Page 8

Jade

There is a strange man in the kitchen, and my heart drops to my stomach at the thought of Buck sending someone to find me. The faint smell of coffee wafts through the air, but it’s overshadowed by the sight of this mountain of a man sitting casually at the kitchen table like he owns the place.

He’s huge—nearly as big as Saint—with a buzz cut and a long dark beard. He’s in a sleeveless shirt and vest that expose arms covered in tattoos not unlike those on Saint’s arms. The stranger is scrolling through his phone, holding a mug of coffee with the other. I squint, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep as I tiptoe backward, the cool floor sending little shivers up my spine.

“He’s not here,” the giant rumbles, keeping his eyes on the phone, and I freeze. Is he talking to me? I can’t tell with his eyes on the phone, but I don’t want to risk moving in case I am wrong and alert him of my presence.

My plan is to slowly creep back upstairs and lock myself in the bedroom until Saint comes back or the man breaks down the door and gets to me. I hope that his bulk will slow him down, and I can outrun him if I have to. Of course, I could slip out through the front door and run into the street, but I am wearing only a thin t-shirt of Saint’s and I am barefoot. I don’t imagine I’ll get far before the man catches up with me.

I take another step back, trying to make as little noise as possible, and that’s the moment he finally looks up. I freeze once more, blinking at the man and waiting for him to speak or come after me, but he stays seated, humor dancing in his brown eyes as he watches me.

“I have the hearing of a bat. I heard you the second you woke up,” he says with a smile that I can only describe as sinister. “Relax, I don’t bite.” I look around for a weapon in case the man decides to make some kind of move, but he’s between me and anything I might be able to use. “Do you even talk?”

“W-who are you?”

“Thank fuck, I was beginning to think you don’t talk,” he snarks, turning back to his phone. “I’m Knox. Saint called me here to keep an eye on you.”

“I’m not a kid. I don’t need to be watched!” I hiss, already disliking the guy.

“Maybe not, but you must be important to Saint for him to ask me to stay.”

His words have my heart swelling at the thought of me being of any importance to Saint, and I find myself smiling like a fool. This is insane. I haven’t even known the man for a day, and I am already head over heels for him, a man whose life is still a mystery to me. But I know for sure that my feelings are true. I spent the entire night in his arms, and I have a vague memory of Saint kissing me in the morning as he left. Speaking of which, “Where is he?” I find myself asking the stranger—Knox.

“Taking care of a rat problem.”

My eyes widen in alarm as I look around. “Rats? Where?”

“Not a real…never mind,” he says, bringing the mug to his mouth to drink.

“So, butterc–”

“Jade!” I hiss, and he chuckles. Yeah, I’m not sure I like him at all.

“Sure, so tell me, Jade , how exactly does one find themselves the showpiece of a sex auction?”

I glare at the man, but before I can say anything, I suddenly hear the unmistakable roar of a motorcycle engine coming up the driveway. My heart skips a beat, and I can’t help but feel a rush of excitement. I find myself practically flying toward the window, my pulse quickening with every step.

Peering through the glass, I catch a glimpse of Saint pulling up on a sleek black motorcycle, chrome accents glinting in the sunlight. As he parks, I finally get to see his bike in a way I couldn’t last night. It’s huge, with a deep rich shade of black paint that contrasts beautifully with silver accents. I’m no motorcycle expert, but I even notice the custom details like the intricate design on the seat.

I watch as Saint stands next to the bike and stretches his back and arms. Something in my stomach flutters as he takes off his helmet, revealing his tousled blond hair. He’s wearing a white shirt and a vest—similar to what Knox is wearing—and my brows draw in confusion. It’s not until Saint turns around that I spot the embroidery on the back, and I gasp as I realize what I am looking at.

Motorcycle club patches. I can’t quite make out the lettering from the window, but I don’t know what to do with this knowledge. Or how to feel about it. There are tons of small motorcycle clubs in the Chicago, and most of them are harmless, I think. Maybe these guys belong to one of those.

Saint steps away from the bike and starts walking toward the house. I back up a step, my heart racing, but for an entirely different reason now. The door opens before I can gather my thoughts, and standing there in all his glory is the most gorgeous man I have ever seen. He looks even more rugged and imposing than he did in the suit he wore last night.

I realize suddenly that Saint is still practically a stranger, a man I know nothing about, and yet I gave him my heart and body.

There is heat in those intense blue eyes when he spots me. He gives me a once over, his eyes lingering on my pebbling nipples poking at the fabric of the t-shirt, and I fight the urge to cover myself. I shuffle my feet nervously, and I can feel my core pulsing needily at the way he traces his eyes over my body. For a minute, I am transported to last night when we were both naked and touching each other, and I can tell he’s thinking of the same thing as his nostrils flare and desire takes root in his expression.

“You’re up,” he says, walking fully into the house and kicking the door closed behind him before crossing over to me. “How are you feeling?”

“F-feeling? About what? Nothing, I’m not feeling anything,” I stammer, flustered as he stops in front of me, but a bark of laughter rudely brings me back to reality, reminding me of our company. Right, the man in the kitchen sent by Saint to babysit me.

Saint’s eyes cross from mine to the man I assume is now standing behind me. I turn around to find the giant leaning against the wall, watching us with amusement. “So, this is the girl who has been making you spiral out of control? I couldn’t make her out clearly from the stage last night.”

“Knox!” Saint warns from behind me, his voice carrying enough threat in that single word to send a chill running down my back, but the other man doesn’t seem fazed. I imagine if the two got into a fight, they’d probably bring down the house along with them.

“Hey, you called me here to guard buttercup. What’s wrong with asking questions?”

“Jade,” I hiss, fighting the urge to stomp my foot.

“Right,” he laughs. “Speaking of which, you never did say how you ended up on stage at the club in the first place.”

I glare at the man, my dislike growing, but I figure I might as well tell the story with Saint here. I sigh, but when a hand settles over my shoulder, I feel myself pulled back against the man and lean into his warmth.

“I was there for an interview.”

Knox narrows his eyes. “To do what?”

“Is Knox short for obnoxious? Why don’t you let me tell my story without interrupting?” I snap, earning a snort from Saint and a shocked look from Knox.

After a beat, he smirks and points at me. “I like you,” he says, then gestures for me to carry on telling the story.

“Okay so, I’ve been looking for a part-time job. One that would not really get in the way of my college studies. I’m an art history major and was looking for a way to make money when I don’t have classes,” I say, recalling telling these exact details to Natalie. “My roommate suggested working as a server at a club. I was hesitant at first, but she pointed out that working at night wouldn’t interfere with my studies and the hours would be flexible. She told me she knew a place that was hiring and could get me an interview.”

“She set you up,” Saint grits out from behind me, and I can feel his body grow tense.

“Yes,” I say with a sad nod, leaning fully on Saint as my heart aches afresh with the memory of the betrayal. “She told me she knew the manager of the club and that she’d put in a good word for me. I went there thinking I was interviewing to be waitstaff.”

“Then what happened?” Knox asks, his tone softer than I’ve heard it so far, and the humor has died from his expression. He looks far scarier when he’s serious than he did moments ago.

“The manager Buck laughed in my face when I said that I was there to interview for a server job. Said they were not looking for waitstaff, but when I tried to leave…” I swallow, a chill running down my spine at the memory of the fear I felt at that moment, staring at a man with dead eyes. “He wouldn’t let me go. He had a guard at the door to stop me from leaving. He said that Natalie was the one who’d sent me to him, and I was going to make him a lot of money. He threatened me with a gun, and I thought…”

Saint’s grip on my shoulder tightens. “What?”

I laugh sardonically as I recall my silly naive thoughts during the scariest moments of my life. “I thought that if I went on stage, the men in the crowd would be appalled. That they would riot at the thought of a human auction, but everyone was so excited.”

They were practically jumping in their seats, tossing around insane amounts of money during the bidding. In that moment, I’d felt helpless. More helpless than I’d felt when Buck had placed a gun to my temple and threatened to shoot me if I caused a scene.

“Those fuckers!” Knox growls, his eyes filled with rage, and in that second, I place him. Something about Knox looked familiar, but I wasn’t sure where I had seen him.

“You were there last night too,” I say, briefly recalling spotting him standing next to Saint. “Why were you at the club?” I turn around to look at Saint, and I can imagine the hurt in my expression. “Were you there for the auction?”

“No,” Saint shakes his head, a muscle jumping in his cheek. “We were there for someone else. We had no idea an auction would be happening.”

I believe him.

After everything I’ve been through, I can’t believe I have it in me to trust, but when it comes to this man, I find it hard to doubt anything he tells me.

“This roommate of yours,” Knox’s voice pulls my attention back to him. “Do you think this is the first time she’s done this sort of thing?”

I shake my head. While I was locked alone in that small room, I did think about Natalie and questioned why she would do this. We’ve known each other less than four months, but I’d thought we were becoming friends. But then I realized that the girl had never truly viewed me as her friend. She’d been cold and aloof when we started rooming together, but that changed a few months ago when she suddenly became friendly. I didn’t think much of it, but in hindsight, it seems she already had plans for me.

“I think she’s done this before. Buck implied that they worked together. I-I don’t think I can see her again. I don’t know how I’ll get my things from the apartment, but I can’t handle talking to her again.”

“You won’t,” Saint assure me, his tone menacing.

“Right. You just leave that to me, buttercup.” I want to snap at his repeated use of the nickname, but the tone he uses as he says it has changed from mocking to something like fondness. “Give Saint your address. Me and a couple of the guys will get your things and see about having a little…chat with Miss Natalie. Maybe she’ll tell us what those fuckers want with you now.”

My heart stops. At least that’s what it feels like as I blink at the large bearded man standing a few steps away from me, trying to make sense of the words he just spoke.

“T-they are looking for me?” I choke out, suddenly feeling lightheaded.

It’s not over? Buck and his men are looking for me? How many of them are there and what happens when they find me?

“Get the fuck out, Knox!”

I expect the man to ignore Saint and make some snarky comment, but Knox simply nods. I catch a look of concern in his expression as he walks past us, slapping Saint on the shoulder before he walks to the door. I don’t turn around to watch him leave, only catching the sound of the door opening and shutting, followed by the roar of a motorcycle engine before it fades as he rides off.

“Jade—”

I whip around to look at Saint, my fingers trembling as I grab the front of his vest, my eyes pleading for him to tell me that Knox was lying. “Y-you bid on me,” I whisper shakily, and he flinches at the words, but I’ve stopped seeing it as a bad thing. I know things would have been different if I’d ended up in the arms of someone else. “You won me. I became yours after the auction. Why would they want me?” I rack my mind for a reason. “The auction was just supposed to be for one night. Do they want to auction me again, or do they think that I know something and could go to the cops?”

“It doesn’t matter what the fuck those assholes want with you. You’re not going anywhere.”

“But—”

“I will tear apart anyone who touches you, Jade. No one harms anything that belongs to the president of the Steel Rebels and lives to tell the tale.”

Steel Rebels!

I didn’t think I had it in me to be surprised any more than I have been already, and yet here I am. I’ve seen the embroidery on the back of both Saint’s and Knox’s matching vests. I made out the patches as those of a motorcycle club, but I assumed it was one of the small harmless clubs in the city.

Everyone in Chicago knows who the Steel Rebels are, a gang of notorious leather-clad outlaws who ride through the city on their roaring motorcycles. While it’s never been proven, they’ve long been suspected as having a role in the weapons trade. Everyone knows to avoid the rural area outside the city limits where their clubhouse is located. They don’t even try to keep its location a secret like most clubs.

And yet, I somehow ended up in the home of their president.

I’ve heard of him too, of course. The president of the Steel Rebels is known to be a ruthless man with the patience of a… “Saint,” I whisper, my eyes widening in alarm. I want to smack myself for not connecting the dots sooner.

“You belong to me, precious. I will tear apart anyone who tries to steal you away!”