“Hey. Just wanted to make sure you’re okay and safe in the hotel room.”

  “I’m fine. Thanks for checking in.” There was a part of her that wanted to tell Malice that she wasn’t his concern anymore, because that would be a total bitch thing to do, but it was the truth. She had told him that once, not too long after they had parted ways, and he still tried to act protective of her. She knew it was because since she was the mother of his son Malice felt this obligation to make sure she was okay.

  “Good.” A moment of silence ticked between them after he spoke.

  She glanced over her shoulder to see Stinger watching her. Could he hear that is was Malice on the other end? The way his jaw was clenched and the fact a muscle jumped underneath his scruffy cheek told her that he did. “Dakota in bed?”

  “Yeah, he passed out after the fish movie ended.”

  “I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did.”

  Malice chuckled deeply, and she felt the bed shift behind her. Glancing over her shoulder again she saw Stinger move so he was sitting on the edge behind her. “Listen, now isn’t a good time. Can we talk tomorrow?” Malice stopped chuckling instantly, and even through the phone she could tell he sensed something was off. He had always been perceptive.

  “You sure you’re okay?” he said a bit more cautiously.

  “Yeah.”

  “I can come over if you need me?” There wasn’t any sexual innuendo in his words.

  “No, really everything is fine. I’m just tired. I’ll call you in the morning to talk to Dakota.” She said bye quickly, and without waiting for him to reply ended the call and set the phone on the table again. She hadn’t meant to hang up on him, but this really hadn’t been the best time to talk to her ex.

  “That Malice?” Stinger asked.

  Molly shifted on the bed so she was leaning against the headboard. “You know it was.”

  He looked over his shoulder and stared at her. His eyes were a vibrant green right now, but there was this flash of … something … that came from him hard enough that she felt it all the way inside of her.

  “Yeah, I guess I do.” The air in the room chilled, and she expected Stinger to leave from the sudden uncomfortableness. Instead he leaned back on the bed until he took up the same position against the headboard as she was. They stayed there, side-by-side, for several seconds. “You still want him?” He didn’t look at her when he asked.

  Molly knew a shifter could sense that kind of thing, but she also knew that Stinger wanted to hear her say it. “No. I don’t.”

  He looked at her then, but didn’t say anything for a second. “I think he still wants you.”

  Now that did surprise her, not because Malice wanted her, but because Stinger had actually said it. “You could sense that from him?”

  Stinger exhaled and shook his head. “No, Malice is good at hiding what he feels, but why else would someone act like that if they still didn’t want the woman?”

  “Malice wants what he can’t have. There isn’t any love between us anymore, not in that way at least. But he will always be in my life.” She didn’t know why she was saying all of this to him, because frankly it wasn’t his business. They had barely met, but for some reason she felt this ease with Stinger. “We have a three-year-old son together.” Stinger didn’t move, but she also could sense, in her puny human way, that he wasn’t turned off by what she was saying like most men probably would be. “Dakota is our son’s name, but Malice and I parted ways over a year and a half ago.”

  “You broke it off?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, but he didn’t fight me on it. He knew that the relationship was long since dead.” She looked down at her hands. “I think we stuck it out for Dakota, but in the end it wasn’t healthy for anyone.”

  Stinger nodded.

  “I don’t think it is so much the fact he still has feelings for me, but that Malice likes to have control over everything that is involved in his life.”

  Stinger’s expression looked less than amused.

  “Like I said, it isn’t that he is still in love with me, but that he doesn’t like being denied anything, and I denied him.”

  “Did he hurt you?” There was a bite in Stinger’s voice.

  Molly knitted her brows and sat up straighter. Here they were, both sitting here naked after just having sex like a pair of wild animals, and all of that euphoria that had once filled her faded as she sensed this proprietary wave come from Stinger. “No, he didn’t hurt me. We just didn’t see each other much because of the club, and over time we just parted as a couple.” Why was she telling this to him? Because you feel comfortable around him, as strange as that may seem, and talking with Stinger comes really easy.

  “I can see how that might cause problems, but he should have made time for you and your son, too. The MC is an important part of a member’s life, but so is an old lady and children.”

  Molly swallowed, because suddenly emotion was thick inside of her. Shaking her head, she knew this was not a conversation she wanted to get into right now, especially after just having amazing sex with him. “I’m going to take a shower.”

  He stared at her for a second and then slowly nodded. “I should leave as I can tell you’re uncomfortable.”

  Her heart thundered once again, and for some inexplicable reason she reached out and took hold of his hand. This was only supposed to be this one night, right? “You don’t have to leave.” She watched as he looked down at where her hand was curled around this thick forearm, but before she could remove it he had his hand covering hers. “I just want you to know I don’t go around sleeping with random guys. In fact, I’ve never done this kind of thing before.”

  “And what kind of thing is that?” His voice was steady, but there was that dominance and control laced within the words.

  Why had she gotten so embarrassed over his question? “Only knowing a guy for a week and taking him into my bed.”

  A low growl left him, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. “Taking a male into your body?” He was looking at her mouth and then lowered his eyes so they took on this sleepy half-lidded quality.

  And there it was. She was aroused once again. “Yeah, and that.” She was staring into Stinger’s face. He looked back at her, and they held each other’s gazes for several seconds. For a moment she thought he would go another round, especially when she lowered her gaze and saw that he was sporting another huge erection. God, this man was insatiable, and she was realizing that so was she.

  Chapter Seven

  Stinger was wide awake. In fact, he hadn’t slept much at all last night. It was hard to rest when there was a woman as fine as Molly lying right beside him. His bear had been a stubborn, anxious bastard, too, and obviously the orgasm he’d had wasn’t enough to tame the beast. She may try to act like she just wanted to have that one night, but he knew she wanted more, and felt more, with him. The declaration he had made was not because he had been in the moment. No, he had said he owned her and claimed her because he had done just that last night. She was his. Stinger didn’t take that shit lightly, and certainly didn’t go around saying things like that to women he was with. But he also wasn’t about to force her into something she was uncomfortable with. She needed time, needed to realize for herself that she wanted him, and he could wait. He was a patient male, and when it concerned this he had all the time in the world.

  But there was also the problem with Malice, because although he did believe that the Brother may just want her because she had denied him, he really thought Stringer was trying to move in on what he thought of as still his family. The issue Stinger saw for the future was that Malice could be a problem if things were taken to the next level and he and Molly progressed in a relationship. Stinger scrubbed a hand over his face and cursed internally. How fucking strange was it that he wanted Molly as his old lady? He had never seen a female as more than a few hours of pleasure, but there had been this instant connection when he had seen her. Of course it had been sexual, because she was a gorgeous woman, but it wasn’t just that. Stinger didn’t believe in love at first sight, or two souls coming together as one. What he did believe in was his feelings, and his bear instincts, and both of those had told him instantly that she was it for him.

  Glancing at her, Stinger had to refrain from reaching over and running the pads of his fingers along her spine. She was on her belly with her head turned toward him. Her red hair was spread out across the bed, and although she had put an oversized shirt on—to his disappointment— he could still see all of her curves through the thin white material. Her skin was this milky, creamy color, and his tongue swelled to run along every smooth line on her body. But what really turned him on were the little, pale and almost nonexistent freckles that lined the bridge of her nose and ran along the curves of her shoulder blades. As if she sensed him staring at her she slowly opened her eyes, blinked a few times, and then smiled. But there was this dazed quality on her expression.

  “Hi.” Her voice had that husky, sleep-filled quality to it, and if possible made her even sexier. “You’re still here?” She smiled, but before he could answer she pushed herself up in bed. Her hair was a wild mess around her face.

  Stinger didn’t stop himself from lifting his hand and snagging a lock. He rubbed her hair between his fingers, loved the silky texture of it, and then leaned in to bring it to his nose. Was he acting like a fucking creep? Maybe to her, but his kind needed to take in the scent of the one they wanted, and right now he wanted her. Badly. Before he could lean in that last inch and take her mouth with his, she placed a finger on his lips and smiled.

  “Brushing my teeth is a must when I first wake up.” And then she was off the bed and heading to the bathroom.

  Stinger didn’t even stop himself from staring at her ass, that big, round, and firm ass that had his cock throbbing. He wanted to fuck it, wanted to part the cheeks again, stare at that tight hole, and slide his dick all the way in. She shut the door behind her once in the bathroom and he exhaled loudly. After her shower last night they had talked about “safe” things. Maybe he shouldn’t allow himself to get pissed about what she had with Malice, but the truth was he wasn’t going to not get pissed whenever he thought about it, but he’d have to get used to it. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if that asshole Malice would back the hell off.

  A knock on the front door had him pushing himself up in bed. He had his jeans on—unbuttoned— and no shirt. But he didn’t give two shits. Most likely it was housekeeping. He stood and walked over to the door, and without looking out the peephole opened it. But of course it wasn’t housekeeping. Malice stood on the other side, the scent of his cologne and leather cut filling Stinger’s nose. Malice stared at him for a second, and the rage built over the man’s expression with each passing moment. Stinger braced a forearm on the doorframe and leaned into it. He couldn’t help but grin, especially when Malice let his gaze roam over his half-dressed state.

  “She’s in the bathroom…” Stinger was being a motherfucker right now, but the scent of anger that came from the Brother was strong, and that had Stinger’s bear rising up. It was either let his animal out and really tear into the man, or keep his human side superior, and that meant being a cocky asshole. “…freshening up.” He looked down, saw that Malice had his hands curled into tight fists, and knew there was about to be a brawl. But Stinger was more than ready, because his beast wanted a little blood, and Malice was a man that would deliver on that violence.

  ****

  Malice slammed his fist into the side of Stinger. It was like hitting a brick wall, but that didn’t stop him from hitting him again and again. He didn’t know what had come over him, but when he saw the Grizzly standing there, this fucking grin on his face, all Malice could see was red. He saw Stinger with Dakota, smiling, doing fatherly things that only Malice should have been doing. It was like some kind of movie reel playing right before his eyes: Christmas morning with Stinger, Molly, and Dakota sitting around the tree, other holidays where Malice had been excluded and Stinger taking over. This red sheen took its place, and he felt something inside of him snap. As he slammed all of his body weight into Stinger, they crashed into the wall and grappled for supremacy.

  “You motherfucker,” Malice grunted out when Stinger got a hit into his right kidney. They broke away, and Malice saw the way Stinger’s green eyes turned black. Good. Malice wanted that asshole to break loose and not hold back. There was no fear that if he went up against a shifter he couldn’t win. It wasn’t about who was stronger in their human forms, because they were equally matched in that department. This was about a shifter tearing into a human in their animal form, and Malice not coming out of it alive. That was the only thing that had Malice stilling. It wasn’t because of fear, but of the thought that if Stinger couldn’t control himself and shifted he would never see Dakota again. But then he heard the bathroom door open, saw Molly step out, and felt Stinger body check him nearly across the entire room.

  ****

  Molly looked at herself once more in the mirror and ran a finger under her eyes. She had dark circles under them, but even if she did just have the best sleep in a long time, exhaustion still weighed heavily inside of her. After her shower she had been tempted to go another round with Stinger, even if she was sore, but he hadn’t taken her again, and instead held her until she fell asleep. Having him so close, his arms wrapped around her, and the security she felt when around him, shouldn’t have been so comfortable. Feeling resolve that for once in her life she wouldn’t let caution and her mind control her life, she decided that maybe things wouldn’t be so bad if she allowed herself to explore something more with Stinger. It was clear he didn’t just want this one night with her either. What was the worst that could happen?

  The sound of something breaking in the room had her pulling the bathroom door open and stopping in her tracks at the scene before her. Malice and Stinger were locked together, each throwing punches. Blood covered Stinger’s chest and Malice’s white shirt, but she couldn’t tell who was the one that was bleeding, or if it was both of them. Malice was grunting and cursing, and Stinger was making this primal noise. But the violence and testosterone that filled the small room could be felt, and it was like electricity in the air. Stinger and Malice slammed into the table where the TV sat, and it crashed to the floor.

  “What in the hell are you two doing?” Her words fell on deaf ears as the two men kept hitting each other, knocking into the furniture and breaking it, and growling and snapping at each other. “Stop.” She said it louder this time, but still they didn’t even acknowledge she was there. The two men came barreling toward her, their fists flying into each other’s faces and sides. But she wasn’t quick enough, and Malice’s big body slammed into hers, knocking her to the side. The back of her head hit the wall with a resounding thunk, and pain radiated down her spine.

  “You’re going to fucking pay for that, human.” Stinger’s words were filled with anger.

  Molly blinked several times to clear her vision and saw both men looking at her. Stinger had unrestrained anger on his face, and Malice had worry mixed with his own rage covering his expression.

  “Fuck, Molly. Are you okay?”

  She shook her head to clear it further. “I’m fine.” She ran her hand over the back of her head. “Where’s Dakota?” A massive headache was already starting to form.

  “I left him with Tuck. I wanted to make sure you were okay since I tried calling and it went straight to voicemail.” Malice took a step forward, but stopped when Stinger made a low sound in his throat. Malice snapped his head toward the Grizzly and bared his teeth. “Watch it, bear. She was mine before you even knew her.”

  “Yeah, was,” Stinger gritted out.

  Stinger took a menacing step forward. “Boy, I could tear you the fuck up right now if I let my bear out.”

  Malice faced Stinger, but Molly knew this had gone on long enough. “Knock it off, both of you.” They did stop the pissing contest and looked at her. “What in the hell is wrong with you?” She looked at Malice and then at Stinger. “I’m not anyone’s woman anymore, so I don’t know where the fuck you guys get off fighting over me like barbarians.” Her head throbbed, and that just added to her annoyance. Without waiting for them to respond she pushed her way past them, grabbed her jeans that were on the floor, and shoved her legs through them. Neither man spoke or moved, and when she had all of her crap shoved in her bag she turned and faced them. “I’m leaving. If you guys want to beat the shit out of each other you’re going to have to do it without an audience.”

  And then she hauled ass out of the room and slammed the door on the way out. But as soon as she stepped outside she didn’t go to her car, but stood there and realized she was stranded. She didn’t have a damn car, and now just looked like an idiot. She started heading toward the main office. She’d call Lucien or one of the other guys. They’d get her, and then she was getting Dakota and getting the fuck away from all this drama. This was what she had been avoiding, because who in the hell wanted all this MC alpha crap in their life? Before she could make it five steps the sound of the motel door opened.

  “Molly, wait.” It was Malice who spoke.

  She did stop, because if she didn’t she knew there would be a scene. Turning around she saw Stinger step out of the room. He kept his distance a few steps back from Malice, crossed his arms over his bare and blood-spattered chest, and stared at her. A huge bruise lined one side of his ribs, and his lip was split. He turned his head to spit out a mouthful of blood and saliva. Malice didn’t look any better, with a bruise forming under his right eye and a cut on the bone of his cheek.