Page 19 of Bullet

Bristol lifted her face to me. “Stormy is the girl I told you about last night.” She turned back to the men. “I haven’t seen her since she ran out of the club. I’m worried about her. She’s living at The Foxglove, but when I went over there yesterday, she didn’t answer her door.”

“Room number?” the asshole asked.

“Twelve.”

“She hasn’t tried to contact you?” The man in the suit slid his hand into his pocket.

Heat flared within me, and the gun at my back branded my skin.

“No.” Bristol chewed her lip and scrutinized the man. “Who are you? I mean, she never mentioned you. She never talked about anyone. I didn’t even know her name was Madison.”

“Emerson Barras.”

“What do you want with her?” I asked.

“None of your fucking business,” Mars snapped.

I took a step toward him. “You’re at my fucking house. That makes it my fucking business.”

“Yourold ladyis my hired help,” Mars said.

Bristol puffed up and faced Mars. My girl was protective. “I’m a contract worker, so don’t think you can play tough guy and intimidate me. I dance, but I don’t work for you. Don’t expect me to answer your fucking questions. I told you I don’t know where she is, but I can see why she bounced as soon as she saw you.”

Emerson’s mouth pulled into a hard line. “She belongs to me.”

I wrapped an arm around Bristol and put her behind me. “And Bristol belongs to me. You want to talk to her, show some respect. Now, get the fuck out of here.” I flicked my cigarette past Mars. “If we see her, we’ll tell her you’re looking for her.”

Bristol popped her hip. “And I’ll tell her to keep running.”

Jesus. Bristol didn’t know to quit while she was ahead. At least, they’d believe her spitting and hissing.

“I have no doubt she knows I’m looking for her. When I find her, and I will, you won’t want to be anywhere near her.” Emerson inspected his nails. “I’m a dangerous man, Bristol. You don’t want to cross me. I promise you, she’s not worth it.” A deviant smile curled his lips. “At least not to you.” His gaze narrowed. “However, she’s priceless to me.”

Chapter Three

Stormy

I crouched in the corner of the tub. As quietly as I could, I put on my trainers. I had to run. I’d go out the window. I’d rather plunge to my death than face Emerson. It had been almost four months, but I’d lived under his control for three years. What if he still had power over me?

I crossed my arms to calm the trembles firing through me. Could my life get any more fucked?

Apparently, yes, it could. Adrenaline had my heart slamming against my ribs and breaking in a fated twist of bad luck. What kind of karmic shit had I done? Maybe in a past life I’d raped, murdered, and pillaged. Or maybe this was what I deserved because I should’ve fought harder, not just for myself, but for the girls Emerson had hurt. Maybe I deserved this piercing pain in my chest.

Bullet was the biker from the warehouse. I felt the truth like a blow to my belly. Bristol’s biker-boyfriend-pimp. Another hot and painful hit. A killer, and a man I couldn’t forget. I wanted to curl into myself because I didn’t think I could feel anything more. I was emotionally torn open and bloody.

Bullet washim.

And last night, he’d fucked Bristol in the bed beside me. A man I’d imagined… Nothing I’d ever imagined came close to this.

My head rested against the tile of the tub enclosure. I recognized the voices in the other room, but they couldn’t drown out the memory of the one in my head. A voice and a man I’d dreamed of when I was in my darkest moments, knowing he was out there somewhere.

I’d kept him a secret, kept the night he’d killed a secret. He wasmysecret.

And he was Bristol’s lover.

That night at the warehouse, he’d worn a Crawler cut and had a body honed of muscle. And he’d just challenged Emerson and Mars because they’d threatened Bristol. His old lady. A biker’s claim to his woman. Possessive. Ride or die.

I didn’t have any claim to Bullet. But I hadn’t realized how I’d feel to know my secret could belong to my best friend. It sucked. It hurt.

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