Steel and Heat (Blacksteel Bandits Motorcycle Club Book 2) by Evelyn Glass Page B
Book: Steel and Heat (Blacksteel Bandits Motorcycle Club Book 2) by Evelyn Glass
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Authors: Evelyn Glass
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bank, co-workers and regulars flanked around them. The questions hurtled out of mouths. The scent of perfume and cologne tinged the air, making Miranda's nerves even sicker than they already were.
“Are you okay?”
“What was wrong?”
“Are those stitches?”
Naomi answered, with a polite smile plastered to her lips, “Yes, I'm fine. The doctors aren't sure what was wrong. Yeah, I needed a couple stitches from bonking my head on the counter.”
The chatter all sounded like a dull roar in Miranda's ears, though. She needed to get to her office and get a work-at-home laptop. The work-from-home program was underway for expectant mothers, instituted by Miranda's sister-in-law. As such, the laptops were stored in her office, in a secured cabinet only she had a key for.
At the soonest possible moment, she peeled herself away from the group of well-wishers. Naomi could handle them on her own. Once she padded over to her office, she quietly closed the door and flicked on the light. Someone was bound to ask her why she was taking a laptop home and she didn't want any over-concerned busybody informing her family. It would only be a matter of time until they heard about Tyler being back in town. Again.
Her office was just the way she had left it – droll and boring. Her eyes flickered onto the almost unseen seam in the wall. Digging the key out of her packet, Miranda advanced on the wall. It was a fake covering for the cabinet where security objects were kept: lost debit cards found around town, résumés for every tier of employment, laptops, USB sticks for information tech, forms for large withdrawals or deposits that required her presence. Her fingers pried at the seam and, with effort, she managed bend the wall outward. Clasps finally gave way and the wall swung out toward her. Behind the false wall, was the unremarkable face of a grey cabinet.
An itch scurried across her flesh, as if the inanimate object peered at her dubiously. She shoved the key into the keyhole and turned. The tumblers fell away with a cacophony of clicks.
“Mi-Miranda?”
“What is-” She stopped mid-sentence after her gaze swung to the doorway. Standing in the doorjamb was Naomi, assisted by a familiar scowl. Baldie leered at her from behind a pain of new, unbroken sunglasses.
She scurried into the office, almost throwing herself across the floor as Baldie stepped, nonchalantly, into the room. Miranda scuttled closer to her friend, hoisting her onto her feet. He closed the door behind him. Quietly, the lock slid into place, a threatening promise on the silent air. She got the innate feeling his gaze swung around her office with disdain. “So, where's your lovers?”
Miranda gathered her false sense of bravado. “Those losers? No clue.”
“Losers? Come now,” Baldie's features flashed to Miranda's face. Behind his sunglasses, she could see the lurid glint in his eye, “You don't have low self-esteem.”
He had lost her. “What?”
“Well, I know for a fact you stayed the night at a dinky little motel room with Red.”
Miranda pursed her lips, her cheeks bit with a blush. She tried to will the embarrassment away. Of course she had sex with Tyler; that was a given. Yet, she didn't want this stranger to know the extent of their relationship.
She turned her back on him as she grabbed the laptop and a handful of papers. As a second thought, she also snagged a folder, wrapping it around the computer. If he saw her take a laptop, warning bells would surely go off in his head. She closed the cabinet, but not the faux wall.
Baldie swaggered into the office, the room temperature falling with his every step. He leaned his hip against the desk and peered over his sunglasses at them. His eyes shone sharp and merciless like a hawk leering at prey. “What are you doing now?”
“Why should we tell you?” Naomi huddled close to Miranda's elbow. Waves of
“Are you okay?”
“What was wrong?”
“Are those stitches?”
Naomi answered, with a polite smile plastered to her lips, “Yes, I'm fine. The doctors aren't sure what was wrong. Yeah, I needed a couple stitches from bonking my head on the counter.”
The chatter all sounded like a dull roar in Miranda's ears, though. She needed to get to her office and get a work-at-home laptop. The work-from-home program was underway for expectant mothers, instituted by Miranda's sister-in-law. As such, the laptops were stored in her office, in a secured cabinet only she had a key for.
At the soonest possible moment, she peeled herself away from the group of well-wishers. Naomi could handle them on her own. Once she padded over to her office, she quietly closed the door and flicked on the light. Someone was bound to ask her why she was taking a laptop home and she didn't want any over-concerned busybody informing her family. It would only be a matter of time until they heard about Tyler being back in town. Again.
Her office was just the way she had left it – droll and boring. Her eyes flickered onto the almost unseen seam in the wall. Digging the key out of her packet, Miranda advanced on the wall. It was a fake covering for the cabinet where security objects were kept: lost debit cards found around town, résumés for every tier of employment, laptops, USB sticks for information tech, forms for large withdrawals or deposits that required her presence. Her fingers pried at the seam and, with effort, she managed bend the wall outward. Clasps finally gave way and the wall swung out toward her. Behind the false wall, was the unremarkable face of a grey cabinet.
An itch scurried across her flesh, as if the inanimate object peered at her dubiously. She shoved the key into the keyhole and turned. The tumblers fell away with a cacophony of clicks.
“Mi-Miranda?”
“What is-” She stopped mid-sentence after her gaze swung to the doorway. Standing in the doorjamb was Naomi, assisted by a familiar scowl. Baldie leered at her from behind a pain of new, unbroken sunglasses.
She scurried into the office, almost throwing herself across the floor as Baldie stepped, nonchalantly, into the room. Miranda scuttled closer to her friend, hoisting her onto her feet. He closed the door behind him. Quietly, the lock slid into place, a threatening promise on the silent air. She got the innate feeling his gaze swung around her office with disdain. “So, where's your lovers?”
Miranda gathered her false sense of bravado. “Those losers? No clue.”
“Losers? Come now,” Baldie's features flashed to Miranda's face. Behind his sunglasses, she could see the lurid glint in his eye, “You don't have low self-esteem.”
He had lost her. “What?”
“Well, I know for a fact you stayed the night at a dinky little motel room with Red.”
Miranda pursed her lips, her cheeks bit with a blush. She tried to will the embarrassment away. Of course she had sex with Tyler; that was a given. Yet, she didn't want this stranger to know the extent of their relationship.
She turned her back on him as she grabbed the laptop and a handful of papers. As a second thought, she also snagged a folder, wrapping it around the computer. If he saw her take a laptop, warning bells would surely go off in his head. She closed the cabinet, but not the faux wall.
Baldie swaggered into the office, the room temperature falling with his every step. He leaned his hip against the desk and peered over his sunglasses at them. His eyes shone sharp and merciless like a hawk leering at prey. “What are you doing now?”
“Why should we tell you?” Naomi huddled close to Miranda's elbow. Waves of
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