Page 91 of Crossover

I studied the guy.Is it him?

“Ivy.” Grayson tried pulling me away, but my feet remained cemented in place, scrutinizing the stranger before me.

I’d know, right? The second I saw the culprit, I’dknowit was him, right? I wouldn’t have to scrutinize him to figure it out.

The man’s lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk, gleaming with arrogance as he reveled in what he mistook for admiration.

“Looks like your girl can’t take her eyes off me,” he drawled, his voice dripping with a sickening blend of conceit and entitlement.

He stood there, basking in his own perceived irresistibility, completely oblivious to the fact that my fixation was one of terror, not desire.

“You want a real man, darlin’?” he taunted.

“I told you to shut the fuck up,” Grayson snapped again, tugging his arm around my hip. “Come on, Ivy.”

No. Those aren’t my kidnapper’s eyes.

In fact, now that I was looking closer, the scar on his arm was different.

“Ivy!” Grayson half-shouted.

Move, feet. Panic attack, cease. I order you.

The stranger had the stupidity to take a step closer. “Want me to show you what you’re missin’, darlin’?”

Grayson shoved the guy in the chest so hard, he landed on his ass with a thud.

As my pulse finally started its descent, I recognized how gross it was that this situation was stroking the guy’s ego. Anynormal person would see something was off—and not in a good way. They’d be worried, even, probably disengage. Not choose to be slimy about it and certainly not stupid enough to provoke a muscular man like Grayson.

Grayson’s face appeared before me, his warm palm on my cheek.

“Hey,” he said. “Ivy, are you okay?”

Finally, I blinked. Finally, I swallowed. And finally, I could move my head with a nod.

Accepting Grayson’s warm hand, I slipped my fingers through his.

Slimeball shot to his feet, though, and shoved Grayson back.

He didn’t even flinch. Instead, he leaned closer to the guy and growled in a dangerous tone, “Walk away. Before you get hurt.”

Slimeball leaned into the threat, meeting Grayson nose to nose.

“Your girl was the one staring atme,” he snarled.

I squeezed Grayson’s hand, tugging him away from the confrontation I’d caused, but now, he was the one who didn’t budge, and I could feel the electricity in the air buzzing dangerously around us.

If I didn’t do something, this would spiral out of control, and having the police show up was the last thing we could afford.

“I’m sorry,” I said to the guy. “I thought I recognized you, but I was wrong.”

His pervert glare met mine. “Tell your pit bull to back down, sweetheart. I’d hate to break his teeth in front of you.”

I’d hate for your neck to get snapped on account of this.

GRAYSON

I had to remind myself we were trying to keep a low profile. If anyone was keeping track, we left a dead body at a gas station, followed by another one in the woods. Not to mention the gunshots that may or may not have drawn police attention to that forest. The last thing we could afford was slaughtering another asshole, but my fists disagreed.

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