Page 3 of Ice Cold Liar

Crash.A long and loud crash and another screech as the expensive Harley toppled and slammed into the ride beside it.Together, the two motorcycles hit the graveled lot.

Naomi glanced over her shoulder.“Dammit.”A sigh of disappointment.“I was hoping that one falling bike would send them all knocking down.”

No such luck.The big Harley and the gleaming ride near it were the only two that had fallen.

“Ivan!”A frantic roar from the open door of the bar.“Hey!Hey!Some prick just knocked down Ivan’s ride!”

I didn’t do it.She did.But, clearly, he was about to take the blame.Probably what he deserved for stepping in and trying to stop her.Had he not already learned that no good deed went unpunished in this world?

“In the movies, one toppling bike would create a domino effect and take down all the others.It would have been dramatic and beautiful at the same time.”Another despondent sigh from Naomi.“Oh, well, at least I got his attention…”

Hisattention?“What the hell are you doing, Naomi?”Eb breathed.

Her gaze returned to his.Her gorgeous smile stretched her full lips, and he was pretty sure savage glee filled her face.“Getting back what belongs to me.Desperate times call for desperate measures, isn’t that the saying?I’m desperate, and I don’t care what I have to do in order to achieve my end goal.”Grim intent filled every low word.

Yep, this lady is not the sweet ray of sunshine I originally believed her to be.Hell, no.She wasn’t sunshine.She was a short walk straight to hell.

Naomi slowly blinked as she studied him.Then she inched a bit closer.“Ebenezer Jones.”A shake of her head.“Of all the biker bars in the world…are you really sure you want to be at this one right now?With me?”

No, he did not want to be there.He wanted to be back home in South Carolina, sitting on a beach and laughing his ass off with his twin brother.He wanted to be listening to the soothing sounds of waves hitting the shore.He wanted to be playing poker with his ex-partner, Hudson.

But he couldn’t.

Because Hudson was cold in the ground.Courtesy of the lovely Naomi.And Eb was there to get his pound of flesh from her.

Footsteps thundered behind him as men erupted from the bar.Lots of angry shouts thickened the air.Colorful cursing.

“You should probably run,” Naomi advised.

Eb’s jaw locked.This night was about to get really shitty.As if it had not already been shitty enough.But, for the record, “I never run.”

One delicate eyebrow quirked.“I’ll remember that about you.”

“What in the hell is happening here?”A bellow.Then a hard hand grabbed Eb’s shoulder and wheeled him around.“Asshole, you just made the worst mistake of your life!”

Eb found himself staring straight into angry, glinting eyes.A tall guy, wide, too.But not with muscle.Mostly fat.Thin hair.Big neck.Lots of tats stretching out beneath the dirty t-shirt that he wore.

The big bastard raised his fist and got ready to take a swing at Eb.

“Hedidn’t make a mistake,” Naomi declared, her voice very loud and clear for all to hear.Then, after making that blasting statement, she was there, ducking in front of Eb.Putting herself between him and the bastard with the beefy fist.

The guy let go of Eb, but he kept his fist raised.

He will not fucking hit her.

Eb would not allow that.Naomi would go down for her crimes.But no one would hit her.

“I’m the one who not-so-accidentally knocked down your bike, Ivan.Took quite a bit of effort, I must confess.But after several hard kicks, I did succeed in sending that precious Harley of yours slamming into the ground.”

“Uh, Naomi?”Eb cleared his throat.“Maybe you should back away right now.”Because the crowd was closing in.A very pissed crowd.Eb noted the tattoos they wore.Tigers.Stars.Medals.Skulls.They were in trouble.Big trouble.The nameIvanhad rung unfortunate bells for him.

Ivan leaned his big, glaring face toward Naomi.“You want to die?”

Hell.Eb had to step in or else he’d be watching a murder scene up close and personally.He reached for the gun he’d tucked beneath his shirt after exiting his ride?—

“No, I don’t want to die.I want Henryback, you jerk!And if I have to wreck every single motorcycle here, if I have to wreck your bar, if I have to wreck yourlifein order to get him, I’ll do it!”A passionate declaration.Sightly unhinged, but passionate.

Eb’s mouth tightened.Who the fuck is Henry?

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