Driven to the Limit Read Online Free Page B

ended, she took a breath and looked over
her shoulder into his face. It held such an expression of joy and peace, she
could only sigh and rest back against his chest and let him cradle her in his
arms.
    * * *
    Dagger and some of the others were waiting in the driveway
when Lauren rode Jake’s motorcycle identity back into the compound. The look on
Dagger’s face said someone was going to get an ass chewing or worse. Fine. As
long as he didn’t get violent.
    Jake pulled right up to Dagger where he stood between Andy,
the chief engineer, and his personal trainer, Jill. The minute Lauren turned
off the engine, Dagger charged up to her and almost pulled her off the bike by
force. Before he knocked both her and Jake over, she set the kickstand and
climbed off.
    “Where the fuck have you been?” he said.
    “I went for a ride.”
    Andy stared at Jake and then at her. “How’d you get it
started?”
    She shrugged. “I figured I’d try one more time. I don’t know
what happened.”
    “I didn’t say you could ride my motorcycle,” Dagger said.
    “Your bike?” She snorted. “You wanted to melt him into a
paperweight.”
    “Him?” Jill said.
    “It. The Mannhof.” Damn, she’d better watch that. She and
Jake had to figure out what how to explain his appearance. Until then, he’d
remain a machine to everyone but her.
    Dagger’s face got red. “Look, bitch. Everything on this
compound is mine. The buildings, the grounds, that bike. Even you.”
    She stared into his face. “You don’t own people, Dagger.”
    “Like hell I don’t. You want to go back to where you were
when I let you tag along with us?”
    As if. Her family was probably glad they’d seen the last of
her.
    “You owe me,” Dagger said.
    “Yeah, yeah, I know. You made me what I am today. Whatever
the hell that is.”
    Dagger glared down into her face. Without stage make-up, his
face was pretty unappealing. His rages made him even uglier, and he’d worked up
a good one today. “Don’t piss me off, Lauren. I’ll kick the shit out of you.”
    Would he do that?
    Jake. Damn. What would happen if he shifted to human to try
to defend her? If they all saw that happen, would they turn him into some kind
of freak show? Before she had to do anything, Andy grabbed Dagger from behind
and held him. “No violence, Craig.”
    Dagger’s head whipped around, and he glared venom at Andy, a
guy who’d been with him from the beginning. The only one who could get away
with using his real name.
    “Remember your probation,” Andy said. “Do you want prison
this time?”
    Dagger stood there, clenching his hands into fists by his
side. He might not lash out this time, but they’d all have to deal with his
foul mood for days.
    At least the interruption would let her get Jake back into
the garage.
    She went to swing her leg over Jake, but Dagger grabbed her
arm and pulled her back roughly enough that she almost fell. “Where do you
think you’re going?” he said.
    She pointed to Jake. “I’m going to put the bike away.”
    “Fuck that. You got it started. I’m going to ride.”
    Shit. In one of his moods, Dagger would ride Jake like a
maniac. He’d crashed more than one car, and he’d been stone cold sober for some
of his worst driving. A disaster wouldn’t only damage a beautiful machine. It
would hurt or kill a beautiful man, as well. And if Jake tried to get control
from Dagger, the resulting chaos could make matters even worse.
    Dagger climbed onto the bike and gave the starter a savage
kick. Nothing happened. The engine didn’t even stutter.
    “What the fuck is wrong with this thing?” Dagger rose up and
slammed down on the starter with all his weight. Still no response from Jake.
He glared at her, his face red. “How did you start it? What did you do?”
    She shrugged. She hadn’t even kick started it. Jake had
turned on the engine himself. Clearly, he wasn’t going to do that for Dagger.
Thank God.
    “Fucking piece of shit.” Dagger tried