Page 8 of Bound by Passion (Ravage MC)

And who the fuck was the woman who faced off with him? That woman was supposed to be repressed. Then bam. Raid entered and unleashed her inner strength.

I didn’t expect to see him by the door, and for some reason I let the mask fall completely to the ground. The man had a gun to another man’s head, and my survival instincts kicked in. Slipping in as if they were never suppressed. It was stupid and reckless. God, I hoped I wouldn’t live to regret it.

Trouble always seemed to follow me, and I didn’t need to add any of the Ravage MC or Raid Monroe into the mix. Hisknowledgeof me had me on edge. I wondered why he checked me out and where that put my standing with him. Sure, maybe he did look into everyone. When I got here, the thought had crossed my mind that someone in Ravage would look into me. They ran the fucking town, but how deep did they dig? Based on what Raid shared, not far enough.

It was comforting to know that my cover story held up, though. But with my little display last night, he’d know it was made up. Unfortunately, Raid didn’t appear to be a stupid man and let it go.

After I scrubbed my body and hair, I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. I dried off and then tossed my hair up in it. The shower did very little to staunch the vibrating arousal. Damn him.

The bathroom was small but effective. It had everything I needed, was in good shape, and was mine. A safe place where I felt I could actually breathe. It was a luxury I didn’t have for years. I had to wonder what that safety would entail now that I was really on Raid’s radar.

Getting ready was simple. When I wasn’t going to work, I used minimal makeup. My brownish eyelashes allowed me to look as though I had mascara on, and my blue eyes always popped. Depending on the lighting and outfit they looked almost purple. A slight bit of concealer for those little red marks that never seemed to go away no matter how much pimple cream I tried was the only thing on my face.

I ran a comb through my hair and then added the gunk to keep it soft as it dried. I didn’t have time to blow dry it, but there was really no need.

Moving to my bedroom, I searched for my clothes. Laundry. I really needed to do some laundry. Certain chores in life one hated. Laundry was one of mine. My washer had died, and hauling everything to the laundromat sucked ass.

Not to mention, now that I thought about it, the Ravage MC owned the laundromat I went to. Great… The way my luck was going, I’d run into Raid and Ravage. There was no escaping them.

My bedroom was simple. Bed, dresser, bedside table and closet. All of which came from the repurposing shop in town which allowed me to get a few nice pieces without paying the high prices.

One concession was the bed. It was new. All mine. Soft and the best thing ever. It was like sleeping on a cloud. So different than a cardboard slab.

Bedding, clothes, and towels were also new. Tips were great at Bimbo’s, but saving money was my bottom line. Every dime I could was saved.

My small home was perfect. One bedroom, a living room, kitchen and bathroom. It had air conditioning and heat, not that I needed it much here in Georgia.

Luckily, this home was listed as a contract for deed, which meant I could pay cash directly to the owners and didn’t have to get a loan from a bank.

Keeping a small digital footprint in the world allowed me to stay in the background.

Slipping on shorts and a light gray shirt that hung off my shoulder, tennis shoes made the look complete. It wasn’t a look really. It was a fit in with the crowd comfortable appearance.

On the secondhand couch that I scrubbed the hell out of, my bag laid there. Grabbing that, my keys, and tossing my purse in the bag, I checked the locks of the house and made sure it was secure.

The one-car garage was attached which was another reason I bought this home. It had no windows, and the only door was the garage door that went up and down, offering the best security.

Punching in the alarm code, the beeping that told me to lock up and get out went off.

My black Jeep Cherokee sat there, ready to go. Getting in and locking the doors, only then did I hit the button for the garage door to go up. I waited for it to close once I pulled out.

Searching my surroundings, nothing looked amiss. Children were playing in their yards. Men and women were cutting grass and tending to their flowers. It was a “normal” neighborhood. The best way to hide was in plain sight.

I kicked myself for not waiting for Cass to come out of the bar before leaving last night. I was so damn tired and just wanted to go home. It clouded my judgment. I allowed myself to get too complacent. Not that I couldn’t take care of myself, but I never wanted to put myself in a position to have to do that.

And there I was, jumping directly into the fire.

Hopping on Sumner Road, I rolled the windows down and let the air inside the Jeep. It was a cool morning, and the air made me feel free when I always felt so locked up these days.

At the edge of the city limit, the sounds of bikes roared, and an unusual thrill hit me. After my sexual scenarios that featured Raid, my focus lasered on the bikes as they came closer and closer, thinking just maybe he’d be on one.

Instantly, my eyes locked onto Raid’s. Even with a helmet and sunglasses on, I knew exactly who he was. Even with his twin, Ax, very close, for some reason I could tell the difference even with their hair covered. It was this undeniable pull to him; he had my attention. I wasn’t sure I liked this building heat coursing inside of me.

Hopefully my eyes weren’t able to be seen through my sunglasses because he’d probably use that gun on me for even staring in his direction. Men like him… I knew men like him. They had a purpose, and everything in their world revolved around that purpose. My guess would be that it was all about Ravage.

But I couldn’t take my gaze away from his strength and how his thighs hugged that large piece of machinery beneath him. He was mesmerizing. Strong, bold, breathtaking.

When he got closer, his head turned, focusing intently on me. His chin tipped as if he knew it was me behind my shield and acknowledged it.

---