Fanning the Biker's Flame - Piper Davenport Page 0,63
you can’t go around attacking innocent women,” Nolan countered.
“She wanted it.”
I gasped. “I did not.”
“Come into the kitchen,” Silas suggested.
We walked into the kitchen just as Doom walked into my apartment.
“In the back?” he asked, and Silas nodded.
“What the fuck?” Dale screamed like a girl.
“You wanted it, right?” my brother snapped.
I bit my lip and shook my head. “I love my brother.”
Silas grabbed a bag of peas and settled it against my lip.
“This the prick?” Doom demanded.
“Why are y’all so loud all the time?” I asked.
“Keep the peas on,” Silas ordered.
I put the bag back on my mouth as I focused to listen to what my brother was doing to Dale.
“Who are you?” Dale squeaked.
“I’m Butch,” Doom retorted.
“No. I’m Butch,” Nolan growled.
Voices were no longer loud enough to hear everything they were saying, until Doom dragged Dale out of the mouth of my hallway. I slid off the stool and approached Dale.
“Cat,” Silas warned I stepped in front of him Dale and settled my hands on his shoulders. I couldn’t have done this if Doom wasn’t holding him, so I took my shot.
“What the fuck are you doin’?” Nolan growled at me.
“I’m really sorry this didn’t work out, Dale,” I said, promptly shoving my knee into his groin so hard, he fell to the floor in a heap of more screaming.
Doom bent down, grasped the collar of his shirt, and dragged him out the front door.
“You’re movin’ out,” Nolan decreed, and I glared at him. “What?”
“I’m not having this conversation with you in front of strangers,” I hissed.
“What the fuck?” Doom snapped at the same time Silas growled, “Fuck me, woman… strangers?”
“You were supposed to be watchin’ her,” Nolan said to Silas.
“I was watchin’ her,” he said. “I was the one who called you. But you told me you didn’t want me to engage, and I didn’t until I heard her scream.”
“Why the hell was Silas watching me?” I demanded.
“I’m gonna go grab my shit,” Doom said. “Come help, Shutter.”
Silas frowned at me, a silent expression of his irritation as he and Doom walked out my front door.
“Rein it in,” I told my brother, and Nolan dragged his hands down his face.
“You’re comin’ back to the barn and you’re gonna stay there until we can get you outta your lease.”
“My lease is up, NoNo. Well, it is in twenty-two days,” I said. “It’ll be month-to-month after that.”
“No, it won’t.”
“I’m on the lowest rung of the 9-1-1 ladder, big brother. I haven’t even been there a year, so I won’t get an evaluation or a raise for at least another six months. I can’t afford anything else.”
“I told you—”
“I’m not living with you, Nolan. I love you, but I can’t have a decent sex life if I live with my brother.”
“I’m not talking to you about your sex life.”
Truth be told, I didn’t have a sex life. But if I made any kind of reference to one, it shut my brother up immediately, so I did it and I did it often.
“And I’m not talking to you about being roomies,” I snapped back. “Or taking money from you.”
“Who’s impossible now?” Nolan challenged.
I sighed, walking out from behind my island and facing him. “I should have started with thank you. I thought Dale was just a nice guy who worked down the hall.”
“You work with that asshole?”
“Not directly. He works on the first floor. I think it’s some hedge fund company or something.”
“I thought you had the whole building.”
I shrugged. “Budget cuts. We had to rent out space, apparently.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“It’s not like he has access to my floor, Nolan. I met him when we bumped into each other getting coffee. We’re on the same schedule.”
“Stalker.”
“Or a coincidence.” Nolan raised an eyebrow, and I wrinkled my nose. “Probably not a coincidence.”
“Thank you for not being an idiot,” he said.
“Thank you for saving the day.” I wrapped my arms around his waist. “But let’s discuss this ‘watching you’ business. Why do you have Silas watching me?”
“He volunteered.”
“Of course he did.” I sighed. “That man needs to get a life.”
“I’ll let you have that conversation with him,” Nolan said.
Doom and Silas walked back in and Doom got to work on the front door, while Shutter walked over to me. “You comin’ back to the barn?”
I glanced at him and then stomped my foot. “I guess I don’t have a choice.”
“Pack a bag. You’re at my back,” Silas ordered.
“Oh, I’m not getting on your bike, Silas,” I argued.
“Jesus,” he hissed. “Your new job sucks.”
It wasn’t just