Bad For You - Sherilee Gray Page 0,69

skin biting into my flesh. “If you haven’t done it by tomorrow morning, and I even suspect you’ve told Riff about our talk, I’ll send my boys to spend some time with your friends while I hunt Grifter down. Do we understand each other?”

I swallowed several times, struggling to make my vocal cords work. “Y-yes.”

He stood over me, eyes on mine, intimidating, making sure I didn’t doubt him. And I didn’t. He’d do everything he said and more.

When he was satisfied that he’d successfully terrified me, he grabbed my arm and dragged me back to the door. Opening it a crack, he glanced inside, then opened it the rest of the way and shoved me through.

“Now get the fuck out of my sight,” he said.

I rushed back into the main room, spotting Eves and Dane on the far side.

“Where’s Grifter?” Eves asked when I reached her side.

“I couldn’t find him,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Eves frowned. “Are you okay?”

Dane was frowning as well, watching me too closely. I couldn’t let them see the truth.

I plastered a smile on my face, while I was dying inside. “Just a bit of a headache.”

Eves took my arm. “Come on, we’ll find Grifter and get out of here.”

I followed them on autopilot, my mind racing. I couldn’t believe this was happening. But I had no choice. I had to do what Jesse’s father told me to.

And I didn’t know how I’d survive it.

Chapter Twenty-One

Jesse

I woke and reached for Lila. Somehow, she’d ended up on the other side of the bed when she’d been pressed up against me all night, so tight I hadn’t been able to move.

We’d left straight after my fight last night because she’d had a headache, which is also why I’d kept my hands, and my dick, to myself when it had literally been torture to do it.

I was still on a high from last night, and maybe this wasn’t the right time to give Lila my property patch, but I was done waiting to claim her properly.

I reached under the bed and grabbed the bag I had stashed there. I’d had a vest made and everything. Jesus, I couldn’t remember ever being this nervous in my life. I never thought I’d ever have anything like I had with Lila. Never thought I deserved it. Had never let myself hope for it. For someone like her.

I tucked it behind me and tugged Lila across the bed so she was plastered against me. She stiffened. It was slight, but there was no missing it. She usually melted against me.

“You still not feeling good, Bambi?”

She shook her head. “I just…I need to go home.”

I lifted to my elbow and rolled her to her back. Her hair covered her face, so I brushed it out of the way. She kept her eyes closed. My girl was still tired. I could work with that.

“Why don’t we stay here? Neither of us needs to be at work until tomorrow. We’ll get up earlier and head back to Rocktown in the morning. We can chill here until you feel better, then I could show you around Black Stone properly. Take you out for dinner. Come home, watch TV, fuck on the couch.”

I expected her to laugh, or at least grin. I wasn’t even sure she heard me.

“Lila?”

“Hmm?”

I chuckled. She was cute all soft and tired like this. “I’ve got something for you.” I reached back, heart in my throat, and pulled the cool leather vest from the bag behind me and held it out for her. “This might seem quick, but I’ve wanted to give this to you almost from the moment I met you.”

She looked at the vest and swallowed, her delicate throat working.

“You’re the first woman I’ve ever wanted to claim as property. The only woman I’ll ever want. Will you wear it, Lila?”

I held my breath. Giving her this was a big deal. Christ, I may as well be asking her to marry me.

The silence stretched out, her eyes closed again, and I suddenly found it hard to breathe.

“Lila?”

She bit her lip.

“Bambi, look at me.”

Her eyes finally opened and locked on mine and my stomach plummeted.

She’d figured it out. She’d finally worked out that I wasn’t anywhere near good enough for her.

Her gaze slid away from mine. “Thank you, I’m…I’m flattered that you’d want to give me that…but I’ve been thinking.”

My fucking heart stalled when she still wouldn’t look at me. She didn’t want it. Oh fuck, she didn’t want it.