Twisted Steel: An MC Anthology: Second Edition by Elizabeth Knox (top 5 ebook reader txt) 📕

4 Rogue

I don’t know why I’m telling her all this bullshit. There’s no need for me to be nice to her, but after the gunshots that rained down on us, I have a feeling it’s my fault. I brought trouble here, and I’ll make sure to remove it from this town. A glance over my shoulder has me locking my gaze on the pretty girl from next door. Her long, pink hair is a beautiful contrast to her olive skin. Smooth and silky. Her eyes are almond-shaped and bright fucking green. A color that would have men dropping to their knees for a moment of her time.

But I’m not them.

I’ll never be good enough for someone like her—a good girl with a future ahead of her.

“Are you always this philosophical or is that only after you’re shot at?” she sasses me with a small smile, and I wonder briefly if she’s trying to ease the tension hanging in the air between us.

“All the time,” I tell her. “I’m just that damn good.”

She laughs at my response, the tinkling sound like a million fucking angels singing in my ear. The moment I think it, I shut it down, pushing it to the back of my mind because angels and I don’t get on very well.

I set the mug down in front of her. Lifting mine to my mouth, I sip the hot liquid as my gaze tracks her movements. She blows on it for a few seconds before tentatively taking a sip, and I don’t miss the way her hands tremble. The thick, steamy chocolate makes her moan, and the sound has a direct link to my cock. For a brief moment, I forget about what we’d just been through and wonder what it would be like to have a girlfriend, someone who would be here when I needed her, for both conversation and a good, hard fuck.

I’ve been with clubwhores since I was sixteen. I lost my virginity to Bambi. I shit you not, her name was Bambi, a dark-haired vixen who hung around the clubhouse all day, every day. I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing, but she taught me everything I ever needed to know.

But as I look at Trinity, I realize it’s not just her curvy figure or those plump lips that have me entranced, it’s the way she holds herself. There’s a confident shyness about her, which is more intoxicating than any bottle of bourbon I can drink.

“Are you okay?” I find myself asking before I can take it back. I don’t want to care, to show her I’m worried about her because that’s opening a door to shit I can’t deal with. But when her gaze locks on mine, I see the fear glinting in those jade orbs.

She nods, slow and steady, but it’s how her lower lip trembles that has me moving toward her. Without thinking, I set my mug down and wrap her in my arms. Her frame is smaller than mine, and she melts into my hold with her head resting right on my rapidly beating heart.

I don’t know how long I stand there holding her, but when she pulls away, it feels as if it’s too short. I need more time to feel her warmth, her softness. She’s such a stark contrast to my hard edges, I can’t deny the need to pull her closer once more and not let her go. It’s been so long since I’ve felt anything more than cold, unemotional fucking that having her near me like this makes me crave more.

“If you need to talk . . .” I allow the words to falter into the heaviness that hangs in the air between us. I’m not sure if she’s ever experienced anything like it, but I have. I know what it’s like to dodge a fucking bullet. I don’t want that life for her, yet her mother is involved in the club, and I learned her father is a brother. It means she’ll have grown up with it.

“Are you trying to be nice?” Once again, this girl shocks me with her fucking sass. Stepping back, I lean my hip against the kitchen counter and pick up my mug.

“Don’t be a sassy little spy about it,” I bite out, but there’s a grin on my face. A genuine fucking smile. “I don’t offer my services to just anyone.”

“Oh?” She arches a brow, and I know what’s coming. “I thought any girl who batted her lashes would’ve gotten your attention.” Her cheeks turn bright red at her words, and I take a step toward her, crowding her personal bubble.

I lean in, allowing my mouth to skate along her cheek before I reach her ear. “You want my attention, little spy?” I taunt. “Then you’ve got it. But be careful, sweetheart. I break hearts as well as virtues.”

Her breath catches in her throat, and my dick responds with a jolt of need. A shiver trickles over her, and I can’t help but smile when I notice the goose bumps on her shoulder. She doesn’t respond when I move away. I notice her eyes are wide and glassy as her pupils dilate. I dart my tongue out and lick at my lower lip, which catches her attention. She’s no longer shaking. There’s no longer fear in her expression. Instead, I’ve managed to distract her from what happened.

“Do you tell all the girls that?” Trinity asks, “And do they all fall for it?” She attempts to straighten her spine, and I can’t help wanting to grin. Even standing, she’s so much shorter than I am. Her head barely brushes my chin, which has her tipping her head back to meet my gaze.

“Don’t need to tell them anything,” I taunt. “When I drop my jeans, they fall to their knees for me.” Even though I know I shouldn’t have said it, the