“Say no then. I’ll find other entertainment in town,” I said, taking a step back while hoping she fell for my ruse. “In fact, I’m going back to the bar, having a drink, and finding somewhere to eat. If you change your answer to yes, tell Cooper to give me a call.”
Harlow’s big eyes watched me until I disappeared into the bar. I felt them on me, long after I stopped looking. She was just as curious about me as I was about her. Despite her womanly rage, she would call Cooper.
Chapter Three ~ Harlow
Feeling like an idiot, I couldn’t catch my breath once Saint showed up at the bar. At first, I thought he was simply scary. Now I had to admit I was attracted to him. My feelings meant nothing. How could they? Getting hot for a man like Saint was a no-brainer. Any woman would swoon, yet stay as far away from him as possible.
Once Saint spoke to me, my feelings morphed into a ball of crazy. He both insulted me and offered me a chance to get stronger. Saint treated me like a woman rather than a child. I still felt silly in his presence. Even wanting him to like me, I doubted anyone impressed a man capable of killing men like the Devils.
By the time I arrived at my sister Winnie’s house, I felt lost between my need to prove myself worthy of Saint’s respect and the desire to keep him at arm’s length until he left town.
Hearing the Harley, Winnie hurried out the front door to see me. My sister’s long, dark hair was a mess from her yanking on it before I arrived.
“I heard you were attacked,” she cried, meeting me at the driveway of the house she shared with her husband Dylan.
“Who told you that?”
“The girl at Whiskey Kirk’s. She called me and said you were harassed by one of those out of town guys,” Winnie said then added, “She did say he was hot. Not that him being hot makes him being an asshole okay.”
“He didn’t really attack me. I thought he was a threat and tried to kick his ass.”
Following me into the house, she asked, “Did you hurt him?”
“Not even a little bit. I did hurt my knuckles trying to take him down.”
Winnie didn’t want to laugh, but she did anyway. I grinned at her laughter.
“I’m sorry. I bet you were a real badass.”
Rolling my eyes, I smiled wider. “It was like fighting a wall. Well, a wall that can fight back. He was completely unfazed, but that makes sense since it was Saint.”
Winnie’s smile faded. “The guy who took care of the Devils in Phoenix?” When I nodded, she exhaled uneasily. “And you tried to beat him up?”
I couldn’t help laughing. “Yeah, I tried to take down a professional killer. Hard to believe I didn’t take his ass to the ground, huh?”
Winnie smiled, but she looked worried. “Was he mad?”
“No. He thought it was funny. He also offered to train me.”
Winnie stared at me in the dark way she got when the words in her head were too difficult to say out loud.
“What does he want from you?”
“I don’t know. I know he’s a killer and he’s good at it. I’m sure he can lie well, but I really don’t think it’s a trick to hurt me. I think he actually wants to train me to fight better.”
Winnie didn’t respond. Her hazel eyes flickered around the room. I remembered how scared she was when they first moved into the house. How she called me most nights. How I called her the nights she didn’t. Eventually, she learned to live with Dylan and those calls weren’t so regular. These days, she slept fine without me.
“What’s he like?”
“A jerk, but in a likeable way. You know, the same way as Cooper or Vaughn. He seems smart too. Certainly knows how to read people.”
I thought to mention his dark, intoxicating looks. Or his smile. No man capable of such violence should possess such a warm smile. Saint did though. He was big, strong, and gorgeous. I hated admitting I noticed the last part. Attraction to men wasn’t something I ever wanted to feel. Saint wasn’t just any man though. He was the one who killed the threat haunting me for years.
“Do you want him to train you?” Winnie asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I shrugged, but Winnie knew I was full of crap.
“When will I ever get a chance for someone like Saint to train me? Vaughn thinks I’m a kid. Dad doesn’t want me getting hurt. Everyone humors me, but Saint doesn’t look at me like a child. He’s only in town for a few weeks, so I don’t have a lot of time to decide. Besides, I want to say yes.”
“Maybe you should ask Dad first.”
I frowned. “I’m an adult. I don’t need permission.”
Winnie gave me a look that I suspected she would use on her kids one day. “Not for permission, Harlow,” she said in an overly patient voice. “For guidance. You might be an adult, but you’re still really stupid.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You spend too much time with Bailey.”
“Actually, it was Raven who said you were stupid,” she said, grinning.
“Why the hell am I stupid?”
“Not really stupid, just the stupider sister anyway. She said she was the smart sister in her family and you were the dumb one in our family. I think she was trying to compliment me more than attack you.”