Page 139 of Outlaws of Tulsa

Having lived with those guys for so long, I understand the logic. Koyn takes care of those guys, and in turn, they respect the hell out of him. Their loyalty to each other is a big damn deal. I’d been let in their world and broke their trust, which is the ultimate sin to bikers. If Koyn went around accusing his guys of hiding stuff from them, including their pasts that they may wantkept hidden, he’d look like a meddling bastard who doesn’t trust the men they are now.

“I understand that,” I mutter, “and with regular information, that makes sense. But Dragon knows Vidal and Collins. That should trump this loyalty code Koyn lives by. We need to pull Dragon in and interrogate him. Find out everything he knows—”

“Slow your roll, Agent Gale,” Copper interrupts. “For one, you’re no longer a Fed and we’re sure as hell not doing it that way.”

“But it’s him!” I snap, growing angrier by the second. “He’s no better than me being a mole!”

Copper’s hand settles on my thigh and he squeezes. “I know you’re used to going in all guns blazing, but that’s not how I do shit. It’s not the smart way. The smart way is to connect all the threads so when we pull, it all comes out at once. With these fuckers, they’re slick, which means there’s no room for mistakes.”

“Throw it in my face,” I bite out, swatting his hand off my thigh. “Thanks.”

“Just stating the truth, little storm.” He rubs his hand up my thigh, ignoring my weak attempts to push him away. “Now tell me how you’re so sure. He was acting like a dick there at the end, but I don’t think it’s enough to draw that conclusion.”

I shiver when his palm drifts higher up my thigh. Having his touch on me is distracting because I enjoy it immensely. After having been trapped for months as a bored captive, I’m desperate for his attention and affection.

“Stormy,” he growls, pinching the inside of my thigh to get my attention. “Tell me how.”

“Dragon was fine and joking with everyone about Gibson’s videos and all the comments, right?”

He nods. “Right.”

“But then…” I shiver despite the warm air. “Bizzy was reading all the comments that were funny, but then he read one that was familiar. Vidal said it to me when I was in the office with him and Collins. ‘You’re incomparable, and I can make you a star.’”

Copper, who misses nothing, frowns. “I thought the comment was familiar, but I couldn’t place it. It’s because you’ve said it to me before.”

“And Dragon had an immediate reaction. It came off as anger, but it could have been fear. What if he’s the one hiding from them?”

Copper grows quiet as he stares out at the lake, lost in his own thoughts. I can’t help but touch his hair again. The tension in his shoulders relaxes slightly.

“I need to call Koyn. We have to figure out what Dragon is hiding and why.” Copper turns his head to look at me. The sunlight makes his brown eyes warm to a honeyed color. “If he really is hiding from them, then the jig is up. They must assume he’s with us since they were already looking into it when you happened to show up at their office that day. Question is, why haven’t they moved forward?”

“Because they don’t know for sure he’s with the Royal Bastards,” I answer, my blood pulsing with energy to do something productive. “Dragon has remained elusive to Koyn and your secret investigating. Surely if he can outsmart two of the smartest men alive, he can outsmart those slimy creeps.”

“We need to find out who Dragon really is.”

“Call him back to your house. We can drag the information out of him.” I scrape my fingernails through his hair along his scalp, making him groan in pleasure. “I have successful means to get information.”

He tenses at my words. “No.”

Gripping his hair, I tug his head back and glare at him. “I can do this. I’m good at this.”

“Spreading your legs for information already bit you in the ass—”

Smack!

His brown eyes widen in shock that I’ve slapped him. Serves him right for being an asshole.

“You will not fuck Dragon to get answers out of him,” he growls. “I won’t negotiate on this, Stormy.”

“I don’t want to fuck him,” I snap, shoving away from him and walking back toward the bike. “I meant using what I was taught at Langley, not my goddamn pussy.”

Of course he’d jump right to that conclusion. I haven’t given him any reason to think otherwise. With the men I’ve been with, I have used them for my own personal gain, but it doesn’t mean I was planning to ever willingly sleep with Dragon. Dragon is the type of guy who would be into freaky shit like knife play or something. No, thank you. I like my guys normal in the sack…not fucking freaks who like to make girls bleed.

I’m more upset that Copper thinks I’d jump into bed with the first guy I need information from. We’ve gone months and I haven’t slept with Copper. That should prove I’m not this whore he thinks I am. Before I reach the bike, a strong arm loops around my front, jerking me backward. My back hits Copper’s solid chest as his mouth finds my ear.

“I’m sorry.”

Copper’s hot words against my ear have me melting in his arms. Sorry wasn’t a word I expected to ever come out of his mouth.

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