a good enough reason?” She laughs, leaning back against her seat.

“I trusted you,” I whisper. “I would never have done something this horrible to you.”

She snickers at my words. “Yeah, that’s the difference between me and you.”

“Have you…done this to other girls? Don’t you care at all what happened to them?”

She rolls her eyes. “Look, I just facilitate the interviews. What happens after that isn’t my concern.”

I sniff back tears and turn away from her and to the driver. “Where are you taking me?”

“To collect our money.”

“What?”

“That fucking animal closed the club and did something to Buck. Now we have no money and no way to get it. You were supposed to be our big score. That biker asshole stiffed us and stole you. No if he wants you back, he’s going to have make good on his auction bid!” he rages, punching the steering wheel. “And if that doesn’t work, we have a backup offer. Someone is willing to pay a quarter of a million dollars for you. Cash on delivery.”

I fall back on the seat, resigned to my fate. I realize that I don’t have any more tears to shed. Not for these people at least. “What’s going to happen when they find out that I am not a virgin anymore?”

The car falls into a tense silence, and Natalie suddenly sits up, panic plain in her eyes. For a short, satisfying moment, I take in the fear I read in her eyes and the horror I spy on the driver’s expression in the rearview mirror.

“The client is going to kill us if he finds out that she’s not a virgin!” Natalie cries out in panic, leaning forward and sticking her head between the two front seats. “Nero, what are we going to do?”

“Shut up, bitch, and let me think!”

“Oh my God, this is a disaster!” she cries, before quickly turning to me. “You’re lying! Four days ago, you told me that you were a virgin.”

“Four days ago, I was,” I say smugly, despite my fear.

“No! Fuuuck!” Nero shouts, punching the steering wheel over and over again before hissing out a sharp breath, and I stare at them in disbelief. Did they really think they’d make so much money off me a second time? “Now we have to go with plan B.”

“What’s plan B?” Natalie asks.

Nero pulls over to the side of the road, and a chill runs down my back when he turns around to look at me. “You better hope that fucking biker values you enough to ransom you back. If he doesn’t, we’ll have another auction. Virgin or not, I’m getting my money’s worth.”

And then he makes the call.