Page 45 of Cruel Savior

"Axel," JD warned with a pointed look.

"What? She just challenged me. You expect me to let that slide?"

"I don't," I said. "If it's a test you want, I'm more than happy to give you one. Name your poison. Shooting? Hand to hand combat? Driving?"

Tel snickered. "She's probably a better shot than you are."

"Yeah, but he'd take her easily in hand to hand. She's so tiny."

I tried to ignore the jabs from Tel and Zook, but obviously they were going to fan the flames. And tiny? Really? That's a word no one had ever used to describe me. I was taller than average and with all the training I put myself through, my body had definitely bulked up since high school. Although Zook was a big man. He looked almost like a bald, leather-wrapped giant. From his perspective, everyone probably looked small.

"We don't have time for the two of you to get into a pissing contest. This isn't a competition. This is serious business."

"Never said it wasn't," Axel said without taking his gaze off of mine. "But I can tell you right now, she's not going anywhere until she proves herself."

"Oh shit," Zook groaned. "Even I know those are fighting words."

He was right about that. "I don't have to prove anything. I do what I want." A second after those words left my mouth, I regretted them. I needed to tread a little more carefully. It wouldn't surprise me to find myself locked in some sort of cage ‘for my own good’. These men could be barbaric when it came to keeping those they cared about safe.

"Okay, when you two children are done, you let me know. I'm not going to watch."

"I am," Tel blurted out with far too much excitement, while tapping out something on his phone.

"Me too," Zook piped in.

"So, what's it going to be Ms. Kickass? You ready to take me on?"

Maybe he was kidding, and maybe he wasn't. Either way, he'd thrown down a gauntlet I couldn't resist. "I'm still waiting for you to choose." I probably should have done the choosing myself. They were right I probably couldn't take him down in a physical fight. Although I did have a few tricks that would at least give him a run for his money.

"Driving," Tel said. "We'll make it a race."

I looked sideways at him. "In what? I don't exactly see any race cars around here. The trucks?"

A slow smile crossed Tel's face. "Already covered. The guys are on their way with the ATVs."

Axel shook his head."I don't think that's a great—"

"Perfect." I interrupted. I'd done some training on some 4-wheelers. I could at least handle driving one of those, and I might have a fighting chance. Although shooting would have been fun.

Next time.That thought brought me up short. It wasn't smart to entertain ideas such as that. To suggest that we were now friends or something more would be a mistake. I didn't belong here any more than I belonged at my job. And staying in Sultan was out of the question. Although my options on where to go next were as limited now as they'd been when I'd returned. As soon as this thing with the Mazzeo heir was done, I would have to figure out what came next.

It was time to get back on my own two feet.

Before Axel could complain or say something else to piss me off, the whine of small cycle engines sounded from somewhere in the distance.

"That was fast."

Tel shrugged. "I like to get shit done. Why wait?"

JD was shaking his head as he walked down the front path, seemingly headed in the direction of the clubhouse. But I'd caught the slight smile on his face before he turned away. I didn't know exactly what he was up to, but if I had to guess, I'd say he'd just gotten exactly what he wanted.

However, I didn't have time to analyze any of that because two four-seater side by sides zoomed around the corner and came to a quick halt right in front of the cabin. From the cuts they wore it was obvious they were other members of the club, but these I'd yet to meet.

"Mandy," Zook looked up at me and met my gaze. "I can call you Mandy, right?"

I bit my lip and nodded. The sudden familiarity of these men I barely knew made my chest clench. I hated to admit it but being here with them and getting to work with them was fast becoming a highlight of my year. I glanced over at Axel quickly and found him studying me with an intensity that caught me off guard. What was that about?

"Cool. Mandy, these are our newbies. They just got patched in."

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