PRIZE: A Bad Boy Hitman Romance

by Sophia Gray

  Grant pulled out and sat on the stool next to mine. His leg pressed against mine, and I took several quick swallows of my beer. “We’ll find them.”

  I knocked my beer bottle against his. “I’ll drink to that.”

  We both drank, and silence fell over us. Again, my thoughts started to churn. My being here felt so wrong. I had no clothes but what I was wearing. Yes, I had made arrangements with Heather Franklin to keep the restaurant up and running with strict orders to not bother me unless it was an absolute emergency, but I felt like I was pausing my life to find Sage. Which was fine. I had no problems with that.

  But sitting here, drinking a beer, feeling the power from his leg as it was pressed against mine, it felt so wrong.

  I drank from my beer only to discover it was empty.

  “Want another?” Grant asked, already getting up.

  “Sure. Thanks.”

  He got out another two and opened them. After he reclaimed his seat—I swear he was sitting a little closer to me now—he said, “Tell me about Sage.”

  So I told him. I told him about her appearance, about her kind heart and how she kind of always seemed to be at war with herself. How she wanted to be independent but knew she wasn’t ready for that yet. How she could be frustrating and even infuriating at times. How she could be kind and considerate.

  It wasn’t until I had two more beers that I added how she should find someone better than Trenton.

  “Why is that?” he asked, his tone suddenly cool.

  “He’s not good for her.”

  “Why do you say that?” He had turned toward me to look at me as we talked, but now he shifted to face forward, his jaw tight, his back rigid.

  “You aren’t Trenton,” I blurted out.

  Grant tilted his head, his cocky grin making a reappearance. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Trenton’s bad news.” I winced. “I’m sorry. He’s yours. He’s one of yours. He’s…I just don’t think he’s right for Sage. You know?” I was rambling. Beer always made me ramble.

  “If I’m not Trenton, and he’s bad news, does that make me good news?” His gaze shifted downward to focus on my lips.

  I refrained from licking them. Somehow. “I’m not sure yet.”

  He leaned closer, close enough for me to be able to see the flecks of gold in his eyes. “Do you want to find out?”

  Yes.

  No.

  I didn’t know.

  I reached for a beer bottle and knocked an empty one over. “Sorry.” I glanced away to pick it up, and when I turned back to Grant, the moment was gone. Which was probably a good thing. This man was fine. Incredibly fine. And I couldn’t have a distraction. Too much was at stake.

  Later on, though, once Sage was found, that would be a different story.

  “I understand,” he said quietly.

  Did he, though? Did he understand that when he touched and squeezed my shoulder, it sent a shot straight through me? That I was afraid it wasn’t just him that I was responding to, but that I would be feeling and reacting this way to any guy since it had been so long since I had been involved with one? Did he agree that now wasn’t the time? Was he one of those guys who screwed women and tossed them aside when he was bored of them? Honestly, I might have done that once or twice to a guy. A long-term relationship hadn’t been something I needed when I had been climbing the ladder to restaurant ownership, but now that I had accomplished my business goals, why couldn’t I find myself a guy if the right guy came along?

  Once Sage was found, of course.

  And the right guy couldn’t possibly be from a motorcycle club.

  So maybe one more throwaway guy was in the cards.

  But as I stared at him, at his deep eyes, his strong lines, his bulging muscles, I knew he wouldn’t be the kind of guy to settle for being a throwaway. He was the kind of guy to be the one to throwaway instead.

  Slowly, his lips curled into a teasing smile. “I wouldn’t mind if you took a picture.”

  I felt my cheeks flush. “I was just thinking that you’re dirty. I mean, I’m dirty. Not like that. I mean…a shower. Do you have a shower? Of course you do. Can I use it?”

  “Dirty body or dirty mind?” he asked, a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

  Like a fool, I just gave him a slight smile back. I did not want to keep talking and continue to make a fool of myself. What the heck was going on with me? Four beers was less than my limit, so it shouldn’t be the alcohol. Had to be stress. And Grant was a hot guy. I was out of practice talking to one who made me feel all jittery inside. Some of the guys I interacted with at the restaurant were hot, but I didn’t view them as dating material.

  So was I viewing Grant that way?

  Cool it, hormones.

  Grant polished off the last of his beer. “I’ll grab you a towel. Follow me.” He led me down the hallway to a closet. After he removed a towel, he jerked his head to the right. “This way. Once you get out, I can give you a tour of the place. It’s not huge, but it’s got what I need.”

  What do you need? was on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it. There was no way a man who looked like he did—a god of sorts with his muscles, that perfect hair for running fingers through, those lips that begged to be kissed—would not take that question sexually.

  “Use my shampoo, my soap. Whatever you need.” He opened a door in the long hallway that revealed a rather impressive bathroom. Its cleanliness struck me immediately. Did he not bring a lot of women here? Or maybe he hired a cleaning service. I didn’t think Grant was the kind to get his hands dirty. Not with cleaning at least.

  “Thank you.”

  He handed me the towel, and I made sure our fingers didn’t touch. His smirk left me wondering if he realized I did that intentionally. I had to get him out of my mind. I needed to focus on Sage and finding her.

  We’ll find her soon.

  I hoped.

  I stripped and adjusted the water to my liking before stepping in. The shower was huge, definitely large enough to fit two people. There was room enough for people to wash each other, to suds up their bodies, making them all slick and wet and clean. There was room enough for sex in a few positions. Leg up in the air, from behind, facing each other, maybe sitting on the ledge, too.

  As I washed up, I found myself daydreaming I weren’t alone, that Grant was here, and I almost felt ashamed for it. It was obvious he was attracted to me, too, but the timing was so wrong, and besides, it would never last anyhow. Our worlds were too different.

  Didn’t mean we couldn’t have a romp or two.

  No. Not now. Not until Sage and Trenton are found.

  Still, I was wet between my legs when I climbed out of the shower. I glanced at my pile of clothes and grimaced. I really didn’t want to have to put them back on. Maybe Grant had a shirt I could borrow. A long shirt.

  I dried my body and wrapped myself in the towel. Maybe this would only make things worse. The sexual tension between us had started back at his headquarters, but it had only increased since we were in such close quarters.

  The moment I exited the bathroom, I collided with Grant. His strong arms wrapped around me, to keep me from falling, but then he didn’t let me go. His penetrating gaze shot straight through me, and I grew even wetter. My gaze shifted from his eyes to his lips, and I barely had time to close my eyes before he pressed them to mine.

  The kiss started out innocently enough, but when I wrapped my arms around his neck to draw him closer, he pressed against my back so there was no space between us but his clothes and my towel. My tongue pushed against his lips, and he parted them, and our tongues dueled as the kiss heated up.

  Before we could go any further, because that was definitely where that kind of a kiss was heading, his phone vibrated.

  Grant broke off the kiss. “Damn it,” he growled. He didn’t step back as he grabbed his phone out of his pocket, one hand still on my back.

  I reveled in the feel of the length of his hard body against mine
, but I tried to damper down my excitement. We needed to focus on Sage and Trenton, not each other. It was for the best that we had been interrupted.

  My hormones sure disagreed, though.

  He stared at his phone. “A text. Someone spotted Sage on the eastside of town.”

  “Let’s go.” I shrugged out of his grip and started toward the front door.

  “As much as I love how you look in that towel, I think you might want to get changed before we go.”

  “Oh. Right.” I dashed back to the bathroom. Who cared if I wore the same clothes? If we could find Sage already, everything would be perfect!

  I threw my clothes on and applied some of Grant’s deodorant. It smelled strong, and it thrilled me to smell like him.

  To say I was pissed and annoyed to find Grant’s bike gone and him not in sight in his loft would be an understatement. He had left me a note on the counter. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Make yourself comfy. Time is of the essence.

  He was right about that, but I had only taken three minutes to change. He couldn’t have waited three minutes?

  I paced around the table a few times before my stomach started to churn. I was both nauseous and hungry. By the time I decided eating might be a good idea, I heard the roar of his bike and the flashing of his lights.

  Quick as a rabbit, I rushed to the door. Grant’s grim face greeted me.

  “It was a false lead. I’m sorry. I went to the place and scoped it out, but I found nothing.”

  “Where was it?” I asked. My heart sank, but honestly, I wasn’t surprised. Something in my gut told me Sage was in trouble. We hadn’t gotten in a fight. She had no reason to run away.

  “A bar. Cowboy’s Lasso. You know the place?”

  I stilled. Sage might only be nineteen and underage, but that was a place she frequented. “Cowboy’s Lasso. Sage often went there with Trenton. You sure that it was a false lead?”

  “She wasn’t there. Neither was Trenton. Could they have been there earlier? Not today, at least. I asked the bartender, and he said no. Trenton never mentioned the bar to me himself, but I’ll go back tomorrow and ask more questions.”

  “I’ll come with.”

  He reached over and patted my hand. “You need to get some supplies and clothes. Maybe call around a few more friends or other places that the two would hang out.”

  “Why do you want me to lay low?” I demanded, pulling my hand back and putting it on my hip.

  “I want you to stay safe. I don’t want anyone else to go missing.”

  “And you assume that because you’re a big, tough guy you’ll be fine?”

  “Exactly.” He brushed his knuckles against my cheek. “I’ll go in the morning alone, but I’ll notify you the second I learn anything. Do we have a deal?”

  “I’m not gonna change your mind, am I?” I sighed.

  He laughed. “If I’m anything, I’m stubborn.”

  “I am, too, but fine. Just this once.”

  “Just this once.”

  Chapter 5

  Grant

  That night, I had a hard time sleeping, and it wasn’t because I was on my couch. It was because Victoria was in my bed, sleeping.

  No matter what I did, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. I kept trying to think about Trenton and where we might be able to find him and Sage, but my other head wanted attention.

  Maybe I was in denial. I didn’t want Victoria to be hurt, but I was afraid that was exactly what was going to happen. Because if Trenton was mixed up with drugs, then Sage might’ve been snatched specifically to keep Trenton in line. Or, if Sage was in on it, maybe Victoria was in danger, because then she could be the one snatched to keep Sage in line.

  It was enough to make my head hurt.

  My other head, now that was throbbing. When Victoria had come out of the bathroom with beads of water on her soft skin, crashing into me, I hadn’t even thought about stopping myself. I just went for it and kissed her.

  It had been an incredible kiss, and I had had more than my fair share of kisses. Make no mistake about it, I wasn’t interested in settling down. I had no idea if I ever would. Didn’t mean I didn’t want Victoria any less, though, and from the way she responded, she definitely wanted me, too.

  Her curves, those lips, her lithe body, I could just imagine how it would go, how she would respond.

  Maybe it was animalistic of me to be thinking about her like this when Trenton might be in trouble. Hell, worst case scenario, Trenton would be dead already. He deserved better than that. He could’ve been better than all of this. I thought I’d helped him, that drugs weren’t a part of his life anymore. I guessed I had failed him.

  I didn’t take failure well, but this wasn’t about me. Trenton had always had his demons, and while I did my best for him, there had been only so much I could do for him. He had to want to get clean himself. It seemed to me that he hadn’t started using again, at least, but that he might be dealing it, selling it, when he knew first hand just how terrible the stuff could be, well, it just ate away at me.

  So maybe I wasn’t sleeping for a few reasons.

  With a groan, I got up and grabbed myself an apple from the kitchen. Maybe a snack would help me settle. Before going back to the couch, though, I made a detour and peeked in on Victoria. She looked so peaceful, but then she rolled over and back again. She was restless. Small wonder.

  I could climb into bed with her. Hold her. Comfort her. Take both of our minds off our worries.

  The sound of a soft sigh came to me. Was she waking? No. It seemed to me that she was settling into a deeper sleep. Better to leave her alone.

  But that left me all the more frustrated when I returned to the couch. My cock was throbbing, long and hard. Maybe this was a nature reaction to fear and worry—to want to fuck, to crave something life-affirming. Because, man, did I want to fuck, to pound good and long, again and again.

  She was aggravated with me, though, and I didn’t blame her for that. I wanted to keep her safe, and I was keeping her in the dark. The possibility of there being a threat to her was real. She just didn’t realize how real. I’d keep her safe, even if it meant that I had to keep her at arm’s length. If she learned I was holding back, she’d be pissed, and she might understand, but probably not. If Sage was in on drugs, Victoria obviously had no idea. She thought the world of Sage. She loved her like she was her own. If she wanted to have kids of her own one day, she’d make a hell of a mom.

  Kids. Now that was something I hadn’t thought about. Did I want some? It would mean having a family. More like having another family. My men, my crew, they were my family.

  I wasn’t a praying kind of guy, but I kind of felt like I should be praying now. I wanted Trenton and Sage to be safe. I wanted the drugs to have been planted there. I wanted everything to work out.

  But I had a feeling that it was going to be a long time before anything would work out, and who knew how exactly it would all shape up.

  ***

  I woke the next morning before Victoria did, although it might be more accurate to say that I hardly ever slept. I had gotten up after I finished an apple and wrote down every possible place Trenton had ever gone to since I had known him. I then looked up the numbers and left the list on the table. I wasn’t specifically asking Victoria to call the places for me, but if she wanted to do it while I was out investigating, I would appreciate it. I wanted to find Trenton as badly as she wanted to find Sage.

  Before I went back to Cowboy’s Lasso, I scoped out my place. None of the guys had any other new leads for me, though it took me some time to track them all down, since a few were out chasing down what turned out to be false leads.

  I figured it wouldn’t be best to return to the bar until it was at least dinnertime, so I tinkered some with my bike. Working with my hands, getting dirty and grimy, always helped to get my mind working. I came up with a few others places Trenton liked to hang out at that I hadn’t thought up earlier, and I checked out the movie theater and the
restaurant, but he hadn’t frequented either recently.

  Of course not. I’m starting to feel like we’re chasing ghosts.

  By now, it was nearly five o’clock. I ate dinner with the guys, all the while wondering how Victoria was holding up. Maybe I should’ve gone to her, ate with her, kept her company. I had given her a few text updates but that was it. I wanted to try to put some distance between us. Distractions right now weren’t good. The couple had been gone for days now. The longer they went without being found, the less likely we were to find them. If they really wanted to disappear, we might not be able to find them.