Page 64 of When He Hunts

In a blink,Ronan had a gun in his hand and aimed at Luna. Or rather, she figured the gun was aimed at the stranger standing behind her. The stranger who held her in a too tight grip. The man had been waiting inside the bungalow. The space had been lit with fluttering candlelight. She’d rushed inside, still high from singing, giddy with desire for Ronan, and this man had been waiting. He’d grabbed her. Spun her around so that she was in front of him, and now he held her in a too tight grip even as her hands grabbed at the arm he’d looped around her.

“You’re scaring her.” Flat. Hard. From Ronan. “I don’t like it when my wife is scared.”

“Your wife, huh?” Soft, mocking laughter. “That is a fun one.” He didn’t let her go. “Kinda familiar situation, isn’t it, Ronan?”

He knows Ronan.When they’d checked in at the island, she and Ronan had used fake names. No one should know their real names. This man did. That meant the situation was very, very bad.

“If I remember correctly,” the stranger continued, almost musing, “I was in a motel withmywife, minding my own business, when you burst in and you fuckingshotme.”

Oh, no. Her breath shuddered out. She stared at Ronan as terror clawed at her. This wasn’t about her past. It was about his. Somehow, a ghost from Ronan’s past had found them. Now they were both in deadly danger.

“You shot me,” the man repeated,”and then you abductedmywife.”

Wait,what?

“That pissed me off,” the man behind her continued.

Ronan took a slow, stalking step forward. “You know I apologized for that shit.”

He’d apologized? For attempted murder? And abduction?

“You. Are. Scaring. Her.” Gritted from Ronan as he took another stalking step. “I’d hate to have to shoot you, but if you don’t let Luna go in the next five seconds, we are going to have a problem.” A pause. “These are real bullets, my friend.”

And the others had been, what? Pretend? Wait. Maybe that was exactly what they’d been. The light dawned for her. “Did he pretend to kill you, too?” Luna gasped out her question as she tugged at his grip yet again. Only there was zero give in the man’s hold.

“Two seconds,” Ronan snapped out. “Then, screw it.”

Was he about to fire his gun? With her standing right there? “Ronan!” she cried.

The stranger released her. “Someone is in a trigger-happy mood.”

She ran for Ronan. He caught her hand and immediately shoved her behind his back. “You scared Luna,” he snarled.

“Oui.”A woman’s voice. A gorgeous femme fatale type sauntered from the shadows behind the man. Luna hadn’t even known the woman was there until that moment. “I believe we have covered the point that Tyler scared Luna. About three times now.” She put her hand on the man’s shoulder. “I don’t believe that Ronan likes for his Luna to be frightened.”

The guy caught her hand. Brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles almost as if by instinct. His gaze didn’t leave Ronan. “Point noted.”

“What in the hell are you doing here?” Ronan demanded. He finally lowered his gun. Put it on the nearby table.

Had he been wearing that gun all night? She hadn’t noticed it. Not even when they’d been dancing so closely. Or when they’d been kissing beneath the palm tree.

“What are youbothdoing here?” Ronan’s question thundered out.

The woman’s plump lips pulled down in a pout. “How are you not happy to see me? Everyone is always happy to see me.”

“Not true, sweetheart.” This came from the stranger. “I’malways happy to see you,” he clarified. “You are the light of my life. But other people are usually terrified.”

She frowned.

Luna poked Ronan in the back. She had questions. “Did you pretend to kill him, too?”

He spun toward her. Glowered. Then kissed her. Hard and deep and possessively.

A whistle split the air. One followed by the man noting, “Oh, this is problematic. Very, very problematic.”

Ronan lifted his head. His gaze glittered at her even as he ordered the guy, “Fuck off, Tyler.”

“That isnoway to greet your friend!” The woman’s voice. Offended. “We come all this way to provide precious backup for you. And you don’t even offer a thanks? You give us a rude ‘fuck off’ in response to our generous efforts?” She sniffed. “I thought you had better manners.”

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