Killing the Alpha: Fangs of Anarchy part 1 by dakota cassidy Page A

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    Which meant things were about to get really real. When there was dirty work to be done, Irish always set his black leather gloves in a safe place. They’d been his father’s, and no one touched those gloves unless they wanted to lose a hand.
    Claire planted her fists on her hips and shook her head, tamping down the naked fear of certain retribution. “You’re not allowed to help me, remember? We’re on two different sides. You know, like the Jets and the Sharks. The Montagues and the Capulets.”
    He grinned then, the deep grooves on either side of his lean cheeks deepening. As always, when Irish smiled, it was an unlikely surprise. Like a meteor shower or an eclipse. It was a rare gift he bestowed on few, sure to steal the breath from any woman’s lungs and leave her in a puddle of goo.
    Irish wasn’t just any old vampire. He was a cranky, pissy, hard-to-please vampire. The unlikeable, gruff president of the biker club Fangs of Anarchy—and the most irresistibly delicious man she’d ever known.
    “You forgot Mothra versus Godzilla.”
    She rolled her eyes at him and jammed a finger in the air. “Exactly. You’ve made our differences more than clear over the years.” He’d made them especially clear last year at their town’s annual Christmas fair and charity drive. A flash of red heat crept up her neck at the memory.
    “And you decided now was the time to finally listen to me? What kind of alternate universe did I just walk into?”
    Okay, so it was inopportune, to say the least. But no way could Irish be involved in this. One whiff of it, and her pack would string him up at high noon wrapped in cloves of garlic on a bed of crosses. There was nothing those cavemen biker club members the Road Dogs would relish more than to take Irish out—despite their races’ tenuous truce.
    Claire dropped down to her haunches to assess how she was going to manage this, her nose full of the copper scent of blood, but she didn’t regret a second of it. Not one. Not right now. It had to be done.
    Forcing herself to focus on the task at hand, she dismissed the vampire. “Go back to your club. I can handle this on my own.”
    He reached down, hauling her up by her arm until there wasn’t an inch between them. “Not on your life,” he said, forcing the words from his tight lips like a thick milkshake through a straw.
    It was always like this whenever they were within a hundred feet of each other. Tense, hot, an all-out war of restraint.
    Even at this dark moment, when her life was crumbling around her, Irish’s body pressed to hers made her catch her breath. Every line of him, every inch of him was sculpted, unbelievably hard and cool to her own overheated limbs.
    Claire tensed against his grip even though she wanted to melt into him, lean against his solid frame, take solace in his strength before all hell broke loose. “Do you want to die? Because that’s what’ll happen if you don’t go. Somebody’s bound to see your bike outside.”
    Irish’s nostrils flared, his coal-black eyes consuming her. “I hid it. I come here to Boomer’s sometimes to get some peace and quiet. You know, away from the club and the clan. Luckily, no one ever comes out here much because they’re afraid of being hauled off to the prison camps, this being so close to the borders and all.”
    “Who knew vampires needed special alone time?”
    “If you had to run the club and lead an entire clan of misplaced vampires, you’d understand. They’re like a bunch of greased cats. Anyway, I’m always looking out for the one rebellious teenage vampire who thinks he can rage against the machine and get past the government borders. When I saw Boomer’s sign was lit up, I got suspicious.”
    Damn. She hadn’t thought to turn the sign off after… Clearly, she lacked the stealth of a ninja. “Obviously peace and quiet isn’t what you’re going to get here tonight. Now, go home. I have to clean up.”
    Rather than let her go, he pulled her