Page 14 of Irrevocably

He comes back to the booth carrying two violent-pink Cosmos.

“Didn’t pick you for a pink-drink kind of guy,” I say as he puts them down on the table then sits in the booth opposite me.

“What kind of guy did you pick me for?”

“Vodka. Neat.” I reach for the Cosmo and take a sip. It’s far too sweet, but I keep sipping anyway. “Or Scotch,” I add, not knowing what else to say. “On the rocks.”

His gaze doesn’t waver, but the odd, enigmatic half-smile turning his mouth makes me stare at it for some reason. It’s a beautiful mouth, just like the rest of him. “I’ll drink anything,” he says. “I don’t have favourites.”

I take another sip, the alcohol sitting warmly in my gut. I’m not a big drinker, but this rollercoaster I’m on is taking me far away from my comfort zone, and I need the courage. “So, were you following me?” I ask, deciding to tackle this head-on. I don’t have the time to screw around.

He leans back in his seat, tilting his head like a raptor, watching me, assessing me. “Like I said, I’ll answer your questions if you answer mine.”

“Ladies first, then,” I say.

He inclines his head. “What can I say? I’m a gentleman.”

“A gentleman who chokes people.”

“The choking thing again. You’re not going to let that go, are you?”

“Would you?”

“No.” The smile on his face deepens. “Anyone tried choking me, I’d kill them.”

He says it casually, a throwaway line, but there’s something dark and sharp in the fabric of his voice, like razor wire hidden in black velvet. And I remember him on the beach, and his fingers around my throat, and the cold, empty look in his eyes.

He means it. He really would kill anyone who tried.

A shiver arrows down my spine. Who the hell is this guy?

Surreptitiously I look around the bar in case anyone I know is here, so I could maybe get help if I need it. But the bar is full of strangers, and not for the first time I feel the lack of friends.

“No one’s coming to rescue you, Red Riding Hood,” Lucien says in a soft, dark voice. “You’re all alone with the big bad wolf.”

Another tremor goes through me, and I steel myself, forcing myself to meet his relentless stare. “Then cut the crap. You’re not here for your goddamn sister, so what the hell is it that you want?”

Something flickers in his eyes, another reaction that I can’t read, yet it makes the breath catch in my throat. It’s almost as if he likes me challenging him, as if it surprises him in some way, which is weird. I wouldn’t have thought a man like him would appreciate being refused.

“I didn’t lie about my sister,” he says mildly. “She is caught up with the MC. And I’m a little concerned she might attract the wrong attention. From your father, say.”

I frown, not understanding where he’s going with this. “My father?”

“He’s the chief of police, yes? He seems to give the club a lot of leeway.”

I pick up my drink and take another sip, giving myself some time to think about just what the hell he’s asking me. Leeway. What does he mean, “leeway”?

I don’t know the ins and outs of Wolf’s club, but I’m not an idiot. I know they’re not exactly squeaky clean. But they don’t cause trouble in town, at least not that I’ve ever seen. Dad and Wolf have a good relationship – he talks to Wolf more than he talks to me – so I can’t imagine that whatever the club does, they keep it hidden from the law. Dad would come down hard on them if they did, because one thing I do know about my father is that he’s good at his job.

“The club don’t cause trouble,” I say, gulping down the rest of my Cosmo. “No leeway is needed.” I put the empty glass down on the table. “I’ve finished my one drink. Is that all you wanted to know?”

“It seems very unlike an outlaw, motorcycle club not to cause trouble,” he says. “Are you sure about that?”

My heartbeat is accelerating, something winding tight inside me. I have no idea who this guy is or why he needs to know about Dad and the club, but he’s dangerous and I shouldn’t be sitting here with him. I shouldn’t be talking about this with him.

“Believe me,” I say, “if anything illegal was happening at the club, my dad would be on it like a ton of bricks.”

Lucien lifts a brow. “Is that so?”