2. Nash
NASH
I stare at the beautiful woman before me.
There’s no denying I was informed about the formidable Ms. Velente. Her reputation of being a ball buster stretches far beyond Texas. She’s famous for her takedowns and rescue missions.
From all that I’ve learned so far?
One: In no uncertain terms is she to be underestimated.
Two: She doesn’t take any crap.
Three: Nothing scares her.
I’ve only spent a few minutes in the same room as her, and I’m drawn to her like a moth to a flame. That’s before she even opened her pretty yet smart mouth.
Diamond Elizabeth Velente has the kind of aura that’s like a magnet. I was surprised to learn that Diamond is her given name. All the ladies of the MC have gemstone club names; hers is written under the patch on her sleeveless cut that reads, “President.”
The Stiletto Riders MC emblem is on the back: a rider on a motorcycle with a stiletto underneath.
Diamond is tough. Street smart. And that whiplash tongue? Incredible.
This woman is everything I thought she’d be and then some.
The only thing I didn’t count on? That she’d be drop-dead gorgeous to boot.
Her hair is jet black, setting off her pale porcelain skin, and eyes the color of topaz.
Those fucking eyes penetrate my soul. Haunting, beautiful, but there’s also a sadness that lurks in them.
If I had done more homework, I would have realized that this woman is also intelligent.
She has a track record and a list of priors that must be seen to be believed.
How she’s stayed out of jail this long is mind-boggling, but I’ve also heard the great things she’s done for this town.
I respect that. So her discounting me as anything but an enemy is foolish on her part.
I’m also not a fucking creep, but the pulse in my veins and my rock-hard cock that I’m trying to hide are enough to tell me I’m attracted to her, but I shouldn’t be.
I have no intention of letting Diamond get away with anything, hence Duncan’s decision to put these three ladies in the slammer for a couple of hours.
I still have to uphold the law, unlike the previous sheriff, who had a soft spot for the ladies of the MC.
One would think a few hours incarcerated might help the Stilettos’ Prez cool off, but not this woman. Diamond is her own crown of thorns.
“Pardon my French. What I mean to say is: why the fuck are we in here, Calloway?” she snarls, not before adding, with a wag of her finger, “And don’t spin me some bullshit about a restraining order, that’s never gonna stick, and you know it.”
Feisty little thing.
I also don’t dislike how she throws my name at me like that. Calloway. Sure, it’s menacing, but at least I’m having some impact. That amuses me greatly.
Just to provoke her further, I begin with, “Well, according to that very same restraining order—”
“Don’t come at me with that,” she snaps.
“Those bastards are up to something, and I’m going to find out what it is.
Everything is suspiciously hush-hush, and that’s not like Saddle.
I know everything that goes on around here.
Everything. Those developers, Timothy Lanzetti to be precise, better not even think of doing anything underhanded, or there will be hell to pay. ”
Our eyes meet once more. “You didn’t see me coming, though, did you?”
Her lips purse. Clearing her throat, she stands a little straighter. “I knew Benson was retiring. Naturally, that meant there would be a new sheriff.” An implied duh hangs in the air.
I know she has friends in high places; hell, I don’t doubt she’s got friends in low places, too. But this ain’t Kansas anymore. Long gone are the days when Diamond Velente and her posse ruled Saddle. Things are about to change around here, and she sure as shit isn’t gonna like it.
Diamond may have the respect of the township and have most of the locals under her thumb, but the MC won’t be getting away with shit from now on.
Like I said, I’m not here to be her enemy, but she’s already drawn a line in the sand.
Sure, the woman boasts a record of housing more runaways and trafficking victims than anyone I’ve ever come across, and that’s saying a lot, but this MC intercepted and then took down an entire bus from the cartel singlehandedly.
That shit is crazy. They could’ve all been killed.
It makes me question what Benson was doing on their payroll for so long.
“The funny thing is, whenever the Stiletto Riders get involved in any project, mayhem is sure to follow,” I reply, trying to keep the amusement out of my voice. The way she scowls at me shouldn’t make my heart thunder. Oh, baby, this isn’t putting me off, it’s only getting me going.
“That’s what we do,” the redhead in the cell singsongs. “But trust me, sweetie, if we wanted you gone, you’d be gone.”
I pique a brow, glancing at her patch. “Ruby?”
She grins, a flush on her cheeks. “Uh-huh, at your service.”
“Cute, but that sounded a lot like a threat. Now I know you’re all smart enough to understand how the law works, so I’m here to tell you formally that your previous antics won’t be tolerated anymore, including trespassing. Am I making myself clear?”
“Formally?” Diamond snickers. “Could we get the informal version? This sheriff is a real fucking stick-in-the-mud.”
A vision of her on her hands and knees below me has me swallowing hard.
I don’t need that kind of damn thought. I’m also not used to being this much of a hard-ass.
Don’t get me wrong, I can when I need to be, but most of the time I’m cheerful.
It takes a lot for my mood to plummet. All this infuriating woman is doing is fueling the fire…
and I need to stop thinking about her like that.
I lean closer to the bars. “Trust me when I say, this version of me is the nice one.”
She holds my stare. “You don’t scare me, Calloway. We haven’t been offered a phone call; my lawyer will be all over this. In fact, we’re due a little chat, so if you’re not going to let us go, I want my fucking phone call.” She folds her arms over her chest and gives me a smug smile.
“Now, now, there’s no need for profanities,” I say. “I’m letting you off with a warning—this time. You can’t go sneaking onto neighboring properties without authorization. It’s called trespassing, a word I’m sure you know quite well, considering the details of your rap sheet.”
Her eyes narrow, but the blonde steps up.
“Hey, Sheriff, I’m Sapphire.” She shoves her hand through the bars, and I look down at it.
Because I’m not a rude son of a bitch, I shake it. “You’re club security, I take it?” All MC prez’s have them.
“Good news travels fast.” She winks.
I blink.
“Listen, we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot,” she drawls, her hand still in mine. “We’re not here to cause any trouble. And we promise to be on the right side of the law from now on. Don’t we, girls?”
I flick my eyes to Diamond, who looks at her incredulously.
“That’s right,” Ruby pipes up brightly. “I mean, are you really gonna keep us locked up in here for doin’ a little snoopin’? Seems a little harsh. We didn’t mean anything by it.” She elbows Diamond in the ribs for the second time. “Did we?”
As if the words tumbling out of her mouth could kill her, Diamond meets my gaze again and says in a high-pitched fake voice, “I’m so terribly sorry for all the trouble, Sheriff Calloway. We promise we won’t let it happen again. We’ll be good little girls from now on.”
If she were mine? I’d have her bent over my knees while I spank her ass.
I should make her sweat it out.
I should write up the paperwork.
But I don’t.
“You forgot to say please.”
She grinds her teeth for a moment, then a menacing look appears on her face as she leans closer to me. “The last time I heard that word was when I had a man shackled to my bed.”
My eyes widen, and all bets just blew out the fucking window.