Impulsively (Dante's Nine MC) (7 page)

“Sure,” I nod, “for such a small team, that makes total
sense. Remote work is all well and good, but some analog contact can make all
the difference.”

“Exactly. We want to really get to know whoever it is we
bring on,” Kassie says, leaning her elbows on the long table. “Kelly and I have
been good friends for years, and that friendship has informed the way we work
in a really positive way. It would be nice to hire someone we get along with on
a personal, as well as a professional, level.”

I swallow a nervous laugh. If only these two knew how much I
was hiding from them. If they’re looking for honest friendship, I am the last
person on earth they should hire. And yet...

“I’ve always found that I work better in a friendly environment
of my peers,” I reply. “I do my best work when I’m part of a trusting
team—where everyone’s allowed to work on their own terms, in their own way, you
know?”

“That’s exactly how we like to do things around here,”
Kassie says, exchanging a pleased look with Kelly. “But why don’t you tell us a
little bit about yourself, Keira.”

We go on talking for at least half an hour, and I’m
surprised by how easy it is, posing as someone else. I rattle off points from
my phony biography, and even throw in a couple of embellished details borrowed
from my own life. I guess it helps that Keira’s expertise and experience are
actually my own in disguise. I’m totally qualified for a job at CrowdedNest,
what with my computer science background. And despite my reluctance to be
anywhere near MC types, I rather like these women. They seem smart, ballsy, and
unapologetic. Hell, in another life, I bet we could have been friends for real.
It’s almost a shame that I’m only here to steal away with their private
information and possibly arrest the men in their lives...

“Let’s just cut to the chase,” Kelly says, with a wicked
gleam in her eye, “you seem like a great fit for our company, and we’d really
like to give you the job. I know it’s unconventional to offer someone a
position at an initial meeting, but...what do you think?”

“I...got the job?” I ask, genuinely surprised and pleased.

“It’s yours if you want it,” Kassie says happily.

“Yeah, absolutely,” I gush, “I can’t wait to start. Thank
you, guys.”

“Thank you for being the perfect candidate,” Kelly says. “We
really need another set of hands around here. The site is doing really well, far
too well for a team of two to manage, that’s for sure.”

“We’ll get you started tomorrow. Can you bring your laptop
and work from here?” Kassie asks me.

“Absolutely,” I tell her, “that’ll be great.”

“And in case you haven’t noticed,” Kelly says, gesturing to
her jeans and tee shirt, “we like to keep it casual around here.”

“It beats the uniform from the last place I worked,” I reply
unthinkingly.

“I didn’t realize marketing firms had strict dress codes,”
Kassie says, cocking her head.

Shit. I was totally talking about the FBI. I need to go home
and study my new life story some more before I really slip up.

“Yeah, they were strange birds in New York,” I say quickly,
grabbing my purse. The three of us stand, and with that the interview is over.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a better first meeting in my life. I felt
confident, capable, totally in my element. Maybe Keira’s a better people person
than I am.

Unruly male laughter catches my ear from the penthouse
landing. I whip around toward the source of the sound, hand twitching at once
to the place where I usually keep my gun. Agents are required to be armed at
all times. But right now my handgun is stashed in a concealed pocket of my
purse, not at my hip as per usual. Just as I remind myself that it’s not polite
to point guns at people, the front door swings open.

Two men stride across the threshold, their black leather
cuts all but gleaming. The first man locks eyes with Kassie and goes to her at
once. I recognize him as Declan Tiberi, the new Vice President of Dante’s Nine.
A red-hot jolt of contempt lights me up from the inside out as Declan scoops
Kassie up into his arms and kisses her. I’m amazed by how visceral my reaction
is, seeing these guys in the flesh. But I’ve
got
to keep it together.

“Honey, I’m home,” Tiberi grins, “and I brought company.”

I swing my gaze back to the second man. He leans against the
doorway, hands shoved roughly into the pockets of his dark wash jeans. The
second my eyes alight on him, the simmering heat inside of me skyrockets. And I
don’t think it’s anger that’s making my temperature rise, this time.
Bafflingly, I feel my heart quicken with something like...interest.

Desire
.

He’s easily over six feet tall, about 180 pounds of what
looks like pure muscle. His body is broad and balanced, and you can tell just
by looking at him that this guy earned his physique through physical labor and
fast living, not hours spent toiling away at the gym. Thick black lines are
inked across his chest and arms, and there are probably even more tattoos
hidden beneath his perfectly fitted jeans, black tee, steel toed boots, and
leather cut.

But as powerful and impressive as his body is, it’s his face
that truly captivates me. His features are strong and sculpted, but utterly
unique. A razor sharp jaw, straight nose, and high cheekbones are offset by the
perfect amount of scruff. Dark chestnut curls fall across his forehead, and his
firm, full lips are fixed in a knowing half-smile. A two-inch scar cuts across
his right eyebrow, and his skin boasts a healthy, sunbaked tan. But the one
feature that stands out above all, rooting me to the ground in his presence, is
his eyes. They’re such a bright shade of emerald green that they practically
glow.

And even
more
arresting is the fact that those gemlike orbs are fixed hard on me. Our eyes lock
firmly, and I’m struck dumb by the depth of his gaze. I’ve never met this
person before in my life, so how can it feel like he knows something hidden
about me that even I have yet to discover?

“Oh. Sorry. Are you guys in the middle of something?” Tiberi
asks, looking at me with vague curiosity.

“We were just finishing up an interview,” Kassie says, wrapping
her arm around his waist. “This is Keira. She’s going to be working for
CrowdedNest from now on.”

“You already hired her?” he asks, as if I’m not standing
five feet away. “You didn’t consult me on this.”

“We all hit it off,” Kelly shrugs, “why wait?”

“Shouldn’t you be calling references, running a background
check?” Tiberi insists.

Between this mysterious stranger’s gaze and Declan Tiberi’s
scrutiny, my pulse is quickening out of control. He can’t possibly suspect me
of anything, can he?

“Excuse my man, here,” Kassie says to me. “His club had a
bit of a...hiring snafu recently. He’s just being paranoid.”

“We’ve already checked her out, Dec,” Kelly adds. “She’s
perfect.”

“Damn right,” murmurs the man in the doorway. My cheeks
blaze at his unexpected utterance. I can’t tell if I’m flattered or furious. Or
both.

“Who’s this?” Kassie asks, nodding toward the green-eyed
god.

“Ladies, let me introduce you to Caleb Brooks,” Declan says.

“‘Brooks’ will do just fine,” the man corrects, his smile
widening as he rakes his eyes along my body. 

“Brooks is...” Declan begins, but he shuts his mouth when he
remembers I’m in the room, “Uh, maybe I should wait to go into it—”

“Oh, relax,” Kelly says, rolling here eyes. “I’m sure Keira
doesn’t mind hearing about MC business. Something tells me she doesn’t scare
easy. Do you, Keira?”

“I’m not exactly sure what MC business is,” I reply, “but
I’m sure it’s cool in my book.”

“Declan’s part of a local motorcycle club, is all,” Kassie
says, totally composed. Guess these people are pretty comfortable with their
life choices, then.

“Sounds like a cool hobby,” I smile, laying the lighthearted
ignorance on thick. I can’t help but be satisfied as Declan winces at my word
choice.

“It’s not a
hobby
,”
he corrects me, “it’s a way of life.”

“Oh. Got it,” I chirp, shooting him an amiable grin. Really,
I want to roll my eyes.
It’s
a way of life?
Seriously? Out of the corner of my eye I catch Brooks
still looking at me intently, his scarred eyebrow raised. Crap. Is he not
buying my “oh, shucks” act?

“This is a real nice place you’ve got here, Dec,” Brooks
says, reaching into the pocket of his cut. My fingers twitch again, but I tamp
down the impulse to produce my gun. And good thing, too. Turns out the gorgeous
guy was just reaching for a pack of cigarettes. Marlboros. My favorite, when I
used to smoke in college. I haven’t craved a cigarette in years, but watching
Brooks loose a smoke from his pack and place it between his perfect lips...I
feel a pang of wanting for
something
,
all right.

“You can’t smoke in here,” Kelly objects, planting her hands
on her hips. “This is Kassie’s home, too. Not just your buddy’s bachelor pad.”

“Well, actually,” Tiberi starts, tugging Kassie tighter
against his side, “I was thinking we could let Brooks call this place home for
a while, too.”

“What?!” Kassie and Kelly exclaim in unison.

“Didn’t think of mentioning that before now, Dec?” Brooks
laughs.

“I’m sorry, I don’t even know who you are,” Kassie says to
Brooks.

“I’m one of the family,” he smiles, gesturing to his cut.

“Brooks is our newest member,” Tiberi explains.

Of course. There was one blank space in the Dante’s Nine
ranks on the FBI wall. Mitchell told me that this club always needs nine
members. Part of the original charter, laid out by the current president and
the first nine members. Guess they’ve filled that final spot. And damn, if they
didn’t choose well.

Stop it,
I chide myself,
Sure he’s hot,
but he’s a criminal. Get it together
.

“I don’t understand,” Kassie says, “how is he a member, just
like that? He didn’t prospect or anything.”

“Not every member has to be a prospect first,” Tiberi
shrugs. From what I understand, being a prospect is like being a trial member
of an MC. There can be a fair amount of hazing that goes into it, too. But
something tells me that none of the other members will be messing with the
likes of Brooks.

“So, what, you guys just hit it off at the bar, and now he’s
a member that we’re supposed to put up?” Kelly goes on, a frown twisting her
pretty mouth.

“I’ve known Brooks for years,” Tiberi snaps. From his steely
glare, I can tell there’s a little bit of tension between Kelly and the Dante’s
Nine VP. Totally understandable, of course. Best friends and significant others
often lock horns. Unless this conflict goes deeper...?

“We were in the Navy together,” Brooks offers, tucking the
cigarette behind his ear for the moment. “Or at least,
near
each other. I was a mechanic. Fixed all
those fancy planes and got ‘em flying again.”

“We put Brooks’ membership to a vote right away,” Tiberi
goes on. “I would trust this man with my life any day.”

“From what I recall, you already have,” Brooks grins. “One
loose screw and that pretty plane of yours would have gone down like a lead
balloon.”

“Is that your standard for membership now, Dec?” Kelly
murmurs. “Just as long as there are no loose screws—?”

“The vote was unanimous,” Tiberi says, ignoring her. “Brooks
is a man of Dante’s Nine now. And he needs a place to stay until he sets down
roots here in Vegas.”

“Dec, you know we’ve been using this suite as our
CrowdedNest offices,” Kassie says pointedly. “We need the space. Especially now
that there are three of us.”

“I don’t mean to cause any trouble,” Brooks says, holding up
his hard, capable hands. I, for one, don’t believe that for a second. Something
tells me that causing trouble is what this man does best.

“You’re not causing trouble, Brooks,” Tiberi says, turning
his stormy gaze on Kassie. “I seem to remember a time we housed a friend of
yours here, Kass. You didn’t have a problem with an extra occupant then. Kelly
moved right on in—”

“We weren’t using the space then,” Kassie replies. “Why
didn’t you talk to me about this before promising—”

“Why didn’t
you
talk to
me
before
hiring some girl we’ve never met,” Tiberi shoots back.

Tiberi, Kassie, and Kelly fall into surly silence, looking
back and forth between me and Brooks—the problematic newcomers. My heart is
balled into a tight, panicked fist. Maybe this was a terrible idea. Maybe I
should turn on my heel, run out of here, and never look back.

But before I can move a muscle, Brooks pushes himself away
from the door and strides across the room to me. I stifle a gasp as his heavy,
muscled arm falls across my shoulders. He peers down at me with those blazing
emerald eyes, and I swear it’s like he’s seeing straight through me. The way he
looks at me feels like an unspoken secret between us. Like we understand each
other. But that’s ridiculous. I’ve never met this man before in my life.

“Tough being the new kid, huh?” Brooks grins at me, totally
at ease with having his arm thrown around me.

I gape back at him, disarmed by his nerve. But as annoyed as
I am by this (or any) unexpected physical contact...I’d be lying if I said I
didn’t also love it, just a bit. I can feel my very cells rallying at his
touch. I want to sink against his side, trail my fingers along the rippling
muscles barely obscured by his tee shirt. Slip my hands beneath that leather
cut, and—

That leather cut. Decorated with the patches of a MC member.
This is no innocently cavalier bad boy. This is just another thug. Why the hell
am I having so much trouble remembering that?