Page 4 of Grizzly's Pride
“Let me go. I had nothing to do with my scummy father’s dealings,” she said.
“I thought you were a fragile little lamb at first, but you’re a feisty thing, aren’t you?” Grizzly asked.
Her heart hammered as he gazed down at her like she was something edible. Piper wasn’t sure what was better—being looked at like trash that needed to be disposed of or a potential prey. What truly bothered her was the way her body was reacting to his rough handling.
The shameful part of Piper liked being restrained by a powerful man like Grizzly. Hell, she could feel her nipples hardening under her sweatshirt. Not a good sign. She should be outright terrified, but Grizzly hadn’t killed her yet. He must want something else from her. Information? A chill went down her spine as knowledge lit his eyes.
“You’re coming with me,” Grizzly said. “Now we can do this two ways, easy or hard. If you comply, then there won’t be a problem. If you fight me, it’ll become messy.”
“I’m not an idiot. I can’t go head-to-head with a monster like you,” Piper said, giving him a defiant stare. “I’ll play nice as long as you do the same.”
He chuckled, and that sound shouldn’t have been so sexy, so male. Then to her shock, Grizzly actually released her.
Chapter Three
Grizzly expected the sassy wildcat to bolt the moment he let her go. Instead, she surprised him. Piper stood her ground and waited. A smart choice. She probably understood there was no way he would let her out of his sight.
“Grizzly, the cleanup crew just pulled up in the parking lot. Let’s bail,” Gunner said.
Grizzly stepped to one side.“After you, milady,” he said. He smiled, baring his teeth.
Piper still looked downright terrified, pale as a ghost. Grizzly bet she was positively shaking in her boots, but she still had the courage to ask, “So, you think you’re funny?”
“Nah, my MC brothers say I have no sense of humor,” Grizzly returned.
He was having fun, having this little banter with her despite the inappropriate situation. Gunner had left the room by the time Grizzly exited the bathroom.
Piper stood frozen in place, staring at Mervin’s corpse. She swallowed. Grizzly wasn’t sure what to expect. Would Piper break down all of a sudden and start weeping? A hysterical woman would be harder to control than a frightened one.
“You asshole,” she croaked. The vehemence in her voice surprised Grizzly. “This is all your fault. I always told you to slow down, but you never did. You deserve this.” With that, Piper turned her back on her father’s corpse. Grizzly approved of her actions, although he didn’t understand why.
Sadly, Piper’s story wasn’t new. Grizzly had experience dealing with folks who were screwed over by a family member. Those folks put their blind trust in a shady family member, refusing to believe they’d someday find a knife in their back. Grizzly couldn’t blame Piper. Mervin was her father, and he was supposed to take care of her, but it looked like it was the other way around.
Grizzly didn’t know why he felt sympathy for Piper. He shouldn’t get himself too involved, but it might be too late already. Grizzly couldn’t quite explain it, but there was something about Piper that made him intrigued, fascinated.
Piper took a step out the door and Grizzly decided she might really bolt. She looked left, then right. Grizzly clasped her shoulder and applied gentle pressure. She yelped, staring up at him.
“You sure move fast for a big guy,” she muttered under her breath.
“Running won’t do you any good, girlie. I’m the best tracker in the MC. I’ll eventually find you, and when I do, I won’t be as nice,” he told her.
“I’m twenty-one, a woman, not a girl,” she said, shoving his hand away.
“Look, I don’t mean you any harm. I just want to have a sit-down. I need to ascertain if you’re hiding anything from us. Any information Mervin passed to you would also be helpful,” Grizzly said.
“After you get what you want from me, you’ll just shoot me dead and leave me in a ditch somewhere,” she retorted.
“A ditch? Nah, we bury our bodies in a deep, dark place where they could never be found,” he said.
“You get your kicks from scaring defenseless and helpless women?” she asked him.
“Sweetheart, I doubt you’re either of those things. You’ve got a kick to you, don’t you?” Grizzly asked. “This way, we need to get the hell out of here soon.”
“If I make things hard for you and stay here, what then?” she demanded.
“I’ll toss you over my shoulder like a sack of flour,” he said with a shrug.
“There’s no need for that. I’ll come with you and do what you’ll say,” she muttered. For now, they were her unspoken words.
