Page 41 of Hellbent
I grin. “You’ll live.”
We walk into the dark garage, and Jake slings an arm around my shoulders as Damian hits the lights. They crack open, one fluorescent tube at a time, flooding the cavernous space with an eerie glow it never has during the day. The familiar scent of gasoline and dust hangs in the air, and for a second, it sends me back to the clubhouse, packed with men with rough voices, the low thrum of engines idling, loud music blasting from blown-out speakers.
I shake the memory off before it can settle. This isn’t that. This is Leathernecks, and it’s all ours. The night belongs to us.
Jake plugs his phone into the garage sound system, selecting a song with a poppy, upbeat rhythm. Then he turns, grinning as he makes his way toward me, rolling his shoulders loose like we’re about to get seriously physical. A laugh barks out of me before I can stop it.
“No way,” Damian snaps, bristling at Jake’s song selection and already descending on the phone. He scrolls for a moment before switching to something darker—something with a deep, pounding bass that makes it impossible to sit still.
With the whiskey warm in my blood, and the music thrumming through me, I sway to the beat, closing my eyes for half a second and letting it take me.
Jake steps in, his hands finding my hips, his touch light and teasing as he moves with me. “You’re a good dancer, baby.”
I snort. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Before Jake can answer, Damian is beside him. His hands close around mine and he tugs me toward him, stealing me away in one fluid motion.
“Let’s see if you can really move,” he murmurs in my ear.
Jake makes a noise of protest, but Damian ignores him, spinning me around easily before pulling me in close. His grip is firm, his body steady against mine, and he meets my eyes with a level stare. No teasing repartee. Just heat and intent. A quiet dare.
The music pounds around us, but all I hear is my own pulse, hammering harder than before.
Jake laughs and joins us, coming up behind me and placing his hands on Damian’s shoulders, pressing the long, hard expanse of his body up against my back as the three of us move faster, Damian pulling us around in a circle now, trying to make us dizzy.
I squeal, giggling breathlessly as the two men spin me around the room until the song ends and Damian grinds us to a sudden halt. We’re all laughing, breath coming fast, but Damian’s smile is the first to slip into something else. Something curved and loaded, hazel eyes sparking as they catch mine. Jake lets his arms fall and wraps them around my torso until he’s holding me tightly against him, but still standing there, inches away from Damian, laugh fading away as he nuzzles my hair.
“I think you should know something, brother,” Damian says, eyes locked on mine, lips curling. I see it coming a second too late. My smile drops. “Your girlfriend kissed me today.”
My eyes flash fire at him, furious at the betrayal, and Jake spins me around to face him. “You did?” His green eyes burn, brow furrowing.
My heart stumbles. The room feels smaller.
“I…” I stutter. “I didn’t mean to.”
And then—he grins, all teeth, and laughs.
“That’s okay, babe,” he says, smiling. “I’m just playing with you.”
“We were driving…”
“Mmm.” He bends down, kisses me lightly, trailing his tongue across my lower lip. “Did you kiss him like this?”
I don’t know what to say. “You’re not mad?”
He pulls back, smiling, and flashes a look at Damian. “Nah. I’m just pissed I didn’t get to watch.”
I swallow hard, heat swirling in my stomach.
Jake would want to watch that?Me, kissing his best friend?
The whole room feels different now—hotter and closer—like the air itself is waiting for someone to make the next move. I turn my head back to Damian, to see what he’ll say.
He stares at me, his eyes lit with wickedness. “Shame you missed it,” he says, still holding my gaze but addressing Jake.
Jake murmurs in agreement, dipping his head lower and kissing the side of my neck. “Maybe next time,” he teases. His hands slide up my torso, slow and easy, like he’s testing how much I’ll let him get away with.
My skin feels hypersensitive as every nerve tunes into the brush of his hands and the warmth of his mouth. But I don’t break eye contact with Damian. I hold his gaze, daring him to see how far he’ll take this—this game that he started.
