Black Dogs Motorcycle Club: Full Series Box Set (36 page)

He nodded for her to
follow and led her back across to the alcove that served as Owen’s office.
Really, it was just a pantry closet he had stuffed a desk and some metal
shelving into, a place he clearly spent little time in, only using it in short
spurts to do the necessary bureaucracy that kept his bar running. Will leaned
against the doorway and pointed inside.

She made a face when she
looked in at the cramped space. “What… you want me to clean it, or something?”

“No,” said Will. He
pointed to the set of three tiny, mismatched TV monitors stacked in the far
corner. They were the closed-circuit feeds for the security cameras positioned
around the bar’s perimeter. “This is a compromise between you staying close and
staying safe. You can hang out in here, watch what’s going on…” He pointed
again. “Be our lookout.”

Eva turned back to look at
the dingy, dim office and felt her heart sink. “How is this better than being
confined to the house?”

“I didn’t say it was
better,” said Will, folding his arms. “You’re the one who didn’t want to feel
trapped over there. I’m offering this compromise.”

She pointed incredulously
to the tiny office. “This is your offer to help me
not feel trapped?
”

He shrugged again,
nonchalant.

What the hell is the
matter here?
Heat began to crawl up the bottom of Eva’s face as she realized he was
purposely being cold with her. The Will from last night, the soft, intelligent
man who had her begging for his touch was nowhere to be found. Laura was right.
Eva’s own fears were right. She was just another fuck to him.

She folded her arms in
front of her and cleared her throat as that realization washed over her.
So
much for a happy morning.
“Fine. Being the lookout is better than not
helping at all. I’d rather not be treated like I’m helpless.”

“You have to stay back
here,” said Will. “That’s the deal. I don’t want anyone knowing you’re here.”

“What happens if they
search around?”

“They’d find you just as
fast at the house as here. The distance might keep you safe from gunfire, but
otherwise it’s only the illusion of safety. And they’re not going to get far
enough to search around, anyway.” Will looked her straight in the eyes with an
intense gaze that made her shiver. “Just stay in here, read, whatever. And call
for me if you see anyone suspicious coming around outside. Understand?”

Eva was already fed up
with his coldness. “I think I can handle it.”

She thought she saw Will’s
gaze drag down her body before he turned away from her without another word.
He’s
treating me like I’m a complete goddamn stranger
, she thought.
Figured
I’d at least get another round in bed out of him before that happened.

After that awkwardness had
passed, she was almost glad to be hanging out in the back office and away from
Will and her brother. She could hear the jukebox playing quietly as she slipped
off her shoes and propped her feet up on the desk. For at least an hour, she
fought intrusive thoughts of the dark and brooding man in the other room, both
happy and sad.

It took her a while to
find some rhythm between reading parts of her book and checking the monitors,
especially with the distraction of Charlie going in and out the back door just
next to the office as he knocked chores off the daily list in his pocket.
Whatever Will was doing, she couldn’t see or hear it, and that was just fine
with her.

It was less than two hours
later when, out of the corner of her eye, Eva spotted movement on the video
feed for the parking lot. A big black SUV pulled slowly into the gravel lot and
damn near right up to the door, looming large under the bent perspective of the
security camera lens.

Her feet dropped to the
floor as he waited, not wanting to unnecessarily panic the men until she was
sure. It could just be a customer, after all. But when all four doors of the
SUV popped open at the same time, Eva felt her heart drop into her stomach.

“Will,” she said. It came
out a choked whisper, quieter than the jukebox music.

Men hopped out of the
vehicle and Eva jumped to her feet, rushing into the bar space without putting
her shoes on first. Will was poking mindlessly at the video poker machine at
the end of the bar while Charlie stared at his repair manual, oblivious. She
grasped onto the back room wall.

“Will,” she said again,
louder this time. Her voice was already trembling.

When Will looked up at her
wide eyes, the cold version of him from this morning was gone, replaced by the
passionate one from the night before, his gaze burning with worry at the sound
of her voice.

He straightened like an
arrow in an instant, reading her face just like he had that first night.
“They’re here,” he said, stealing the words right from her mouth. At the bar,
Charlie came to attention with a dark look, his eyes moving from Will to the
door in an instant.

“Charlie,” said Will with
a nod. Her brother swept the manual off the bar and out of the way, then leaned
down and dug up the shotgun that Owen usually kept in the office. He cracked
the barrel to make sure it was loaded, and then did his best to hold it out of
sight on a shelf below the bar, as Will must have instructed him to do. Eva
felt her chest tighten up.
Christ, am I about to see someone die?

Will stalked across the
bar as the sound of doors shutting snapped outside. He came right in front of
Eva and put his hands on her shoulders. “Get back in the office and stay
quiet.”

“What are you going to
do?” She didn’t know why it mattered at that moment, but it did.
Stupid,
naïve girl. What did you think was going to happen?

Will swallowed. “Get back
in the office.” He gave her a push that was both urgent and gentle. Then he
turned and looked at Charlie. “Like we talked about—don’t draw until we have
to.”

Charlie nodded, his nerves
clearly battling with his anger as he shifted on his feet, waiting.

Eva backed up into the
office and immediately sat down to put on her shoes, readying to run if she had
to. She turned off the overhead light and sat huddled, watching the men on the
overhead monitors as they came into a group to talk for a small moment.

Suddenly Will appeared in
the doorway of the office. “Do you see guns?”

She startled. “What?”

“Guns—are they armed?” He
pushed in and leaned over her to get a closer look at the monitor, his face
hovering right next to hers. His breathing was steadier than hers, but
surprisingly she could hear a ragged, nervous undercarriage to it.

His eyes narrowed as he
focused on the view of the four men huddled in grainy black and white on the TV
screen.

“Are they?” she asked
breathlessly.

She saw something hopeful
cross Will’s face. “I don’t think so. Or if they are, it’s sidearms. No one
looks like he’s packing anything automatic.”

“And that’s good, right?”

Will looked down at her.
Their faces were close enough that his lips hovered dangerously close to hers.
She could feel the heat from his skin and thought she saw the tiniest of smiles
touch his eyes.

“Yeah, that’s good. Less
guns is always good.” His voice was barely a whisper, words crawling on her
skin.

Eva swallowed, somehow
both frightened and racing with bold adrenaline.
Is this what Will feels
like all the time, if this is his kind of lifestyle?
It was exhausting—and
intoxicating.

He straightened and put a
hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. “Stay here. I mean it.”

He didn’t wait for an
answer before disappearing back into the bar. The men on the video began to
move for the front door, and Eva’s nerves started to crackle under her skin,
her breath racing.

The bar door groaning and
squeaked as it opened, the men paying no attention to the fact that the open
sign remained dark. The tiny hope that Eva had that maybe they
were
just
customers dissipated as she listened to footsteps shuffle in. At first she
heard what sounded like casual, friendly conversation between the men entering,
like they were trying to play it off as if everything was normal. There was
something unsettling about that for her.

Will’s voice came from the
bar room next, somehow both forceful and quiet. “State your business here.”

The buzz of conversation
stopped and the bar door slapped closed on its doorjamb. The song on the
jukebox faded out before changing over to Three Dog Night.

“Ah, this must be the
pendejo
I’ve heard so much about,” said a Spanish-accented voice. “What happened to the
civilized gentlemen, eh? What happened to those days?”

“State your business or
get the fuck out. We’re closed.” Will’s voice was louder now, still firm.

The tension in her little
room was suffocating, and Eva couldn’t stand it. She took her shoes off again
and, in her slowest, most deliberate steps, crept out of the office and against
the wall that separated the bar from the employee spaces. She sank to her knees
quietly and, holding her hair back with one hand, peered around the wall as far
as she dared to get eyes on what was happening.

Charlie shifted nervously
behind the bar, hands on the surface itself, as she was sure Will instructed
him. Hidden hands didn’t inspire trust. But the shotgun was stretched out on
the nearest shelf below, waiting patiently for him. In the middle of the bar
room, Will stood like hero cut out of stone, or stepped out of a painting, his
shoulders square and back straight. Fists fell at either side of his wide,
dominating stance. The four men stood in a half-circle, watching him lazily,
confidently. Except for the one in the bun, who had a sling on his arm—he
glared at Will with a fiery hatred.

“Are you the owner,
finally?” asked the Latino man standing next to the man with the broken arm.
“All of these dramatics—this is all we asked for in the first place.”

“I’m not going to tell you
again,” said Will.

“We are here to make a
simple business offer,” said the man, spreading his hands out in front of him.

Will looked from him to
each of the other men. “Not interested. Get the fuck out.”

“You haven’t even heard
our offer.”

“This is not cartel
territory.
Get the fuck out.
” The danger in Will’s voice made Eva
shiver.

Their eyes widened at
mention of the cartel, and the men exchanged looks with one another, surprised.
“Ah, this little birdie knows more than he lets on,” said the leader, walking a
few steps forward. “Who are you?”

Will didn’t move as he
approached. “I’ll count to five. One…”

Two of the men laughed at
each other. Smiles spread to the rest, including the man with the bun. The
leader turned to look at them in amusement before he looked back at Will. “Are
we children who did not finish our vegetables?”

“Two.”

Christ, what does he think
he’s doing?
Eva’s heart raced as she grasped at the wall in anxious agony.

“Three.”

“I do not think this
cowboy understands what’s going on here, gentlemen,” said the Latino leader. As
if that was some cue, two of the men shifted and started taking off their
jackets.

Eva saw Charlie stiffen at
the bar, his hands dropping down, shaking as they waited for the cue to grab
the gun.

“Four.” Will still hadn’t
moved. He stared at the leader, unflinching.

“I’m bored with this,”
said the Latino leader. He took a few steps back and flicked his hand. The two
men who had taken off their jackets revealed thick, hulking arms under tight
black shirts, and now they both stalked toward Will with murderous intent.