Page 44 of Fatal Temptation

They stepped out of the car, and he ran his gaze across their surroundings, assessing their safety and exits. It wasn’t exactly an FBI safehouse, but it would do for now. At least three out of the four of them were armed. Not that he wanted to give Akio a gun. The last time he’d held one…

He shook his head and went to the trunk to grab his go-bag he always had stored there. He had another gun and a few magazines in there along with some clothes. They hadn’t had time to grab any for Akio from the apartment though he supposed it didn’t really matter seeing as Akio preferred to wear his clothes.

He pulled the strap of the bag over his shoulder and turned to see Diesel and Chris dismounting their bikes.

The front door of the house burst open and none other than Maggie came running down the steps, heading straight for Akio who looked as surprised and confused as Lucas felt when his best friend tackled him in a bear hug.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Maggie gushed, then pulled back, eyes wide and fear shining in them. “Areyou okay?”

Lucas was fully aware of the man waiting for them in the doorway, that smug smile making him clench his hands into fists. Despite how satisfying it would be to slam his fist into Ryder’s face, he wasn’t about to do something that stupid with Chris and Diesel around. Or Akio, for that matter.

Maggie spared him a glare before tugging Akio toward the house.

Lucas sighed and followed.

Ryder shook Diesel and Chris’ hands and stepped back to let them inside the house. They must’ve called him when they left the parking lot to get this address because he realized it was Ryder’s house, and his research into the Rebels MC was the reason he recognized the street name.

Ryder took one look at Lucas’ bruised cheek and grinned at him.

“It’s not like that, huh?”

Lucas didn’t answer. There was no point.

Akio looked between them, his brows pinched in confusion.

“Hi, Ry,” Akio said, smiling softly at the man.

“Hello, sweetheart.”

There was no stopping his hand from going to the gun at his hip, nor was there any stopping Akio and Maggie from seeing it. Maggie rolled her eyes while Akio stared at Lucas, his mouth falling open.

“Ooh.” Akio snapped his gaze back onto Ryder. “That’swhat that was. In my dorm room.”

“Idiots,” Maggie muttered and tugged Akio with her into the house, poking Ryder in the chest on her way past him.

There was a tick in Ryder’s jaw as he gazed after her.

“She’s mad at me because she thinks I’m responsible for Akio being in danger,” Ryder said, giving Lucas a pointed stare.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think youwantedto get shot.”

Ryder put his hands up, his wry smile grating on Lucas’ nerves.

He walked past Ryder into the house and followed the voices into a spacious living room with two gray couches and a big TV on the wall above the fireplace. Maggie and Akio were holding hands, and it looked like Maggie was practically hanging onto Akio who kept shooting glances between Chris and Diesel, the two of them seemingly carrying a silent conversation.

He heard Ryder walk up behind him and stepped aside to let the man pass him.

Akio met Lucas’ gaze and after a moment of staring at each other, Akio seemed to relax a bit as he turned to Chris and Diesel.

“How did you know I was with Lucas?”

Chris and Diesel shared a look, small matching smiles on their faces.

“We were going to your dorm to surprise you. We wanted to be there for your birthday. You obviously weren’t there so we called Maggie to not spoil the surprise by having to call you. She told us you were with Lucas,” Chris said, his smile fading instantly. “We got to the apartment just in time to hear the gunfight.”

“Who wants you dead?” Ryder asked, brows raised at Lucas.

Lucas shared a glance with Akio who nodded.

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