“We protect you and Nik will see it as an act of war.”
I reached out and trailed my fingers up and down his arm, tracing his ink with a teasing, erotic touch. “I can make it worth your while.”
His hand shot out and fisted in my hair, making me hiss. “Don’t screw with me, Natasha. The rumors are true, I don’t play nice.” It was a warning, but it lacked conviction, his voice hoarse with clear arousal.
I forced a sexy smirk. “I’m well aware.”
His grip tightened in my hair as he said, “Yeah, you’ve got to be damned durable to go a few rounds with Nik. Way I heard it, he’s more hardcore than I am.”
“Well, I like it rough.”
His eyes burned into mine. “You know, Cole hasn’t claimed you as his Old Lady. Means you can’t qualify for club protection. Somebody would have to go out of their way for you on this.”
“Their help would be rewarded.”
I cringed as the words left my lips. The intensity that flared up the moment they were out there made me want to take them back and abort this whole idea.
I couldn’t.
I couldn’t do this.
Mason stepped closer, making me suck in a steadying breath.
“That temper of Cole’s is his undoing.”
Lately, Mason and Cole had been in intense fight after intense fight about it. They were at odds all the time, because Mason had grown beyond tired of Cole’s extreme anger issues and that volatile, dangerous temper of his.
I swallowed hard. “I know.”
Then he leaned in to kiss me.
Before he could make contact, the thump of heavy, rushed footsteps had the both of us stilling.
“What the fuck?” a voice roared.
The next thing I knew, Mason was ripped away from me. His back hit the wall hard enough to make a dent in the drywall.
Cole loomed over him in the next second, his face twisted with fury as he bellowed at Mason, “Making a move on my woman? Are you fucking kidding me?”
Mason’s brow furrowed. He rubbed his eyes like he was coming out of some sort of trance. “Fuck,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean… I’m sorry. Fuck.” His gaze shot to mine and the ferocity in it had me taking a step away. “Fucking succubus,” he seethed. “You screwed with me.”
“What?” Cole demanded.
Mason’s eyes were fixed on mine though, stabbing hard at me. “You played to my weakness. Knew I haven’t found anybody who can handle that rough part of me, knew how hard up I’ve been.”
“No, I—”
But his yell at Cole cut me off, “You let her get too close! You let her infiltrate our inner circle! It’s me, you and Luce. That’s all. See what happens when you fuck with that? This shitshow! Nik Stone coming for her while she’s here on our territory risking starting a war. And now her coming onto me!”
I saw Cole taking his words in, saw the war there all over his features. He was being forced to make a choice.
His best friend or his love.
Guilt slashed through me at seeing his struggle up close. I couldn’t do this. Oh God, I’d made a mistake trying to convince Mason to help me in the only way I knew would appeal to him. The threat of Nik coming had made me so desperate that I was losing my mind. It’d taken a hell of a lot to escape him in the first place. I couldn’t stand the idea of being dragged back into all of that. The fear, the control, the abuse.
But I couldn’t stomach hurting Cole like this either, of him losing anything because of me and my troubles.
“Enough!” I yelled, snatching my phone off Cole’s bedside table.
The two of them were surprised enough by my outburst that all they could do was stare as I put my phone on speakerphone mode, dialed, then started packing my belongings into my duffel bag beside Cole’s dresser that I’d been living out of ever since I’d fled my city.
The call picked up quickly as I thought it would and the rough voice on the other end had me shuddering.
“Sugar? This really you?”
I ignored the stunned reactions from Cole and Mason. “Yeah, Nik. It’s me.”
“You realized your mistake in fucking around with that trumped-up errand boy?”
I tensed as Cole seethed at the insult.
“Yes,” I forced out.
“He can’t give you what you need. He’s a fucking kid. You gotta ride a real man who’s got a cock that’s gonna fill you up proper, stretch that tight pussy and ass of yours, ‘til you feel the burn.”
Urgh.
“Say it,” he growled.
“You’re what I need,” I gritted out.
“Good girl.”
Hearing that voice with those words made me sick to my stomach.
“I’m heading back to the city now. I’ll be at Jezebel's by midnight.”
“See you there. And, sugar?”
“Yeah?”
“You won’t be running again.”
He hung up and I squeezed my eyes shut for a few moments, trying to push down my fear and the nauseating sensation in the pit of my stomach.
Like hell I wouldn’t be running.
There was no way I was showing up at Jezebel’s tonight or any other night.
I was going to ground until enough time had passed and Nik was distracted with other things. The impact to my business would be severe, but I had no choice now. I was on my own. I had to resort to extreme measures.
I hurriedly packed up my things in a matter of seconds.
I ignored Mason and brushed past Cole.
Before I could make it through the door, he grabbed my hand.
“Tasha, I—”
“We had a good run, Cole. Sorry if it meant more to you than it did to me. You were right. I was just using you. I’m sorry. I was just trying to survive.”
I jerked my hand free and hurried out of his room, hurrying down the clubhouse corridor, trying to hold it together.
