Chapter 4
Chapter Four
B rynn took the drink Vander handed her, and tried to wrangle her anger into some sort of submission.
She was a woman in a male-dominated profession, and she was very used to knocking overprotective, patronizing men out of her way.
She was well-aware Vander Norcross wouldn’t be so easy.
And she’d just been branded his… Girlfriend sounded too lame. Norcross wouldn’t have a girlfriend. Woman.
Vander Norcross’ woman.
Tension curled low in her belly. She sipped her drink. It was soda water masquerading as vodka.
“You going to ignore me?” he asked.
“No. How did you explain my alcohol-free drink to the bartender?” Everyone around them was well on their way to getting plastered.
“I told him I liked my woman sober when I fucked her.”
Brynn choked on her drink and met his dark gaze.
She couldn’t tell much from that blank face, but she was pretty sure he was amused.
She arched a brow. “Do you?”
The corner of his lips quirked. “Want to find out?”
Yes. No . She tried to find some control over her hormones. “No. I want to find an asshole dealer.” She studiously looked away from him and at the crowd. “The new guys are over there by the fight ring with Grill.”
Vander turned. He held a bottle of beer, but she noted that he hadn’t drunk any of it.
No, a man like Vander Norcross probably rarely let his guard down enough to get drunk.
“The big guy with the beard is Robert ‘Shotgun’ Rice,” she said.
“Was an enforcer for a club in Chicago. The tall one with the ink is ‘Bender’ Winslow. I didn’t catch his first name.
The small guy with the charm is Tony ‘Nomad’ Garcia.
He’s from Arizona, and seems to be a bit of a player.
” As they watched, Nomad kissed the woman beside him with lots of tongue.
Classy.
“You get a gut feel from any of them?” Vander asked.
“Nothing yet.” She saw Grill look her way, then shoot an angry glare at Vander. “You made an enemy of Grill.”
Vander just raised a brow, looking so outrageously hot and unconcerned. He was wearing all black tonight. He’d ditched the suit for black jeans and a tight, black Henley with the sleeves pushed up. His leather jacket was black as well. It just added to his dangerous aura.
Shouts and cheers rose from around the fight ring. Two big bikers were inside, really beating each other up.
Vander moved in behind her. They shifted closer to the ring.
An edgy energy pumped off the crowd. Blood lust was building. She felt it vibrate through her.
Grill leaped up on the ropes, roaring at the fighters and egging them on.
When she glanced up, Vander wasn’t watching the fight. He was watching the new club members. That midnight gaze didn’t miss much. Brynn wondered if he ever switched off. Did he relax? Did he ever stop being lethal, scary Vander Norcross and just be a man?
What would it take to gain his trust? To get under that sexy, bronze skin of his?
She whipped her head back to the fight, her heart thumping. Those were dangerous, dangerous thoughts.
With a giant left cross, one of the fighters took the other down. His opponent fell like a giant redwood, back slamming into the floor.
The crowd went wild.
Brynn wasn’t sure she’d learn much else tonight.
Her informant, a woman called Tonya who was the old lady of a low-level Wanderer member, was here, but Brynn didn’t want to risk talking with her.
Brynn had helped Tonya and her kid out of an abusive relationship.
She was a nice lady, but apparently, she had a radar for dangerous men.
Brynn barely held back a snort. Ironic when she had the most dangerous man in San Francisco pressed up against her back.
“Who’s next?” the winning fighter roared from the center of the ring.
Grill leaped over the ropes and the crowd cheered. The biker turned and pointed at Vander.
Brynn went rigid. Oh, no.
Vander just looked calmly at Grill. Like the man was inviting him to share a beer.
“You a pussy, Norcross?” Grill roared. “All bark and no bite.”
The crowd hollered.
Brynn turned. “Just ignore him.”
A faint smile tipped Vander’s lips. “You trying to protect me?”
“Vander, these guys pound on each other for fun. You don’t have to do this.” She pressed her hands to his chest. He was so damn hard.
“I can handle Grill.”
“Vander—”
He leaned down and ran his nose along the side of hers. It was an intimate, unexpected move, and heat pooled low in her belly.
Then he shrugged off his jacket and handed it to her.
Her stomach cramped. No .
Then he pushed up his sleeves, and she was caught by his sexy, muscled forearms. Other, more heated, things filled her belly now.
“I’ll be back.”
Sucking in a breath, she spun and watched him leap up, then climb into the fight ring.
Grill was in the center, bouncing on his feet. Eagerness wafted off the biker. There was an ugly smile on his face.
He threw a few test punches into the air.
Both men were about the same height. Brynn’s lungs were tight as she looked them over. Vander looked cool, almost bored. Grill was pumping himself up.
God, this was not going to end well. She hid her nerves. What was Vander thinking?
She moved closer to the fight ring, jostled by the crowd around her.
Vander had military training. Not just any training, but the best. She knew he could wipe the floor with Grill. But the biker was riled and mean, and wouldn’t fight fair.
The crowd sensed the hot tension, and the shouting and cheering increased in volume.
“Gonna mess you up, Norcross!” Grill pulled off his vest and T-shirt. Slabs of muscle covered his chest and his skin was covered in ink.
There was no reaction from Vander.
Grill hopped from one foot to the other. “I’m going to show everyone that you aren’t so tough.”
“You going to talk me to death?” Vander drawled.
Anger rippled over the biker’s features. He charged, arm swinging.
But Vander wasn’t there.
He sidestepped with a lethal grace that made Brynn gasp.
Grill turned and swung again.
Vander dodged.
Every time Grill attacked, Vander evaded. It was like he could predict Grill’s moves before he made them.
“I’m not messed up yet,” Vander said dryly.
Fury ignited on Grill’s face. He was working himself up. With a roar, he charged.
Vander moved fast. He sidestepped, gripped the back of Grill’s neck, and gave him a shove.
The biker ran headfirst into the ropes.
Some people in the crowd gasped. A few laughed.
Damn . Vander was just humiliating the guy.
Grill spun, his nostrils flaring, his breathing hard.
“You done?” Vander asked.
“Fight me!”
“You sure that’s what you want?”
“I’m going to kill you,” Grill barked.
Vander’s smile was a cold thing. “Sure.”
Suddenly, Grill yanked a knife out of his boot.
The crowd gasped. Weapons were against the rules, and Brynn’s pulse spiked.
Grill brandished it and charged.
And Vander was clearly done.
He landed a hard chop to the biker’s arm and blocked the slice of the knife. Then he launched a vicious jab to Grill’s face.
His head snapped back, and the crowd went silent. The biker looked dazed, and shook his head.
Brynn wasn’t a fan of unnecessary violence, so she was shocked to find she was outrageously turned on. Vander’s calm, ruthless attitude had her panties soaked.
She glanced around and saw other women were watching him with hungry awe.
Another hard, unforgiving punch, and Grill dropped facedown to the floor of the fight ring.
And didn’t move.
He hadn’t landed one hit on Vander.
Vander coolly scanned the now-silent crowd. Nearby, Trucker looked at Grill and shook his head.
Then the crowd burst into whistles and applause.
Vander’s midnight gaze met Brynn’s.
She felt like the air was sucked away. An arc of something hot shot between them, and her skin heated.
Then Vander climbed out of the fight ring and stalked toward her.
* * *
Vander’s blood pumped thickly. As he strode through the crowd, he was aware of everyone, but his focus narrowed to one person.
Her .
All he could see was Brynn. She watched him, and lifted her chin. There was that spark in her eyes. The one that said she saw him, and could meet him toe to toe.
Right in that moment, for the first time in a very long time, Vander didn’t weigh the odds, calculate the risk, or consider the consequences.
He didn’t care who or what she was, or who she was related to.
He reached her, snaked an arm around her and yanked her against him.
She didn’t push him away or say anything. No, she did the opposite of what he expected.
She wrapped herself around him.
Fuck . Desire was a hot lick of flame in his gut. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and Vander felt something inside of him snap.
He lifted her off her feet, lowered his head, and closed his mouth over hers.
The dark taste of her hit him. A hand slid into his hair as he sank into the kiss.
Her clever tongue stroked his and with a growl, he deepened the kiss. He pulled her closer, her breasts rubbing against his chest. The kiss ignited something in him, setting him on fire. It licked his skin, sank into his bones.
She moaned into his mouth, and the kiss went wild—with tongue, lips, and teeth.
It was the hooting and hollering of the crowd that brought him to his senses.
Vander lifted his head.
Fuck . They were in the middle of a wild, crowded biker party.
Brynn’s blue eyes met his, sparkling like crystal. Her lips parted, and her breathing was coming in pants. She didn’t look away.
He set her down.
“Norcross.” Trucker slapped his shoulder. “I’d keep one eye open for Grill. He’ll be gunning for you after that.”
There were two new fighters in the ring now. Grill had apparently come to, and slunk off to lick his wounds.
Trucker grinned. “Get your woman out of here. You two look like you have better ways to celebrate.”
Vander just lifted his chin and took Brynn’s hand.
He led her out of the party, ignoring some very obvious invitations from a few biker babes. He felt Brynn’s fingers flex in his, and then they were out on the street.