Free Steel 2: Blackthorne MC #2 by Carrie Cox Page A

that,” I said, irritably. “You said something about me not trusting them…” My voice trailed away as I saw the expression change on Nick’s face.
    He suddenly became more guarded. He shook his head and then shrugged on his T-shirt. “Really? That was a funny thing to say.”
    “What did you mean?”
    “I haven’t got a clue,” he said. “It was probably the drugs talking. Nothing to worry about. Don’t take it seriously, Ella.”
    I didn’t believe him. My gut reaction told me that when his defenses were down last night, he’d wanted to protect me and tell me the truth, but now in the cold light of day, he was closing ranks with the rest of the crew and wouldn’t tell me what was going on.
    He reached out for the door handle, but I said, “Wait. What about Claire? Look, you can keep your secrets about the motorcycle club. I’m really not interested. I just want to know if my friend Claire is okay.”
    He stood motionless in the doorway with his back to me, and for a long time, he didn’t turn around. When he finally did, he shook his head. “Sorry, Ella. I don’t remember Claire.”
    I clenched my fists in frustration. “Of course you do. She was at the bar when we hooked up. Remember? I went to tell her where I would be in case she was worried.”
    He nodded slowly. “Oh, yes, I remember that. I don’t know what happened to her, though. I guess she went back to her hotel.”
    I sighed. “I hope she did. If you would just let me use the phone, I could call her to see if she’s okay.”
    “You can call her in a couple of days, Ella.”
    “But I want to phone her now,” I said, growing irritated. “Why is it such a big deal? Last night, you said I saw something. What did you mean?”
    His tone changed, and his jaw tightened as he replied. “Ella, you’ve got to stop asking questions. I told you. It was the drugs talking. Anything I told you last night… You just need to forget about it!”
    I flinched at his angry words. I’d waited by his bedside all night to see if he would be okay, and now he treated me like this. He was just as bad as Damien Blackthorne.
    Before he left the room, he turned and said, “Don’t mention what I said last night to anyone. Do you hear me, Ella?” He insisted when I didn’t reply and glared down at me furiously.
    I couldn’t understand why he was angry with me. It should be the other way around. “Fine,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring back at him.
    When Nick returned, he held a pile of clothes in his arms and passed me some shampoo and other toiletries in a blue and white striped bag. He handed me the clothes. “I’m sorry for shouting at you, Ella,” he said. “It’s just… You’ve managed to get yourself caught up in a very dangerous situation, and the best thing you can do is keep quiet. You saw nothing. You heard nothing. After you’ve spoken to Victor and convinced him of that, he will let you go.”
    I threw up my hands in frustration. “But I didn’t see anything, and I didn’t hear anything. They must have gotten me mixed up with someone else. I’m sick of this. I just want to go home.”
    “I know,” Nick said, his tone gentle. “And you will, I promise. It’s just a few more days.”
    I wasn’t in the mood for his platitudes. I grabbed the bag of toiletries. “Where is the bathroom?”
    “Down the hallway. Second on the right.”
    Once I was in the bathroom, I stripped off. The red dress I’d been wearing was made of a thin, skimpy material, and I thought it would probably dry quickly. I did my best to wash it with some shower gel in the sink, and I did the same with my underwear. I figured it would have time to dry if I hung it outside in the sun.
    The shower felt amazing. I washed my hair twice with the strawberry scented shampoo, enjoying the soft, clean feel of the water running down my body. Under the shower spray, I tried to calm myself down. Sure, this was an unusual situation, but they hadn’t