“God, Addi, your head looks like a fucking clit with all that pink. I liked it better blonde.”
Okay, so I owed her big time for that. Especially now that she had to live with him.
“Screw you, Florian,” she said, rolling her eyes as she sashayed out of the room in three inch purple heels. I stood stone still, nervous with anticipation as Flor moved toward me and wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning in close enough that I could feel his breath on my lips. My blue eyes found his green ones, searching his expression to see what he thought of my outfit. If the glint in his gaze meant anything, he approved.
“Your dad texted me a picture of his new shotgun. I'm not really sure how to feel about that,” Flor said and I grinned. It'd taken a whole hell of a lot to convince River not to make me a birthday dinner at home for my twenty-first. I think she and my dad were still irked about it. I was terrified to see what he'd do when Flor proposed to me.
“You should be afraid. Very afraid,” I said, trying really hard not to think about the time my dad had walked in on me and Flor doing it in the living room. That was his own fault for not knocking. It was still technically my apartment. Anyway, I was just glad that Flor wasn't dead yet. It certainly wasn't easy dating your stepbrother; if I hadn't thought family dinners could be anymore awkward, I was wrong. I think the worst part was when River had tried to talk to me about condoms. Shudder. “But don't worry, I won't let him hurt you, even if you're an asshole.”
“But I'm your asshole,” Flor said and I laughed. But then his lips brushed against mine and my entire body felt like it was coming apart at the seams. Flor kissed me like he'd never let me go. Good thing, too, because I knew I'd never let him go either. “And I love you,” he said again, making my entire body tingle from head to toe. There were some things in this world that you just never got tired of hearing. “Happy birthday, dope.”
“I love you, too,” I told him, kissing him again to keep from spilling my secret. I found the ring, you idiot. Stop hiding things in your trunk. That was okay, though, because I already knew what I was going to say.
I was going to say yes.
DESCRIPTION
Make nice with the President of the Alpha Wolves Motorcycle Club.
Yeah right.
It was what my job description called for—I just never realized exactly how nice I needed to be.
I certainly never expected to find myself twisted up and tangled in the raw, dirty world of an outlaw motorcycle club … or in the sexy, tattooed hands of the man in charge.
Royal McBride is a jerk—but a jerk with a swoon worthy accent, a big bike, and big … well, other things.
I didn't think falling in love with him would threaten my life. His life.
That we'd both risk losing everything we hold dear.
The mayor's daughter … an outlaw MC president. It's a match made in heaven … a match tested in hell.
CHAPTER ONE
Lyric
What a broken, beautiful man.
That's my first thought when I step onto the Alpha Wolves' compound, how beautiful their president is. Of course, if he knew what I was thinking I doubt he'd be pleased. Beautiful is for flowers or skirts or landscapes, not for men like Royal McBride. If I have to pick an adjective, I think dirty suits him a little better. Dirty. And brutal. And raw.
I won't let him get to me.
It crosses my mind that I'm not the first person to think that. Toni Gladstone, the woman who held my position not three months ago, she said that same thing out loud three days before she quit, announced it to the entire office.
But he got to her anyway—in more ways than one if her flushed face and mussy hair were any indication of what happened during their first meeting. Deputy Mayor of Operations and Government Affairs. Poor Toni shed her title along with her skirt after only half a week of dealing with Royal and his Wolves.
I won't make the same mistake.
I straighten my own skirt—some bland, gray wool blend that I inherited from Toni along with her title—and make sure my hair is still in place, tucked back in an austere bun that's as unflattering as it is uncomfortable. But all of this blandness, this is my uniform against the world. It's a way to survive when nothing else seems to be going right. Blend in, disappear, assimilate.
I take a deep breath and put a smile on my face.
It's hard to keep it there with my eyes glued to Royal's wide, muscular back. I haven't even been introduced to the man, and I'm already falling apart. Sweat trickles down my spine and soaks into the cotton fabric of my white button-down while I try not to admire the curve of dark denim that cups the President's too perfect ass. Oh my God, I'm already floundering here.
I take a deep breath and start forward, my heels loud against the pavement. I parked right in front of the clubhouse, so I know the whole MC is aware that I'm here. Still … nobody's acknowledging me. It's a scare tactic, I'm sure, but these men have a lot to learn if they think I'll scare easy. I might be five two and as average as you'll ever see, but I'm tough.
“Mr. McBride?” I ask, approaching the cluster of men standing on the wet pavement, gray skies above and a row of gleaming motorcycles on our right.
I pause about three feet from him—it's as close as I ever want to get. Even from here I can feel the heat rolling off him in waves, his strength, his charisma. It's frighteningly magnetic. I guess it's not just his six foot four frame or his hard muscles that keep him in control here.
“Mr. McBride?” I ask again, raising my voice a notch. I can keep quiet when I need to, but a woman in politics also has to know how to speak up or she'll never be heard. A few of the guys glance my way, assessing, and then quickly flick their gazes back to their president.
I feel my lips purse. It's not like I showed up here on a surprise visit. In fact, it was Royal himself who approached the mayor's office in an attempt to iron things out between the local government and the MC. I scheduled this meeting with Royal's secretary not four days ago. The bastard knew I was coming.
Raindrops start to fall, fat and heavy, splattering against the pavement and the metal roofs on the warehouses on either side of the long drive. The wetness slides across Royal's rock hard muscles, making the colors in his tattoos seem brighter, moistening the eyes of the wolves crouching over his biceps until they look real, like they're staring right at me.
I refocus my attention to his head of dark hair, my gaze directed up, up, up. The bastard's too tall for his own good. Still, I'm pretty sure I've got myself under control. It doesn't matter how handsome this guy is or how nice his body looks in that tight leather vest.
I take a deep breath, meeting the eyes of the wolf's head patch on his back, framed on the top and bottom with another pair of patches. Alpha Wolves on the top and Trinidad, CA on the bottom. An MC and a 1% patch sit on either side. Intimidating, much?
Well, it won't work on me.
“Royal McBride.” I state his name with every ounce of authority I have—and it works. At the very least, it gets his attention.
“Who the fuck …” Royal begins, turning slightly to glare at me, locking a pair of dark brown eyes on my face. His brows raise and the corner of his mouth twitches. Me, I come completely unhinged, heat flooding my body, filling up all the places I so very suddenly want this man to touch.
Oh shit.
Royal looks me up and down once, assessing, his gaze giving absolutely nothing away.
“Well, I'll be damned,” he says, his voice holding the edge of an accent I can't quite place. He's trying so hard to hide it, but … “Is this pint-size little package from the mayor's office?” Royal tilts his head and lets his lips twist into a smile. I can already feel the flirtatious waves rolling off of him, the charm being turned full tilt onto my frowning face. I don't take it personally though; Royal isn't flirting with me, not really. This is a man who's used to getting his way with a smile and a wink, somebody who thinks that anyone without a penis wants him.
Hell, it's probably
“Royal McBride, my name is Lyric Rentz, and I'm the Deputy Mayor of Government Operations and Affairs for the city of Trinidad.” I force my mouth into a smile and decide it's probably best to ignore the whole pint-size comment from the Alpha Wolves President. I extend my hand and pretend that I'm not studying that handsome face, the rugged cut of that jaw, the ruthless, wry humor that surrounds the man's impressive form.
Royal gives me another once-over, like he's not quite sure what to make of me. This time, I feel his gaze diving deeper, trying to get under my skin and understand what I'm all about, what makes me tick. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Mr. McBride reads minds.
“Well, well, well,” he says, his voice dropping a little lower as he goes in for yet another head to toe look. This time around, something in his expression shifts and I feel a little chill travel up my spine, dragging goose bumps down my arms. “Lyric … Rentz,” he says, my first name a verbal caress passing between his lips. My last name though … he says that like a curse. I know what he's thinking: Philip Rentz … Lyric Rentz. I have the same last name as the mayor.
Royal glances down at my fingers, searching, I think, for a ring. When he doesn't find it, he comes to some other conclusion and reaches up to take my still extended hand.
When our fingers slide together … oh God. His hand is rough and calloused, grazing the smooth skin of my own with an almost tangible spark that makes me jerk back like I've been burned. The guys around Royal chuckle and I jump; I almost forgot they were there.
“You're the mayor's … sister?” Royal asks casually, lifting his chin and tucking his fingers into the front pockets on his jeans.
“Daughter,” I correct, hating that that's the truth, knowing what people think when I say it. She got that job because her dad's the mayor. If they only knew … I got the job in spite of that. “Youngest of three.”
“Shame,” Royal says with another wicked little smile. “I guess you're off-limits then?”
“Off … limits?” I ask as the boys behind him laugh again, all of their eyes on me, amusement apparent in their gazes.
“Yeah, I mean, how would the mayor feel if I took his pint-size prodigy daughter to the bedroom and tore off that bloody awful little skirt of hers?” I knew it! British accent. It's faint, but it's there.
Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I stand there dumbfounded for a second. I'm not stupid, okay, but I work in a mayor's office. Talk about prim, proper, and politically correct. This man's like a shock to the system.
“No offense, Mr. McBride, but this bloody awful skirt belonged to Toni Gladstone, the previous deputy mayor. I might have inherited her position and her suit, but I'll be damned if I inherit her mistakes.” Royal stares at me for a moment, his brown eyes dark and deep and soulful, then throws back his head and laughs, like I'm the most ridiculous thing he's ever seen.
“Oh sweetheart, I promise not to do a bodge job on you. We'll take it nice and slow and easy, alright?”
“The only thing you'll be taking, Mr. McBride, is a few hours of my time and a look at the papers I've brought you. I think you'll find that a healthy relationship with the mayor's office and the people of Trinidad will be beneficial for all of us.”
“Oh, I don't mind getting into bed with the mayor's office,” Royal says, eyes twinkling, mouth twisted to the side in a wolfish smirk as he takes a step closer to me. “Only I'd rather get into bed with you.”
“That rat bastard,” I snarl, slamming my car door and glaring out the window at Royal's retreating back. “Sorry to say, I'm too busy for that today, love,” I mimic, hating that man with every fiber of my being. Maybe it's some sort of defense mechanism against the overwhelming attraction I feel for him. Never in my life have I had this sort of reaction to anyone before. I'm generally a pleasant person. But Royal McBride? Ugh.
So I rescheduled with the club secretary and climbed back into my car, watching in the rearview mirror as customers pull their bikes into the shop—the shop whose books are good, so good that the forensic accountant my father hired to go over them couldn't find a single discrepancy. Thing is, we all know that the club is up to no good. And they know we know. But any efforts to actually catch them doing wrong have gone badly—for us. This … business arrangement we're considering, it won't stop them from doing what they do, but it will help my father's chances at re-election, show the city that he's 'cleaning up the riffraff'.
I sigh and turn the ignition, well aware that the club's on their best behavior right now. It's not like I'm going to see them trafficking illegal weapons or making drug deals in the bright light of day.
“Screw you, Royal,” I murmur, pulling out of my parking space and heading towards the front gates. It's not until I hit the highway that it starts to really pour, drops splattering against the roof of my car. I could go back to the office, but my dad's going to want to hear all about my meeting, and I have even less to report back on than Toni Gladstone did. She got laid by the president; I got dismissed like a stray dog.
My hands tighten around the wheel and my eyes wander to my cell phone, plugged in and laying across the passenger seat.
I press the dial button on my steering wheel, connecting with the Bluetooth in my phone.
“Call Royal McBride,” I say and listen as the phone rings over the speakers in my car.
“Wolf Cycle Service and Repair, this is Janae, how can I help you?” The sugary sweet voice of Janae, the club secretary, fills the quiet car and forces me to take a breath to clamp down on my anger. It isn't directed at her, isn't her fault that her boss is a dick. I think—though I'm not certain—that she's an … an old lady or something. Isn't that what bikers call their wives? A small shudder goes through me, but I make myself smile. People can hear it in your voice, you know.
“Hi Janae, this is Lyric from the mayor's office, I was wondering if you could get ahold of Royal for me?” There's a small pause as she considers my request. “I know he said he's busy today, but—”
“Busy?” Janae repeats with a small laugh. “Is that what he told you? Oh, bless his heart. Did he dodge out on your meeting?” My smile fades from my face. “There's a party tonight at the clubhouse. The boys are swearing in a new VP tomorrow.” I don't bother to ask what happened to the old vice president—I know she won't tell me. Club business stays club business. “He's probably just flirting with groupies and hauling in kegs.”
“Uh huh.” I can feel my mouth twitching with frustration. “Is that so?”
“That's so,” Janae says with a small laugh. “But I can try to wrangle him up for you if you want.”
“No, that won't be necessary. What time is the party tonight?”
There's a pause on Janae's end of the line.
“Could you hold a moment for me?” she asks.
“Sure thing.”
I'm already at my exit by the time she comes back.
“The party starts at six here at the clubhouse,” Janae begins, her voice holding a strange sort of hesitancy. “Although I'm not sure that this is the sort of party that you'd be interested in.”
I narrow my eyes, even though I know she can't see me, my gaze focused out the windshield on the wet pavement and the green of the trees flickering by on either side of the car. It's easy to see why they call this the Lost Coast; even with the fairly recent population boom, the area's still wild enough that I feel like it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to catch sight of some sort of Jurassic period monster—like Royal McBride.
“Six at the clubhouse,” I say, just to reconfirm. Not the kind of party that I'd be interested in. Please. If Royal thinks he can use his secretary to scare me away, he's dead wrong. “I'll be there.”
CHAPTER TWO
Royal
Holy hell.
Talk about a shit fest.
I slide a cigarette between my lips and feel my mouth curl into a smirk. Somebody hired strippers—not me, too busy dealing with my ex VP—but I owe whoever it was a favor. Fifteen minutes to six, and I'm already enjoying the show, watching my boys piss away two weeks worth of rage and frustration on alcohol and leather lovers. One of my favorites, a slim waisted brunette with legs for days, is smiling at me from across the room. I give her a wink and a silent promise to check in later. Right now, I've got business to take care of.
“You invited the mayor's daughter to one of our parties?” Smoky asks, lighting up and giving me a sideways glance that says he doesn't approve. “You think that's a good idea? On so many levels I can see this going wrong.”
“I'm not planning on shagging her,” I say, raising my brows and exhaling. A quick glance over my shoulder reveals a sea of leather cuts and scantily clad women, not a single gray skirt suit in sight. “I'm not a complete idiot, you know.”
“Only a half-wit,” Smoky says with a smirk, his green eyes narrowing as he shakes his head at me. “You never pass on a beautiful girl, even if fucking her's likely to get you tossed in the slammer. So tell me, what's wrong with this one?”
Royal McBride. I can still hear that girl's voice ringing in my head, the mighty punch she packed into the four simple syllables of my name. I have to admit, it was a fucking shock to turn around and find Pint-Sized and Pretty glaring up at me, not even a hint of concern for where she was or who she was talking to.
I liked it.
I run my tongue over my lower lip and Smoky groans.
“Goddamn it, Royal.” I flick my gaze over to my friend and smile. “You're so full of shit your eyes are brown.”
“Yeah, well, you can blame my mum for that one.” My smile turns into a grin as I move away from Smoky and into the crowd. It parts like the Red Sea, bodies shifting aside as I make my way towards the front entrance. I know how to crack a joke and a smile, but I also know how to break a man's ribs without leaving any bruising. There's a reason I'm the youngest president in the club's sordid history, thirty-two years old and the officers twice my age don't have shit to say about it.
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