THE LAWLESS BIKER AND BADASS LAWYER'S REVENGE

VALERIE

Alexander's gaze locked with mine the moment I said it-"on one condition."

The air seemed to thicken instantly. His stare was sharp, steady, and piercing, the kind that could peel away layers of calm and find what you were hiding underneath. There was no trace of surprise on his face, only a flicker of curiosity mixed with danger. He leaned slightly forward, elbows resting on his knees, his expression unreadable.

"You've got my attention," he said finally, his voice smooth but firm. "Let's hear it."

I straightened my posture, meeting his eyes without hesitation. Every instinct told me to tread carefully, but this was my only chance to set my boundaries. My palms itched beneath the table, but I refused to show nerves. "I'm going to be working with you," I said carefully, choosing each word with precision, "but there are boundaries."

His brow arched, a faint trace of amusement tugging at the corner of his lips as if boundaries were a language foreign to him.

"I can't be seen with your people," I continued, holding his gaze. "My career and my name are clean, and I intend to keep it that way. Everything I do for you stays off record. No photos. No traces. Nothing that ties me to whatever you're involved in."

He leaned back slightly in his seat, one arm resting lazily against the table, studying me with the quiet intensity of a predator assessing its prey. His eyes flicked down to my hands, then back to my face, as though measuring how far he could push before I'd crack.

I inhaled slowly, steadying my voice. "I also need trust. No questions about my past, what I do or where I came from. You get results, not history."

The small curve of his lips turned into a scoff, low and derisive. He tilted his head, his gaze narrowing until I could almost feel the weight of it pressing against my chest. "Wait a minute, Miss Lawyer," he said, his tone carrying a hint of mockery. "Did you just say trust?"

My heart skipped, but I held firm.

He chuckled under his breath, though there was no humor in it. "Trust isn't a condition. You don't buy it, and you don't demand it-you earn it." His voice sharpened, cutting through the space between us. "So don't come here giving silly terms."

The words were meant to provoke, and maybe they did. But I'd prepared myself for this. "Alexander," I said evenly, refusing to flinch, "those are my terms. You either take them, or I walk away. Deal or no deal?"

His gaze hardened. Silence fell like a heavy curtain.

He didn't answer. He just sat there, eyes fixed on me, fingers drumming lightly against the armrest. The seconds dragged, stretching long enough for my pulse to thud painfully in my chest. He was testing me-waiting for me to break first, to show a hint of desperation.

When he still didn't respond, I rose slowly from my seat. "Guess that's a no," I said, my voice steady though my stomach was tight.

His eyes flicked up immediately, that lazy calm shifting to something sharper. "Sit down," he said, the command crisp and edged with authority. "You're not even giving me time to think. Do you?" His tone softened, just slightly. "Please sit."

It was subtle, that word-please-but it surprised me enough to make me hesitate. He didn't seem like the kind of man who used it often.

"I'm not wasting time," I replied, but I sat anyway, crossing my arms as a small show of defiance.

He exhaled slowly, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. "You know, Miss Lawyer, I've been using words I never use since I met you." His gaze flicked over my face. "Please-that word isn't really my thing."

I gave a small shrug, my eyes not leaving his. "Then I'll make it easy for you," I said quietly. "Deal or no deal?"

For a moment, neither of us moved. The tension sat heavy in the space between us, thick enough to feel. He stared at me long enough for unease to start creeping under my skin, and just when I began to think he'd call my bluff, he nodded once.

"Fine," he said, voice measured. "Deal."

A slow breath escaped me. Relief, quiet and sharp. "Good," I said, but before I could go further, he raised a hand.

"Not so fast."

The sudden change in his tone made my shoulders stiffen. It was colder now, darker, laced with warning. His gaze dropped for a fraction of a second before finding mine again. "I have a warning of my own," he said, leaning forward slightly, his voice dropping to a low, deliberate murmur. "If at any point I find out you're playing games with me or trying to betray me, I will send you straight to your ancestors. Understood?"

The threat was clear. No need for dramatics, no raised voice-it was just calm certainty, and that made it more terrifying.

A flicker of fear rushed through me, quick and sharp, though I hid it well. He had no idea how close to the truth that was. I was here to betray him, eventually. I just couldn't let him see it.

"Understood," I said, keeping my tone calm, my expression unshaken.

He didn't blink. His eyes were fixed on mine, steady and searching. "Are you sure?"

I managed a faint, almost dismissive smile. "Alex, I'm not a fool. Why would I betray you? It's not like I've had any clashes with you, and I barely know you."

His stare didn't soften. "You never can tell, Miss Lawyer," he said slowly. "Understood?"

"Yes," I said quietly, forcing the word out before my throat could tighten.

He leaned back again, his expression loosening into something that looked almost satisfied. "Good."

For a moment, he said nothing more. The silence returned, but it wasn't as heavy now-more like a lull after a storm. Then he added, almost casually, "Be rest assured that you'll always get your percentage."

I nodded, adjusting my blazer slightly, grateful to have the focus shift. "Cool," I said, as evenly as I could manage. "Then we get to business."

"Right," he said, glancing briefly at his watch. His composure was effortless again, that earlier edge tucked neatly back beneath the surface. "There's a game I want to pull off on the 16th of this month." His tone was so smooth it was almost conversational. "Today's still 7th. We still have time."

The words made something tighten in my chest. I couldn't tell if he was talking about a deal, a setup, or something far darker. The way he said a game made it sound like more than business.

Curiosity flickered through me despite my instinct to stay silent. "What's that all about?"