Prologue
“Well, hello there, snoozing beauty,” I tease, wanting to set her mind at ease. She’s in a new place with a man she doesn’t know. The last thing I need is the chick flipping her shit and screaming my house down.
She blushes, dipping her head to hide her rosy cheeks in her cornflower-colored locks. She must’ve been warm while sleeping. The pink on them suits her—such a complimentary flush.
“Why snoozing beauty?” she asks with a laugh, and I crack a grin, unable to hold back my fondness of her sweetness. She’s kept the remnants of the light blue dress on, the one I found her in, regardless of me offering her some of my clothes. They’d swallow her up, no doubt, but I’d bet she could make anything look proper. I’m a little shocked at her forgoing the new, clean choice, considering hers is in tatters and weaved with some sort of plant. It has to be scratchy and uncomfortable, but you’d never know it by looking at her young face.
“Because you’ve slept so long since I found you. I was worried and checked on you, but I think your body was overly exhausted and needed the rest.”
“I remember being in the woods, and there was someone there with me. Three others, I believe. One of them was busy worrying over keeping me safe, and the next… well, I don’t remember anything afterward. It’s all so strangely foggy, with everything mixed up like a dream.” She frowns, her irises growing worried. Her small hands fist at her sides as she inhales deeply. With an exhale, she releases her grip and takes another step toward me.
My brow wrinkles at her confession, attempting to understand what it could possibly mean, yet I can’t. Was she running from something? I found her alone, no others around her. Were they really attempting to keep her safe? And why her?
“I woke up with your mouth on mine…” she trails off as a new flush spreads down her throat.
Christ, she’s adorably innocent and has every protective instinct in me rearing to the surface. I lick my lips, imagining her taste on my tongue if I was to sample the perfectly tanned flesh of her neck. She has no idea of the predator in her midst, and it sends a beat of triumph to my inner beast.
“You’d stopped breathing. I was, well, I was worried you’d die,” I say plainly, not pausing to consider how my words may affect her. The only thing on my mind at that very moment was making sure she was breathing and moved to safety.
“You were breathing air into me,” she states, almost making it sound like a question. Her naiveté is endearing and only entices me further. Everything about this woman screams for me to claim and keep her, but why?
“Yeah, I started CPR. Thankfully, it worked, and you began breathing strongly again. It sounds odd being that we’ve only just met, but something about losing you sends a strong pang to my chest,” I roughly admit and rub the spot above my heart. Pang is an understatement. When I thought she was dying, it felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest. Never have I experienced something so crippling in nature, especially since I don’t know the young woman.
I continue, “One of the guys recognized some of your symptoms. You were in the middle of a serious allergic reaction. Thankfully, he had an EpiPen and let me have it. I was shocked with how quickly it took effect.” And grateful because I had no clue what the hell was wrong with her. She’s a beautiful enigma, one I want to figure out but probably shouldn’t.
“Thank you for whatever you did to help me.” She offers a genuine smile. The fairness of her milky flesh and regality of her features are like no other, the only name that suits her is Sleeping Beauty. “What should I call you?”
“Trust me, it was my pleasure. I’m Philip, but my friends call me Hunter. Whatever you prefer.” Putting my lips to hers was no difficult feat. I’d gladly do it again to see those enrapturing irises gaze at me full of gratitude. In my opinion, the sooner, the better.
“My name is Aura. Will you tell me about finding me?”
I tip my head, drinking from my strong black coffee laced with a splash of bourbon. I lift my glass and gesture, “Would you like some coffee?”
She shakes her head. “Only to remember.”
“All right then. Come sit, and I’ll tell you what I know.”
Chapter One
HUNTER
“You with me, Hunter?” Viking asks after the others easily pledge their support for his mission.
“Of course,” I rebuke. We’re brothers, I’ll always have their backs when they need me, and this ride is no different. My loyalty is theirs, as is my knife, should they ever require it. My fingers rub over my leather’s cut. This MC is my life, and I’d be lost if I didn’t have their friendship and support.
“So we’re headed to an island,” I rehash. “Have you discovered any more information about it yet? Has your mermaid finally found her tongue?”
He shakes his head at my flippant comment about his woman not speaking when he came across her. “There’s a bit of dense forest on parts of the island. Keep your wits about you, we don’t know what we’re stepping into. We’ll split up but not too far away from each other so we can get help if needed.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I easily agree and strap on my long bowie knife. My gun is next, along with my bulletproof vest. I neatly fold my cut, gazing at it fondly before setting it down with a promise to return to it. There’s no telling what we’ll find, and I don’t want anyone to be able to identify me if something unsavory goes down. I have a dark feeling about what we’re about to walk into.
Leaving the comfort of the clubhouse, we climb on our motorcycles. The ground vibrates with the thunder of our engines as we head for the docks. We’ll be taking a sketchy route out to the island. Before I ride across any sand, I’ll be trading my beast for a Jeep that a buddy of mine offered to let me borrow. He’s grabbing the other shit I requested as well. When I called to let him know I’d be in the area, he was more than happy to help and more so when I offered to compensate him for it. Being a bounty hunter, I’ve met many people in random spots, and over the years, some of them have become useful.
The poor woman Viking found, well, she deserves to be avenged—every woman treated poorly deserves her very own savior. We just so happen to wear a leather vest and ride a motorcycle, but it doesn’t mean we can’t be our wicked version of heroes if needed.
The ride is swift, the club moving with one purpose in mind. Vengeance. We’ll never allow such evil to exist as long as we’re breathing. I lower my kickstand, climbing free from the white beast of a bike. My knife rests heavily against my side and brings a sense of comfort. I like to call it my truth seeker since it hasn’t let me down yet.
I quickly grab for anything I may need out of my saddlebags and fix the straps on the bulletproof vest. Once I’ve checked out the gear in the back of the Jeep and arranged everything how I want it, I hop into the driver’s seat. My knife stays on me at all times. I also keep a handgun in the cubby next to the gear shift for easy access and a shotgun resting beside me on the center console. The few other Nomads I normally ride with load up into the Jeep with me, weapons at the ready.