Page 13 of Auctioned to the Biker

Something yanks me out of the most peaceful sleep I’ve ever had. My heart thrashes inside my chest, instant panic washing over me. I leap out of bed, my fight or flight response kicking in when I hear a car door slam.

“Micaela!” I call out even though I know she’s gone. I don’t feel her presence, her warmth. My babygirl isn’t here, and what’s worse, I have no fucking clue where she’d run off to or why.

Anger courses through my veins when I think of how she put herself in danger. Again. My wrath quickly gives way to worry and the pressing need to find her. When I catch my sneaky little minx, I’ll have to punish her for stepping out on me.

I throw on jeans and a sweatshirt before dashing into the kitchen to grab my keys from the bowl on the counter. That’s when I see it. A note.

Thank you for the best night of my life.

I know it was supposed to be just business between us, but I let myself believe in the fantasy. You’ll be in my heart and soul for eternity.

Love always,

Your Babygirl

“What the fuck?!” I shout, reading the note over again to make sure I understand. How could she think it was just business between us? There was no fantasy, it was two souls finding each other and connecting on every level.

I take a deep breath, quelling some of my rage. I’m pissed at myself for not making it crystal clear I wanted her in my life for keeps. I’m even more upset with her father, that fucking lowlife scumbag. He kept her isolated and filled her head with poisonous lies that broke her spirit. She doesn’t think she deserves good things, but I’m about to prove her wrong.

I just need to find her first.

Next to the notepad, I notice an unfamiliar phone. It must be Micaela’s. The phone is unlocked with a string of messages pulled up. I don’t care if it’s a violation of her privacy, I have to use every tool available to get to her.

“Shit,” I mutter to myself when I read the texts. They are from her father, who apparently has better lawyers than I thought. Instead of being detained overnight for trespassing and property damage to the auction house, he must have made bail or even had the charges dropped completely.

Everything snaps into place in my mind and I race outside once I realize what the slamming car door I heard earlier means. Sure enough, I see the tail lights of Samuel’s Lexus turning at the end of the long, winding driveway.

I hop in my truck, speeding down the driveway and following the black sedan as it exits onto the highway. I assume he’s headed to his home but I stay on his tail in case he makes any last-minute decisions.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I set it on the dashboard of my truck and use voice command to call an old buddy, Lorenzo. When it starts ringing, I put the call on speaker so I can concentrate on driving.

“Speak of the devil,” Lorenzo answers after the second ring.

“Huh?”

“I was just telling a colleague about the arrogant shithead who thought he could run a gambling ring in Vegas without the Caparelli crime family noticing.”

Despite my current crisis, I find myself smirking at his cheeky response. Not many people know about my upbringing in the streets of Las Vegas. The city was literally built with mob money and continues to be a hotbed of organized crime. I did what I had to do to survive.

“To be fair, youdidn’tnotice for almost a year.”

He chuckles. “I still don’t know how you got away with it. Or how you charmed your way out of a bullet between your eyes, for that matter.”

“Business is business,” I reply. “I made the Caparelli’s good money once we struck a deal.”

“Indeed. You know there’s a spot in the family if you ever change your mind.”

“Maybe someday, but right now I need a favor.”

“You never call to chat anymore,” he teases.

The man rivals me in size, which is saying something. For all the brawn and muscle, you’d think he’d be a growly son of a bitch. He can be, especially when fulfilling his duties as the enforcer for the Caparelli crime family. But to his friends, Lorenzo is a smart ass with a sharp wit.

“It’s important and time-sensitive,” I say, snapping back into protector mode. I can catch up with my friend later. Right now, I need to get to my woman.

“As most favors asked of me usually are.”

I roll my eyes but continue with my request. For all the shit he gives me, Lorenzo is a loyal friend. "I have a shady-as-hell boss who is definitely on the wrong side of the law. I don't have evidence at the moment, but I was hoping you could pull one of your Vegas magician moves and dig up enough dirt to put him away for a long time."

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