Chapter Two

Chapter Two

I could not breathe. My lungs felt completely tight, as if all the air had been sucked out of the room.

Stone’s heavy, rough thumb was still brushing slowly across my lower lip. His dark, intense eyes were locked tightly on mine. He looked at me like he was peeling back every single layer I had, seeing straight into my hidden soul. The loud noise of the crowded biker bar faded into a dull, distant roar in my ears. The only things that felt real were the heat of his skin and the heavy pounding of my own heart.

What the hell had I just done? What kind of dangerous game had I just started?

"Smart girl," Stone murmured. His voice was a low, gravelly rumble that vibrated right through me.

He finally dropped his hand from my face, but he did not step back. Not even an inch. His massive, muscular body still completely caged me against the hard wooden edge of the bar. Waves of intense heat rolled off him, wrapping around me and making my skin tingle. He was so big, so powerful, and I was entirely trapped in his shadow.

"You stay right here. Do not move," he ordered. It was not a request. It was a command from a man who was used to being obeyed by everyone.

He turned his head away from me and jerked his chin sharply at the bartender. The bartender was a huge, burly man with a long, messy beard and a nasty, jagged scar running across his cheek. He looked terrifying to anyone else, but the moment Stone looked at him, the big man straightened up instantly.

"Prospect," Stone barked, using a title that meant the man was still earning his place in the club. "Give me the keys to the blacked-out SUV parked out back. Now."

The bartender moved like his very life depended on it. He did not ask questions. He did not delay. He scrambled quickly, grabbed a heavy set of keys from under the counter, and slid them across the wood to his president.

Stone caught the keys in his large, tattooed hand. Then, he looked back down at me. His handsome face was unreadable, like a mask of cold stone.

"My car—" I started to say, thinking about my poor, broken-down vehicle sitting alone on the dark highway.

"Will be towed directly to the clubhouse parking lot tonight," Stone interrupted. His tone was flat and absolute. It left zero room for any argument. "You are not driving anywhere tonight, Tessa. You wanted a Reaper to help you? You got one, little dove. We go full throttle. No turning back."

Before my brain could even process those intense words, a familiar, shocked voice cut right through the loud crowd.

"Tessa?"

I froze. I knew that voice anywhere.

Tyler.

I turned my head slowly. Tyler was staring straight at us. The pretty blonde girl he had been flirting with was completely forgotten at his side. His eyes flicked rapidly from my face, down to Stone’s massive body, and then right back to me. His jaw was slightly open, and his eyes were wide with total disbelief.

For a single second, a rush of pure, sweet satisfaction flared deep in my chest. It felt amazing. He actually looked shocked. He actually looked… jealous? For two long years, he had never looked at me like that.

Stone noticed the change in Tyler instantly. He was a predator, always watching for weakness. A low, satisfied sound rumbled deep inside his massive chest. He did not hesitate. He slid a heavy, muscular arm entirely around my waist, gripping me tightly and pulling me flush against his hard side.

The movement was completely possessive. It was deliberate. His large, warm fingers splayed out over my hip, holding me close as if he had done it a thousand times before. He was marking his territory in front of the whole room.

Tyler’s mouth opened, then closed again like a fish out of water. "What… what are you doing here, Tessa? In a place like this?"

"I could ask you the exact same thing, Tyler," I said. I was actually surprised by how steady and brave my voice sounded.

Inside, I was shaking like a leaf, but holding onto Stone made me feel strangely strong. As soon as the words left my mouth, Stone’s heavy hand tightened firmly on my hip. It was a silent sign of approval. He liked that I was standing up for myself.

Tyler took one bold step closer to us, trying to look tough. But Stone did not like that at all. Stone turned his dark, icy gaze toward Tyler. It was just one single, cold look, but it stopped Tyler dead in his tracks. Tyler froze, the blood seemingly draining from his face.

"She is with me now," Stone said flatly. His voice was calm, but it was like steel. The pure warning behind his simple words was so loud and dangerous that the people sitting nearest to us went completely quiet. The laughter around the bar died down.

Tyler swallowed visibly. I could see his Adam's apple bob up and down in his throat. "No problem, man. I am just… surprised. Tessa and I are good friends."

"Were friends," Stone corrected him instantly. His voice left no room for interpretation. "She belongs to me now."

The word *mine* sent a sudden, unwelcome jolt of heat straight through my body. My stomach did a wild flip. This was supposed to be a game. It was all fake. It was a calculated plan. But my body clearly had not gotten the memo. My heart was racing, and a dangerous thrill washed over me.

Stone did not wait for Tyler to respond. He did not care about Tyler's feelings at all. He reached down and grabbed a heavy, black leather vest from the stool right beside him. It was his personal "cut," the vest that showed his high rank in the motorcycle club. He lifted it up and draped it carefully over my bare shoulders.

The leather vest was absolutely huge on me. It felt heavy, holding the weight of the massive Iron Reapers patch sewn on the back. But as I pulled it closer, I noticed something else. On the front, right over my heart, there was a smaller patch. It read: *Property of Stone*.

My eyes widened. Had he had that ready? Or did he just keep it close for whoever he claimed? My stomach flipped with a mix of fear and excitement.

"Wear it," he ordered quietly, leaning his head down until his lips were right against my ear. His hot breath brushed my skin. "You wear it tonight, and you wear it every single night until I say otherwise. Understood?"

I swallowed hard and slipped my arms through the large armholes. The rich, intoxicating scent of him—expensive leather, fresh tobacco smoke, and a faint, clean cologne—wrapped around me completely. It felt like a warm, heavy blanket. It felt like a claim.

Several bikers standing nearby saw what happened. They broke out into loud whistles and wide grins. One older, rugged-looking guy raised his glass of beer toward us in a mock toast, smiling at Stone's quick move.

Stone did not waste any time. He guided me firmly toward the heavy front door, his large hand resting flat and solid against the small of my back. I could feel the heat of his palm right through my clothes.

As we walked, I glanced over my shoulder one last time. Tyler was still standing by the bar. He was staring at us go, his jaw tight and his fists clenched at his sides. The blonde girl was tugging uselessly at his arm, trying to get his attention back, but he could not take his eyes off me.

A part of me wanted to smile and feel triumphant. This was exactly what I had wanted for two years. I wanted Tyler to see me. I wanted him to regret ignoring me.

But as Stone led me outside into the cool, crisp night air, the heavy door shutting behind us, reality started crashing down on me like a tidal wave. The cold air hit my face, clearing away some of the bar's smoke, but it did not clear my panic.

What had I done? I had just made a real deal with the terrifying president of the Iron Reapers. I was about to go sleep at their private, dangerous clubhouse. I was wearing his leather vest with a patch that said I belonged to him.

What the hell was I thinking? Was I completely crazy?

Stone walked me over to a massive, blacked-out SUV that looked like a monster in the dark. He unlocked it and opened the heavy passenger door for me. As I climbed up into the high seat, he did not step back. Instead, he placed one large arm on the roof of the car, caging me in between his body and the seat. He leaned in close, his lips curving into that slow, predatory half-smile again.

"Having second thoughts already, Tessa?" his voice dropped into a dark, teasing whisper. He was so close I could see the dark gleam in his black eyes. "Too bad, little dove. It is far too late to run now. You shook hands with the devil tonight."

I clutched the edges of the too-big leather vest around my chest, trying to hide how much my hands were shaking. "I didn't technically shake your hand," I muttered under my breath, trying to sound brave.

He let out a dark, low chuckle that vibrated in the night air. "Close enough," he murmured.

He stepped back and closed the heavy door with a solid, loud thud.

The inside of the massive SUV smelled exactly like him, too. It was full of that dark, masculine scent that was quickly making my head spin. A moment later, the driver's door opened, and Stone slid into the seat beside me. His massive frame filled the cabin, making the large vehicle feel suddenly very small.

He put the key in the ignition. The powerful engine roared to life with a deep, angry growl that vibrated right through the floorboards and straight into my bones. He shifted gears, putting one large hand on the steering wheel and resting the other casually on the gear shift. He drove out of the gravel lot and onto the dark highway like he owned the entire road.

A heavy, thick silence stretched between us for a few long minutes. The only sound was the low hum of the tires against the road. I stared out the window at the dark trees passing by, my mind racing.

"Where is the clubhouse?" I asked finally. My voice sounded much smaller and more frightened than I wanted it to.

Stone did not take his eyes off the dark road ahead. "About fifteen minutes from here, deep in the woods. You will stay in my private room. Do not worry, little dove. I will take the couch in the main room until you get comfortable with me." He paused, then turned his head slightly to look at me. His dark eyes gleamed dangerously in the soft green light of the dashboard. "Or not. The choice is yours. But you *will* be staying with me where I can see you."

I shifted uncomfortably in my leather seat, a sudden, burning heat creeping all the way up my neck and into my cheeks. "This is just pretend, right? It is just a game for Tyler to see so he leaves me alone?"

Stone did not answer my question right away. He took his large hand off the gear shift. He reached across the space between us and rested his heavy, warm palm flat against my denim-clad thigh. He squeezed it once, a firm, possessive touch.

The touch was completely casual for him. But for me, it felt like a sudden jolt of electricity shooting straight through my skin. My breath caught in my throat.

"Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel safe, little dove," he said softly, his voice dangerously gentle. "But the exact second you walked up to me in that bar and asked for my help, this stopped being a game. It stopped being pretend. You asked a Reaper for protection. Now, you are getting every single thing that comes with it."

My heart beats wildly against my ribs like a trapped bird. I knew I should be absolutely terrified. I *was* terrified. Stone was a dangerous man who ruled a dangerous world.

But as I looked down at his large hand resting on my leg, and then looked up at his strong, rugged profile, I realized something even scarier. I was also deeply, intensely curious.

The SUV turned off the highway and headed down a private road. Soon, the bright lights of the Iron Reapers clubhouse compound came into view. There were high metal fences, heavy security gates, and long rows of shiny motorcycles parked like loyal soldiers in the dark.

I looked at the gates opening for us, and the worst part crashed over me. I realized I was not entirely sure I wanted him to let me go when our two weeks were up.