Hunter - Blaire Drake Page 0,55

were so many bikes that we'd be hard to pick out.

Thank god for the plain black bag Adriana had.

It felt like an hour had passed by the time we finally made it into the center and drove past a rental store. I pulled up outside it, but I hadn't even killed the engine when I heard Adriana protest.

“No. Three blocks away, on Century Boulevard,” she said, her hands twitching on my abs. “The Pontarelli's run it. I need to get a message to them if they don't already know.”

My stomach clenched at the name—or maybe it was just the way she gripped my t-shirt and her nails lightly scratched me—but I nodded and pushed off again, seamlessly flowing back into the traffic. I understood, but I didn't like it.

At least I understood, I reasoned with myself. I didn't have to. I could have refused until she ordered me to, but I wasn't going to take orders from her.

I didn't care if her blood outranked mine.

I didn't take orders from a woman.

Unless that order was to bend her over and fuck her mercilessly.

I was all about that kind of order.

I pulled up outside the Pontarelli rental place a few minutes later, and Adriana could barely wait to step off the bike. She practically jumped off it and wrenched the helmet from her head. My lips twitched at the birds nest it had almost become, and she glared at me with her gorgeous eyes as she patted it down.

I climbed off the bike, pulled the keys, and stepped in front of her. She had one crazy lock of hair she'd missed, so I ran my fingers through the dark strands, calming them until they fell in line with the rest of her hair.

I loved it when she had her hair free like this. She looked powerful, almost. Beautiful—undoubtedly. But powerful. Her hair framed her face so loosely and softly that it lent a special kind of shine to her eyes.

A special kind of shine that could cut you down without another thought.

“You should wear your hair down more often,” I said quietly, my fingers running through it.

She smacked my hand away and quirked a sleek eyebrow. “Really? There're probably ten guys trying to kill me and you want to stand on a sidewalk and tell me how to wear my hair?”

“Pretty much.”

“No, Carlo.” She shoved the helmet at my gut and pointed at the building. “Get your ass into that goddamn building, rent a car, and get me the fuck out of California before I tear you so many new assholes you'll be shitting out of your armpits.”

There was my cut down.

One day, she'd pay for shooting me so much attitude.

She'd sure as hell enjoy it, but she'd pay.

I did as she said, still. I still refused to believe I was taking an order. I would have done it... eventually. When I was done complimenting her, which she totally didn't appreciate. Bad timing, I knew, but a compliment was a fucking compliment.

“Santo!” Adriana demanded, making the guy behind the counter sit up with a jerk. “Is Angelo here?”

“No. Gaige is.”

“Get him. Now.” She slapped her hands onto the counter and stared him down until he moved.

He looked like he was even younger than she was, not old enough to be leasing rental cars, but what the fuck did I know? The Pontarellis ran this city. They probably had the LAPD in their ass pockets for all I knew.

“Addy? What's wrong?” Gaige Pontarelli emerged from the back, dressed in a white shirt and long, thin black tie. “You haven't returned my call.”

“Gaige, I need the car. Me and Hunter need to get out of here.”

His eyes flicked over to me, hardening as soon as they found mine. “You do, huh?” His tone was dry, sarcasm dripping from every word.

“Damn it, Gaige!” Adriana snapped, running her hand through her hair. “I don't give a fuck if you two hate each other for the rest of your lives, but right now, there are probably at least three people who have my name etched into their bullets, so get me the fucking keys before they find me!”

“What?” His eyes jerked back to her. “What the hell do you mean?”

I clenched my jaw. “The house was stormed,” I ground out. “We have no idea how many people followed us here. We need to get out of the state, and we need to do it now.”

I had no idea how I held my temper as he stared between