Page 6 of Property of the Hellfire Riders

“You like this one or something?”

“No! He just seems massive!” Heat rises in my cheeks.

“He is. Six foot eight and all muscle. Tank’s been with Hawk since he started his rise to the top.” She zooms in as she continues her speech. “He’s officially the sergeant in arms for them I think, but really, he’s more like the enforcer. He’s ex-special ops, lost half his team on a mission gone rogue. Guess he found a new place to funnel all that rage.”

“Right…” I mumbled, staring down at my coffee.

“And if you liked Tank, well, you probably like this one,” she scrolls to the next one with a dainty smirk on her lips.

If Hawk is the storm, then this one is the ice that freezes your bones. His eyes are this light, silvery gray that makes you think of winter skies just before a blizzard hits. His sandy blonde hair and lean build might fool you into thinking he's the less dangerous of the trio, but there's something in his stance, a coiled readiness.

“Those were the three that were there last night.” I push her phone rubbing my temples. “Jesus, Laina. How long have you been hunting these guys?”

“A while now. They’re like ghosts, always just out of reach, but I know big things are coming, and I want to be ready when it all comes down.” She leans back in her chair with a smirk on her face. “These guys are guilty, and I’m going to be the one who proves it.”

“You need to be careful,” I say, but my words don’t mean anything. We’ve been told that time and time again by all different sorts of people. It never changes anything. Just because you're told to be careful, doesn’t make you stop and think. I sound more like her old mother than her best friend.

But that’s how it’s always been. Laina charges headfirst into danger, without thought or worry. It’s how she ended being a photojournalist and I took the safe job working with the feds.

“Don’t you worry about me, pretty girl. I can handle myself.” She winks. "Besides, I got you as my bestie, right?”

“Yeah, you do.” I laugh, even though the unease in my stomach has doubled.

So? Laina draws out. “Anything new on the boyfriend front?”

“Laina, seriously? What are we?”

“What?” She grins.

“I would’ve told you if I was getting an inkling of action. You’d be the first person I’d call if a man even looked at my pussy.”

“Izzy, you just don’t put yourself out there. You can’t spend all your twenties not getting you downstairs taken care of.”

“Laina! I don’t have time for a relationship.”

“Who said anything about a relationship? I’m talking about hot, hard fucking. You need one. Desperately. I mean what if your pussy shrivels up?”

I drop my head into my hands, trying to block her out.

“I seriously cannot believe this is what you want to talk about.”

“God. You’re such a damn prude,” she groans. “I swear.”

“I happen to like my prude status just fine.”

“That’s such a lie, Izzy. Come on.”

I shoot her a sharp dare. “Why are you even bringing this up right?”

“I’m going out later tonight and thought maybe you’d want to come. Put on a tight little dress, grind up on some guys and let them sweat all over you.”

“Gross,” I say in a flat voice. “Hard pass. I just need some rest.”

“Your loss.” She jumps up out of the seat, walking toward my front door.

“Promise me, you’ll be safe,” I say to her.

“Oh my gosh!” She swats my arm. “Relax. I’m fine. I’ll text you when I get home, okay?”

---