Chapter 4 Bullseye
“ W ho is she?” Cash asks as I return, dark eyes brimming with curiosity.
“Xiara. Aunt Mags’s neighbor,” I growl, hoping he’ll lose interest, but I doubt it. The gorgeous woman rushed out here half naked to complain about the noise, and every brother in the club got a good look at her. Too good.
His lips form a grin as I scowl. “She’s a fucking knockout, brother.”
“I’m fucking aware.”
If possible, his smile widens. “She’s bold. Wouldn’t have come over here otherwise.”
I already reached that conclusion. “Maybe.” But something spooked her, so I wasn’t sure.
Cash scoffs. “A woman like that is gonna attract a lot of attention, Bull.”
“I know.” Shit. “She’s off limits,” I add, hoping he’ll get the hint.
Cash arches a reddish blond brow. “Says who?” His lips twitch like he’s holding back a smirk. He knows what I’m gonna say before I do, and it increases my irritation.
“Me,” I snarl, taking the opportunity to glance at Xiara’s house.
I wonder which bedroom is hers.
“Because of your aunt?” He’s taunting me, correctly guessing I’m attracted to Xiara.
“Leave my neighbor alone.” I don’t know why the fuck I feel so protective over this girl, but the second I saw her eyes widen in panic and her body cave in as she wrapped her arms around her waist, I had to do something. I didn’t lie when I said it wasn’t the first time I saw someone lose their shit in front of me. With the life I led, I saw things that would make most people quake with fear.
“Who shot off a gun?” I ask, not so subtly changing the subject.
“Zoo. He’s drunk off his ass.”
Figures. Zoo is the life of every party, but he’s also a handful when he’s been drinking, which is nearly every night. “You text Storm?”
“Yeah. Bear took Zoo inside.”
Good. Our V.P. had it handled then.
“You gonna take a pic, Bull?”
What? I blink, turning away from Xiara’s house to stare at Cash. “What are you goin’ on about?”
He snorts and shakes his head before ticking his chin toward the street. Flashing red and blue lights illuminate the darkness as I see two cops exit a squad car. Fuck. My aunt will kick my ass for causing a ruckus in her neighborhood.
The closer of the two, a female cop, approaches me as I head their way. “Evening. I’m Officer Hannigan. You live here?”
“No, but my Aunt Mags asked me to house-sit until she’s released from the hospital.”
“You must be her nephew, Drew Blade.”
“I am.”
How the fuck does she know who I am?
The question must be evident because she nods toward Mags’s front door. “I’ve known your aunt since I was a teenager. She used to teach bible study at my church.”
Ah. My aunt prayed for me a lot when I was young. Probably still did. “I see.”
“She mentioned you often in her prayers.”
Yep. Reached that conclusion already.
“Anyway, I got a call about a noise complaint. Someone phoned in that they heard gunshots at this address. I had to come since there’s no way the accusation could be true.”
Officer Hannigan gives me a severe look and I know she believes the complaint.
I shrug. Not like I’m gonna rat anyone out, especially a brother in my club. “I don’t know what that person thinks they heard, but as you can see, we don’t have the music loud, and we’re being neighborly.”
She smirks at my words while her gaze slides over the lawn and house. It’s mostly empty now, and the party has been moved indoors. I ignore Heathen and the woman he’s fucking against the side of the house, hoping the female cop doesn’t notice. It’s dark enough to conceal them. But when I helped Xiara to her porch, I saw them. Judging by the movement I just caught in the shadows, they’re still going at it. Luckily, the music is drowning any sounds they’re making. I promised I wouldn’t disturb the neighbors.
Not my fault that people have their asses sewn tightly shut and can’t handle a little excitement. That statement is aimed at the person who complained to the police, not Xiara. I doubt she had time to do more than stumble from bed and rush across the lawn. An image of her flawless skin and long legs steals my attention, and I have to shake my head to clear it. Damn, that woman is fucking gorgeous.
Blue and red lights are still flashing, bouncing off nearby houses, and waking up everyone in the neighborhood. My aunt is gonna be pissed when she finds out. I hope it’s not keeping Xiara awake.
“I’ll need to ask you to end the party soon or keep it indoors. It’s after ten in the evening, and most folks work early around here. I don’t want to come back and enforce it.”
The mild threat is clear, but I don’t want her snooping around my aunt’s place or causing trouble for my club, so I nod. “You got it.”
I think the flashing lights are more disturbing than music or my brothers having a good time, but I don’t say it. She won’t agree or try to see my point of view, so there’s no point. I just need her to leave as fast as possible. Cops make me antsy. They’re always trying to pin something on guys like me simply because I wear leather and ride a Harley.
“Have a good evening, Mr. Blade.”
Office Hannigan walks back to the squad car as her silent partner gives me a look of disapproval. He slides behind the wheel, and she enters the passenger side, staring at me as they pull away from the curb. I don’t move until I see the cruiser disappear from sight as it turns left, heading out of the neighborhood.
As I turn around, I notice I’m not alone. The blonde I invited over to fuck later saunters my way, sliding her arm around my bicep. I don’t miss the glare she sends at Xiara’s house, as if she’s done something wrong. Xiara is innocent of anything other than coming over here in her pajamas; if you can call the little she wore bed attire while I’ve got every fucking brother in the club hangin’ out for the weekend.
I look down my nose at Heidi and shove her hand off my arm. I’m not interested in getting my dick wet with her any longer, although I could let her suck me off. She’s more than willing, but as I stare at her fake tits and heavy makeup, it doesn’t do anything for me.
“Go home, Heidi.”
She blinks. “What?”
“Get lost, Sugar,” Heathen adds as he joins us.
The woman he freshly fucked, Tiffany, is Heidi’s roommate. They both dance at the Show ‘N’ Tail. Since we own the strip club, our guys end up fucking the girls often. It’s gotten stale. We need fresh talent, and I plan to bring it up in church soon.
Tiffany caresses Heathen’s chest. “See ya later, Heathen.”
He nods, looking bored.
Heidi gives me a pleading look like she thinks I’ll ask her to stick around. I’m not.
With a sigh, Heidi links her arm with Tiffany. The two women walk away, reach the silver sedan they arrived in, and drive off.
Heathen snickers. “Heidi thinks she owns your ass.”
“No woman owns my ass.”
He ticks his head toward Xiara’s house. “You sure?”
“Fuck off,” I growl, hating that I’m so fucking transparent.
My brothers are fucking with me. I know that. But my reaction to Xiara and how I treated her showed a side of me I usually kept reserved. I don’t show weakness or preference with women. It’s intentional. I don’t give a fuck longer than an hour or two in my bed, either.
Until now. Fuck.
It’s obvious I’m attracted to Xiara, and she intrigues me. I have no idea what to do with that, and I decide I’m not worrying about it. I’m certainly not gettin’ pussy whipped by a woman I just met and only spoke to for about ten minutes.
Heathen chuckles as he drags me inside Mags’s house, passing a joint into my hand.
Yeah, I need to stop thinking about my neighbor.
TRYING NOT TO THINK about Xiara proves difficult.
I spend the entire weekend nursing a constant hangover, and every time I glance at her house, I see her lounging on her porch with her nose in a book or busy baking in her kitchen. It sounds innocent enough, but she’s always wearing shit that shows off her figure, and I can’t help appreciating every single curve. It’s not her fault since every damn thing she wears looks good on her. Even in baggy sweats and a t-shirt, I can appreciate her sexy ass.
For some reason, she won’t look toward Mag’s place. I thought I’d play it cool and tick my chin her way in greeting if she noticed me, but she hasn’t. It’s like we never spoke. Fucking weird.
It bothers me until I remember the way she panicked. When she learned I was a biker, she began trembling like she had experienced trauma. I’ve been through my share of traumatic experiences and even therapy, so I know when someone is dealing with unresolved issues.
And now I’m too fucking curious. It’s a flaw I can’t shake. As a kid, it got me in more trouble than anything else, especially with my father. He used to beat my ass for getting into his shit in the garage and leaving a mess. That’s when my love for mechanics, bikes, and classic cars began. By age ten, I was tinkering with engines and finding out how things worked on my own. Tore shit apart and put it back together until I knew every part of a motorcycle or hotrod.
I even got my degree in it so I could open my own shop. It’s one of the businesses the club invests in. Blade Auto Repair pulls in steady customers, and it’s my main source of income, outside of what I earn from the club. Sure, we’re a one-percenter club. That’s an important distinction. But we have legit businesses to funnel through our tainted cash and wash it white as snow.
All that to say, I’m known for analyzing shit and being far too curious. It’s just how my brain works. When something intrigues me, I can’t help but hyper-focus on it. When it becomes a puzzle, I work on it until I figure it out. Sometimes, it’s nearly obsessive.
And now I’ve latched onto Xiara. She’s snared me, and I want to learn more about her.
As I’m glancing that way for the fiftieth time today, I see a young kid leave out the front door. He can’t be older than high school. I’m guessing about fourteen or fifteen. He’s tall and a big guy with brown hair that falls into his eyes. He’s not fat but stocky. A football player, I realize as I see the ball he’s holding.
A dark blue SUV drives up and honks. The kid waves and rushes down the stairs, heading toward the vehicle. When the front door opens, Xiara calls after him, and he yells that he’ll be home for dinner. She calls him Xaden, and since both have names that begin with the letter X, I’m guessing they’re siblings. I can see a resemblance. They share the same smile and pale blue eyes.
When the SUV drives off, I see her turn my way, and our eyes lock.
For a few seconds, she doesn’t move. I take that as a sign to head her way. I’m only three steps in her direction when she blinks, shakes her head, and closes the door.
The fuck?
Now I’m irritated and curious.
When Cash, Heathen, and Zoo stumble from the house, I tear my gaze away from Xiara’s front door, but not before I catch her peeking outside her kitchen window.
Babe, sooner or later, we’re gonna talk.
Now, it’s my mission to make it happen. I know just how to do it, too.