Chapter Three

Olivia

I was so fucked. Not only was I alone in a house with the scariest man I'd ever seen, but I was crazy attracted to him. And he would likely kill me when he figured out what I was doing, because that's what he did. He was a straight-up killer. I wouldn't blame him either. I was sacrificing these men and women to save myself.

OK, so that wasn't exactly true. I was sacrificing them to save my father, even though he didn't deserve saving. Especially not at the expense of these people. People who went out of their way to help a perfect stranger because she'd indicated she was in danger. Mr. Black had been right. He was the one who'd told me all I had to do was play the damsel in distress, and this bunch would bring out the big guns. Grim Road had certainly gone way the hell out of their way to help me. I tried to cling to what Black had told me about them. That they'd basically killed villages of people, multiple villages, in countries where no one cared, just because they could.

Water sluiced off my skin under the cascade in the shower. He was right that I wanted to freshen up, but it wasn't to wash off my day. It was to wash off his scent. The longer I smelled him, the more under his spell I fell. I wanted to trust him, to tell him anything he wanted to know, which wasn't like me. I'd learned early on to keep my head down and my mouth shut. All because of my father.

I shivered. They'd threatened my father, and my father had threatened me if I didn't do as they asked. While I might want to leave him, to tell this group of warriors everything and hope they'd save me, his threat that someone worse than the feds would turn their sights to me was what I was worried about most. I knew my father was into bad shit and I'd said nothing, helping him run the company because he knew my brain would serve his business better than my body would serve his associates. My mother hadn't been so lucky. If I betrayed Black and ended up here with the people I'd intended to spy on… was that the "something worse" my father had been alluding to? There was no doubt in my mind once they found the extent of what I was doing, leading Mr. Black and his associates straight to them, they'd make me suffer.

I took my time in the shower, not really washing so much as letting the water fall over me. I hadn't looked through the duffel yet. There wasn't any soap or shower gel in here anyway. Besides, I didn't really want to wash off Bear's scent. Not like I should want to, anyway. No. This was my one time to feel sorry for myself before I had to suck it up again. I could do this. This would not break me. The situation wouldn't anyway. But the resulting guilt and self-loathing might. These people didn't deserve my betrayal, and I had no idea how I was going to follow through. Maybe it was time to consider my options. Maybe I could find a way out before I did something unforgivable.

With a sigh, I turned off the water and snagged the towel I'd thrown over the top of the shower. With the door open, I wasn't getting out without covering up. Despite my attraction to him and how safe I'd felt in his arms before, the fact was I didn't know this man. I didn't think Apple would have told me to call a group of men who'd hurt me when I was already in trouble, but who really knew?

I stepped out of the shower and peeked around. Bear wasn't in sight, so I poked my head out the door of the bathroom to the main bedroom. Not there either. This might be my one chance to do what I was supposed to before they took my phone. And I knew they'd take it eventually. If they did, it would all be over. My life would change forever, but maybe Grim Road wouldn't be affected. That would take the pressure off me, take the decision out of my hands.

My clothes were still in the bathroom where I'd removed them. There was an app I was supposed to activate when I got to the clubhouse, but it looked like I wasn't gonna make it there. So I activated it now. It was supposed to give the men who had my father access to anything electronic that used Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cell service. I had no idea how it worked. They'd had to give me a special phone, but it had been my only instruction. They didn't care if I got out of the compound or not. Only that I gave them access to it and its location.

It wasn't long before the phone buzzed. I winced. I'd been instructed that I had to answer the phone when they called or they'd assume I'd been compromised and would come in guns blazing. In that scenario, they'd assured me no one would live.

"Hello?"

"You're not in the fuckin' compound? Why'd you turn it on?" I had no idea what the man's name was, only that he called himself Mr. Black. I was pretty sure his heart was black. I knew for sure he wasn't on my side even if he said he was some kind of federal officer. He didn't care if something happened to me. To him, I was as guilty as my father, no matter the circumstances, if he thought about me at all. More correctly, I was a pawn to be used and sacrificed in whatever game he and whomever he worked for were playing.

"They won't take me to the compound. This is the best I can do." I tried to keep my voice down. The last thing I needed was Bear to hear me talking to someone and come to investigate.

"You better fuckin' figure out a way to get there. When you do, restart your Goddamn phone and do it again."

"You know they're not going to let me keep my phone. That'll be the first thing they take if they decide to take me there."

"Then I suggest you figure out a way to keep it, or your father is a dead man. And I'll see your ass gets sent to Gitmo. You just think what these bastard bikers would do to you would be bad. Accidentally get lost on the male side of the that place and see what happens." The line went dead, the threat clear.

I shook as I hid the phone in the duffel they'd brought clean clothes to me in, keeping my dirties separate, so they wouldn't have a reason to dig through the bag. Bear had been right. There was a complete change of clothes, including panties still in the pack and toiletries that hadn't been opened.

I dressed in loose pants and a T-shirt. They were a little big, but comfortable. For tomorrow, there was another shirt and a pair of jeans, socks, and shoes.

Yeah. The people who'd put together this duffel for me on a moment's notice were the people I was supposed to betray. This is what my life had finally come to. Could I actually do this? Would the price be worth the actual cost? Because I was beginning to truly believe my life wasn't worth betraying these people.

I leaned forward, placing my hands on the vanity. Taking a deep breath, I tried to lift my head, to look myself in the mirror but couldn't. If I did this, if I followed the instructions I was given to save my father and myself, I had no doubt I'd be condemning good people. Maybe not to death, but the way Mr. Black had spoken about them, it wouldn't surprise me.

"Olivia?" Bear leaned against the door frame leading to the bathroom. I turned, brushing my fingers under my eyes to catch the tears before he saw me. "What the fuck's goin' on, honey?" This time, his voice was gentle. Not like before when I lied to him.

"I'm just shook up's all. I'm fine." I smiled but couldn't meet his gaze. Tears threatened even more but I managed to keep them under control. "I'm really sorry to put you all through this."

He straightened and stalked toward me. Where he'd pounced on me before, now he was patient, careful. He wore a black, short-sleeved T-shirt that seemed to mold every muscle in his chest and abdomen. Veins snaked up his forearms while the one in his bicep disappeared into the stretched cotton of his shirt. Tattoos covered one arm almost entirely while the other one had what looked like a snake wrapped from his wrist to his elbow. Made me wonder what the rest of him looked like when my thoughts had no business going there.

"That's the first truth you've told me so far. That you're sorry to put us through this." He took another step toward me. Now, he was in my personal space. "My question is, what exactly are you putting us through?"

I backed up a step and he followed. When my back hit the vanity, Bear grabbed my waist and lifted so that I sat on the counter next to the sink. Answering him was difficult, but I knew he expected an answer; though if he was as good at reading me as he seemed to be, it wouldn't be the answer he wanted.

"Dropping everything to come out here. Bringing me clothes. That kinda trouble." It wasn't a lie, exactly. I did regret interrupting their lives, but it wasn't the whole truth.

He scowled. "There you go again." He stepped close, wedging his hips between my legs. He still had his hands on my waist, refusing to give me any space. "But don't worry. We'll get there."

I shook my head. "There's nothing more to tell."

This time he chuckled, his arms sliding around me as he pulled me more firmly against him. My whole body threatened to go up in flames. God, in another life… Yeah. If I'd met Bear even two months ago, when I'd first met Apple, I might have given him whatever he wanted if I could be in this position, with him touching me and his body so very close.

"I can tell when you lie. Like I said. You ain't worth a shit at it." He spoke softly, almost gently.

The next thing I knew, Bear's lips were pressed gently to mine. Teasing. Coaxing. Tempting. I couldn't prevent the whimper that escaped. I clutched his shirt, fisting the material tightly to ground myself. This man could very easily take me over and get around my defenses. I had to be very careful. But how the hell could I be careful when I'd never experienced anything like this in my life?

"You feel it too," he whispered against my lips. "Don't you." It wasn't really a question. Bear knew how he affected me. Had likely planned this exact situation to get me to lower my inhibitions and surrender to him. Which I could never do. If I did, I'd lose the only family I had left, and probably my life as well.

Even knowing what was at stake, I couldn't pull away from that kiss. His hand slid through my hair, bunching the strands in his fist and angling my head where he wanted me. God help me, I didn't even try to fight him.

He nipped my bottom lip, and I opened on a gasp, edging my legs wider around his hips. Bear growled his approval and deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue inside my mouth with a wicked flick. I welcomed him, soaked up the attention, even knowing this was all designed to get my compliance. He wanted my secrets and was willing to do anything at his disposal to get what he wanted. Including using my body against me.

It should have been easy to push away from him knowing he was just one more person trying to manipulate me into doing something I didn't want to do. But, giving up the pleasure he effortlessly created inside me, and the closeness I felt from that intimate kiss, was the hardest thing I'd done in my life to this point.

I ducked my head, breaking the kiss and immediately felt the loss. Instead of letting me go, however, Bear pressed his forehead to mine. It was then I realized he was breathing just as hard as I was.

"Tell me you don't feel it too," he dared. "Because I don't think you can lie about this. Not even to yourself."

"I may be attracted to you, but that doesn't mean I trust you."

His low chuckle vibrated through me, sending a shudder racing down my spine.

"Ain't askin' for your trust, sweetheart. You're gonna give it to me. Willingly."

"You're delusional," I scoffed, but I couldn't hide the way my voice trembled or the way my nipples peaked against my T-shirt.

Bear looked amused. "Probably. But I stand by my opinion. I'll get you there."

With a slow, deliberate movement, Bear stepped back away from me. That dark stare of his was molten, burning me from the inside out. Then he turned and strode out of the room. His footsteps weren't heavy, but I heard him move out of my bedroom and across the hall to his own. My heart pounded and my whole body tingled.

Yeah. I'd been right. I was so fucked.