Page 27 of Curvy Desire's Second Shot

“Movement,” I murmured, keeping my eyes on the warehouse. “More than usual. Something’s going down.”

Her hand brushed against mine, a small gesture that steadied me more than I wanted to admit. “What do we do?”

I turned to her, my jaw tightening. “You stay here.”

Her eyes narrowed, and she straightened, her voice low but firm. “We’ve been through this, Hudson. I’m not staying behind.”

“This isn’t up for debate,” I said, my tone sharper than I intended. “If something happens, I can’t protect you and stop them at the same time.”

“You don’t have to protect me,” she shot back. “I can handle myself.”

“Naomi—”

“No,” she interrupted, her voice trembling slightly. “I’m not leaving you. Not now. Not ever.”

Her words cut through my frustration, leaving me speechless for a moment. She wasn’t being reckless or stubborn—she was fighting for us. Forme. And I hated how much I wanted her to stay, even knowing the risks.

“Fine,” I said finally, my voice low and strained. “But you follow my lead. No exceptions.”

She nodded, her gaze steady. “I trust you.”

The weight of those words settled over me like a challenge, and I took a deep breath, pushing the fear to the back of my mind. There was no room for doubt now. We were in this together, whether I liked it or not.

We slipped closerto the warehouse, sticking to the shadows. The muffled sound of voices carried through the air, mixed with the metallic clink of equipment being loaded into trucks.I counted at least a dozen men, their movements hurried but organized.

“They’re preparing for something,” Naomi whispered.

“Yeah,” I said, scanning the area. “And it’s not small.”

We crept closer, stopping just behind a stack of crates near the building’s side entrance. From this vantage point, I could see into the warehouse. Men were gathered around a table in the center, their faces illuminated by the glow of a single overhead light. Papers, maps, and what looked like blueprints were spread out in front of them.

“This isn’t just a shipment,” I said, my voice low. “They’re planning an attack.”

Naomi’s hand tightened on my arm. “On who?”

“Could be anyone,” I said grimly. “But my guess? It’s tied to the shipment we’re supposed to disrupt. This is retaliation.”

Her expression hardened, and I saw the fire in her eyes that made my chest ache with equal parts pride and fear. “Then we stop them.”

I nodded, my mind racing as I formulated a plan. “We need to get closer. Figure out the specifics.”

Naomi opened her mouth to argue, but a sudden noise cut her off—a sharp shout from inside the warehouse.

“Check the perimeter!” a voice barked.

My heart slammed against my ribs. We’d been spotted.

“Go,” I hissed, grabbing Naomi’s hand and pulling her toward the shadows.

We darted behind another stack of crates, my mind racing as I calculated our next move. The sound of footsteps grew louder, and I tightened my grip on Naomi’s hand, my pulse pounding in my ears.

“They’re coming this way,” she whispered, her voice tight with fear.

“I know,” I said, my voice calm despite the adrenaline surging through me. “Stay close.”

The footsteps stopped, and I held my breath, my hand instinctively going to the knife strapped to my side. I could feel Naomi trembling beside me, but she didn’t make a sound.

After what felt like an eternity, the footsteps moved away, and I exhaled slowly. We couldn’t stay here. We needed to move.

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