Page 33 of Under Pressure

Delta raised his eyebrow at her.

“I found this on the floor. Care for a dance in the champagne room?” She breathed on him, trying damn hard to get him hooked. “You seem like you need a little warming up.”

He stared at her coolly, offering no response. He knew exactly what she was after, what almost every woman that approached him in that way was after. But he couldn’t give it to her—not her, not even the woman he wanted to give it to. His emotional unavailability wasn’t a ruse. It was damn real.

Jade pressed in farther, gunning for an entry point, distracting him. Everything from her hair to her face to her nails to her personality was a sales pitch—a big goddamn fake sales pitch. Delta hid his shudder, preferring his women far more natural—natural hair, natural face, natural vibe. He liked to see them…feel them. He was driven to realness, and damn, that was in short supply these days.

Hell, there was only one woman he’d ever met who had an unwavering realness—an authenticity that challenged him, forced him to look at himself, forced him to wonder if maybe things could be different for him. She was the type of woman… Damn, he thought, stopping himself. As he came back to the moment, feeling the dancer brushing up against him, he realized, Fuck, I’ve got it bad. He was fucking hooked on Kendra. But he was never, ever going to be able to give her what she needed.

He was a goddamn monster—and he had to find out why.

After realizing he wasn’t giving in, Jade just flicked her long hair and cocked her head back in a hearty laugh, pushing her cleavage together and into him.

“Come on. You’re acting like a cop,” she said.

He shrugged. “See many of them in here?”

“Sure, just the other night.”

He locked his eyes with hers, now focused as hell. “Get his name?”

She licked her lips, realizing she had something. Leaning in, she flickered her lashes again. He glared down his nose at her, unrelenting.

She conceded, “Hunter or something equally douche-y.”

He wanted to freeze, but he pushed through, keeping it casual. Shrugging, he acted like it was no big deal that she’d just linked Kendra’s boss to the fucking supply point.

Before Jade could press her tits on him any more, a familiar face appeared at the back of the club, sending chills up his spine. The scout—their target. He kneed Sky and she casually observed what he saw. It was time to make their move. He waited until the man moved back into the dim hallway before standing.

Delta glanced down at Jade, her mouth still agape, giving her a curt nod. She had no idea how much of a lead she’d given him. Hunter was linked somehow to the scout—but for what purpose? All Delta could think about was the possibility that they’d done something to Hunter—and the danger that would pose to Kendra.

Delta, with no words left, ignored his companion tugging at his sleeve. His demeanor started changing, transforming. He could feel it. It was the emotion, the protectiveness that Kendra drove in him. He hadn’t had that much purpose since saving hostages on deployment. Now, it was like Kendra was a hostage—a hostage under Hunter’s thumb. He clenched his jaw, visions of Hunter hurting her flashing before his eyes.

With killer instincts, he moved through the back of the club, but before he got to the door into the hall, he spun, looking down on Sky to issue his final orders.

“Stay here—and keep an eye out.”

She shook her head, defying him and pushing forward, obviously wanting to be with him. He grabbed her shoulder, immobilizing her. That wasn’t what the deal was. Her eyes widened as he grew fiercer, causing heat to rise up his neck.

“Listen.” His voice grew into a dark snarl, drawing immediate obedience from her. “Stay the fuck here.”

He released her shoulder and spun into the hall, removing his pistol from the back of his jeans. He gripped it, his pulsing strength threatening to bend the steel. His focus was unbreakable as he deepened into the zone.

Dogged, he approached a closed door at the end of the hall, every muscle snapping in his body—that feeling he got when he was at the apex of a raid. Power surged through his veins, blazing both hot and icy cold. Thundering blood rushed to his extremities, and he felt like he could tear down the entire fucking building with one hand. He was so goddamn strong. Too strong.

One night with Kendra had reinvigorated him to the point that he feared. His self-control was on a hair trigger. It wouldn’t take much…

“Delivery.” Delta thumped on the door, demanding entrance. It whipped open, revealing the scout standing in the frame, shocked to see an angry motherfucker aiming a pistol at his face.

“Shit,” the scout stumbled, trying to draw his own gun.

But Delta rushed him, lunging forward with precision. He wasn’t worried about losing. He was worried about kicking the guy’s ass too damn hard before he got any answers. Clutching the scout’s neck, feeling life escape the man’s body, Delta’s lucidity faltered as all he could think of was what he had to do to protect Kendra from all of it.

Chapter Thirteen

It had been four days since Kendra had gotten home from Bakersfield. Four.

And there’d been complete radio silence from Delta.

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