Free Bought His Life by Aleka Nakis Tia Fanning Page B

her neck all the way back to see his face. He looked fiercely pissed off.
    “Don’t you agree, sweetheart?”
    The anger swimming in his compelling blue eyes stunned her to silence. Since she couldn’t think of a reply, she maneuvered her hand between them and pushed on his chest.
    He pivoted her around and pressed her back against the bar. Trapping her between his muscular arms, he lowered his head and nuzzled her ear.
    “If I knew you were the type of woman who liked to be taken by force, I wouldn’t have bothered with all the formalities earlier today,” he whispered acidly.
    She gasped.
    Taking advantage of her open mouth, he thrust his tongue in. His lips were warm, soft and tasted of beer. She moaned in protest, and he responded by deepening the kiss.
    Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Her heart raced. Her blood surged. The assault on her senses was too much. The pleasure from his mouth, the rough wood rubbing against her back, the adrenaline rush… She was either going to faint or have an orgasm. She wasn’t sure which.
    He pulled away and turned his head in frustration. “As much I would like to continue, there are other things that must be dealt with first.”
    Lawson spun her away from the bar a split second before a wooden stool hit the spot they’d just vacated, splintering into dozens of pieces.
    He gave her a pointed stare. “Don’t move. Don’t get involved. And for the love of God, don’t go outside.”
    No sooner had he finished issuing his commands, all hell broke loose. Four very large, very mean, very furious bikers came at him. Falling on him in a heap, they broke a table on their way to the floor. Glass shattered. With flailing arms and legs, the fight ensued.
    Kimber touched her lips, still swollen from the kiss. Considering the situation, Lawson was holding up pretty well. But what was he doing here? Why had he followed her? Did he think she couldn’t take care of herself?
    She replayed the last few moments in her head, trying to figure out how she’d ended up kissing him. Then she remembered. She didn’t kiss him. He’d kissed her. And that wasn’t the worst part. The bastard insinuated that she liked to be forced.
    Motherfucker.
    Her anger was enough to snap her out of her shock. Screw protocol. The paperwork would be worth her next move. After all, this wasn’t a typical visit to a local hangout. She reached into her jacket and pulled her gun. Raising it high, she fired three shots in the ceiling.
    The only sound in the bar was the fading echo of the last shot she’d fired. Nobody spoke, nobody moved. The five men sprawled on the floor looked up at her.
    Kimber waved the gun. “Gentlemen, meet Bertha. She’s a good friend of mine and a real bitch. If things don’t go her way, she gets angry, so I suggest you do whatever she tells you. Does everyone understand?”
    The men nodded.
    “Good.” She aimed the gun at Lawson. “Get up. Slowly.”
    He rose to his feet. “Kimber, I think—”
    “Oh, what was that, Bertha?” She cocked her head toward the gun. “You want Lawson to shut the fuck up?”
    Lawson zipped his mouth but stared at her with eyes that promised retribution.
    She shook her head. “Bertha doesn’t like attitude, not even the non-verbal kind. Now turn around and put your hands in the air.”
    He did, thankfully, without a challenge. Kimber could tell how it irked him, the corded nerves popping down his neck were a dead giveaway, but he’d get over it.
    She addressed the rest of the crowd. “Bertha and I will be out of your hair in a minute, and everything can go on as normal. But until then, Bertha asks that you all stay put. The three of us will now leave the building. Cool?”
    She scanned the room. All heads nodded. She gazed at the four bikers on the floor. Raising her eyebrows, she indicated that she wanted a second guarantee from them.
    “Yeah, we’re cool,” one muttered.
    With everyone in agreement and no one blocking her way to the front