Page 120 of Sweet Temptation

I saw Yancy, standing with some people at the mouth of the alley. He headed in our direction with a couple of girls in tow. “Summer—”

“Get the fuck out of the way,” Ronan growled.

He ushered me past, using his body to block Yancy from getting to me. I barely gave him a look, snuggling under Ronan’s jacket. I could talk to Yancy later. But really, my time working with the man was done. I owed him nothing more, personally, at this point. Including my time.

Ronan put me in the car.

“My stuff is inside,” I said as he settled in next to me.

“We’ll make sure you get it.” He was already texting someone. “Sledge can grab it, or I’ll send Andre back for it.”

“Can you stay with me, though?”

The desperation and fear in my voice seemed to snap him out of business mode. We both heard it.

He looked at me, forgetting his phone. The hard lines of his face softened. It was the first time I’d straight-up asked him for his protection.

But right now, I couldn’t stand the thought of him going anywhere.

“I’m staying right here,” he said.

I nodded tightly. “What happened? Was it a gang thing?”

“Yeah. The bouncers seemed to know the guys involved. I didn’t ask too many questions. I just stayed out of the way, made sure the police were coming and waited for the situation to be diffused, so it was safe to come get you.”

“Was there a gun?”

“I don’t think so. Some guys were trying to drag another guy out of the bar.”

“Holy shit.”

He seemed to be carefully choosing his words. “They don’t really want to make a scene right in the bar. Witnesses, cameras… They must’ve known their target was in the club, and just showed up to drag him out.”

“And did they…?”

“Yup. Knocked out a bouncer, too.”

“Jesus. Before the police arrived?”

“Yeah.”

“My God.”

Ronan was watching me. He hesitated before he spoke again. “It’s gang bullshit, Summer. It’s probably better if they deal with it on their own, out of the public. The longer they stayed, even with the police showing up… more people might get hurt.”

He was probably right about that.

But what a way to end the night.

I took a breath, sat back and tried to get myself together.

As Andre drove, I looked out the window. The adrenalin charge was fading. The electric shock of Ronan’s touch had left me kind of stunned. I felt cold, sitting here alone on my side of the backseat.

And I felt creeped out, all over again. Just like the night Blair had tried to break into my house.

I felt rattled to my core.

Even though the violence that just erupted in my vicinity had nothing to do with me.

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