Page 4 of Tempest

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.

“Maybe not,” he conceded. “But whatever’s going on, you need to get your head straight. We can’t afford our SAA losing his shit over some piece of ass.”

Red clouded my vision. Before I realized what I was doing, I had Royal pinned against the wall, my forearm across his throat.

“Don’t you ever talk about her like that,” I said, my voice more growl than anything else. I sounded, and felt, like a feral beast.

Royal’s eyes widened, then narrowed. He shoved me back, hard.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

I turned away, running a hand through my sweat-soaked hair. “It’s not like that.”

“Bullshit,” Royal shot back. “Look, man, I get it. She’s hot. But she’s Tank’s daughter. You really want to go there?”

I slumped against the wall, suddenly exhausted. “It doesn’t matter what I want.”

Royal was quiet for a moment. Then he sighed. “Shit. You’re in deep, aren’t you?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to.

Chapter Two

Kasen

I sat across from Connor, my fingers tapping a nervous rhythm on the café table. The chatter of other patrons faded to white noise as my gaze darted to the opposite sidewalk. There he was. Tempest. His dark eyes bored into me, intense and unwavering. I’d spotted him not too far into my date with Connor, except at the beginning, I hadn’t really thought of it that way. He’d made it clear after a few minutes this was more than friends meeting.

“So, how’s your dad doing?” Connor asked, his voice cutting through my distraction.

I snapped my attention back, forcing a smile. I’d forgotten I’d told him about my dad’s motorcycle accident. “He’s… improving. Slowly.”

My heart raced. Tempest hadn’t moved. I could feel the heat of his stare. I glanced that way again and saw him pull out onto the street and ride away. My heart felt like it dropped to my stomach.

You’re seriously screwed up, Kasen. Here I was with this super sweet guy, and all I could think about was the biker I shouldn’t want.

“That’s good to hear,” Connor continued. “I was thinking maybe we could --”

I nodded, barely registering his words. My mind drifted. I’d been in love with Tempest for a long time. Puppy love at first, but over the years, it had grown into something more. Not that I thought he’d ever see me that way.

“Kasen? You okay?” Connor’s brow furrowed.

“Yeah, sorry.” I shook my head. “Just tired.”

Lies. I was wide awake. Every nerve on edge. Why had Tempest been watching me? It wasn’t the first time I’d noticed. There had been other times I’d been in town and spotted him in the distance. Almost as if I had a personal bodyguard. I just didn’t understand why. Unless my dad had asked him to keep an eye on me.

Connor leaned forward. “As I was saying, there’s this new restaurant --”

I forced myself to focus. Nodded again. Smiled. But I couldn’t pay attention to Connor no matter how hard I tried. He just wasn’t… exciting. I doubted he’d ever ridden on a motorcycle or driven over the speed limit. I liked a man with rough edges. Probably because I’d grown up around them.

“Sounds great,” I managed, though I had no idea what I was agreeing to. I took a sip of water. Nearly choked.

Connor’s lips kept moving. I caught fragments. “Friday… pick you up… seven?”

“Sure,” I replied automatically. My mind elsewhere.

With the man who’d been watching over me. The one I couldn’t have.

The one I couldn’t stop wanting.

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