The Sweet Under His Skin Read Online Free Page B

survival instinct kicked in and she started for the car.
    Three bikes stopped in front of her neighbor's house, and one pulled into the driveway. That bike's rider ripped his helmet off fast, stood, and Arielle felt cold, crippling fear. It was her neighbor, the one whose photo was in that stolen wallet. And he was pissed.
    "You," he shouted. "Stop right the fuck there and don't think of moving."
    Jolene was scurrying though. Arielle was frozen in place, like she was watching a lion about to pounce on an antelope.
    He moved fast for someone so large, and he caught up with Jolene by grabbing her ponytail and pulling up on it, making her shriek and nearly lose her footing in the stupid heels she had on.
    "Go inside," Arielle told Calvin, reaching in the door and grabbing the cordless phone off the entertainment centre.
    "Honey, you dial that phone and I'm gonna break it," a voice said, and Arielle jumped. She found the man who spoke, a mountain-sized biker with shoulder-length hair and an impressive goatee, who was standing at the foot of her driveway, hand held up.
    She just stared. And his eyes got big.
    "Put the phone down," he instructed. She brought it down to her side and started to head inside and he tutted, bringing her back around. "You stay where I can see you. Not gonna hurt you, sweetheart, but I don't want you calling the cops, either."
    Arielle had never been this scared in her entire life, and she wasn't even the one being tossed around. Her hands were sweaty and shaking, and she could only stand there while her neighbor grabbed her sister by the shoulders and slammed her against the cab.

Chapter Four
    Quentin thought he was dreaming when he rolled up on his place and saw the bitch from the night before heading for a cab right on the street he lived on. Being robbed had him pissed enough, but the headache from whatever the fuck she'd slipped him made him extra miserable.
    No one had seen the bitch leave. Mandy had been distracted by a cat fight and this little pick-pocket had waltzed right out, totally undetected. It had been two hours before anyone realized he was even missing. Talk about fucking humiliation. And having Mandy be the one to find him, passed out with his dick hanging out was the fucking icing on the cake.
    Quentin caught up with the bitch quicker than he would have thought, and when he had her by the shoulders he couldn't help but shove her up against the side of the cab hard. "Where's my wallet, bitch?" was all he said. His voice was cold and calm, totally at odds with how anger had his head buzzing.
    Her eyes were wide, terrified. That made it a bit better, but not much. He pulled her away and slammed her back again. "Where's my wallet? You think you can come to my town on the back of a brother's bike, steal my roll and get away with it? There's no fucking way. Where's my wallet? Or we're all gonna take it out of your ass, sweetheart."
    She swallowed hard. "It-it's in my bag. All the cash is there, I swear."
    He yanked the bag off her arm, handing it behind him. He didn't know who took it, but someone started going through it. Not only was he robbed but he was also fucking humiliated with an audience.
    "Got it man," Joel said, dropping the bag to the ground. He heard it, didn't see it.
    Quentin gave her one more shove. As he did it, he heard a little voice, clear as a bell, crying out, "Stop it! Please!"
    He turned, ready to tell the person to shut-the-fuck-up, when he saw the neighbor on her front stoop catch that kid by the arm before he could launch himself down the stairs. He looked scared but he also looked angry enough to take a piece out of Quentin.
    His own reaction was beyond peculiar. For the first time in, who knew how long, he felt absolutely ashamed. He looked at the kid's blue eyes, big and worried behind those glasses, and then turned to the woman he had cowering in front of him.
    "Don't touch him," she begged, mistaking his blank look. Apparently she thought he was going to hurt