“They found him this morning.” His dark eyes bored into hers, challenging. “At the morgue.”
She didn’t take the bait, swallowed the question on the tip of her tongue simply because she didn’t want to know the answer. “I’m sorry to hear that you lost one of your men. It was nice of you to come out tonight when you must be in mourning.”
Viper stood, annoyance flickering across his face at the hint of sarcasm in her tone. He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Don’t you think this game has gone on long enough, kitten?”
“What game?”
“The game where you pretend to be innocent and I pretend to be civilized.” He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, the scrape of his beard on her sensitive skin sending a shiver down her spine.
She tried to pull away, but he slid one hand over her ass and squeezed her cheek, grinding her hips against the bulge in his jeans. “I’ve been patient. I’ve played the civilian game, and I have to admit it was entertaining. But we both know where this is heading, and now that the Sinners are sniffing around you, I can’t wait any more to stake my claim.”
Evie bristled, fear warring with indignation. “I’m not a piece of land.”
“But you are a piece of pussy.” He fisted her hair and yanked her head back, his lips, wet and cold, sliming a trail across her cheek.
Evie raised her hand to slap him. Lightning fast, Viper grabbed her wrist, twisted it, and wrenched her arm up behind her.
“Jesus Fuck,” he growled under his breath. “Why did you have to do that? I can’t tolerate disrespect, especially in front of my men.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Anger surged within her. “Why are you acting like this?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t find out about you and the Sinner VP?” Viper tightened his grip, forcing her up on her toes. “I don’t want to hurt you kitten, but I had you first, and I am not a sharing kind of man.”
“Let go.” She struggled to hide her fear, taking deep breaths to keep her voice even. “You’re hurting me.”
“If you want to play around with a Sinner, and disrespect me in front of my men, you gotta pay the price. What’s a little pain, kitten, when I’m going to give you a whole lot of pleasure?”
His heated words were followed by the scrape of chairs and the pounding of feet. As the people seated around them moved to the far end of the bar, the bouncers approached, only to come up against a solid wall of Black Jack muscle.
“I’m not playing games with you,” Evie gritted out. “I’m not with Zane. I grew up with him. I hadn’t seen him for nine years until the night Axle came to bring your message. What Axle saw … I didn’t want that.”
Viper loosened his hold on her hair, and gripped her jaw, forcing her to meet his stony gaze. “You grew up with him?”
“In Stanton. But we lost touch after high school. I didn’t even know he was in Conundrum.”
His dark eyes bored into her as if searching for the truth. But she had nothing to hide. Well, except for Zane’s relationship to Ty. Still, she met his cold, hard stare full-on, although she trembled inside. Zane had been angry about Ty, but she knew in her heart he would never hurt her. She couldn’t say the same about Viper.
“You know why I like you, Evangeline?” His voice lost its edge, becoming smooth and sickly sweet like her mother’s bourbon.
“No.”
“Because you’re honest and you can’t lie for shit.” He released her arm, one hand snaking up her back to her hair, the other firm around her waist. “You aren’t like the deceitful, conniving bitches I got at my club. You aren’t jaded from living an outlaw life where every day is a struggle to survive. I believe you.”
Her body sagged with relief. “Then let me go because you’re scaring me.”
Viper laughed and tugged her head back. “You wouldn’t be out with me if you didn’t like it a little rough. You know how many women I’ve asked out? The key word there is asked?”
She shook her head, and he ran his thumb over her lips, parting them with gentle pressure.
“None. I don’t ask when it comes to women. When I want a woman to suck my dick, I push her to her knees. When I want to fuck her pussy, I spread her legs. The women in my club will do whatever I tell them to do because I own them. But Black Jack women are hard women and they’re always wantin’ something, and that makes ’em cold. You’re warm. You’re soft. You’re sweet. You’re real. You don’t want anything. Me being president of the Jacks doesn’t mean shit to you. Never had that before. Not willing to give it up.”
He leaned down and brushed his lips over her neck. “The fact I did nothing other than twist your arm after you tried to slap me says it all.” He bit down on the delicate skin between her neck and her shoulder blade, drawing it between his teeth. Evie gasped as a curious mix of pleasure and pain surged within her.