Gio (Steel Demons MC #6)

Chapter 8

Gio

“W ait one fucking minute.” Cole laughed and gasped so hard I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “Did you say you’re going to the gala with Harper. As her date?”

I held my breath and waited for him to give me the lecture again about not laying hands—or my dick—on his little sister. He’d mentioned it a time or two over the years, how he’d really love it if I didn’t seduce Harper. Treat her like a kid sister, he said to me, and I have. Mostly. But years had passed since I last saw her and now, well now she was a fucking knockout. “Yes. As her date.” I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Did you hear the part about the Blood Reapers trashing her place and threatening her?”

He laughed again, loud and raucous. “Hang on,” he said and then the call dropped.

I stared at the phone with a frown and then back at my reflection. I looked ridiculous in this damn suit. It was navy blue with something Harper called a shawl lapel which she insisted made my jaw look sharper. Whatever the fuck that meant. Not that I gave a damn. The suit was to help me blend in so I could keep her safe, otherwise it was a waste of fucking money.

The phone rang again and when I looked at the screen I laughed out loud. “A video call, really?”

Cole shrugged. “I had to see this shit for myself. You haven’t dressed up like this since prom.”

“Yeah, and I got Tina DiMarzio’s cherry for the effort.” Which, of course, made me think of Harper and her cherry.

“Turn around and let me see all of you.” He motioned with his index finger for me to spin and I flipped him off. “Aw, you do look pretty.”

I flipped him off again. “Jealous?”

“Fuck no. I’m glad it’s you though. Harper is comfortable with you, so this won’t be too awkward.” He paused for a beat, his smile fading. “How’s she holding up?”

“Harper is strong, but she’s scared shitless even though she won’t say it. She’s listening to me which should tell you everything you need to know.”

“You couldn’t get her to stay home from this gala shit,” he added with raised brows.

“It’s her work, man. Not worth the argument.” She would’ve been devastated if I pushed the issue. “Plus I got this dope ass suit.”

A knocked sounded on the door and then it opened behind me. “Hey, are you ready?” Harper’s husky voice sounded slightly shy when she stepped inside.

I turned to face her and nearly swallowed my tongue. “Damn Harp, you look—”

“Watch it,” Cole’s voice came from the speaker.

“Nice,” I added with a side smile only she could see. “Really fucking nice.”

A sexy as fuck blush stained her throat and her cheeks. “Thanks. That suit fits you perfectly.”

I turned the phone towards her so that I could take my time and drink in the sight of her in that sparkly black dress that skimmed her mid-thigh, leaving miles of toned legs on display. The top showed off more cleavage than I expected her to have and nothing, but a pair of thin straps kept the damn thing decent. And those shoes? Holy fuck they were open toe with a thick ankle strap and a bow that made me think about how much I’d like tying her up. “Wow,” I mouthed to her as she and Cole chatted.

“I’m fine,” she assured her protective older brother. “Gio’s been good to me and he’s not nearly as annoying as you.”

“Aw, honey, I knew you cared.”

She rolled her eyes. “We have to get going, Cole. I’ll call you when all this madness is over. Love you.”

“Love you more. Take care of her,” he called out, presumably to me.

I tucked the phone in my jacket and stared at Harper until she looked away. “Harper you look hot as fuck.”

“Thanks,” she whispered. “So do you.”

“Yeah?” I went to her, desperate to be closer even though I shouldn’t. “Then you won’t have a problem pretending to be attracted to me.” My hand instinctively went to her lower back as we left my temporary room, and I didn’t miss the shiver that shook her body.

“Of course I’m attracted to my boyfriend. He’s crazy about me, emphasis on crazy.” Her tone was sarcastic and playful, and I loved it.

“That’s just how I love, babe.”

She laughed and the sound was music to my ears. I walked a little taller as we left the clubhouse.

***

When we arrived at the ballroom, it didn’t escape my attention that all eyes were on her. She was gorgeous with those black tendrils falling around her honeyed shoulders, those big blue eyes expressive and sparkling when she was happy. Plump red lips pursed when she was deep in thought or unhappy about a table arrangement.

Harper was in her element here, rushing around to take care of last-minute details. She wasn’t frantic, she was at ease. She was relaxed because she knew what she was doing, and that was sexier than I thought it would be.

Who knew a career girl could be so hot?

After forty-five minutes I was tired of watching her flit about, directing her team here and there, and I swooped in to rescue her. “Hey babe, your guests are arriving. Have a drink and reset.”

She stopped and turned to me, surprise flashed in her eyes. “You got this for me?”

“Of course.” I leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her neck and immediately regretted it because she smelled like flowers and sugar and my dick liked that scent. A lot. “Have a sip. Time to shine.” I handed her the whiskey and water, and she accepted it.

“How did you know?”

I smiled. “I’ve known you forever, Harp. I knew you needed to relax but you wouldn’t want to be blitzed while you worked.”

She sagged against me a little. “Thanks, Gio. You’re sweet.”

That was the first time anyone had ever called me that. Even when I helped little old ladies cross the street, they thanked me with a wink or a pinch to my ass. Never called me sweet.

I might actually like it.

“If you think I’m sweet, you should see how I taste.” I leaned in close and whispered the words in her ear. My chest swelled with pride at the way she stiffened and then shuddered with unrestrained lust. Yeah, I knew my power over women I just didn’t think Harper was one of those women.

A flush crawled up all of her exposed flush and when she turned to me, her eyes were glazed over with lust. “Not the time or place. Oh and in your dreams. Honey. ”

I laughed. “Always sassy.” She’d always been a smart ass and now that she was older and smarter, her barbs hit harder and fuck me, but I liked it still. “Is that a challenge?”

Her blue eyes went round with shock or maybe it was fear, and she took a step back. “No, it’s not. Absolutely not.”

Another laugh escaped. “In that case, let’s put our game faces on. I’ll be your arm candy and you be the powerful and gorgeous babe you are.” I was here to protect her, and I reminded myself of that fact no less than four dozen times over the course of the damn gala.

Harper laughed easily with the guests whether they were old perverts who attempted to get a little fresh with them, older women who tried to make her feel small or younger women who blatantly ogled her boyfriend. She was a goddamn pro, always turning it back to the gala and raising money to help kids aging out of the foster care system. “They all deserve a chance to achieve what you have,” she said to a heavyset woman in her fifties who couldn’t keep her eyes off the tats my suit didn’t hide.

“Yes,” she sniffed. “Well it is important that we make sure they become productive members of society rather than a burden.”

Harper stiffened beside me and her jaw clenched so imperceptibly that no one watching would notice, but I did. “That sentiment is exactly how I know I can count on you to set an example for the rest of the attendees, Mrs. Shift.”

Just like that the woman was easily placated and she turned away with her chin notched high in the air.

“You handled the snooty bitch perfectly.”

Harper laughed and bumped her shoulder against my chest. “They tend to be like that, at these things. People who have that kind of money also have a certain way of thinking. Offensive or not, their money will help a lot of kids get on their feet and she has no say in what career path they choose. Postal worker, biker, tattoo artist, as long as they can take care of themselves, I’m happy for them.”

That surprised me. “I always got the impression you didn’t approve of the Steel Demons.” It seemed like she hated it.

“I don’t not approve, but I hate the idea of you and Cole constantly in harm’s way. It was bad enough when he was in the military. He got out and I thought, finally I can relax. And then both of you idiots decided to always be in the path of danger.”

“That’s why you don’t like it?” My assumptions were all wrong. Again.

Harper turned to me and studied my face while I took another opportunity to let my gaze roam her body. “You thought I was just being a snooty bitch?”

I shrugged. “Yes and no. I thought it was the whole outlaw biker thing that got your panties in a bunch.”

Her cheeks turned a pale shade of pink. “I mean I’d love it more if you both were accountants who just happened to ride motorcycles but it’s not my life and not my choice. All I want is for you to be safe. Both of you.”

“Both of us?”

She rolled her eyes. “Duh.”

I leaned in close again, inhaling her intoxicating scent before I whispered in her ear, “I knew you liked me.”

Her gaze met mine, serious and dark and impenetrable. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t.”

I wanted to ask what she meant by that but one of the people involved in the gala needed her and then another and another until more than an hour had passed where I could only watch her flit from one table to the next. Thankfully it was the last hour and most of the guests had already trickled out of the ballroom, tipsy with full bellies and wallets a little lighter.

“Need some help?”

She gasped and turned to me with a relieved smile. “Nope. The vendors will come collect chairs and tables in the morning and the cleaning crew will take care of the rest. Thank you, though.”

“What are loving boyfriends for?”

She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Hey, what happened?”

“Nothing,” she insisted a little too brightly.

I closed the small space between us and wrapped my arm around her waist. “You know the downside to dating someone you’ve known forever? You can’t lie to them, especially when you’re a shit liar.”

“Am not,” she insisted automatically, the way she always had as kid just to be contrary. “It’s nothing, not really. I saw Carl and it just threw me off, that’s all.”

“He didn’t say anything to you?”

“No,” she sighed. “I’m not sure he even saw me, he was kind of distracted.”

“Don’t worry, I got your back babe. Besides, the guys have probably already looked around to see what’s going on. We’re good. Ready to get out of here?”

She nodded absently, still worried about something she wouldn’t share. “Yeah, I’m more than ready to get out of here and away from all of this.”

“When do you head back?”

“Since Cole isn’t here, probably tomorrow evening or the following morning. Everything will be wrapped up late tomorrow morning. So I guess our great love affair is over, huh?”

“Too bad, you were my favorite girlfriend.” I pulled her closer and we exited the ballroom that fed into the packed casino.

“Dammit, I left my purse somewhere.”

“That little sparkly thing?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I think I sat it down to help with something. I’ll be right back.” Harper started to walk off.

“Wait up,” I called after her, but the determined woman just moved forward, forcing me to catch up to her. “What’s the hurry?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head frantically and her hands shook. “Just ready to be out of here.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m here with you.” I took her hand, and we searched room by room for her purse until we found it.

“Okay, now we can go.”

“You’re jumpy as hell, Harp. Anything you want to tell me?”

“Nope,” she answered sharply and damn near hauled ass out of the casino. Harper let herself relax when we made it to the car and as I eased out of the parking spot, the tension fled her body.

“Better?”

She nodded and let out a shaky breath. “Some, yeah.”

The familiar thunder of a motorcycle engine drew my attention to the rearview mirror where I saw three distinct headlights. “Don’t freak out, but I think we got company.”

With a gasp, Harper spun around, and her eyes instantly bugged out. “Is that them?”

“Don’t know. Probably.” Seconds later I had my answer when they flanked the car, leaving me with no place to go except forward. “Stay calm, Harper. I won’t let shit happen to you. Promise.” It wasn’t just because she was my best friend’s sister, but because she mattered to me too.

The assholes took advantage of the congested traffic to kick at the car, an effort to intimidate Harper and her unknown date. I smiled.

“Is this amusing to you?”

“Buckle up, sweetheart.” I eased Sasha from the holster I had no choice but to wear under my suit jacket. And rested her on my right thigh. “They don’t realize you’re with me.” I stepped on the gas until we were off the strip and merging onto the highway.

“Is that a good thing?”

I tapped Sasha. “They don’t know the shit they just stepped in.” A gunshot sounded and Harper cried out, ducking low in her seat. I yanked the wheel hard to the left, sending one biker down in the middle of the highway. “Let down your window,” I ordered.

“What? Are you crazy, that guy has a gun!”

I flicked a glance at her. “Trust me. Open the window and lean back as far as you can.”

She hesitated for only a second and did as I commanded.

Biker number two leaned in with a smile that quickly faded when he came face to face with Sasha. “Oh shit,” he said as he realized his mistake.

It was too late though because I anticipated his move and tapped my brakes so we were dead even. I wrapped my forefinger around the trigger and squeezed. Twice.

“Shit!” Harper was freaked out, but I was sure that had more to do with the sound and the spray of blood than any real fear.

I slammed on the gas and put as much distance between us as I could until I was sure we weren’t being followed.

“Gio, what the hell was that?”

I smiled. “That’s what we call the element of surprise.”

“You’re not going to stop?”

“To give them a chance to shoot us? No thanks.”

Harper looked around after a few minutes before she finally asked what she wanted to know. “Where are we going?”

“I just wanted to make sure we weren’t being followed.”

She spun around again and squinted in the darkness. “Are we?”

“Don’t think so but we’re not going back to the clubhouse just to be sure. They don’t know who I am—yet—and I’d like to keep it that way a while longer.”

“So where are we going?”

A hotel was an option, and this town was littered with them, but there were too many fucking cameras everywhere. “My place.”

“What? Why?” Her tone was frantic, and I holstered my gun and laid a reassuring hand on her thigh.

“Because you’ll be safe there. I’ll keep you safe Harp, I promise.”

“I know.”

Her quick answer was exactly what I wanted to hear.