005 "You Owe Me..."

~KELSIE~

My Harley beeped as soon as I inserted the key into the ignition, trying not to remember how his face hovered close to me a few hours ago and how his gaze lingered on my lips as though he was considering taking it.

With a shrug, I willed myself to push back the events of a few minutes ago and climbed on my bike. Sorrel had requested we meet at the rack, and even though it wasn't typically my hangout place, I had to indulge her. 

Anything to get my thoughts off those penetrating sapphire eyes.

Weirdly enough, I should be thinking of my near-death experience at the end of Jade a few minutes ago, not Lancelot's fucking piercing sapphire eyes and his undeniably handsome face.

Yeah...I learned his name. 

It was weird that Jade knew it. He fucking called it, but looked surprised at his intervention. 

Frankly, I still was. I had already accepted whatever outcome would surface. I wasn't about to accept defeat twice in two days. It would be a blow to my biker pride.

 Inwardly, I was grateful for his saving because fuck, Jade had no idea what was coming for him if anything had happened to me. 

Well, not that the other vipers would let him escalate things. They were merely following my stand-down sign. 

But Lancelot swung in, not taking notice of that sign, and plucked me out of his hold with a punch.

I had to admit that— somewhere underneath my chest, the angry feeling I had harbored earlier, coupled with the sore-loser feeling was gradually dissolving, and a feeling of quiet admiration was slipping in. 

"Red!" My hand froze over the ignition, my mind snapping back from its internal monologue as I turned sharply. 

"Don't mount that bike." He instructed, prancing towards me in such haste as though he was scared I was already speeding off.

My lips curled in a smug smile. "Eager to begin your bodyguard duties, huh? The day hasn't ended, you know." I re-fixed my gaze on my phone to get another look at Sorrel's weird choice of meeting venue.

 Although, I was surprised at myself for the change in tone, the presence of my smiles, and the tenderness in my words.

Was I already idolizing him because he saved me? Really, Elsie?

When he closed in on me, he shook his head firmly. "No way am I allowing you to get on that bike. He rested his big, soft hand on top of the seat. "You heard him, didn't you? It's not yet over." 

Yep. I heard that crystal clear, but I wasn't about to let the threat of a pompous, spoiled daddy's boy biker get to me. 

"I'm not afraid of him." I positioned the helmet over my head but Lancelot snatched it away from me with a quizzical glare. 

I ignored the heat of his glare and focused my attention on his perfectly arched brows for a minute, not missing the way his long hair was held in a tight bun. I itched to run my hand over the raven maze of hair, but I inwardly cursed myself instead.

Fucking get your head on straight, Elsie.

"You should be. He almost killed you..." His voice was slightly raised. "With your fellow vipers standing idly around, watching." 

"I gave them the stand down order." I protested.

Now it was my turn to glare at him. Although it wasn't as heated as the previous ones I used to throw at him long before now.

"And you think I would have allowed him to do that?" 

He snorted, tightening his hold on the seat. "I didn't exactly see you trying to stop him." He taunted, a smirk appearing at the corner of his lips. That annoying smug smirk of his. 

Weirdly enough, I didn't think it was annoying this time, not when my attention was focused on the planes of his full lips; their very pink color and soft texture.

Shame on you, Elsie. 

"Being a biker doesn't exactly amplify your strength." He went on, oblivious of my survey.

"Although I can feel your quiet strength, they are useless without appropriate skills. So we'll fix that in—" 

His words were interrupted by the soft clashing of my lips against his. Without hesitation, his hand left the seat and grabbed my cheeks, intensifying the kiss.

My knees suddenly took a wobbling turn at his soft nibbling of my lips, sending a tingling sensation through me. A sensation that I desperately tried not to pay attention to. 

 I was still surprised how I managed to reach his lips from across the bike. Yeah, I stood on my tiptoe, but hell that guy's height was massive. 

Then it dawned on me that I was standing on top of the bike's peg, and that's when my escape plan kicked in. 

With my wet center, I sharply eased away from him, straddled my bike, and turned on the ignition. With haste I didn't know I possessed, I sped out of the compound before he could recollect himself, a mischievous smile playing on my tingling lips.

"Gotcha..."

               ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pulling to a halt outside the rack, my gaze went to the entrance, expecting to see Sorrel standing outside the door, but found no one. 

"Where the hell is she..." I muttered, fishing out my phone from my pocket to call. But that didn't work because the next minute, a handkerchief was stuffed to my nose.

My frantic attempt to pull the giant hand away proved abortive because the next minute, I blacked out, slumping against the intruder's hold.

*******

A throbbing headache hit my temples immediately I snapped my eyes open, eliciting a light groan out of me.

I insisted on leaving it open, determined to make out my environment.

The first thing I noticed was being tied to a chair, and when I sorted through the blurriness that coated my eyes, I made out the first face. The male figure that sat a few feet away from me, puffing up smoke with a victorious smile playing on his lips.

"You're finally awake, princess." I gazed steadily at him, my breath hitching at the realization that he had me... again.

Damn, how right Lancelot was.

I should have listened, but no, I had to speed away like that. And it's not like we could find me now. I didn't know where we were, but from the old chairs and the ragged state of the room, it looked like a torture room...or an abandoned werewolf house. 

Fuck, if I knew.

There was no way Lancelot could find me here. And that realization made my breath hitch, heart racing with the realization that I was completely at Jade's mercy.

Muffled sounds caused my gaze to snap to my side and I saw Sorrel tied to another chair, her eyes red and puffy with tears, and her mouth gagged.

I stared back at him with horror, realizing belatedly that I was also gagged.

"Since you think you're a smart ass. You're going to pay the price." He muttered before springing to his feet and advancing, menacingly. "I'm going to ravish you while I wait for my boys to send your Dad a message." 

"No, you won't." The door was kicked open with a force that sent it falling off its hinges. 

I gasped at the person who filled the doorway, a wave of relief washing through me.

"And who are you to determine that?" Jade asked, authority dripping from his voice.

Lancelot's lips curled in a side smile that got caught in my breath somewhere in my chest. "The only one who gets to ravish her." 

Then the world stopped...for a moment. And so did my heart.

The bloody hell!

With a force I didn't expect, he rushed towards Jade, but considering that his jaw had already been broken today, he fled... surprisingly.

Then, he kneeled in front of me, gazing at me with a tenderness I had never seen in his eyes as he reached to take out my gag.

"I saved you twice, Red. I dare say, you owe me…”