Page 101 of Paladin's Hell

He pulls his hand away and sits up unashamedly naked. His cock is again erect, but he ignores it. “You know what the best thing is? We’ve got a whole fuckin’ lifetime to explore and get to know each other.” Tapping his head, he continues, “Got lots of ideas in here.”

I grin cheekily. “From the porn you’ve been watching?”

He places a gentle tap on my ass. “Am I going to regret tellin’ you that?”

Not if it means he knows what he’s doing. For an answer, I smirk.

Reaching over me, he picks up his phone and checks the time, he sighs. “Better get showered and dressed, Doll. Rather stay here, but I’ve things I need to do.”

I sit up, going to pull the sheet around me, then realising I’ve no reason to hide from him now, leave my breasts on display. I’m rewarded by a hungry stare. “Doll, it’s fuckin’ hard to leave you.”

“Do you have to, Pal?”

He looks reluctant. “Unfortunately, yeah.”

Tilting my head, I query. “What types of things do you do, Pal?” I’ve never asked him before, but now we’ve been so intimate, surely there’s no need for secrets between us?

Rolling his head on his shoulders, he looks uncomfortable at my question. “I can’t tell you club business, Jay.”

“Why not?”

“If you don’t know anything, you can’t tell anyone what you don’t know.” He purses his lips, thinking. “If the police ever questioned you, all you need to say is the truth.”

My brow creases at him mentioning the cops. “Are you doing things that are illegal?”

“Don’t intend to,” he replies, looking serious. “Normally most things we do fall on the right side of the law. But this situation we’ve got now. We find the man who shot up the club? Won’t be handing him to the cops. And,” he taps my forehead, “that’s the most I’m going to say about that.”

“Will you be finding out why we’re on lockdown and putting an end to it?”

“Hopin’ to, Doll.”

I watch the myriad of expressions crossing his face, trying to read them. Last night seems to have changed me, I no longer feel just the girl who needs protecting, I’m also a woman who needs to look after her man. And not just sexually. It’s like a dam has burst inside me; I’ve grown up overnight. My newfound awareness tells me he’s uneasy.

As he walks around naked collecting fresh clothes, for a moment I’m distracted by the way the muscles in his ass flex. As for the Satan’s Devils tat on his back… The only way I can continue this conversation is to force my eyes to focus on something else.

“Pal,” I start, staring at my fingernails. “I’m not asking for details, but something’s bothering you.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him straighten. “You’re not wrong there, babe. Can’t tell you what they are, but I’ve got suspicions. Can’t put my finger on them, but something doesn’t seem right.”

“Talk to Hellfire?”

“Yeah. In Tucson, I would have gone to Wraith or Drummer. Problem is, here I’m the new boy. What I’m picking up might be wrong. Don’t want to make waves when I’ve only been here such a short time. And especially if I’m not even clear myself whether personal feelings might be influencing me.” He’s chosen a fresh tee and jeans, and is carrying them over his arm. “I don’t know the brothers in the way the rest of them do.”

“You’re suspicious about a particular person?”

“Yeah. But the reason I don’t trust him, could be the wrong one.”

I can only think of one man. “Runt was just playing you last night, Pal. He was pressing your buttons and it worked.”

“I didn’t say it was Runt, did I?” He swings around fast.

I shrug, he didn’t have to. I want to help. “Is there anything Mouse could do? Look into him for you?”

“Mouse? Jeez, Jay. You don’t understand this shit. I’ve transferred to another chapter. I can’t go running back to the Tucson brothers for help. It would be a betrayal.”

I don’t get annoyed or angry, he’s clearly walking a tightrope. Instead, I explain my thoughts. “You said yourself you don’t know the brothers here.” Ignoring the fact I’m still naked, I pull myself onto my knees. “Look, the shit that’s happening is serious. Runt could have been killed. Anyone could have been in that shooting if we hadn’t all been around the back of the club at the barbeque. I don’t know what else has been happening, but lockdown means there’s danger out there. If you’ve got an idea, I say you run with it. Explain the situation to Mouse. If he turns up something of interest, then you can speak to the brothers here and get them to follow it up. If he clears the person you’re fingering, no one need to ever know.”

He’s over beside me in a second, his lips smash down on mine. When our kiss finishes, my mouth feels bruised. I look at him in wonder, a cheeky grin on my face. “What on earth did I do to deserve that?”

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