Page 20 of Biker's Babygirl

Stop it,I tell myself firmly.There’s no way you can go there.Noway. Besides… he’s clearly not interested. And even if he was, there’s no way you can get into another relationship right now. Not when you clearly have such awful taste in men.

Groaning, I pull the pillow over my head. “Just go to sleep.”

But now that I’ve started thinking, I can’t stop, and my brain goes from the sexy and seemingly gentle Duke to my current situation.

They’ll find me eventually. And I’ll get these poor people hurt.

Or maybe they’re conning me, too. Maybe they’re in on it. Maybe Elvis giving me his room is part of the setup, and I’m trapped and any minute Lucas will arrive with his goons and haul me away...

Thoughts that had started out so innocently now have me sitting up, my pulse pounding in my ears and my eyes darting around, looking for escape. My gaze locks on the window and I feel a jolt of relief.

I need to get out of here.

Searching my surroundings again, I spot a desk and launch myself out of the bed and over to it, easing the drawers open despite the panic I’ve worked myself into.Jackpot.With my eyes glued to the door, my hand wraps around two sticks of beef jerky which I shove into my pocket. I spin around the room, looking for anything else that will come in handy later.

Too bad there’s no water, I think as I walk softly back to the window. The locks are either old or haven’t been used much, because I have to jiggle the window a bit before I can push it allthe way up. A gust of cool night air hits me square in the face. Suddenly, my panic ebbs and another emotion creeps in: regret. It had been nice sitting around a dinner table and feeling like I was part of their club, even if it was only for a little while.

I’d enjoyed doing dishes with Elvis and I’d enjoyed… well… almost everything with Duke once we’d gotten here. Okay, so maybeenjoymentwasn’t quite the right word for the feeling he inspired inside of me, but it was something.

And that’s the something I can’t stick around to explore. Because I know better than anyone that people aren’t always who you think they are, and that being naïve can lead to bad things.

So, with one last regretful look at the closed door, I silently bid everyone goodbye before swinging my leg around and climbing out the window, one leg at a time.

CHAPTER SIX

Duke

I’m not exactly sure why, except for the fact that we can, and do, get calls anytime, and frequently they come in the middle of the night, but me and my crew tend to retire early. While I normally tend to keep to a self-imposed bedtime of nine-thirty, I’m feeling like hitting the pillow early tonight. I know I won’t find any objections as post-cleanup, Elvis is already passed out on the couch, and Ellie has retired to her room.

Only Shep is still milling about, looking like he has something to say.

“Out with it,” I say to my brother at last.

“Out with what?”

“Oh, come on,” I scoff, tired and ready to be done with a conversation that hasn’t even started. “Don’t try that with me. You clearly have something on your mind, so let me have it.” I turn toward my brother, assessing him.

Shep, knowing we both have the family stubbornness in loads, crosses his arms and squares off with me. “Fine. I don’t like it, Duke.”

I don’t even bother to hide my sigh. “We’ve been over this.”

“I know, but?—”

“Look, I’m not sayin’ you’re wrong. Hell, you’ve got great instincts. Maybe even better than mine. But wehelppeople, Shep.”

“You think I don’t know that?” my brother demands, sounding offended.

“Well,doyou?” I return. “We have a girl that is clearly hurt, clearly in need of our help, and you keep trying to turn her away. What do you expect me to do here?”

“I don’t want you to turn her away!” Shep objects, waving a hand in the air, agitated. “I want you to take her to a hospital. Hell, I’ll take her!”

“What are you so scared of? She’s a tiny thing, any one of us could take ‘er if it turns out she’s trouble.”

“That’s the furthest thing from my mind.”

“Then what?” I demand. “Say what you want to say or stop brooding.”

Shep gives me a long, assessing gaze. He hesitates, but then begrudgingly speaks. “I’m worried about you.”

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