Chapter 2
2
DALLAS
I watch on camera as Willow hurries out of the club. Throwing my cup against the wall, I let out a roar of frustration. Willow is an enigma to me, a woman shrouded in mystery, one I can’t seem to unravel. It’s driving me crazy. When my uncle told me he had hired a new manager for me, I believed it was a ‘he’—hell, my uncle called her Will. It wasn’t until she showed up two months ago that I realized my error. Will is, in fact, Willow. My hesitancy to let her work here was overruled by my uncle, seeing as he owns half of the club. It isn’t because she is a woman… well, that’s a lie. It is because she’s a woman—a woman I’m very much attracted to.
Since I don’t mix business with pleasure, having her here is maddening. She’s nearly a foot shorter than me, but her body is a work of art. Her curves are perfectly proportioned, making it impossible to ignore her presence. Couple that with her piercing blue eyes and long dark hair, and I can’t stop my body’s reaction every time she’s near me. To hide the fact that I’m almost always hard in her presence, I treat her like a complete dick.
The surveillance footage continues to play, showing her as she strides purposefully across the parking lot. Her confidence, even in the face of my constant antagonism, only fuels my desire. She’s tough, determined, and utterly captivating. Every interaction we have is a battle of wills, and I look forward to those clashes more than I should.
I run a hand through my hair, pacing the office to burn off some of the restless energy coursing through me. This isn’t just about attraction; it’s about control. Willow disrupts the carefully constructed order of my life, and I hate that she has that power over me. Yet, the thought of her quitting and never seeing her again is even more intolerable.
Storming out of my office, I take the steps two at a time. I barely make it to the floor before someone steps in my path.
“Hey, Dallas.” Clarissa runs her hand down my front, her blood-red nails grazing the front of my trousers. “I was looking for you.”
I made the mistake of taking her to bed once, and now she seeks me out on the regular. Sex with her was underwhelming, so I didn’t go back for more. She, on the other hand, seems to think I want to fuck her again.
“Clarissa,” I grumble at the irritation of her presence.
“I need a good fucking… think you can make some time to take care of that for me?”
“No,” I say, shoving her hand away. “We fucked once, Clarissa. I’m not going there again with you. Go peruse the club; I’m sure you’ll find a willing man to shove his cock into you.”
She harrumphs as her foot stomps the floor. “But I want your cock.”
“Too bad. My cock is no longer an option. If you’ll excuse me.”
I shove around her and head toward Calli. She grins when she sees me approaching.
“I see Clarissa found you.”
“Unfortunately.”
She shrugs. “You deserve it for fucking her.”
My eyes narrow at her. “You keeping up with who I fuck now?”
“No… but that woman brags to anyone who will listen that she scored with the owner of the club. You must’ve really fucked her good because she goes on and on about your dick. Something I wish I didn’t know about.”
“Do I need to ban her from the club?” I glance back at the woman in question. “It’s not like we need her.”
“Nah…. but maybe you should pick better next time.”
I shake my head. “There won’t be a next time. My days of picking up women at my place of business are long gone.” What I didn’t tell her was that my cock wasn’t getting hard for anyone other than Willow. That was something she didn’t need to know. “Any chance you have Willow’s address? The only thing she has on file for me is a P.O. Box, which surprises me since Loren is adamant about getting a physical address.” Another layer of suspicion when it came to the pixie driving me irrational.
“Yeah, I can write it down for you. But maybe let her be tonight… she has a lot on her plate.”
Ignoring her words, I head to the front, where my head of security is standing.
“Carlos, I’m heading out for a bit; hold down the fort while I’m gone.”
“You got it, sir.”
Slipping behind the steering wheel of my Audi, I barely get out of the lot before my phone rings. Of course, my damn sister would call right now.
“Danika, what’s up?”
“Dallas.” Her voice cracking puts me on alert. “Can you come get me? I tried to call Ryker, but he didn’t answer.”
“What’s wrong, Dani?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. Can you just come get me? I’ll send you my pin.”
My phone vibrates with her text, and I glance down at it.
“Are you kidding me? Why in the hell are you out at the Viper’s Den right now?”
The Viper’s Den is a local biker bar, one I wouldn’t send my worst enemy to for fun. But of course, my stubborn ass sister is there and, from the sound of it, in tears.
“Can you come or not?”
“I’m on my way. Don’t leave, Dani.”
Pulling out onto the street, I growl in frustration. I’ll have to wait to go to Willow’s house. Dani needs me, and family comes before my obsession. As I drive, I dial my uncle; maybe he can shed some light on Willow’s story.
“Dallas, to what do I owe this pleasure? If I recall, you said you were done with me and your manager would be my point of contact.”
“My manager is exactly why I am calling you, Loren. I need you to tell me her story. What’s she hiding?”
“Why?” he grunts into the phone. “Is her ability not up to par?”
“Of course, her ability isn’t in question. It’s everything else. She left early because of a family emergency, but she wouldn’t tell me what. Willow is hiding something, and I want to know what. You let me believe Willow was a man. You owe me this.”
Loren laughs, the sound filling the interior of my car. “You assumed I hired a man—I can’t help that her friends call her Will. Besides, if she wanted you to know her business, she would tell you. What I can say is she isn’t a criminal, nor are you in any danger.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. Is she married?”
“Oh, I see now.” He sighs. “You have the hots for your new manager.”
“I have nothing for her… except aggravation.” I snap, my response far too quick to dismiss his words.
“She has too much shit in her life to have you sniffing around like a dog in heat. Find another woman at your club and get your dick wet that way. Leave Will alone, Dallas. She doesn’t need the headache of you lusting after her.”
The line goes dead before I can respond, making me slam my hand on the steering wheel in frustration. I want to punch his smug face, but that would require a drive to Atlanta—and that’s not something I intend to do.
Pulling into the parking lot loaded down with chrome bikes, I grit my teeth.
Why in the fuck is my sister at this shithole?
The Viper’s Den looks even more rundown than I remember. The neon sign flickers, casting a dim red glow over the entrance. Rock music blares from inside, mingling with the rowdy shouts and laughter of the patrons. The air smells of stale beer and cigarette smoke, making my stomach churn. I spot Danika standing near the entrance, her arms wrapped around herself, looking small and vulnerable.
“Dani!” I call out, and she looks up, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She runs to me, and I wrap my arms around her, feeling her tremble.
“Let’s get out of here,” I mutter, guiding her to the car.
She nods, not saying a word as we get in and drive away from the bar. The silence between us is heavy, filled with unspoken words and emotions. I want to ask her what happened, but I can tell she’s not ready to talk about it yet.
As we drive, my thoughts drift back to Willow. Loren’s words echo in my mind, fueling my frustration. There’s something about her I can’t shake, a pull that’s both infuriating and irresistible. But for now, I push those thoughts aside.
“Care to tell me why you were there tonight?” I side-eye my sister as she shifts in her seat.
“It doesn’t matter why… it’s over, and I don’t plan to go back anytime soon. Can we not talk about it?”
“How’d you get there, Dani? Do I need to call Griff and get him to pick up your car?”
She shakes her head, “No. I went with someone, and since they drove, it’s a moot point.”
“Is that someone the reason you’re crying?”
“Yeah.” She shrugs. “Wait… did I call you away from work?”
“It’s not important. If I had been at work, I would have left to come for you. But no… I was actually headed out to handle something.” Glancing at the clock, I note how late it is now. “But it can wait until morning. Let’s get you home.”
“Can we not tell Griffyn about this? I really don’t want to hear his lecture.”
I laugh, knowing that’s exactly what our big brother will do when he finds out she was hanging out at the Viper’s Den. Griffyn might be our oldest sibling, but he acts like he’s our dad sometimes. Thinking about him makes my chest tighten with guilt. He still doesn’t know about the matter involving the Winstons… not entirely, anyway. He knows we have half-brothers, but what he doesn’t know is that he has a twin. One that he was ripped away from at birth. Ryker and I decided to wait and tell him about it once we had all the facts, but that got waylaid when Drake and I flew to Las Vegas to get Ryker out of a mess.
Now that we are back and that trouble has been rectified, we plan to tell him as soon as Drake and his brothers can come to Nashville for a meeting. There is no telling how he is going to take the news. Unlike him, Gage Winston was raised by a woman who wasn’t his mother. I imagine when he hears the news, it’s going to hit him harder than it will Griffyn.
I glance over at Danika, her head resting against the window, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. My heart aches for her, knowing that whatever happened tonight has shaken her to her core.
“Dani, you want to talk about it?”
She shakes her head, wiping her eyes. “Not right now. Just… let’s get home.”
I nod, focusing on the road ahead. The city lights blur past us, a stark contrast to the darkness we both feel. As I pull into the driveway of her home, I cut the engine and turn to her.
“We’re here. Let’s go inside and get you settled.”
Danika nods, and we make our way to the front door. The house is quiet as I lead her to the kitchen and make us both a drink, hoping it will help calm her nerves. She takes a seat at the table, staring into her cup as if it holds all the answers.
“Dani, you know you can tell me anything, right? We’ll figure it out together.”
She nods, but her silence speaks volumes. I sit across from her, giving her the space she needs. Eventually, she lets out a deep sigh.
“I just feel so lost, Dallas. Everything is changing, and I don’t know how to keep up. The woman I thought loved me turned out to be a liar. Why is everyone a liar?”
“I don’t know Dani. I wish I did.”
She looks up at me, her eyes mirroring my own confusion. We sit in silence for a while. The weight of the secrets we carry feels heavier than ever.
“You good? I’m going to head out now. Call me in the morning if you want to tell me what happened.”
“Thanks for coming for me, Dallas.”
“Of course, Danika. I love you, Squirt.” I pull her into a hug and head out, leaving her to sort through her emotions. It’s after midnight, which means showing up at Willow’s house is not going to happen. I’ll have to wait until she comes into work tomorrow and demand the truth, then.
Willow Rivers is hiding something… and I am determined to find out what.