Page 17 of Tempest

I caught Viking’s eye across the room. His expression was a mix of amusement and concern, one eyebrow raised as if to say,You’ve really stepped in it now, brother. Beside him, Sticks tapped his drumsticks on the table, his nervous tic matching the tension in the air.

The entire place was watching and waiting, eager to see how the Dixie Reapers’ Sergeant-at-Arms would handle this challenge to his authority. Part of me wanted to tell them all to fuck off, but they weren’t important right now. Kasen was.

I turned back to Kasen, my voice low and dangerous. “You think this is a game? The club isn’t something you can just ignore when it’s convenient.”

She stood her ground, fire in her eyes. “And I’m not a possession you can claim whenever you feel like it.”

My knuckles turned white with the effort of restraining myself. The urge to grab her, to shake some sense into her, was almost overwhelming. But I knew it would only push her farther away.

“This isn’t over,” I growled, stepping closer until we were nearly nose to nose. “You want to play with fire? Fine. But don’t come crying when you get burned.”

Kasen’s breath hitched, but she didn’t back down. “Is that a threat, Tempest?”

“It’s a promise,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “You’re ours, whether you like it or not. And sooner or later, you’ll realize that’s exactly where you want to be.”

Kasen’s eyes blazed with defiance. Without another word, she spun on her heel and strode toward the exit, her posture rigid with anger and hurt pride. I wasn’t even sure if she noticed she’d left her precious Connor behind.

I watched her go, my chest tight with a mix of rage and something dangerously close to longing. The sway of her hips as she walked away was like a taunt, reminding me of everything I couldn’t have -- not yet, anyway.

“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my hair.

The bar door slammed shut behind Kasen, the sound echoing like a gunshot. I fought the urge to go after her. To grab her and make her understand.

Connor cleared his throat, reminding me of his presence. “I should probably go…”

I whirled on him, my voice a low growl. “Yeah, you should. And if I catch you sniffing around Kasen again, we’ll be having a very different conversation.”

He scrambled out of his seat, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to leave. The bar patrons parted for him, their eyes darting between me and the door.

Viking’s hand landed heavy on my shoulder. “Easy, brother. You made your point.”

I shrugged him off, my skin crawling with pent-up energy. “Did I? Because from where I’m standing, all I did was push her away.”

Sticks piped up, twirling a drumstick between his fingers again. “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Give her some space, let her cool off.”

I rounded on him, teeth bared. “And let her run off with every Tom, Dick, and Harry in town? Not fucking likely.”

Viking stepped between us, his bulk forcing me back a step. “Think, Tempest. You go after her now, you’ll just make things worse. Let her stew for a bit. She’ll come around. Besides, did you notice the way she lit out of here? She didn’t even pause to look back at that kid. He wasn’t even on her radar.”

I wanted to argue, to push past him and hunt Kasen down. But the rational part of my brain knew he was right. I took a deep breath, forcing the tension out of my shoulders. The fact she hadn’t given Connor a second glance did soothe my anger a bit.

“Fine. But I’m not letting this go. She needs to understand her place.”

Viking’s eyes narrowed. “Just remember, brother. She’s not some club whore. She’s Tank’s daughter. Tread carefully.”

The reminder was like a bucket of ice water. Tank. Shit. If he found out about this…

I nodded curtly, already plotting my next move. This game of cat and mouse with Kasen was far from over. And I intended to win.

Chapter Six

Kasen

I drummed my fingers on the coffee shop table, heart pounding. The door chimed. Not him. My eyes darted back to my phone, scrolling mindlessly as I tried to quell the butterflies in my stomach. Was I really doing this? Three dates in one day. Part of me knew this was childish, but I hadn’t been able to stop myself from moving forward with my plan. If for no other reason than I wanted to see what Tempest would do.

The memory of his intense gaze sent a shiver down my spine. I squared my shoulders. No turning back now.

“Kasen?”

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