Teased (The VIP Room, #1) (12 page)

“
Close the door, send in Briggs and
Morgan.” The driver closed the door, leaving Vida alone with the
man staring back at her with malevolent eyes. He came closer,
circling her as his eyes took in every aspect of her body. She felt
as undressed as if she had been on stage at King’s
nightclub.

Stopping in front of her, his hand rose,
backhanding her with such force her head snapped back, causing her
to lose her balance and fall to the floor. Vida held her frightened
cry inside, terrified that he would hit her again. Her shaking hand
went to her burning cheek, hearing the door opening and closing,
she looked towards the door to see Briggs and another man she
recognized as Morgan from the club. She had performed lap dances
for both of them. Neither of them acted like they had ever seen her
before. No help would be coming from their direction.

“
Get up, you stupid cunt.”

Vida managed to get her feet under her and
shakily rose up. The second time he hit her, she barely managed to
stay on her feet, which was a mistake because his third hit was
with his fist and sent her crashing back down to the floor. This
time she was unable to keep her cries silent and she didn’t try to
get back up.

“
You have been a pain in my ass for
the last month. You should have stayed out of my business. Sawyer
is mine, therefore she’s my business.” Laughing at his own joke,
Digger leaned back against his desk, satisfied she wouldn’t get up
again.

“
Briggs and Morgan tell me you can
shake your tits and ass, so now you’re my business,” he informed
her.

“
King won’t let you get away with
this, I’m under his protection.” Vida stared up at the ugly bastard
who stood there as if he had the right to do anything he
wanted.

“
Fuck King, I’m not afraid of him. Has
he managed to get Sawyer back?” Digger laughed sarcastically. “He
couldn’t even keep me from taking you from that stupid bodyguard.
Take her up to my bedroom, I’ll be up shortly.” He went back behind
his desk, sitting down to pick up a ringing cell phone.

Vida felt Briggs take her by the arm,
helping her to her feet.

“
Wait a minute, Briggs; put her on the
chair. Seems like we have company.” Digger put his phone back on
the desk. Vida felt herself shoved down onto a chair in the corner
of the room. Briggs stayed by her while Morgan stood by Digger.
Vida noticed that Digger’s countenance had undergone a change; she
thought she caught a small glimpse of worry. The self-satisfied
smile from moments before was gone.

Digger’s driver, who no longer looked neat
and refined, opened the door. Now, he was holding his ribs and his
nose had blood dripping onto his white shirt. The man walking into
the room wasn’t any of the men she was expecting.

Colton strode into the room with an air of
menace so visible that it frightened even Vida, who had had lived
with him the last few weeks, unaware that he could be completely
frightening when he was furious.

“
Colton, I heard you were out of
prison.” The amicable tone coming from Digger had Vida’s eyes
turning back to him in surprise.

“
Did you also hear Vida was living
with me and was under my protection?” Colton’s voice wasn’t so
amicable, in fact, in was downright threatening.

“
Briggs might have mentioned it, but
since you’ve been fucking anything that has a pussy since you’ve
been out, I didn’t think she was important.”

“
You thought wrong, Digger.” Vida saw
Colton take in her bruised face and blackening eye. His lips
tightened and the air in the room turned more menacing.

“
You hit her?”

“
A mistake. Calm down, Colton. I
apologize; I was misinformed as to her relationship with you.” As
Digger tried to excuse his behavior, she noticed Morgan’s hand slip
under his jacket.

“
Come here, Vida.” Ignoring Digger’s
excuse, Colton’s voice spoke over his.

She looked up at Briggs who didn’t make a
move to stop her. Slowly, still expecting him to prevent her from
following Colton’s order, she rose to her feet and walked to stand
by his side. His hand reached out, smoothing her hair back into
place. Taking her jaw in his hand, he turned her face to the side
so that he could see the damage inflicted by Digger.

“
You fucked up, Digger. You knew
better than to touch something of mine,” Colton
threatened.

“
I didn’t know she was yours.” This
time the worry in his face became more pronounced.

“
I was staying out of your
disagreement with King, tried to show you respect, even though I
knew it was undeserved, but I tried to give you
—
a former brother
—
leeway while King dealt with you. That is no
longer the case.”

“
Colton, I don’t want any trouble with
you.” Vida’s head was spinning. Digger was afraid of Colton? He
hadn’t been afraid of King or his men, yet the obvious fear in his
face showed that he hadn’t wanted to antagonize Colton.

“
You should have thought of that
before you took her, much less laid your hand on her.” Vida
couldn’t believe that she had thought at one time that Colton was
afraid of Digger. Now that she had her eyes opened, she remembered
that even King had spoken to Colton with mutual respect, not like
he spoke to his men.

“
A week, Digger. That’s all I’m giving
you to get Sawyer back here.”

“
That’s not possible, Colton. She’s
out of my reach for the next three weeks. Obviously, I would get
her back if I could to make amends, but it’s impossible,” Digger
prevaricated.

Vida stiffened, about to demand that Sawyer
be returned immediately when she felt Colton’s hand on her arm.
Looking into his tight face, she remained silent.

“
Three weeks, Digger, not a minute
more.” Vida saw Digger’s eyes glance towards the security screens
in front of him.

“
Three weeks, she’ll be here. Will
that pacify the Predators?” Digger asked.

“
For now. Don’t disappoint me,” Colton
responded with cold finality.

“
I won’t,” Digger stood up, coming
forward as Colton turned Vida toward the door. His expression was
ungracious. “I’m sorry, Vida. There was misinformation on my side.
I would never have touched you had I known you were Colton’s
woman.”

Colton’s fist flew out, striking Digger in
his lying mouth. Vida couldn’t prevent the vindictive satisfaction
she felt when she saw Digger almost lose his balance at the power
of Colton’s hit. Briggs and Morgan moved forward, but Digger
motioned them back to their positions. Wiping the blood dripping
from his mouth away with a handkerchief from his pocket, Digger
didn’t return Colton’s aggressive move.

Colton walked to the door, holding on to
Vida’s arm, not worried about Digger attacking him while his back
was turned. Vida couldn’t help being amazed at Digger’s deferential
treatment of Colton. When they walked out the front door, Vida
understood perfectly.

Well over a hundred motorcycles were on the
yard in front of the house, parked everywhere. The manicured lawn
with its pretty flowers was completely destroyed. Vida recognized
one particular face towards the front of the pack.

Max got off his bike, crushing the few
remaining flowers that had survived under his feet. Coming to stand
in front of her, he took one look at her face and a furious look
came over his features. He took a step towards the house, but
Colton dropped his hand from Vida and held Max back.

“
I already handled it,
Max.”

“
Then I’m going to handle it some
more. I’m going to fuck him up.” Max shook Colton’s hand
off.

“
Max, we need him in one piece to get
Vida’s friend back, not with his mouth wired shut for the next few
weeks. We’ll handle him when she gets Sawyer back.”

Max paused, looking down at Vida. “As soon
as she’s back, he’ll regret ever touching you,” he promised.

Vida stared at the group of men surrounding
the house. “I think he already regrets it.”

Laughter sounded from the rough looking men.
Colton took her hand, leading her to his bike. Climbing on behind
him, she held on to his waist as the men turned their bikes,
driving out of the destroyed yard. Colton rode in the middle of the
large group until they reached his apartment building. With a wave
of his hand, he broke off from the pack. Colton then drove his bike
into his parking spot, got off the bike and helped her off before
turning to the four bikers waiting for his attention.

One biker was parked slightly ahead of the
others. Colton grasped Vida’s hand and led her to the man sitting
casually on the bike.

“
Vida, this is Ice, President of the
Predators.”

Vida didn’t know how to react, so she gave
him a smile and nodded her head.

“
Vida? I like your nickname better.”
Ice gave her the once over before looking toward Colton. “Colton,
you must be getting weak in your old age. If this pretty little
bitch was mine, she damn sure wouldn’t be putting those titties and
ass out there for show.” Watching Colton get reprimanded by a man
who looked around the same age had Vida almost smiling. His hair
was lighter than Colton’s, but his attitude, while laid back, held
a steely undertone of authority. Even if Colton hadn’t told her he
was the President of the Predators, his attitude would have given
it away.

Colton stiffened. “She won’t be any
longer.”

“
I’m going to miss the show. Bring her
around the clubhouse sometime,” Ice invited. Vida tried not to
blush when she realized Ice and the men behind him had seen her
show. She recognized Max, whose bike was next to another biker. He
gave her a wink.

Her eyes were drawn to the lone bike sitting
further away than the rest. He kept Ice and the others within his
sight, but continually surveyed everything going on around them.
She had noticed several bikers through her lifetime; this one took
dangerous to the next level. He wasn’t good looking in the least;
his face was too harsh. His features were actually handsome; it was
what had been done to his face that had destroyed what, at one
time, would have made women stop in their tracks. A scar ran the
length of his face from his eye to just beside his mouth, giving
his sensuous lips a cruel appearance. Vida’s eyes were caught by
his mocking green ones that were well aware she was staring at
him.

“
Go on up to the apartment. I’ll be
there in a minute,” Colton told her, seeing her wince when she
reached up to brush away a loose strand of hair.

Vida left, feeling the eyes of everyone on
her back.

* * *

Colton turned back to the President of The
Predators. “Thanks, Ice.”

“
No problem. Missed having you around
the club the last three years.” Colton and Ice stared at each
other, both remembering their friendship and the fun they had
partying together. “It’s hard to think of Goldie’s kid all grown
up. She’s a definite looker. Didn’t make a move on her out of
respect to Goldie.”

Colton didn’t say anything. Ice continued,
“Hell of a situation you’re in, man. Wouldn’t want to be you.” Ice
started his bike. “Give me a couple days warning before coming by
the club. I don’t want to fuck with your parole. How long you stuck
for?”

“
One year.”

“
Fuck. It would kill me being away
from the brothers that long. I hope this time you’re smart enough
to leave that bitch. I warned you from the beginning Tessa was bad
news,” Ice reminded him.

Every one of his brothers had tried to warn
him about Tessa. He had listened, but hadn’t played it smart. He
had learned his lesson the hard way, in prison. If he got caught at
the Predators’ clubhouse, he could lose his parole and spend the
last year of his sentence back in prison. He wasn’t going to let
that happen. More importantly, if he was seen there, it would open
up the possibility of the club house being raided by the police,
and he wasn’t about to see his brothers suffer. He had lost the
right to be a Predator when he had stepped forward and took the
blame for Tessa’s crime. Predators never got caught; they lived and
breathed their motto.

“
Already took care of it, two more
weeks and the divorce is final,” Colton explained to his former
president.

Ice nodded. “Need anything?”

“
No, I’m good. Thanks,
Ice.”

“
Anytime, brother.” Ice throttled his
motor, driving the bike onto the road with the other club members
following behind. Colton watched them leave until the last bike
disappeared around the corner in the road.

Chapter 10

Vida was sitting at the table with a baggie
of ice against her swollen eye when Colton came in, slamming the
door shut.

“
What the fuck were you
thinking?”

Vida stared at him in shock. She hadn’t
expected him to baby her, but she hadn’t expected him to be so
angry with her, either.

“
What do you mean?” Vida asked,
confused.

“
I fucking mean, why in the hell would
you get in the car in the first place. You should have run like the
fucking devil was on your ass. They wouldn’t have run you down on
the campus.”

“
I was afraid they would shoot Henry,”
she explained.

“
Again, a campus full of college kids.
They would have had a SWAT team on them before they could have
gotten away.”