Page 65 of When He Hunts

He sighed and stepped around Luna. Very firmly, Ronan shut and locked the door to the bungalow.

Luna held herself perfectly still. There was a trail of candles leading from the bungalow’s front door to the bedroom. Super romantic and mood inspiring. She could also see rose petals sprinkled along the path.

“You did not think I had better manners, Esme,” Ronan denied. “You’ve told me before that I lack manners.”

“That was when you kidnapped me. Kidnapping a person is rude. Everyone understands that fact.”

Ronan hit the light switch. Immediately, more illumination flooded the area, and Luna could see the man and woman clearly. The woman was truly gorgeous, while the man…

Big, strong, scary.

The typical guy she now associated as being…friends with Ronan? “You’re his friend,” she said, testing out her theory.

The man rolled one powerful shoulder. The shoulder that the woman was not currently touching. “Like friends can’t be horrible enemies at the same time? You clearly do not understand the world in which Ronan and I live.”

Ronan grunted as he stalked toward hismaybefriend. “Your entrance tonight was way too dramatic. You could have just knocked on the door like a sane person.”

“I thought you deserved a dramatic entrance.” A quick smile curved the guy’s lips. The smile didn’t do anything to make him look less intimidating.

“Are we even now?” Ronan wanted to know. “Going to stop roasting me over the coals for shit I had to do in the past?”

“I don’t know about even. I mean, have I shot you in the chest? No? Then…not yet.”

“Stop it!” Luna marched to stand between the two arguing men. “I have been under alotof stress lately, and I would appreciate fewer intense, ambiguous statements and more just honest talk. Can we manage that, please?” Her head swiveled between Ronan and… “Who are you?”

“Tyler. Tyler Barrett, and this is my lovely wife, Esme.”

“Enchantée,” Esme murmured. She took her hand off her husband and wiggled her fingers toward Luna.

“Uh, sure. Enchanted to meet you, too.” No, she was not. She was a bit scared. Probably more than a bit. A lot more. “Whyare you both here?”

Tyler stepped forward. “Because I’m the man who’s here to take you away.”

He was there to do what? She must have misheard. “Ronan?” Her head whipped back toward him.

A muscle jerked along his clenched jaw.

“I think I like you better with the beard,” Esme announced thoughtfully. “You’re a little too polished now.”

The muscle along Ronan’s jaw jerked again. A harder jerk. His gaze was on Tyler. “Gray sent you?”

“Um. That is my job, after all.”

Her head whipped back to Tyler. She was starting to feel dizzy. “What’s your job?”

“I’m a U.S. Marshal. I’ll be the man escorting you to your new life and giving you a new identity.”

She already had a new identity. “I’m Ronan’s wife.”

Tyler shook his head. “That’s only a temporary cover. I’ll be giving you the real deal. When you leave this island with me, you’ll never be seeing Ronan again.”

Her heart seemed to wither in her chest. When was this event supposed to happen? Was he taking her away from Ronan right then? Why did the idea of never seeing Ronan again hurt her so much? They’d just met days before. He’d saved her. They’d had insanely incredible sex. But—but emotions weren’t involved. Right?

Right?

If emotions weren’t involved, why did her chest ache so much?

“She’s not leaving.” A guttural vow from Ronan. Then he was taking her hand. His fingers threaded with hers. “You try to take her, and we’ll have a problem.”

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