Black Dagger (Mad Jackals Brotherhood MC Book 1) by Evelyn Glass Page A

speeds out of the parking lot. Her thighs tremble as she clenches her muscles, feeling scared and excited and nervous and turned on all at the same time.
     
    “You all right?” Ray has to shout above the roar of the engine and the wind. She answers him by holding on even tighter and she feels the vibrations of his laugh in his back, making her nipples hard.
     
    They fly through the streets and Mia switches her brain off. She doesn’t think about the shelter, or the women there who need her help, the women whose stories keep her up so many nights. She doesn’t think about her Master’s and how she’s never going to finish it. She doesn’t think about Eli and how they seem to want such different things, how it feels as though they’re good friends more than anything else. For those few precious minutes, she doesn’t think about anything other than the roar of the engine and the feel of Ray’s warm body against hers.
     
    The ride comes to an end all too soon and he slows outside a bar she knows well. She hops off of the bike, putting some distance between them, hoping it’ll put some distance between her and the way she feels around him. She pulls off her helmet and shakes out her hair, fairly sure her curls are as out of control as she fears they are.

 
    Chapter Eight
     
    “How do you know about this place? It opened after your time.” She looks at him quizzically and finds him returning her stare but there’s something very different in his gaze, something animalistic and so hot it makes her feel like she’s burning up.
     
    “Like I said, this isn’t the first time I’ve been back.” Ray shrugs, avoiding her eyes and Mia feels the walls go back up around him.
     
    “And am I going to hear any more behind that story?” Mia puts her hands on her hips, frustrated at how mysterious Ray is insisting on being.
     
    “Maybe.” He smiles and he’s devastating, making Mia’s mouth go dry. “How about a drink first?”
     
    He leads her into the bar and, for the first time, it hits her that there could be any number of people there that know her and Eli. That would be the worst way for Eli to find out Ray was back in town.
     
    “This was a bad idea. We should go.” Mia has already turned around, heading back towards the door before she’s realized it’s too late.
     
    “Mia! Long time no see!” Jared envelops Mia in a bear hug, lifting her off her feet and she laughs breathlessly as he puts her down, smiling up at him.
     
    “I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been busy.” She shrugs apologetically and notices Ray has gone completely still and he’s staring at the hand that Jared still has on her shoulder.
     
    “Who’s your friend?” Jared looks suspiciously at Ray, his eyes narrowed and his hand not moving from its protective hold on Mia’s shoulder.
     
    “Jared, this is Ray. Ray, this is Jared, he owns this place.” Mia forces herself to smile as she watches the two men shake hands as they size each other up with an impressive lack of subtlety.
     
    “Good to meet you. Any friend of Mia’s…” Jared lets the phrase hang in the air as he tries to stare Ray down and Mia sighs in frustration.
     
    “So how do you two know each other?” Ray doesn’t take his eyes off of Jared as he asks the question and Mia wonders if anyone else has noticed that the levels of testosterone in the bar have edged up a notch.
     
    “I worked here when Jared opened, Friday through Sunday nights; it pretty much paid my college tuition!” Mia forces a brightness in her voice and she wonders if she sounds as much like Polly Anna as she thinks she does.
     
    “Guys would come for the drinks and stay just to stare at Mia. My profits tumbled when she quit!” Jared nudges Mia playfully and she blushes under the feel of Ray’s scrutiny.
     
    “Is that so?” Ray’s expression doesn’t give anything away, but Mia can tell from his voice that he’s angry.
     
    “So how you doing, girl? You still with Woody?”