Page 87 of Unwrapping Deviance

“What happened?”

“Jameson, Boyd, and Dirk are here.”

Daniel’s head jerks back slightly. His lips thin even as he glances in the direction we’d come from.

“Time to go.”

“Why?” I blurt. “We’re in a store. They won’t—”

“Get Mira to the car,” Daniel cuts me off, ignores me entirely to address his brother.

Christian shakes his head. “Not going to happen. Not leaving you here alone.”

“Now!” Daniel hisses. “Get her in the car and stay with her.” He digs into his pocket and pulls out a fistful of keys. He shoves them into Christian’s chest. “Stay with her.”

“Wait. What’s going on?” I look frantically between the two, but they’re staring hard at each other, communicating in a way I don’t understand. “Come with us. Why are you—?”

“We need new locks,” he retorts, which I can’t wrap my head around.

I reach for him, grab a fistful of his shirt. “Fuck the locks, Daniel. Come with us.”

I don’t know what the hell is going on, but despite their best efforts, they’re scared. I can feel it coursing between them. It’s a sour tang in the air and I’m choking on it.

His answer is a hard, painful kiss that steals what little air I’d managed to collect before he shoves me into Christian.

“Now!” he barks.

With a low growl, Christian has my arm and he’s dragging me away.

“No! Daniel...”

“I’ll come back for him,” Christian promises. “I need to get you to safety first.”

I have to practically run to keep up with his long, powerful strides. The bell above the hardware store clangs loudly with our departure.

I have a million questions, a million fears and uncertainties clinging to my throat, but I swallow them all down; everything can wait until Christian gets Daniel. All my questions can wait. Nothing matters except following Daniel’s instructions so that Christian can go back and get Daniel. Once I got them both back, I will ask everything.

At the truck, Christian pulls me around to the driver’s side and unlatches the door. He pushes me inside and stuffs the keys into my clammy fist.

“Can you drive, sweetheart?”

I nod, my throat too pasty to speak.

“Anyone comes near this truck, you floor it, do you understand? Don’t stop until you’re home back in Toronto.”

Now, I’m shaking my head, vicious and wild. “No, I won’t—”

In a motion I don’t see coming, Christian is up on the footrest. His hand is five cruel fingers clamped around my jaw. My face is wrenched to his and he kisses me with an anger and need that sends electric heat coursing through me.

“Yes, you fucking will,” he snarls against my mouth. “I can’t watch my brother’s back if I’m worried about you.”

With that, the door is slammed between us and he’s sprinting back in the direction of the store.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

MIRA

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