Page 10 of Royally Embraced: RBMC

“Where are the others? Shouldn’t this alley be packed full of vehicles with their men?” She didn’t need to say what men.

Jeter had his phone to his ear. “Fuck,” he swore.

“We need to get out of here. I don’t like this, but my brother isn’t answering my call. He should’ve been here by now. It doesn’t take three damn minutes to come around the block.” Worry etched his beautiful face, making him look harsh in the darkness.

“My car is across that way. Usually you can see it,” she whispered. Her breath came out in little puffs of fog from the cold, reminding her that Jeter was in only his dress shirt and slacks.

He gave a jerk of his head. “Let’s go. Stay behind me and to my left. If I need to fight, fall back but stay close enough that I can get to you.”

Jeter pulled a gun from the waist of his slacks. His head turned to the right and left before he reached for her hand. She let him take her hand in his left one and lead her away from the safety of Hoolihan’s. Why she went with this man without calling Cian or one of the others she didn’t know? For all she knew, Jeter could be setting her up. He could be working for her stepfather. The last thought made her stumble. If not for Jeter’s quick reflexes, she’d have fallen face first onto the pavement.

“Easy. I got you.”

While his words should’ve reassured her, there was a sliver of fear. Did he have good or nefarious, reasons?

They made it to her new two-door Bronco. The shiny chrome beast was her pride and joy. She’d worked her ass off to buy the SUV and still owed a good chunk on it. However, the amount she’d put down made her payments low enough for her to afford.She’d load it with what she could and get the hell out of Chicago, start fresh somewhere else. Fuck war and the Mafia.

“Climb in,” Tori said, waving at the passenger door.

Jeter shook his head. “I think I should drive.”

Tori let go of the hand holding hers. “No way. Besides, you’re not from here, and I don’t let anyone drive Goliath.”

He sputtered. “You named it Goliath?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Do you have a problem with it?”

She watched him stare at her, then her vehicle. The Bronco had a four-inch lift with thirty-seven inch tires. To her, it was a monster of a vehicle. Maybe to a big man like him, it wasn’t big.

“Nope, it’s a great name,” he chuckled.

Tori gave him a little shove, ready to lay into him with her reasoning. They both froze as the pavement broke apart next to where he’d been standing seconds before.

“Shit. Get in the car,” he roared.

Tori gripped the handle and launched herself inside, with Jeter following closely behind. She slid across to the passenger seat, allowing him to get behind the wheel. Her Bronco roared to life with the push of a button, and then they were flying out of the lot without a backward glance.

Chapter Six

Jeter whipped the compact SUV around the corner, hurrying away from the bar. His worry for Kendrick’s safety threatened his control, but his fear for him and Tori set his teeth on edge. The real threat they’d barely escaped from came from a one of three directions. If he’d been alone, he would’ve stuck around and searched for the fucker. However, he had Tori to worry about.

“You saved my life, farfallina,” he said, reaching across the small distance, grabbing her cold hand in his.

“What?” she asked.

Shock had her in its grip. He needed to get her somewhere safe, where he could calm her down and assess their situation. If they were back in Santa Maria, he wouldn’t be worrying about shit. Most people didn’t come near the property the Royal brothers had purchased and made a home for themselves and their family along with the Royal MC.

“If you hadn’t pushed me, that bullet would’ve hit me instead of the ground.” Jeter let out a gust of air. Thinking about the real possibility of dying made him furious. Whoever shot at him would’ve gotten away with murder because Jeter had no backup and no way to track who the shooter was.

“How do you know they were aiming for you and not me?”

Her question made him pause. “Why would anyone want to shoot you?”

Tori blinked shiny, dark eyes at him. Through the unlit interior of the SUV, he didn’t miss the small teardrop fall from her right eye before she wiped it away with the back of her hand.“I don’t know. Why would anyone want to shoot you? There are always random shootings, right?”

His fingers clenched on the leather steering wheel as she uttered the lie. Sure, her words could’ve been the truth, but Jeter knew they weren’t. There was a certain amount of undeniable chemistry between them that made him want to trust whatever came out of her mouth. Of course, he knew she could be a liar of the highest order.

“Whichever one of us was the intended target doesn’t matter. Thank fuck, neither one of us is dead. That means one or the both of us could have someone searching for us to finish the job. If it were you, then your home isn’t safe, and since I’m not from here, or rather I don’t live here, then I guess it’s safest to go where they wouldn’t be looking for us. My brother—he should’ve been there,” he muttered.

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