Page 38 of Unexpected Temptation

“Walk me through it, then,” Tank grumbles. “Do you just murder them all in one night, or … do you kill them one by one? All the cousins, all the associates, anybody who might want revenge?”

I grind my teeth. “It’ll be hard, logistically, but not impossible.”

“Even when I’ve got your rifles?” he says.

“If we do it your way?—”

“It might lead to bigger things,” he cuts in. “Maybe it starts with the delivery. Then, it goes further, and we get deeper. Have some goddamn patience. You’re just like Odin.”

That gets a laugh out of both of us despite everything. Odin was well-behaved, but even when at heel, he always had a burst of energy ready to go. He was always keen to get moving and then keep moving once he got there.

“We have to try it my way,” Tank says firmly.

“That means I have to keep dealing with the prick.”

“Don’t let his comments get to you. He might keep going at it if he knows you like Maya.”

“That wouldn’t be a good idea for him,” I say coldly.

Tank probably wants to ask me why I care so much again, but he knows I won’t offer anything else. Anybody could see how Maya triggers something in me.

“I think I was wrong before,” I say quietly. “About never moving on after Vanessa. Hell, man, I might’ve spoken too soon.”

Tank doesn’t follow up. He knows better than that, but it feels good to say it out loud. After Vanessa and the shit she pulled, I never thought a woman could make me feel like this. Something is happening here. It feels good. I can at least admit that.

Despite everything, it feels so, so good. I can still taste her on my lips. I did the right thing when I sent her away, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to taste her again.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

MAYA

Isit on the back porch, Luna sleeping in my arms, the little wiener dog on her back and smiling contentedly as I stroke her belly. On the table, my bank app shows amonth’spayment has gone into my account. It’s better than I ever could’ve hoped for.

He’s changing my life, but he looked at me like I was radioactive when I left, almost like he was scared of me—of that kiss and what we shared.

Riley laughs as she runs around the yard, Loki yapping as he chases after her. “You’re getting paid for this?” she giggles, clutching onto the railing.

She was up until four a.m. last night. She’s still drunk, and maybe something else, something more, but it’s not her fault that jackass drugged us.

“I guess so,” I say in disbelief.

Riley walks onto the back porch and sits next to me. “I never should’ve taken us to that party. Seriously. I thought I knew Matteo. I thought it was all a big game.”

I sigh. “So did I. We’ve done stuff like this before when we were kids. Maybe we thought it was going to be the same. Itwasmagical at first.”

“Wasn’t it?” Riley says eagerly. “When I saw you in that art room, you had this look on your face … like you were lost, and you liked it. That was awesome to see.”

I smile. “That’s what it felt like. It was interesting in there, and there was that pad. When I wrotehome, it showed me the prettiest place.”

“A high-rise in Tokyo?”

“No, more of a white-picket-fence deal.”

“And that’s a good thing?” she sighs. “Seriously, I’m sorry. It doesn’t cut it. It doesn’t even come close, but it’s the truth for what it’s worth. I’ve been the world’s shittiest friend.”

“You didn’t know they were going to …” I swallow, “ … do what they did.”

Over the day, the memories have been returning. The three kids they dragged out, trying to get Tristan to hurt them, but he wouldn’t do it. He would never do something like that, even if heclearlyworks with them.

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