Page 5 of Danger

“I did,” Savage said, “is that a problem?” Danger stared him down as if daring him to repeat what he had just said.

“Actually, it is a problem,” she insisted. “Declan and I aren’t together. In fact, we’ve only just met.”

“Right, and she did hold me at gunpoint and forced me to leave the bar to talk with her,” Declan reminded. “We haven’t exactly gotten off to the best start. Sharing a room would probably be quite uncomfortable for Ms. Danger,” he said. He knew that he was poking the bear by challenging her to admit that she was uncomfortable at the idea of sharing a room with him, but a part of him thought that staying in close quarters with Danger might provide some much-needed entertainment. It had been a damn long time since he had any fun, and watching the MI6 agent squirm was quickly becoming his favorite pastime.

Danger turned to stare him down and he didn’t hide his amusement. She was quite stunning when she was pissed off and for some reason, Declan seemed to do just that every time he spoke to her. “I would not be uncomfortable sharing a room with you,” she insisted.

“Great, then it’s settled, we’ll take the room,” he said to Savage. He didn’t miss the knowing smirk on both Lil and Cillian’s faces. They both knew him well enough to know that he was having a bit of fun with Ms. Danger.

“I’ll run back to my office to grab the keys for you,” Savage said, not missing a beat.

“Now, just wait a minute,” Danger spat. “I didn’t agree to share a room with you,” she said, pointing her finger into Declan’s chest. He couldn’t help himself; he grabbed her hand into his own, holding it against his chest. He loved the little gasp he elicited from her parted lips when she realized what he was doing. She quickly pulled her hand free from his and took a step back from him.

“We will not be sharing a room,” she insisted. Danger turned and walked out of the bar, not bothering to say her goodbyes and a part of Declan felt sadness at her departure. What the hell was that all about? He had only just met the blond she-devil, and here she was causing him to feel sad by walking away from him.

“Where do you suppose she’s going?” Lilianna asked.

“I’m betting that she’s going any place but here,” Cillian said. “You tried, brother,” he said, patting Declan on the back.

“I wasn’t trying anything,” Declan lied. He was giving her his A game, trying to convince her to stay in the same room as him, but Ms. Danger wasn’t having any of it.

“Sure, brother,” Lil said. “I’m sure she won’t go far,” she said.

“Why do you say that?” Declan asked his little sister.

“Because, the Dead Rabbits still have her brother, and she seems like the type of woman who won’t stand for something like that. She’s going to need our help to get him back, and Ms. Danger knows it.” Declan knew that Lil was right, but a part of him still worried that he had just let the only woman he wanted in a damn long time walk out of that bar—and that was a shame.

Declan tossed in turned in the lumpy bed, sleep eluding him as he tried to figure out what to do about Ms. Danger. The bar had closed down hours ago, and everything was quiet after all the bikers went home with their women. He tried not to think too much about the fact that it had been ages since he had taken a woman home to share his bed with him.

Back home, his dating prospects were slim. He had worked his way through the women in town and was actually contemplating moving a few towns over to start dating again. How pathetic did that make him sound? He felt hopeless and honestly, the Dead Rabbits coming for him, asking about Lil, gave him an excuse to head to America and possibly even make a new start for himself—not that he’d give his little sister that bit of information. She was already gunning for him to stick around, and he wasn’t sure what his plans were yet, so why give her false hope?

Just before dawn, he gave up on trying to sleep and went down to the bar to see if he could find a coffee pot anywhere. Savage had mentioned something about having one in his office, but finding his way through the maze of doors and hallways wasn’t an easy task. Declan glanced out the front window when a black SUV caught his eye. He was worried that the Dead Rabbits had caught up with him and was suddenly grateful to his sister for leaving him a gun. He protested having one in his possession, but she insisted that the Dead Rabbits didn’t play, and if they found him, he’d be glad to have protection, and she was right.

He quickly made his way back up to his room and found the gun on his nightstand. He checked to make sure that it was loaded and slipped on his shoes and a T-shirt. If he was going to face the Dead Rabbits, he wasn’t going to do so undressed.

Declan stepped out of the bar, through the back door, not wanting to give himself away. He hissed at the cold air that hit him as he made his way across the parking lot. For some reason, he thought that Alabama was always hot, but the winter months were proving to be quite brisk, and he wished that he had grabbed his jacket on his way out of the bar. Sneaking up on the SUV was no easy feat, but when he got to the driver’s door and found Ms. Danger sleeping inside, he couldn’t help his sigh of relief.

He knocked on the window, hoping like hell that she wasn’t a deep sleeper like his sister was. Waking Lil was like waking the dead, and she was quite a bear when she woke up. It was his responsibility to wake her for school after his parents were gone, and he didn’t relish the idea of having to wake another woman from her peaceful slumber.

“Ms. Danger,” he shouted through the glass, giving it another tap with his knuckles. She opened her eyes and stretched, and all Declan could think about was what she’d feel like doing just that while pressed up against his body.

She quickly put down her window and grimaced at him. “It’s just Danger,” she insisted.

“Right, just Danger,” he repeated her words. She rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat.

“What can I do for you, Mr. James?” she asked.

“Well, for starters, you can tell me what you are doing sleeping in the parking lot,” he said. “You do know that the Dead Rabbits have eyes and ears everywhere. You aren’t safe out here,” he insisted.

She patted the gun on the passenger seat next to her and smiled back at him. “I’m perfectly safe,” she assured. “You needn’t worry about me nor my safety,” she said, suddenly sounding more British than before. “I can take care of myself.”

“Right, but let’s just say that you can’t,” Declan challenged. “If the Dead Rabbits were to show up here, they wouldn’t show up with just one or two men. They’d send a slew of them. Can your gun handle ten to twelve men coming for you at once?” Danger shrugged as if she didn’t care, but he could see in her blue eyes that thought scared the hell out of her. Hell, it scared the shit out of him too.

“I’d figure something out,” she insisted.

“Has anyone ever told you that you are too stubborn for your own good?” he asked. She shot him a look that told him that she had been called that before and he smiled back at her. “Listen, there is safety in numbers. We can help each other out—you know, have each other’s backs if the Dead Rabbits do show up here.”

“No,” she breathed.