Page 7 of Her Obsessed Biker
I glance back instinctively, and of course, he’s still watching me. Arms folded across his broad chest, jaw clenched like he’s chewing through every reason not to storm across the bar and drag me out by the wrist.
It’s stupid how much that thought sends a thrill down my spine.
“So, he’s respected?” I ask.
Blaze nods. “Respected. Feared. You don’t cross Rock unless you’ve got a death wish. But he’s fair. Probably because he was a Navy SEAL before this. He’s tactical as hell and doesn’t waste a move.”
That explains a lot. The way he moves. The command in his voice. The dangerous silence that speaks louder than words. I shouldn’t be asking so many questions. I know that. But there’s something about him that pulls me in like gravity. Like the world tilts a little when he walks into the room.
“You got a thing for him or something?” Blaze asks with a teasing smirk.
I nearly choke on my spit. “What? No. I just—he’s hard to ignore.”
“Yeah,” Blaze says, looking past me with a flicker of respect or maybe fear in his eyes. “He usually is.”
I swallow hard and shift my focus back to the paperwork in front of me. Blaze hands over a waiver, and I sign where he tells me to, my hand only trembling a little now.
I need to stay focused.
I didn’t come here for Rock. I came for Wolf.
That’s the mission. The reason I’m even breathing the same air as these leather-clad giants and their biker bar of doom. I’m about to ask Blaze about Wolf, see if he’s heard the name before, but I stop myself.
I’ve already drawn too much attention. I can’t afford to slip up again.
I glance back at Rock one more time, can’t help it…and he’s still watching me. Always watching. Eyes like judgment and fire. I wonder who the huge man standing with him is…could that be Wolf?
I drop my gaze and force a steadying breath. I can’t go around asking every man in this bar who’s old enough if he’s my father. I just need to focus on the swim challenge right now, and keeping my ears open.
It’s just a game. A cover until I can find out what I came for. Luckily, I used to swim competitively back in high school. District meets. Freestyle sprints. State semifinals. It’s been a few years, but it’s muscle memory. I can fake it.
I didn’t come this far to get scared off now.
Even if my instincts are screaming that this isn’t a game I can win. Even if Rock looks like the kind of man who never plays fair.
I tuck the waiver away and give Blaze a tight smile. “Thanks for the info…and the help.”
He tips his chin. “No problem. You sure you’re good? You look kinda—”
“I’m good,” I cut in, forcing a steady tone. “Just tired. It’s been a long drive.”
He nods slowly, like he doesn’t fully believe me but doesn’t want to push. “Alright then. I’ll see you at the challenge on Friday.”
“Yeah. See you.”
I turn away before I can change my mind. Before I make the mistake of asking one more question. Or worse, looking back at him.
Rock.
The bar door swings shut behind me, and I step out into the dying light of evening. The air is cooler now, touched with the scent of pine and exhaust. Everything looks quieter out here, slower…but not safer.
Not for me.
I pause by the curb and scan the lot. There’s my truck. My mom’s old, dented Ford. Faded red paint, one busted headlight, and a temperamental engine that growls louder than a Harley on its best day. It’s the only thing I have that still smells like home. Like her. I shove my hands in my pockets and slowly walk toward it, heart sinking with every step.
No plan. No room. No food. Just a name and a gut feeling that may or may not ruin my life.
What the hell was I thinking?
