Free Final Ride (Lords of Mayhem) by Shyla Colt

eyebrow.
    “Sounds good.” She stood. He dumped the saddle bags beside
the door and they began their tour.
    “This is the kitchen. I don’t have any fancy crap, but it
has all the basics needed to make a meal. I can cook, but I usually bring in
food or eat out. It’s easier with the hours I keep. Can you cook?”
    “Yes,” she said huffily.
    “Good. The pantry is through that door. The girls stocked it
with things you’d find useful. Anything else you want, make me a list, and I’ll
get it for you. Out the back,” he pointed to a door, “is another porch and a
decent-size yard. You can spend time out there if you want. The whole place is
rigged with surveillance cameras, minus the bathroom and the bedrooms, of
course. The security system is pretty easy to arm and disarm. I’ll write down
the code for you and give you a day to memorize it. Then I want it destroyed.”
    “I understand.”
    “Good, you can explore more tomorrow, this is a bare-bones kind
of thing. They continued through the home until they reached the room that
would be hers. The beige room welcomed her with its polka dot bed spread and
decorative pillows. A small desk in the corner held fresh wildflowers and the
end tables boasted candles. The smell of roses made her smile.
    “You have your own bathroom in there, so you uh, don’t have
to share with me.”
    “Thank you, Hawk.”
    “Yeah, no problem. I’m going to crash now, unless you need
something else.”
    “No. this…is more than enough.”
    He nodded and left the room swiftly, leaving her to wonder
what was going on behind his stoic expression.
    Exhausted, she closed the door behind him, slipped off her clothes
and crawled into the bed. She’d have plenty of time to try to piece together
the puzzle that was Hawk.

Chapter Six
     
    She’d managed to set up a meeting with the victims after her
hair appointment. Hawk had dropped her off personally, stunning her. He took
his job of guarding her seriously. He’d been her shadow from the minute they
arrived at the house. Clad in a tiny pair of black jean shorts, black cowboy
boots, and a black T-shirt that clung to her every curve, she felt exposed. As
much as she tried to pretend this was a role she played like an actor, her
subconscious got the best of her. This was her life, and it had spiraled out of
control so fast and so far she had nothing left but straws to grasp onto.
    “Are you ready to see your look, Hil?” Donna asked.
    “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
    Donna laughed. “Don’t worry, you look amazing.” She spun the
chair around, and Hilary held her breath.
    The spinning stopped, and she found herself peering into a
reflective surface and not recognizing the face that looked back. The hair
color made her skin glow and brought out flecks of light brown in her eyes she
hadn’t realized were there.
    “Wow.” She turned her head to the left and the right,
admiring the subtle layers Donna had added.
    “I know you wanted to look like another person, so I did a
little nip here and there.”
    “It’s beautiful.” Hilary touched her silken locks, impressed
with the rich tone.
    “Since you’ll be wearing it straight from now on I used a
hair serum that will keep the curls at bay for three days at a pop. I’d suggest
you take some bottles home, so you don’t fry your hair daily.”
    “Oh my God, Donna, you should be nominated for sainthood,”
Hilary said.
    Donna laughed. “I’d never make it inside the gates.” She
winked.
    “I’ll call Hawk and let him know I’m ready. Can I get the
bottles of that hair serum while I wait?”
    “Of course, only the best for the ladies of Mayhem. Ya’ll
are some of my best customers.” Donna patted her shoulder and removed the cape
that kept the hair from clinging to her clothing. “You’re all set, beautiful.”
    Hilary rose from the chair, still marveling at the change.
With her eyebrows dyed to match she was totally transformed. She walked to the
front and called Hawk,