Page 17 of Tempted by a SEAL

Patrons were now streaming out of the doors as the fire alarm blared, some of them still holding their drinks and laughing as if it were an everyday occurrence. Sirens sounded in the distance as more fat raindrops began to fall, the skies about to burst, and Emma brushed away one cold raindrop that landed on her cheek.

Hunter watched, looking unfazed as he stood there in his tee-shirt and cargo pants. Like he ran out of pubs every day with a woman he didn’t know. Left his buddy behind to fight the bad guys.

His bicep flexed as he adjusted his earpiece once again, the cotton of his tee-shirt stretching around the huge muscle.

Good heavens. She wasn’t normally one to ogle a man, but this one was a sight to behold.

Too bad she had bigger problems to deal with.

“He’s subdued them,” Hunter said, his voice gruff. “Said to get the hell out of here.”

“Both of them?”

Blue eyes flicked back to her. Blazed. “My men are well-trained. We’ve taken on much worse than those two fuck-ups—excuse my language. Mason can catch up with us later.”

“Why were you listening in on their conversation?”

“No time to explain right now,” he said, placing his hand on her lower back as he stepped closer. “There are other men involved. Other people who could be watching us right now. We need to get you out of sight.”

She looked around frantically, as if the answer would somehow appear out of thin air. The rain began falling harder, quickly dampening her long hair and cashmere sweater. Leaving round water stains on the leather backpack she was still tightly clutching.

“Come on,” Hunter said, guiding her across the street as the light changed. “I need to grab my gear from the hotel and we’re outta here.”

“I can’t go back to my flat—they ransacked it earlier. My neighbor texted my mobile and said the entire place had been torn apart.”

Hunter’s jaw was set in a hard line as he glanced down at her. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“What? Why would I?” she asked, looking up at him and blinking as wet drops stuck to her lashes. “I don’t even know you. I ducked into the pub because I thought someone was following me.”

“And you were right,” he quipped. “Come to my hotel.”

“I’m not staying there with you.”

“Nope. We’re grabbing some stuff and leaving. If they’re following you, the last thing I want is to be a sitting duck in a damn hotel room. Those men are far more dangerous than you know.”

Emma chuffed out a laugh, coming to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk. “Are you serious? They nearly kidnapped me from a market in Kabul a week ago—I know exactly how dangerous they are. Those two men in the pub tried to sell me off to some foreigners. And what makes you think I trust you anyway? For all I know, you could be working with them.”

Hunter nailed her with a glare, swiping the back of one large hand across his eyes to wipe away the rain. Tiny droplets of water still clung to his chiseled face. Dampened his dark hair. “I just hustled you out the back door and left my buddy there alone.”

“You won’t even tell me why you were there in the first place! Why should I believe a word that you say?”

“I’ll explain later, princess. It’s not safe here on the street. Now let’s roll out.”

Taking a deep breath, she reluctantly hurried along beside him, swinging her backpack onto her back and trying to keep up with his long strides.

A taxi driving through a puddle sent a spray of water splashing onto Hunter’s cargo pants, and he muttered a curse, barely breaking his stride.

“Why are they after you?” he asked, voice gruff.

He suddenly grabbed his mobile from his pocket and glanced at the screen, frowning, as he tried to shield his device from the lingering rain with one hand.

“Is everything okay?”

“Damn peachy,” he muttered, his eyes sweeping the surrounding area. “Just my CO updating me on some intel.”

“Your CO?”

“The boss man.”

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