Page 94 of Playboy

His words were meant to reassure her, and part of her wanted to believe him, but the unease wouldn’t go away. It gnawed at her, digging into her gut like a warning bell she couldn’t ignore. Something was coming, and when it happened, she knew it wasn’t going to be good.

???

Tyson pushed open the door to Bayside, the smell of food immediately hitting his senses. He was shocked by the difference between the outside of the place and what he found inside.

He glanced at his step-sister Vicky as they walked inside. She was already rolling her eyes at something, clearly annoyed. Tyson, always a step ahead when it came to reading people, narrowed his eyes.

“What’s with the attitude?” he asked, his voice gruff as they navigated through the crowd. The bar was packed.

Vicky tossed her long strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms, glaring toward the back of the restaurant where a large group was gathered.

“That’s the reason,” she muttered, nodding her head in the direction of the group. “They’re celebrating some bitch who stole my boyfriend.”

Tyson's brow furrowed. “Your boyfriend?”

He’d heard her complain about some guy in passing, but never cared enough to dig into the details. Vicky was always getting tangled up in dramatic relationships, and Tyson didn’thave the patience for it. But since she had his attention he asked her more about it.

“Tell me more about this guy.”

Vicky huffed. “His name is Playboy. He used to be mine until she came along. Now they're all over her like she’s some kind of hero.”

Tyson’s muscles tensed. He didn’t care much about his step-sister’s dramatic life to begin with, much less her love life. But since he had nothing better to do at the moment, he would act like he cared.

“Point them out,” he told her as his eyes scanned the crowded back area.

Vicky smirked, looking satisfied with the opportunity to vent. She tilted her head toward the group and said, “Her. That short blonde standing next to the tall guy with the beard.That’sher.”

Tyson’s blood ran cold as his gaze locked onto the woman Vicky was pointing at. His pulse quickened, and he clenched his jaw.

No. It couldn’t be her. But he wouldn’t forget her face. That was her—Gabriella Allen. The woman he had been sent to find. The woman Ramon wanted. The woman with a bounty on her head.

Tyson wanted to laugh. This had been too easy. He couldn’t believe it. He thought it would take a good day or two to get his eyes on her. But here she was, right in front of him, in the same damn restaurant, laughing with her friends like she didn’t have a target on her back.

Tyson swallowed hard, his mind racing. He couldn’t let Vicky know what was going on. No one could know. He glanced at his step-sister, who was still fuming and oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

“Let’s grab a table,” Tyson said quickly, taking Vicky’s arm and leading her away from the crowd, away from Gabby. He kepthis voice calm, but inside he was spiraling. “I want to hear more about this woman. What else do you know about her?”

Vicky raised an eyebrow, a little thrown by his sudden interest, but she shrugged and followed him to a table near the bar, but still within view of the group. Tyson sat so that he could keep his eyes on Gabby. Every move she made was under his surveillance now.

Vicky rambled on, her voice dripping with jealousy. “She’s some Coast Guard chick. Everyone thinks she’s this big deal because she got hurt on some drug bust or something. Now she’s got all these people treating her like a damn queen. Even Playboy couldn’t resist her.” She huffed. “Can you believe that?”

But Tyson wasn’t listening to her anymore. His focus was laser-sharp on Gabby. She was talking to Playboy and another woman, laughing and completely unaware of the danger she was in.

Vicky was still going on. “...and of course, she’s always around his team. They treat her like she’s one of them.”

“She always with him?” Tyson asked, his voice casual, but inside, he was calculating.

“Yeah, they’re practically inseparable. Why?”

Tyson forced a smile, leaning back in his chair as he kept an eye on Gabby. “Just curious, Vick. Just curious.”

But inside, Tyson was already working through his next move.

Suddenly, the woman who was standing next to Gabby turned around, and Tyson had to do a double-take to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.

Tyson’s stomach tightened, and he quickly took out his phone, pretending to scroll through messages. He discreetly snapped a few photos of the raven-haired woman.

He took one of the pictures and enlarged it. All it took was one look to confirm his suspicions.Selena Escalona. The little sister of Ramon Escolona, who disappeared six years ago.

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