He looked away from me, frowning. When he looked back to me, his expression cleared.
“We got the surveillance footage from your sister’s gym. Block was watching it for the third time when he realized Dixon, Diana’s brother, is the man who posed as ‘Wycliffe.’”
I shook my head. “That can’t be right. He was in Jacksonville yesterday.”
His chin dipped. “Yeah, so he had more than enough time to get here after Diana got into my house. Hell, I opened the door to the fucker because I thought it was one of my brothers coming to help me deal with Diana.”
My eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I had no idea.”
“Yeah, and I had wanted to keep it that way. Why are you getting dressed?”
I scoffed while I pulled on my panties. “You aren’t the only one who wants to punch that asshole.”
His gaze tipped down for a moment.
“You aren’t getting any licks in, Stephanie.”
“The hell I’m not,” I said, and my hand went to my hip.
He took a deep breath. “You’re staying here, babe.”
My eyes shifted to the bed and back to him. I smiled. “Why would I do that?”
His look said I wouldn’t like his answer, but he stepped close to me.
“Because I’m asking you to stay here.”
My head tilted a touch. “Now you are. Five seconds ago, you told me I was staying put.” I paused and stared into his green eyes. “You’re trying to keep me in the dark because you intend to kill him.”
The bob of one eyebrow was his only response.
I ached to touch him, but his calm demeanor seemed fake and I suspected his temper was close to the surface. After a very long blink, I looked at him again, and that expression was still blank.
“You can’t kill him,” I whispered.
Open hostility took over his face.
“The fuck I can’t,” he grumbled.
I threw my hand out to the side. “How many other women has he conned? Do you—”
“I don’t care,” he hissed.
Both of my hands were on my hips and I leaned toward him. “You should! I’m not his only victim, of that I’m sure. And he needs to pay for all the problems he’s caused me and any other woman.”
His lips curled with disdain. He leaned toward me. “It’s great you want him to pay up, babe. And it’s nice you care about the other victims. But you need to face facts. He isn’t going to pay for shit through the legal system.”
“You don’t know that if he never goes to jail!”
His sigh filled the room, sounding like an angry animalistic groan.
I expected him to stalk away from me.
Instead he leaned even closer. “I don’t care about the past. I care about making sure he never does this shit again. The best way for that to happen is to take his ass out. Right now, we have a decent scenario for that to happen.”
Looking into his eyes, I knew there was no changing his mind and it disturbed me. Reflexively, my lips pursed, I turned around and I walked to the other side of the bed. I heard his belt buckle clink and caught sight of him pulling on his jeans.
“You’re going commando,” I blurted.
He smirked. “Yeah. You got anything else to say to me?”
My eyes slid to the side and I fought pouting.
“I suppose not.”
“Look at me.”
I gave him my eyes, but his jeans hanging open distracted me.
“Won’t tell you again, Priss.”
I glowered up at him.
He chuckled.
I arched my brows in question.
“I have something else to say to you.”
When his pause became loaded silence, I asked, “And that is?”
“I love you.”
My stomach dipped, and I gave him a small smile. “I love you, too.”
His head turned just enough that he was looked at me from the corner of his eyes.
“Feels like there’s a ‘but’ coming.”
I shook my head. “No. You have your ‘decent scenario,’ and that’s that. I thought about riding to the clubhouse a few minutes after you leave, but I’m not going to do that. You said honesty is key between us, so there you have it. I’ll stay here even though I really don’t fucking like it.”
He erupted with a growl so loud I thought it could be heard in the rooms next to us. After he stooped to grab his t-shirt, his eyes glittered at me.
“Put some pants on. You’re riding with me.”
I fought a smile. “I can ride in —”
“No,” he clipped out. He yanked the t-shirt over his head viciously before he pointed at me. “You’re riding with me. On my bike. So put on some pants. Don’t give me any lip, Combes.”
I didn’t see what the big deal was about whether I was in shorts or pants, but his tone brooked no argument. Luckily, I had packed my favorite jeans, so I tugged them on and put on my boots. By the time I was ready, Har was putting on his cut.
I opened my mouth to ask why I had to ride with him, but he gave me a look which told me to think twice.
He nodded. “You’re gonna get one lick in with the asshole. After that, you’re in my room.”
When my lips parted, he shook his head again.
“I was just going to say, fine. You don’t need to be so bossy.”
He chuckled and it sounded sinister. “Bossy is all I know, babe. So get used to it.”
“Why the about-face?” I asked.
He glowered at me. “I don’t fuckin’ know, and you should let it go or I might change my mind again.”
Chapter 25 Desperate
Stephanie
SITTING BEHIND HAR on his bike felt strange. My hands yearned to grab the grips of the bike, but he was in my way. He shifted in front of me before his hands shot back to grab my wrists to wrap my arms around him.
“Scoot closer, Miss Priss.”
That wasn’t a hardship by any means, but after I slid closer he shook his head.
“Closer, babe. I want you plastered to me.”
I rolled my eyes, but pulled myself so close my crotch was
