Page 3 of Desert Heat

River and his Bastard crew were gunning hard, trying to take back everything Dad and the Outlaws took from them while their Prez was on his babymoon.

Tarak was a legend.

Maybe he still is but love made him soft and I get that now. Never will I let my guard down again.

“Savvy? Are we going to do another round or am I taking you home?” Dean cocked a brow. I popped a shoulder. “How about a shot and then you take me home.”

“My place or yours?”

My boots crunched in the snow, stopping when their tips kissed his. Slowly I lifted my index finger, running it up the inside of his half-unzipped ski coat. “My old man would kill you and you know it.”

His eyes hooded as he bent his head. A breath away from my lips he groaned. “You just might be worth dying for.”

I wish I could melt for him. Truly I did. But someone else had beat him to it. Snaked his River way into my heart and soul then like a swift current, he vanished somewhere downstream with it.

The starlight reflected off the freshly fallen snow as Dean navigated through the woods back to my rental. I looked up through the barren limbs of tall trees finding the North star. I laughed at myself for once believing stars could truly grant wishes.

“Night, Savvy.”

“Night, Dean.”

“I’m going to clear the inside and check the perimeter before I go. Two men will watch like always.”

I shrugged, gave him a peck on the cheek and took off my coat. What was there to say when the enemy had already been inside the gates?

PROLOGUE RIVER

The leggy brunettewas a real pain in the ass. She kept wriggling on my lap as if that rookie move was enough to get me hard for her. Sighing I finished my whiskey, plunked the glass down on the table and turned my face. Her eyes widened, hot pink tongue slicking over her lower lip expecting mine any second.

“Newsflash, sweetheart. I don’t do Club skanks and you are at the top of that list.”

Her mouth parted in a shocked “O” as I stood dumping back on the chair as I left.

My best friend in the MC, Tank, lifted an eye and nodded toward the back door of the clubhouse. “What’s up?” I asked as we stepped out into the crisp desert night.

“She just updated her Instagram.” Tank handed me his phone. It took everything in me to keep my face impassive while my insides burned. Savannah had her arms wrapped around the Prez’s son from the Devil’s Glen MC. My fist curled before I could stop it. “She posted it thirty minutes ago.”

My eyes studied the rosy glow on her cheeks the cold Maine winter night put there. It was close to the glow she got when I put my hands on her.

The thought some other fucking man might be doing the same left me sucker punched. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It was almost comical how her old man thought stashing her away in Maine could keep her safe.

I found her.

Took her.

Made her mine before casting her to the wind. So why did it feel like I was the one who was taken?

“Fuck.” I tipped my head back, eyes caught up to the sky finding the North star shining bright like a beacon.

“Shit,” Tank groaned. “Please tell me we aren’t going back. My nuts don’t like the cold.” His real name was Rogan but ever since our short stint in Maine, his new road name, Tank stuck.

“Bullshit,” I snorted. You found plenty of college girls to keep them warm.”

He smirked. “I sure did. But now I only want one. Are we driving or flying?”

“I need to settle shit here before I make another move on her.”

“You should’ve just kidnapped her like we had planned. Now she’s free fucking around while you’re here wishing you had her chained up in your room.”

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