King of Pain (Lords of Las Vegas #5)

Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Kate

I’m going to hell.

It’s not because I’m speeding through the night with the headlights off, while my date and his deranged brother chase us.

It’s because…

I think I might be turning into my mother.

The woman is a bum magnet. Like every guy that a woman should not want, she brought home. Tried to pass off as my daddy for the week or month he’d stick around.

I’ve been so careful to avoid that trap. I don’t date. I keep my head down. But now…

This guy has every part of me humming. And I think for the first time in my life, I might understand why she liked bad boys.

I can’t even remember this guy’s name.

I think he told me, but I was barely paying attention. In my defense, I was still recovering from having a gun to my head.

What have I learned? I know for sure this guy is a criminal. The kind who gets shot, knows how to beat other guys up, really big guys. The kind who knows how to steal cars…

Man, I know how to pick ‘em.

“Can I…” I start. “Can I ask your name again?”

“Luke.” He must have the gas pedal pressed to the floor as we take a right turn, speeding through the night.

Luke. It’s a perfect name for this guy. Watching him drive, I can feel liquid fire in my panties. It doesn’t help that he’s incredibly hot. Like way too hot for me.

And the fact that he went out of his way to bring me with him, doesn’t help either. Would it be weird if I slept with him?

It would be. It definitely would. The silent lecture going on in my head is epic. I should be worried about why he just killed the lights and hit the gas.

Instead, I picture introducing Luke to my med school friends…

How’d you two meet?

He rescued me after my date kidnapped me. Couldn’t control myself after that.

This is not exactly a meet cute line that you tell your friends over drinks.

I could probably tell my mom. She would one hundred percent get it, which is part of why this crazy attraction is so scary.

This is why I don’t date. I’ve kept my head down, focused on my studies.

It’s been working for me.

But I’ve been bored and lonely for a while, and now I’m in a whole new city where I know no one. When Vincent asked me out, I knew he wasn’t relationship material. Not even date material. But I wanted a night I wasn’t alone.

He had money and connections, and I figured I’d be all right for one date even if he was a “no good” guy. He was attractive enough, though, and I really did want that dinner.

I know better. I should have just said no when he asked me at that bar. If I’d followed my own rules, I’d be fine right now.

But here I am, with Hot Luke—that’s what I’m calling him.

He takes several more turns and then points at a sign. “Does that say it’s a highway?”

I squint. Without the headlights reflecting off the sign, it’s really hard to read. “I think so?”

“Catch which way we’re supposed to go?” he asks.

“No. Sorry.” Crap. I’m not helping at all, and this guy has done nothing but help me. I can give him that.

But I’ve got my contacts in, and my eyes are so dry, I can barely see the signs.

“Well. Luck of the draw I guess,” and then he takes a sharp turn onto an on ramp.

The moment we hit the highway, he turns on the headlights and I let out a sigh of relief.

I’m still holding his arm, his really muscular arm, and I can’t seem to make my fingers unclench.

“Thanks for patching me up.”

“You would have been fine without me, the bleeding had already slowed.”

He jerks his chin in acknowledgment.

I glance at the speedometer, noting that we’re going about eighty-five and the little Fit is vibrating.

It’s not exactly a performance car, not that Luke seems to care. He’s still got the accelerator to the floor, his jaw locked as his hands grip the wheel.

Dangerous looks so good on him.

I look down, trying to keep my thoughts clean, but that only brings my gaze to his lap.

His thighs are thick with muscles, and the bulge…

There go my insides, dancing and aching. This is no way for me to lose my virginity. Then again, it’s kind of pathetic I haven’t already.

But like I said. I’ve been focused on my studies. And trying to prove to myself, and the rest of the world, I can be something, despite the fucked-up way I grew up.

I unlock my fingers from his arm and slide back into my seat.

“Can you check the glovebox for a map?”

“Sure,” I say, but I seriously doubt I’m going to find one. No one keeps maps around anymore.

A sign comes up and I note the town before clicking open the glove box and rifling around the contents. Nothing.

“We don’t know where we started,” I muse aloud. “Or which direction we’re going?”

“Right,” he answers, his jaw growing even harder. “All we know is that we’re headed… away.”

I nod. It’s not great to drive blindly into the night but at least I’m not in Vincent’s bed right now. And I’m so glad to not be alone. “I… uh… I know I said this already, but honestly, thank you for helping me. For not leaving me. It must have hurt like hell to get me over that wall.”

“It was nothing, love.” He looks over at me with that cocky, arrogant grin that makes my girl bits actually flutter. Like aching, pulsing need, Kegel-type feelings.

I should hate that smile. I know it’s trouble. He has all the markers of a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” kind of guy, but I’m not sure I care.

Lucky I’m wearing a terrycloth robe. Otherwise, I might have left a puddle on the seat.

I have got to get it together.

I blow out a long breath, reading the next sign.

I don’t recognize any of the names.

I’m new to the Las Vegas area, came for an internship with a renowned surgeon for the summer. Not only is the opportunity unparalleled, it’s paid. I beat out thousands of candidates and the money will go a long way in helping me live for the next year. But it means I have no sense of the Las Vegas area. No idea where we are or which direction we’re going.

Glancing at the clock, I note that it’s nearly three-thirty in the morning. I’m used to late nights but my eyes still close for a second as I rest them. “How long until sunrise?”

“Hour and a half maybe?”

I lick my lips, trying to make a decent plan. “Okay. So we can see where the sun comes up and at least know if we’re headed toward California or Mississippi.”

He rumbles a laugh, and I smile too. “Might be making a trip to Mexico.”

“Or Canada. Cooler temps would be nice. I’m not used to the heat.”

He chuckles again. “Until then, we keep driving in the same direction? Just put distance between us and them?”

I nod. “I’ll keep watching the signs. Maybe I can figure something out. I wish I knew the area better.”

“You’ll still do better than me. I’m navigationally challenged.”

I glance over at him. I like that he told me something he isn’t good at. Somehow it makes him seem even stronger that he’s not afraid to tell me one thing he doesn’t do well. Is that crazy?

I don’t know, but I rest my head back, watching the desert slip by. I draw in a breath, the purr of the engine soft and gentle.

“You have a last name, Luke?”

“Kincaid,” he answers. Like I said, I haven’t been in Las Vegas long but the name rings with a familiarity that I can’t put my finger on right now.

“Why did my date shoot you?”

That gets a rumble out of him. “Besides the fact that he’s a walking dick?”

I smile at that. Luke isn’t wrong. “Besides that.”

“We’re rivals,” he shrugs like that explains everything. “And I’m winning.”

“Oh,” I reply, because that actually makes sense. Vincent does seem like the type of guy who’d get really aggressive if he were losing. I nearly ask him what they’re rivals in, but then I catch myself. Might be better if I don’t know.

Like I said, I know I’m with a criminal and my date probably murdered a guy and shot another.

“Who was the man you were with?” I ask. “I know there were two of you.”

Luke’s face goes deadly serious. “His name is Roman. He’s my cousin, but he’s the closest thing to a brother I’ve got.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

He smiles again but this one isn’t genuine, doesn’t touch his eyes. “Roman is way smarter than me. He’s fine. I’m sure of it.” But he can’t even fake a smile now and I know he’s worried.

“Me too,” I whisper and then I do what I know I shouldn’t, and I reach out and touch his arm again, running my fingertips over the cotton of his shirt.

He looks down at my fingers, his jaw clenching, his eyes following the path I just traced before he looks back at the road.

We drive in silence, none of the town signs or minor roads giving me any idea where we are or where we’re headed.

Finally, the sun begins to rise and it’s right in front of us. No mistaking our direction now, we’re headed east.

And whichever direction Las Vegas was from where we were when we started, we’re far away from the city now.

Luke rubs his eyes. “I haven’t seen another car for at least an hour. I don’t think we’re being followed.”

In the light of the day, I can see he’s just as gorgeous in the light as he was in the dark, but also, he looks tired.

Fine lines fan out from his eyes. “Need me to drive for a while?”

He adjusts in the seat, sitting forward and pulling a wallet from his back pocket.

“I’m good. But can you see what I’ve got for cash?” And then he hands me the wallet.

I open it up, his ID right in the front with his cocky smile and his name. Lucas Kincaid.

Well, he was telling the truth about that. Another point in his favor.

Not that I need to keep a tally. As long as he’s not a kidnapper or murderer of women, I’ll be fine, provided I can keep my libido in check.

After years of suppression, I swear, my body has gone into complete revolt.

I open up the wallet, my brow furrowing. “You carry a lot of cash.”

He smiles again. “Yeah. Never know when you might…”

“Need to escape the city?”

“I was thinking more like buy drinks for pretty girls.”

“Right,” I look down again, sure that he does that kind of thing all the time. Buy drinks for pretty girls. Something to keep in mind.

He scrubs his face, letting out a long breath. “Let’s see about getting a hotel. It’s going to have to be a roadside dive and even then, I’m going to need to charm whoever is at the desk so that I can pay cash and not drop a card, but I don’t want to leave any trail for the Vendettis to find if I can help it.”

I’m sure he’s right. Hotels want people to pay with plastic for security deposits these days. But I’m also pretty sure Luke will manage to work around that. He exudes that calm devil-may-care charm that I’m guessing works every time.

Tiredness pulls at my own eyes.

I’ve still got dirt embedded in my knees from when Vincent made me kneel on the ground. A shower would be amazing.

And then…

I shake my head. “Sleep sounds good. I can’t think at all.”

What comes next? Today is Saturday. My internship starts on Tuesday. I’ve got to be back in time to start.

How bad is this?

I’ll ask, as soon as I’ve gotten some rest.