by Chiah Wilder
The man listened to the sounds of nature, then heard a loud noise. Looking around, but seeing nothing except the woods, he gasped for air. The banging grew louder; it frayed his nerves. Bang. Thump. Bang. Sweat dripped from his hairline and he choked for breath. If only the noise would stop. Bending over at the waist, he clutched his chest and realized the noise was his pounding heart. He needed to satiate his hunger.
Gulping in deep breaths of air, he calmed his racing heart then walked to his car, turned on the engine, and drove in the direction of the neighboring town.
Chapter Four
Mesmerized by the smiling redhead’s picture on the front page of the Pinewood Springs Tribune, Cara read the caption—“Missing, 18 year-old Dana Squires.” The girl was from Silverton, a neighboring town. Cara wondered if the girl’s disappearance had any connection to the killings around Pinewood Springs. The girl in the picture wasn’t blonde or petite, but it did seem odd. A cold chill ran up her spine. What sick bastard would do this?
Asher popped his head into her office. “I have a very irate biker on the phone cussing up a storm about the police.”
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. Something about a search. All I can really understand is the word fuck.” Asher rolled his eyes and shrugged.
“And that would be Hawk,” Cara said. “Transfer the call to me, please.” Nodding, Asher headed back to his desk.
A few seconds later, her phone rang. Grabbing the receiver, she cleared her throat then asked, “What’s up, Hawk?”
“How did you know it was me? I didn’t give your wimp-assed assistant my name.”
“Your vocabulary gave you away. Stop calling Asher names. What’s going on?”
“The fuckin’ badges have searched my goddamned house. Fuck that!”
“Really? Did they have a warrant?”
“No, they don’t need one. A term of my probation is a waiver of my Fourth.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a Fourth Amendment waiver when you were here last week? That’s something I needed to know.”
“I had other things on my mind, babe.”
Cara blushed at the memory of his lips on hers.
“So, what the fuck am I supposed to do?” he said.
“Were you at the house?”
“No, Kylie was. She called me right after the motherfuckers left.”
“Who’s Kylie?” Cara regretted asking right after the question slipped out of her mouth.
“Why? Does it matter?”
“It can… she can object to the cops going into areas that aren’t exclusively yours.”
“She doesn’t live with me.”
“Oh… then… why was she—I mean, what time did the cops come to your house?”
“About ten in the morning. I was at my shop.”
“Did they go there, too?”
“I don’t know. I took off when Kylie called and told me what happened.”
“Good move. Okay, come on over, and we can talk about what’s going on.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes. I’m just outside your building.”
Cara hung up the phone, reapplied her lipstick, and buzzed Asher. “Call the sheriff’s office and see if they found anything at Hawk’s house.”
Decked in his leather jacket and tight blue jeans, Hawk stood in the doorway to her office. Taking off his sunglasses, he revealed his electric blue eyes surrounded by long, black lashes. He was an imposing figure of muscle and sex, and she wondered if she’d ever stop catching her breath when she looked at him.
“Sit down.” She motioned to the brown, leather chair in front of her wood desk.
Taking the proffered seat, he stretched his powerful legs in front of him, licked his lips, and smirked. Her pulse raced. Too sexy. Oh, so rough.
“Hello, lawyer-lady.”
“Hello, badass biker in trouble.”
Hawk laughed. Spreading his fingers out, he leaned forward and said, “What can I do about these assholes who’re making my life a pain in the ass?”
“Why do you have a Fourth waiver as a term of your probation?”
“I don’t know. Les struck the plea. I always thought it was a shitty one.”
“Your record says you pled to an assault. You told me the altercation was a routine bar fight. A Fourth waiver is a big deal, and it isn’t ordered for just a few punches. You have agreed to let the cops search you and your property any time without a warrant. What the hell did you really do?”
“I never told you it was a few punches. I told you I beat the shit out of a guy who pissed me off.”
“Did the guy end up in the hospital?”
“Yeah, counselor, I believe he did. What the fuck difference does it make now?” A scowl formed on Hawk’s face and his eyes narrowed.
Damn, he’s an impossible man. Cara had no idea what was going on inside of him, but she had a hunch he had some softness barricaded in there somewhere. Having a macho attitude clashed with her position of power, and she’d seen it all before—guys like this couldn’t stand a woman calling the shots. Hawk was no different, and she suspected he hated to have her in control, but she was his attorney, after all. How silly men can be.
“Can you tell me why you beat the crap out of the guy?”
“He made advances toward Kylie.”
There was that name again. Cara’s stomach tightened.
“So, I told him to get the fuck away, he gave me shit, he took a swing at me, I sent him to the hospital for a rest, and I’m here explaining this shit to you.”
“I just need to know everything so I can best represent you.” Cara would rather give up her weekly manicures than ask him who Kylie was.
“You’re the boss,” Hawk said. “For now.”
Ignoring him, she continued, “Okay, you have two months left on probation. It’s obvious they’re trying to find something to prove you violated it. If you get a violation, you’ll be sent off to state prison for a stint. Have they done this crap the whole eighteen months you’ve been on probation?”
“Nah, they just started a few months ago. Not sure why. As Banger told you, they’re trying to shut the MC down. They wanna put the Insurgents outta business. Don’t have a fuckin’ clue as to why.”
“Did you have any guns or drugs at your house?”
“I can’t have a gun. I’m on probation, remember?” He smiled.
“Drugs?”
“My house was clean. Not sure if sexy pics of my ladies count.”
“The pictures won’t matter to the police.” Cara pressed her lips into a berry-stained slash. His ladies? How many women does he have? Is Kylie his main girlfriend? Crap… why do I even care?
Hawk’s voice invaded her thoughts. “What should I do?”
“You can’t go back to your house or to the clubhouse, since those are the first places they’ll look for you. Right now, we don’t know if they’ve found anything, so you have no legal obligation. If they found something, they’ll get an arrest warrant. It’s Friday, so if you get picked up, your butt is in jail all weekend. Bail won’t be set for you until Monday at your bail hearing. Do you have anywhere to go?”
Hawk shrugged. His complacency was a common thread which weaved through a lot of Cara’s clients. They never understood the seriousness of the situations at hand. And it got on her nerves—big-time.
“What about a motel?” she asked tersely.
“Are you gonna be with me?” He winked at her.
Twisting her mouth, she said, “I’ll make sure you’re settled. It would be best if you lay low all weekend. I’ll try and find out what’s going on and whether or not they found anything.”
“What about me staying with you? They’d never look there, baby. We’d have some fun. I’d give you a real good time.”
Cara licked her lips. “I’m sure you would. I can’t have you stay with me. You’re my client now, and I can’t find myself in a compromising situation. I could be disbarred.”
“
You worry too much about all this shit, babe. Who’s gonna tell on us? I don’t play by citizens’ rules. Fuck that shit.”
“Well, I live in this so-called ‘citizen’ world. I’ve worked too hard to be where I am, and I’m not going to blow it.”
“Come over here.”
Shaking her head, Cara chewed her lower lip.
“I said come over here, woman,” Hawk growled.
Cara kept biting her lip.
“Shit, you’re the most infuriating woman I’ve ever known.”
In two long strides, Hawk was next to Cara, grasping her arms, yanking her out of her chair, and crushing her against him. Putting both hands on his chest, she tried to break away from him.
“Settle down. Give me your lips.”
When Cara tipped her head back and peered at his face, her breath hitched as Hawk’s gaze dropped from her eyes to her shoulders, and then her breasts, assessing her. Slowly dragging his gaze to her mouth, he ran his calloused thumb under her bottom lip and smiled, inclining his head as he moved his mouth over hers, devouring its softness. A shiver of wanting ran through her, and her eager response to his mouth on hers shocked her. In response, Hawk’s kisses grew more savage—he invaded her mouth with his tongue while his teeth grazed her lips. Fighting the desire that spread throughout her body, Cara twisted in his arms, but each movement made him hold her closer to him.
Her brain screamed, Get away from him! What would your family think of you now? But Hawk’s kiss left her weak and confused. Her mind raced through a quick list of pros and cons, but her body lunged forward, lust tingling in her hands, her toes, and all her nerves. Silencing her mind, Cara grabbed a handful of Hawk’s hair and leaned into him, her taut nipples rubbing against his chest. He grabbed her ass and kneaded it while trailing kisses down her neck.
Cara’s legs clenched as a slow throbbing grabbed hold of her sex. Each stroke and kiss ignited a fire deep in her core. Her mind jumped back to chastising her body for its wanton behavior. Through muddied thoughts, Cara tried to focus and will her body to stop, but before she had time to think this through, Hawk slid his hand up her skirt. As he touched her panties and palmed her engorged folds through the thin fabric, he whispered, “You’re wet, baby. Your pussy is screaming for me.”
Cara’s body exploded with the tenor of his husky voice. As he stroked her nub, Hawk breathed in her ear, “Fuck, babe, you’re so ready.”
Her mind whirled. Common sense told her she was on the brink of losing control, but her body was a traitor and craved his touch. Never before had any man had this effect on her, and it was awesome, even if it was wrong. Squirming under his delving fingers, she arched her back, thrusting her mound closer to him.
“You’re greedy, aren’t you, baby?” Flicking his thumb over her clit, he chuckled. “I bet you taste fuckin’ sweet. Do you want more?”
Cara moaned.
Through the fabric of her panties, Hawk took her nub between two fingers, squeezing and pulling it. A bolt of pleasure ripped through her. She was so close.
And then he stopped. At first, she didn’t realize what was going on and her mind raced, searching for answers. When she opened her eyes, Hawk stood by the door. Staring at him, her eyebrows knit together and sweat beads formed on her upper lip and under her arms. Her body was aching for release.
“What’s going on?” she whimpered.
“Gotta find a motel, counselor.”
“What?”
“Doesn’t feel too good being left high and dry, does it, babe?” Hawk shot her a wry smile. “I hear there’s a good motel next door to St. Claire’s Hospital? Do you know it?”
“You vindictive bastard!” Realizing that he’d played her for a fool, Cara’s face flushed and her skin crawled. A tinge of nausea made her clutch her throat.
“Another time?” He raised his eyebrows at her.
“Never!”
“We’ll see.” Smiling at her, he licked his fingers.
She wanted to slap that stupid smile off his face. And he had dimples. Crap.
Rocking back on his heels, he smirked. “By the way, is this one of those compromising situations you were lecturing me on earlier?”
Cara suppressed the urge to fling a law book at his smug face. She narrowed her eyes as he left her office, chuckling to himself. Standing in the doorway while fixing her hair, she stared at his back, her erect nipples visible through the fabric of her white shell camisole. Looking over his shoulder, Hawk winked at her as his gaze skimmed over her breasts. Then he swaggered out, closing the office door behind him.
“You okay?” Asher asked, taking in her disheveled hair and colorless lips.
“I guess. This client is such an asshole.”
“What’s up with his he-man attitude? It makes all us guys look bad.”
Twirling a strand of her hair around her finger, Cara said, “Some men think they can grunt and bully their way through life.”
“The sooner you get done with his case, the better. That guy takes badass to a whole new level, and the way he looks at you tells me he’s got more than his constitutional rights on his mind.”
Laughing, Cara replied, “They didn’t teach this in law school.”
Back in her office, she watched Hawk through the window as he jumped on his Harley. She held her breath when he glanced up at her, their eyes locking. Putting on his sunglasses, his face held that satisfied hardness that was becoming familiar to her. Even through the thick windows, she heard the Harley’s engine purr.
Hawk simulated a kiss in her direction, and Cara stood transfixed as he made a U-turn and rode down Main Street until he disappeared.
Chapter Five
As the day wore on, Cara couldn’t get her encounter with Hawk out of her mind. She couldn’t believe she’d acted like such a slut. How could I have let Hawk do those things to me? I hardly know him, and he’s my client. Damn.
She had broken so many rules on so many levels. For some reason, he brought out this irrational, horny beast in her. She grudgingly admitted he was hot, but it went deeper than that. It was like he stirred up buried emotions, dark fantasies.
Cara had always been a good girl: she did what her parents wanted, excelled in school, and she sure as hell didn’t sleep around. She was the type of daughter all parents wanted. But like any hot-blooded woman, she had a raging fire deep in her soul, and she wanted to experiment, to give in to passion. It was downright exhausting being the “good girl” all the time.
Hawk was the first man who’d brought those deep-seated desires to the surface. The first time she saw him at the biker bar, he drew her in and stoked that fire inside her. It wasn’t love at first sight—no, it was more like lust and restlessness crashing together. Since that night, the volcano within her had started to erupt.
Cara had never been with a man who was so blunt, demanding, and confident. Hawk was exciting and dangerous, and the perfect break for a controlled good girl. The problem was he was her client and was from the wrong side of the tracks. A complicated mess was in store for her if she continued to give in to her emotions. Her mother had drilled into her the importance of keeping up appearances ever since she was a child, and she would hate to disappoint her parents or tarnish the family name.
Just thinking about it made her stomach cramp. A distraction from her handsome client was necessary if she had any hope in jumping off this dark, dangerous ride.
The buzzer on her landline startled her. “What’s up, Asher?”
“A Luke is on the line for you. Says it’s personal.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll take it.”
“I’m taking my lunch now. Did you want me to pick you up anything to eat?”
“No, I’m meeting Sherrie for lunch. Thanks, though.”
Cara pushed the flashing light on line one and said, “Hi, Luke.”
“Hi, Cara, am I interrupting you?”
“No, you’re not.”
Luke Tanner was a junior associate in her father’s law firm, nic
e-looking, in a male model kind of way. He had all the credentials: good law school, corporate lawyer, good family breeding—exactly the kind of guy Cara should’ve been going out with. He was always polite and considerate on their dates, but Cara didn’t feel any excitement or danger with Luke, not like she did when she was around Hawk.
Parents loved Luke and Luke loved parents, especially rich fathers like Cara’s dad. Luke had big plans for himself. He wanted to be partner by the time he turned thirty-eight (six more years), have a pretty, smart wife on his arm (Cara would do just fine), have a couple of kids (one of each sex would be great), and live in the Glenmore section of town in one of those mansions with a couple of servants to help out. Luke Tanner had big plans, and Cara Minelli was a key factor in them. What better way to advance his career than to marry the boss’s pretty and curvy daughter?
Cara was bright, sexy, and a good girl. The way Luke saw it, her only flaw was that she was hell-bent on representing the dirt bags of the Earth. Not wanting to practice in her dad’s law firm perplexed Luke—she could be partner in a year, with her connections. Why she wanted to be around those lowlifes she called clients was beyond Luke’s comprehension, but he’d make sure that ended once she had his ring on her finger.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Rescuing me from a very dull evening,” he said.
This is the distraction I need. “Sounds intriguing,” she replied.
“How about dinner and maybe dancing? I know it’s last-minute, but I’ve been busy on a complex litigation case. I need a break, and I want to see you again.”
“I don’t have plans. Dinner and dancing sound great.”
* * *
Thirty minutes later, sitting at a table by the window in The French Bistro, Cara waved at Sherrie as she entered the restaurant. She hadn’t seen Sherrie since they’d gone out two weeks before to the biker bar. The French Bistro was a newer, popular restaurant on trendy Spruce Street and was reminiscent of a neighborhood café on the Left Bank in Paris. Wrought-iron chairs around small, round tables adorned with lace tablecloths and flower-filled glass vases welcomed customers. Oil paintings depicting street scenes of Parisian life decorated the yellow walls, while the aroma of baked bread enveloped the eatery, tantalizing patrons as they entered.
