Unruly male laughter catches my ear from the penthouse landing. I whip around toward the source of the sound, hand twitching at once to the place where I usually keep my gun. Agents are required to be armed at all times. But right now my handgun is stashed in a concealed pocket of my purse, not at my hip as per usual. Just as I remind myself that it’s not polite to point guns at people, the front door swings open.
Two men stride across the threshold, their black leather cuts all but gleaming. The first man locks eyes with Kassie and goes to her at once. I recognize him as Declan Tiberi, the new Vice President of Dante’s Nine. A red-hot jolt of contempt lights me up from the inside out as Declan scoops Kassie up into his arms and kisses her. I’m amazed by how visceral my reaction is, seeing these guys in the flesh. But I’ve got to keep it together.
“Honey, I’m home,” Tiberi grins, “and I brought company.”
I swing my gaze back to the second man. He leans against the doorway, hands shoved roughly into the pockets of his dark wash jeans. The second my eyes alight on him, the simmering heat inside of me skyrockets. And I don’t think it’s anger that’s making my temperature rise, this time. Bafflingly, I feel my heart quicken with something like...interest.
Desire.
He’s easily over six feet tall, about 180 pounds of what looks like pure muscle. His body is broad and balanced, and you can tell just by looking at him that this guy earned his physique through physical labor and fast living, not hours spent toiling away at the gym. Thick black lines are inked across his chest and arms, and there are probably even more tattoos hidden beneath his perfectly fitted jeans, black tee, steel toed boots, and leather cut.
But as powerful and impressive as his body is, it’s his face that truly captivates me. His features are strong and sculpted, but utterly unique. A razor sharp jaw, straight nose, and high cheekbones are offset by the perfect amount of scruff. Dark chestnut curls fall across his forehead, and his firm, full lips are fixed in a knowing half-smile. A two-inch scar cuts across his right eyebrow, and his skin boasts a healthy, sunbaked tan. But the one feature that stands out above all, rooting me to the ground in his presence, is his eyes. They’re such a bright shade of emerald green that they practically glow.
And even more arresting is the fact that those gemlike orbs are fixed hard on me. Our eyes lock firmly, and I’m struck dumb by the depth of his gaze. I’ve never met this person before in my life, so how can it feel like he knows something hidden about me that even I have yet to discover?
“Oh. Sorry. Are you guys in the middle of something?” Tiberi asks, looking at me with vague curiosity.
“We were just finishing up an interview,” Kassie says, wrapping her arm around his waist. “This is Keira. She’s going to be working for CrowdedNest from now on.”
“You already hired her?” he asks, as if I’m not standing five feet away. “You didn’t consult me on this.”
“We all hit it off,” Kelly shrugs, “why wait?”
“Shouldn’t you be calling references, running a background check?” Tiberi insists.
Between this mysterious stranger’s gaze and Declan Tiberi’s scrutiny, my pulse is quickening out of control. He can’t possibly suspect me of anything, can he?
“Excuse my man, here,” Kassie says to me. “His club had a bit of a...hiring snafu recently. He’s just being paranoid.”
“We’ve already checked her out, Dec,” Kelly adds. “She’s perfect.”
“Damn right,” murmurs the man in the doorway. My cheeks blaze at his unexpected utterance. I can’t tell if I’m flattered or furious. Or both.
“Who’s this?” Kassie asks, nodding toward the green-eyed god.
“Ladies, let me introduce you to Caleb Brooks,” Declan says.
“‘Brooks’ will do just fine,” the man corrects, his smile widening as he rakes his eyes along my body.
“Brooks is...” Declan begins, but he shuts his mouth when he remembers I’m in the room, “Uh, maybe I should wait to go into it—”
“Oh, relax,” Kelly says, rolling here eyes. “I’m sure Keira doesn’t mind hearing about MC business. Something tells me she doesn’t scare easy. Do you, Keira?”
“I’m not exactly sure what MC business is,” I reply, “but I’m sure it’s cool in my book.”
“Declan’s part of a local motorcycle club, is all,” Kassie says, totally composed. Guess these people are pretty comfortable with their life choices, then.
“Sounds like a cool hobby,” I smile, laying the lighthearted ignorance on thick. I can’t help but be satisfied as Declan winces at my word choice.
“It’s not a hobby,” he corrects me, “it’s a way of life.”
“Oh. Got it,” I chirp, shooting him an amiable grin. Really, I want to roll my eyes. It’s a way of life? Seriously? Out of the corner of my eye I catch Brooks still looking at me intently, his scarred eyebrow raised. Crap. Is he not buying my “oh, shucks” act?
“This is a real nice place you’ve got here, Dec,” Brooks says, reaching into the pocket of his cut. My fingers twitch again, but I tamp down the impulse to produce my gun. And good thing, too. Turns out the gorgeous guy was just reaching for a pack of cigarettes. Marlboros. My favorite, when I used to smoke in college. I haven’t craved a cigarette in years, but watching Brooks loose a smoke from his pack and place it between his perfect lips...I feel a pang of wanting for something, all right.
“You can’t smoke in here,” Kelly objects, planting her hands on her hips. “This is Kassie’s home, too. Not just your buddy’s bachelor pad.”
“Well, actually,” Tiberi starts, tugging Kassie tighter against his side, “I was thinking we could let Brooks call this place home for a while, too.”
“What?!” Kassie and Kelly exclaim in unison.
“Didn’t think of mentioning that before now, Dec?” Brooks laughs.
“I’m sorry, I don’t even know who you are,” Kassie says to Brooks.
“I’m one of the family,” he smiles, gesturing to his cut.
“Brooks is our newest member,” Tiberi explains.
Of course. There was one blank space in the Dante’s Nine ranks on the FBI wall. Mitchell told me that this club always needs nine members. Part of the original charter, laid out by the current president and the first nine members. Guess they’ve filled that final spot. And damn, if they didn’t choose well.