All Chapters of Dark Curves (Dangerous Curves 6): Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

King hoped hard that Warren had hung on to even a shred of his sweetness and kindness. Just a tiny bit, dear Lord, could make all the difference when faced with an unarmed, terrified woman. If he’d been able to cling to even a shadow of his former values and beliefs, then King would retain his faith in the younger man, and take his part. King would move heaven and earth to help Warren, if Warren asked. King would protect Warren’s life with his own, because he could be damn sure that Warren’s life was worth saving.But. If Warren could stare on into Shay Alcott’s eyes, and pull that trigger in cold blood, then he was beyond saving, not worth saving. Not anymore. Worse than that, if he’d reached the point of being capable of something like that, then he was the enemy. That meant that when King and his people faced Warren, they couldn’t trust him to not shoot – so they’d have to fire first.Then they’d probably live the rest of their lives wondering if they’d been wrong. If maybe that wo

Warren came back now, carrying a plate piled high with steak, potatoes, and green salad. She stared in utter shock as he set it on the coffee table next to her, along with a glass of water.“You – you made this?” she stammered.“Yep. You like steak?”“Love it.”“Girl after my own heart.” He wandered back to the kitchen. “Dig in, Shay. You have to be hungry.”She didn’t dig in so much as dive in. The strength of her hunger roared up her body, and she was almost shaking from the need for food. She forced herself to eat slowly, though, and take sips of water between bites. She knew that if she jammed the food in too fast, she’d just throw it all up, and there was no way that she was wasting this perfect steak.He came to her now, sat across from her. He glanced at her plate, saw the huge dent that she’d made in her dinner.“You want some more?” he asked.“No, thanks. I’m good for now.”“Yeah. Better to take it easy.” He cut off a piece of his own steak. “Your body’s had a bad shock, and

“And was that…” Shay paused, wondering if she should ask the question, worried that he may be hurt by it. “What? What were you going to say?”“I just – I was wondering what decided you. Was it the money, or was it the thought that somebody would look out for you the way that your own brothers and sisters hadn’t?”Warren went very still. God, this woman was most definitely no dummy.“Warren? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to –”“Nah, baby.” His voice was gentle. “You’re right. I loved the idea of having cash of my own, but really, what I wanted was the family that Donovan was promising me. The whole idea of being a part of something strong and dependable was just so damn appealing. That’s what got me on the bus, and that’s what got me in the clubhouse.”“I can understand that,” Shay said quietly.“You can?”“Sure. We all need to belong somewhere.”“Yeah, well. That need made me an easy target. That and Mom.”Shay sat up straight in shock. “What about your Mom?”“Turns out, Uncle Sandy had h

Warren sat down right behind her, gently pulled her between his long legs. He leaned back against the chair that she’d just vacated, and she almost sighed at how good this all felt. Shay hesitated, just for a second, then she rested her elbows on his thighs, loving the solid bulk of his muscles under her. She longed to just curl up against his strong body, just close her eyes and fall asleep in the warmth of the fire. But he’d been open and honest with her, and now it was her turn.Fair was fair, after all.Warren started to brush her hair, going slowly to not hurt her when he hit a knot. His huge hands felt amazing on her, and she relaxed completely under his touch. “This is OK?” he asked.“This is perfect.”“Yeah. I think so too.”She sat silent for a minute, and he didn’t push. He just brushed her hair in long, rhythmic strokes, letting the golden strands run through his fingers like water. Her skin looked so delicate and pale against his rough, calloused hands, and he handled her

Warren’s heart sank. “He was an Enforcer.”“Yeah.” She shut her eyes briefly. “And he was the best one they’d ever had.”Warren didn’t want to know any specifics about that. “Dammit.”“I know. Anyway, not long after he became a full member, he moved into the clubhouse.” She shuddered. “We moved in.”Warren froze. “Wait. You moved in too?”“Yeah,” she whispered. “I’d just graduated from high school, and Hal gave up our apartment, then refused to let me go to college or find a job because the club demanded that we be a package deal. If he wanted to commit for life, then by extension, I was club property. He agreed to that on my behalf… I never had a say in any of it. I had no choice.”“Shit.” Warren was appalled, but not shocked. “He dragged you in.”“Yeah. It took me that long to really get what Hal was into. But by then, it was too late, of course. My sweet, protective brother was long gone, and a ruthless one-percenter biker was standing in his place.”“Crusher,” he said heavily.“Mm