Page 11 of Dutch

As much as I wanted to say yes and walk away myself, I found myself telling him to stay. Still, I had no idea if I was doing the right thing or making a mistake in my life. Dutch excited me as his arm brushed against mine, but then my phone buzzed, and I was prepared to ignore it until it buzzed again.

"Ms. Popular," Dutch commented, and his low voice did something to me.

"Yeah," I admitted as I snatched up my phone and unlocked the screen when I saw Tiya's name.

Tiya:

Makari, girl, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be getting cozy with MC. You betta watch yourself.

Shit, just when things were getting interesting,Tiya rained on my parade. I could tell Dutch was watching me, and he was probably wondering why my demeanor had changed.

"Everything all right?" he asked, concerned, making the situation worse.

I forced a smile. "Yeah, Tiya was checking on me."

Still, in my mind, Tiya's words hit me, dousing my fire with a bucket of ice water. Of course, she was right. Getting involved with Dutch was dangerous. I had firsthand knowledge of how things could go bad quickly.

I looked at Dutch. His hazel eyes seemed to cut right through my bullshit, making me feel safe and on edge at the same time, but also, I didn't feel so alone for the first time in forever.

"Are you sure you're good because it looked like you were having an argument with someone?"

A dry laugh escaped my mouth. "Yup, I'm always at war with myself. Story of my life."

Dutch nodded. "Sometimes you gotta trust your gut. What does your gut say?"

That was the million-dollar question. My gut was telling me to get the hell out before I was in too deep, but the traitor was my heart. I blew out air, buying time. "I'd like another drink, but I've already had two, so how about a glass of water?"

Dutch signaled the server, and when she came, he ordered a glass of ice water for me. As much as I wanted to relax, Tiya's warning could be true, and all this could blow up in my face. Yet,I couldn't bring myself to care as I sat with Dutch. God, I hoped I wasn't making a huge mistake.

When the server returned with the water, I drained the glass, attempting to calm my nerves.

"Dutch, we should talk for real this time."

"I feel that. Let's step outside."

I made up my mind no more hiding. I followed Dutch outside, and the night air was cool. Dutch leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. I opened my mouth, ready to lay everything on the line, when a commotion inside the club cut me off. Dutch's body tensed as his head snapped toward the noise.

"Shit, duty calls. Hold that thought."

Before I could protest, he strode back inside, leaving me with my thoughts. Life had a way of throwing its curveballs just when I'd worked up the courage. I followed him back inside and hung back as Dutch commanded respect without speaking a word. I was impressed.

I was drawn to him in his element. He was magnetic, assured, and powerful, but danger lurked too. I eyed his movements. One minute, he was full of charm, cracking jokes and slapping backs. The next thing, his voice hardened as he leaned in to speak with his VP, his voice too low to fully eavesdrop.

I couldn't look away because I wanted the rush, but I remembered the fall. Dutch glanced my way and caught my eye before he and Saint moved to a quiet corner. Curiosity got the best of me, and I moved closer to catch their words over the loud music.

"…use Makari as bait, the only way to draw them out," Dutch's deep voice came through as the song changed."

Saint nodded. "It's risky. Are you sure?"

"The Red Scorpions won't show their hand unless?—"

Dutch's words were cut short when a new song blared from the speakers.

Was that all I was to him, bait?My blood ran cold. A waxworm on a hook?I stumbled backward, bumping into a biker. My mind reeled as I attempted to process what I'd heard. Just when I was beginning to trust him again, he was going to dangle me in front of the enemy like a piece of meat.

"Are you all right?" someone asked.

I couldn't breathe, and the room felt like it was spinning. I wanted to leave, but my feet wouldn't go. Dutch looked my way, and for a hot second, he looked concerned. Or was it guilt? It didn't matter he'd done the damage.

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