Page 45 of Steel

“Just to be safe. We don’t know who these are from. If there are prints or something on them, the police or the Dirty Mavericks might be able to find something.”

“Makes sense,” she whispers, her voice as shaky as her hands. She grabs a pair of tweezers from her makeup table and grabs the edge of the note, lifting it so we can all see it. “Peek-a-boo, I see you.” She glances up at me with furrowed brows. “What the hell does that mean?”

I drop a hand to cover my stomach as it clenches, and the back of my throat burns.

Is this connected to me? Is this a warning that Killer knows where I am?

No, that’s impossible. Plus, if he did, according to Steel, he’d just take me out straight away. This person is playing a game, and that’s not Killer’s style.

Just as I open my mouth to reply, a horrified scream echoes through the quiet building, and we all take off running in that direction. There’re a few people gathered around one of the private dance rooms, and when I push my way through, awhimper escapes my lips as I catch sight of the woman on the floor. If it wasn’t for the tattoo on the side of her thigh, we’d never be able to identify her as Brooke, one of our dancers.

Reva bends down to check on her, putting the call she’s making on speaker, and that’s when I notice the black rose in Brooke’s hand and the note resting on top of it.

I squat down to get a better look at what it says and suck in a sharp breath when I read it.

Peek-a-boo, I see you.

Who the hell are they sending a message to? They’re telling someone that they see them, but who? Me, or someone else?

“Wraith is sending some of the guys over. You better get downstairs. He said they’re about five minutes out,” Reva says, holding a hand out to help me to my feet.

I bite the inside of my cheek when my healing wound pulls a bit. “Okay. Will you let me know what’s going on? I hate not being able to be up here.” My eyes fall to Brooke. “Did anyone call an ambulance?”

“Wraith has Kiwi coming. She’s a surgeon the club has on call, and her husband is a member. She’s got her own clinic, and she’s the best. I did what Blade asked to check Brooke while you were zoned out, and he said she should be okay until Kiwi gets here, but that if she starts to decline to rush her to the hospital.” Reva squeezes my hand. “I’ll let you know what’s happening as soon as they leave.”

Reva has Harris, one of our bouncers, walk me down to the apartment so she knows I make it safely after what’s happened tonight, and I’m thankful for it. I won’t admit it, but this stuff has got me completely freaked-out. On one hand, it’s possible it may be connected to me, but then on the other, I think I’m being ridiculous because there’s no way they know where I’m at this quickly. If it’s connected to me, I don’t know if that’s something Ican deal with because that would mean there are more innocent people getting hurt, and that’s the last thing that I want.

Not long after I’m tucked safely inside, three sharp knocks sound off from the door before it swings open. Steel strides through, his tempestuous green eyes locking onto mine the moment he steps into the apartment. He eats up the distance between us, the chains around his boots clinking together with every heavy step he takes. The closer he gets, the more his eyes roam over me as if he’s searching for injuries.

He stops in front of where I’m sitting, drops both hands to the back of the couch either the side of my head so he’s sort of caging me in, then he leans down until we’re nose-to-nose and he can stare into my eyes.

“Good, Hummingbird?” he rumbles.

I swear, those fucking words hit me straight between the legs, and I have to clench my thighs them together. Lifting my hands, I hook my fingers in the belt loops at his hips.

“All good, bossman,” I whisper, watching with satisfaction as his pupils dilate, and his eyes fill with liquid heat when my breath brushes against his lips.

He keeps me caged in as we stare into each other’s eyes. The moment is intense. Probably one of the most intense we’ve had in all the times we’ve known each other, which is saying something because we’ve had some freaking consuming ones. Maybe it’s because I feel something else burning underneath this one. I don’t know, but it makes my pulse race, my pussy hungry, and my heart ache.

Steel lifts slightly, but instead of pulling completely away like I was expecting him to, he wraps one hand around my neck, right under my chin so his fingers wrap around my jaw. He lifts my face to meet his as he brings his mouth down to mine.

To say he completely devours my mouth would be an understatement. Steel owns me with his kiss. He marks me andmy soul. He tells me with the savagery of it that I’m his and he’s finally claiming me.

He’ll never say it out loud, and I could be reading into it what I want to, but there’s something different this time. Something that’s not been there before. I just wish I knew what it was.

Steel pulls away and rubs his thumb across my bottom lip, wiping away the saliva left behind. “Stay locked up down here where it’s safe. Be back once shit’s squared away up there. Brooke is okay. Kiwi said nothin’ is broken, which she’s lucky for, but she’s goin’ to be in a lot of pain. Went over the cameras. Whoever it was, they were able to bypass them and all the bouncers in here. Don’t fuckin’ like it. Goin’ to go up there and go over shit with the others, and once they’re gone, I’ll be back.” His fingers tighten as he lifts my face farther. “Get a shower. Don’t bother puttin’ any clothes back on. A robe will do.” He leans down and bites my bottom lip. “Anything else will only get in the way.”

He strides out without looking back.

Sitting here in a daze, I run my fingers over my lips as I play his words on repeat in my head, trying to decipher the meanings and tear apart the nuances until I know exactly what he wants. Is that what I need to be doing, though? He was pretty clear in his demand. The ball is in my court. Either I get a shower and be in nothing but a robe when he comes back, or I do nothing and reject him. The smart choice would be the latter, but it’s also the most boring. And after everything I’ve been through the last two weeks, I want to get out of my head. I want to find a distraction that’s bad for me. And Steel . . . well, he’s always been bad for me.

If I can remember to keep feelings out of it, why shouldn’t I have fun? Why shouldn’t I use him as he did me in the past? Fair is fair, right? It was okay for him, so there’s no reason it can’t be for me.

Grabbing the cane from beside me, I use it to pull myself to my feet and head to the shower.

Why is it the things that aren’t healthy for you, always seem to taste the best?

Chapter thirteen

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