Page 7 of Tempt Me

After I update Noble, he asks me to wait for him to round up a few guys to go along to the condo. As soon as he turns away from me for a second, though, I’m out the door.

I’m not a man who suffers from panic attacks, yet my chest now feels like it’ll explode. Even with the late hour, Banta City is popping. I zigzag through traffic, nearly causing accidents. Time moves too slowly. I’m sure I won’t get to Hunter in time. I feel like she’s already gone.

My mind flashes back to when someone attacked the Kovak family on their way home from Natasha and Bear’s engagement party. At one point, Natasha’s SUV was slammed through the barrier and into the Jefferson River. Bear was certain he’d lost his woman again. I saw on his face how he was spiraling. I told him to hold onto hope and keep moving, so he’d suffer no regrets.

That’s what I do tonight. I feel my phone buzzing in my pocket. Jay might be texting to say shit’s gone south or he was being paranoid. Noble could be pissed I took off. I even wonder if Hunter is reaching out for help. Answering isn’t an option when I’m speeding through the busy Banta City streets.

A half block from the condo, I hear gunshots. I barely stop my bike before I’m off it and running. A car begins to exit the garage. I pull my gun and force them to show me the back seat and trunk. I can’t have anyone speeding away with Hunter. The abduction of rich people in Banta City is rare but not unheard of, especially for the offspring of someone of Suzanne’s wealth.

Entering the garage, I’m met by screeching tires and wails of pain. The gunshots are silenced. In the distance, the roar of approaching motorcycles fills the air. My people are on their way, yet I don’t dare hesitate.

I come upon an injured man limping toward a wounded and whimpering Jay. I hear him complaining in a southern twang about “the troublemaker.” I put together what happened. The men—including the dead asshole on the ground—made their move on Hunter. Jay tried to save her.

I unload on the asshole before he shoots Jay. Normally, I’d keep an enemy alive to press him for info, but my rage is too strong to think straight.

Once the threats are handled, I ask Jay if there are more. He mumbles and shakes his head. I kick the assholes’ weapons toward Jay. The sound of approaching motorcycles is joined by police and ambulance sirens.

Forcing my feet to move, I drop to a knee next to Hunter. Her usually pale face is flushed. She’s fallen in an awkward position on her side with one arm above her head as if someone was dragging her.

I touch her face, begging her to be alive. Her unpainted lips part and her eyelids flutter. I realize I’ve been holding my breath. Exhaling deeply, I’m relieved when her eyes open.

I gently arrange Hunter so she’s flat on her back with her arms at her sides. Her blue-eyed gaze focuses on me.

“You’re safe now,” I promise. “I’m here. An ambulance is coming. Do you hear the sirens? You’re going to be okay.”

As her gaze sharpens in response to my words, I decide my waiting is over.

HUNTER

I feel boneless and too weak to move. There’s no fight in me anymore. After the third round from the stun gun, I accept my fate.

My mind is a stunned mess. I hear yelling and gunshots. I think someone is crying. I assume the last one is me.

I’m lost in my head. Random memories flash before me. I see myself as a little girl, watching my big sister riding her beloved horses. I recall my father running to meet me as I exited my mother’s private plane for a visit to his California home. That was long before he made a new family and lost interest in the kid he created with Suzanne Knutsen. Before I became the past, I was the apple of my father’s eye.

I haven’t felt sad over his rejection in years. Right now, stripped of the will to move, I’m struck by how something important was stolen from me. The loss hits me hard when I’m too vulnerable to rationalize his choice.

Tack’s voice drags me away from those sad memories. I feel my body moving. I’m on my back now. Above me is the handsome face of the man who’s tempted me for so long.

“You’re okay now,” he says in a voice as soft as the wind.

Tack looks so calm, unbothered really. He hides his anger well. That’s why I figured he was safe back when we first met.

“I think I hit my head when I fell.”

My words sound strange as if I’m stoned. Yet, speaking to Tack recharges my brain. The blurriness fades, leaving me more aware of the noise echoing in the garage. I hear blaring sirens and rumbling engines. I smell blood and car exhaust, yet the most pronounced scent is Tack’s familiar cologne.

Tack reaches under the base of my neck and lifts me just enough to stroke my head with his other hand.

“No blood. Might get a lump, though.”

Staring into his pale blue eyes, I’m lost in the longing I feel for only him. Why can’t he live a quiet life? Or why can’t I embrace the chaos of his world? If one of us was willing to be different, we could build something beautiful together.

“I hoped you’d come,” I mumble and try to sit up.

“Just stay put until the paramedics check you out.”

Tack’s tone is tender yet resolute. He’s a man in his element. Violence and death don’t faze him. Racing here to save me, he embraced danger rather than run from it. Tack is wired in a wholly alien way compared to me. There’s no changing him.

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