Page 25 of Monster

I grunted in response and hopped on the bike, pulling her up behind me.

She kept as much distance as she could between us, and I let out a small sound of annoyance before grabbing her hands and sliding her toward me until her front was plastered against my back. I wrapped her arms around me and said, “If you don’t hold on tight, you will fall off.”

“What about my car?” she asked. We both turned to it.

I figured that little red piece of shit was hers. It would explain how they got here.

And her carwasthat. A piece of shit. It didn’t look like it would be worth anything.

I looked at Axel and Blade and pointed at the car.

They nodded in understanding.

“It’s being taken care of,” I said.

“But—”

I started the engine to drown out her voice, smiling a little when I felt her curl her hands on my chest in frustration.

Without another word, I took off on my bike, not looking behind to see if anyone was following us or not.

5

EMMY

I closedmy eyes as Dominic sped through the streets. The roar of the engine pounded in my ears, giving me a headache.

Some people describe riding a motorcycle as thrilling.Free.

Hard to feel any of those things when I was being abducted by the president of the notorious King’s Men MC.

How was this the way my night was turning?

Whatever I imagined Dominic’s reaction would be when I finally got Braxton home, this wasn’t it.

I had imagined getting Braxton home safely and just leaving this night behind me.

I didn’t think Dominic would find us so soon or that he would take me somewhere toquestionme. And then what?

What was going to happen after this? Would he let me go?

I tightened my arms around him without thinking when I felt him take an unexpected turn before I forced myself to relax my grip marginally.

There was just something so intimate about riding on the back of a bike.

I had never even seen a motorcycle up close, much less ridden one, and now I was in the back, my entire front pressed against him.

There was nothing I could do to put any space between us.

I jolted and opened my eyes when we came to the side of a huge building.

This was… not what I was expecting.

I didn’t know where I’d thought he was taking me, but a huge fancy hotel was not it.

I couldn’t see the hotel’s name and realized too late that I should have kept my eyes open. I let my guard down, and now we were in a strange place.

I swallowed when he hopped off the bike and tapped out something on his phone.