Evelyn's dream of securing a scholarship to America's top ballet school shattered when her mother was brutally murdered during her teenage years. Determined to make a difference, she became a detective, ready to take on the world. Assigned to invest...
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The wind swept across the compound, carrying the cold air in restless whirls, forcing the ice cold winter rain to dance like restless spirits in the blackness of night. Inside one of the small rooms, Evelyn sat curled over her notes, the neat pages a testament to the week she had spent among the MC. Her pen hovered above the paper, though her mind drifted elsewhere. She had uncovered nothing unusual in her time there, nothing suspicious, at least. That was both a relief and a frustration. Everyone knew this club was involved in more than motorcycles and brotherhood. Rumours painted them in shades of crime, yet the only source of income she had confirmed so far was a porn studio. Her one brief inspection of the studio still made her cheeks burn hot. She had barely managed to last five minutes inside before her composure crumbled under the weight of Alaric smirk. They called him Ice, though she found the name ironic; his presence set her skin ablaze with embarrassment. He had watched her blush and squirm with a predator's patience, amused as two naked women glided casually past her, followed by a man strutting shamelessly with a fully erect cock.
It had not, by any stretch, been her proudest professional moment. And Alaric hadn't wasted the opportunity to share the story with every single biker in earshot. Now the whole compound teased her relentlessly about it. Everyone except Jeremiah. The thought of him pulled at something low and dangerous in her stomach, a pulse of heat that made her thighs press together. Jeremiah hadn't mocked her, he had only laughed softly when he heard what happened and gifted her one of his dazzling, effortless smiles. For God's sake, Evelyn, you cannot lust after a subject, she scolded herself. She tried to cling to that line of reason, but her mind betrayed her with images of Jeremiah's easy laughter, his kind eyes, the warmth that radiated from him whenever he was near.
Shaking herself free of the thought, she forced her attention back to her work. Tomorrow she would have to give Mr Nelson her report, even though it was supposed to be her day off. The sudden shakes of her phone cut through her thoughts. The ringtone told her exactly who it was, and she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips as she answered.
"Well, officer Laswell, what an honour it is to have you calling me," she said, her voice teasing, her smile widening as she imagined his reaction. James had made a habit of phoning her every evening, checking she was safe. At first it had unsettled her, his persistent hovering, as though he were waiting for her to ask him to rescue her from the club. But now, a week later, she had come to find it oddly endearing, even sweet.
"I was just calling to see if you're still alive," James said once the laughter had faded, though his tone was full of affection.
"I'm fine," Evelyn replied gently, eyes drifting over the blank page before her as she started sketching idle shapes.
"How are my two favourite people doing?" There was a dramatic sigh on the other end, and she immediately knew something was up.
