by Jo Davis
Tonio and his hookup turned toward the woman who’d stalked up to them without either of them noticing—and Tonio’s breath caught. The woman was several inches below Tonio’s height—perhaps five-nine—long-limbed with a killer body that looked like she’d just stepped from the pages of a skin magazine. Long dark hair fell past her shoulders, almost all the way to her waist. Her eyes were large and green, and her nose was a sharp blade above a full, lush mouth made for sucking cock. Full, ripe breasts pushed at the snug cotton shirt, which had been cut with scissors or a knife to make it a low V-neck and sleeveless as well. She wore tight jeans and black ankle boots with silver conchos studded around them. Encircling her right upper arm was a surprisingly feminine Celtic tattoo. His mouth watered. The look, which would have come across as tacky on anyone else, was stunning on her.
Definitely centerfold material.
“What the fuck do you want, Angel?” Tess was clearly less than pleased with the other woman’s presence.
“Are you really that stupid?” Angel stared at her, then shook her head. “You know this is Rab’s territory. He’s not going to be happy to find you here again, and he’s not taking you back.”
What? Stuck in the middle of Tess’s trying to make another man jealous? Fuck.
“You think I give a shit what that asshole thinks, or what makes him happy?”
Angel sighed. “Look, I’m telling you this for your own good. My brother— Crap, too late. Here he comes now.”
Angel really did look worried, Tonio had to admit. When Tess glanced toward the door, she did, too. Who was this Rab guy who had the women so nervous? Tonio followed their gazes and cursed inwardly.
The man who held their attention was a frigging tank, maybe even an inch or so taller than Tonio himself. He was about thirty or so and bald, and wore his tats proudly as sleeves down both thick arms. Several pendants bounced against his broad chest, and he wore jeans that emphasized his muscular thighs.
Rab headed straight for their group, a steely expression on his face. Tonio slid from his stool and planted himself slightly in front of the women on pure instinct. This wasn’t even his fight, for God’s sake.
“Bitch,” the man growled, throwing his sister the barest glance. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Tonio’s back went up. He absolutely hated any man who addressed a woman as bitch. Only bottom-feeders resorted to that kind of talk to make themselves seem like bigger men.
“What do you think?” she purred slyly. Curling into Tonio’s side, she wrapped an arm around his waist. “I’m here for a drink, same as you. A little company, too. No harm in that.”
“There is when you know goddamned well I don’t want to see your face.” His eyes were dark and cold, like black marbles. He hadn’t acknowledged Tonio at all.
“Fine,” she said airily. “I guess I won’t introduce you to my friend Tonio here, who has a special talent.”
That icy gaze settled on Tonio for the first time, and inwardly he actually shuddered. That didn’t happen often. There weren’t many people who scared him. But there was something about this man he perceived as dangerous. Even deadly. Maybe it was because he was too still, too calm. As though watching and calculating.
“What talent might that be?” Rab drawled, checking him out from head to toe, his disdain clear.
“Acquisitions,” Tess said pointedly.
And here we go.
That caught the other man’s interest. “What’s your specialty?”
“Don’t have one. Someone wants something, I get it.” That was taking a risk, not specializing. It might have sounded too close to fishing on Tonio’s part. Too suspect.
Rab studied him for a long moment. Tonio held his gaze, not backing down. Never, ever volunteer more than you’re asked. That’s the first rule of being undercover. Eventually, the other man spoke again.
“You got a last name?”
“Reyes,” he lied.
“You got a number?”
Shit. He couldn’t give out his real cell phone number—he’d have to get a burner, fast. And have an unpleasant conversation with Rainey first thing tomorrow. He was onto something here. He could feel it. The room had hushed, every single person there tense. Belatedly, Tonio noted all the men dressed in a similar fashion who’d risen to their feet and moved subtly behind Rab. None of them appeared to be the stereotypical bumbling backwoods yokel. They looked tough and serious. He’d bet most of them had done hard time.
This man was no small-time player.
“I’m around,” was his only reply.
Several men flexed their fists. Looked to Rab, who held them off with a slight flick of a hand. Jesus. He’d escaped getting the motherfuck beat out of him by the skin of his teeth, and all he’d wanted was a cold drink and a hot woman. In that order.
“I expect you will be,” Rab said, his warning unmistakable. “Same time tomorrow night. Here. We’ll talk.”
Dismissing Tonio, the man strode away, taking up residence at a table in a corner of the bar. The only vacant table in the place, which must have been reserved for him. Angel stepped closer to Tonio and tilted her head toward the corner.
“You’ve got his attention,” she said, sounding less than pleased. And still concerned. “I hope you know what the hell you let in when you opened that door.”
“Interesting way to talk about your own brother.”
A second of unease flickered in her jade eyes. She glanced around and apparently decided Rab’s men were no longer listening. “My advice? Don’t come back.”
“Noted.” Angel, warning him off. He was even more intrigued than before—and he knew he’d be back.
About the Author
National bestselling author Jo Davis is best known for the popular Firefighters of Station Five, Sugarland Blue, and Torn Between Two Lovers series. As J. D. Tyler, she’s the National bestselling author of the dark, sexy paranormal series Alpha Pack. Primal Law, the first book in her Alpha Pack series, is the winner of the 2011 National Reader’s Choice Award in Paranormal. She has also been a multiple finalist in the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, a finalist for the Bookseller’s Best Award, has captured the HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, and has been a two-time nominee for the Australian Romance Readers Award in romantic suspense. She’s had one book optioned for a major motion picture.
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