Page 10 of Hunter

I forced a smile and made my way to the side exit, pushing open the heavy door with my hip. The cool evening air rushed over my skin, chasing away the tight feeling in my chest.

I tossed the bag into the dumpster and wiped my hands on my apron. As I turned to head back inside, something glinted out of the corner of my eye. Frowning, I stepped closer to the window.

A jagged crack snaked its way from the bottom left corner to the center of the glass. It was too big not to notice, which meant that it hadn’t been there this morning.

Biting my lip, I leaned in a little, peering through the damaged pane. Nothing looked disturbed in the office. No broken glass on the floor. No sign anyone had tried to get in.

Still, unease curled low in my belly.

Heading into the kitchen, I let Marcy know what I’d found. We padded into the office, and she peered through the broken glass like I’d just done from the outside.

Shrugging, she murmured, “Probably just a truck that kicked up a rock from the parking lot. I’ll call Austin.”

4

HUNTER

Viper and I had pushed the limits to finish the run as fast as humanly possible. But short of sprouting wings and outrunning the devil himself, we could only ride so damn fast. Two full days on the road, and by the time I’d rolled into the compound, briefed Fox, and grabbed a shower, the bakery had already closed.

I’d tried to sleep but kept waking up soaked in sweat and hard enough to pound nails. After three hours of tossing and cursing, I finally gave up.

Spending ten minutes under an ice-cold spray helped ease the ache in my cock but did nothing for the one in my chest. I’d been shocked at how much I missed her.

I quickly toweled off, padded into the bedroom, checked the clock, and groaned.

Some bakeries opened at the crack of dawn. Not this one. Because the universe liked fucking with me, Country Crust didn’t open its doors until seven.

Which meant I had time to kill. And no patience left to kill it with.

For a second, I considered grabbing my SUV and parking across the street like some unhinged stalker, but if Sadie or her boss saw me, I’d have to come up with a reason to be there. One that didn’t include the wordsI haven’t stopped thinking about your mouth in two fucking days. It was too early to reveal my level of obsession with Sadie.

I needed to go for a ride.

After throwing on black jeans, a gray T-shirt, and my cut, I sat on the edge of the bed to lace up my boots. Once that was done, I grabbed my keys, wallet, and phone, then headed out to my bike.

June in Tennessee could get hot as hell, but at this hour, it was spring-soft. A cool breeze ruffled my hair as I swung a leg over the bike, then put on my helmet. As I approached the gate, I nodded to the prospect on duty before peeling off down the road.

I took a side route with lots of trees and open fields, less houses, and no traffic. Just the rumble of my engine, the wind in my ears, and the blur of green flashing by in my periphery.

The forty-minute loop cleared most of the clutter from my head, but the second I turned toward town, she was back in my thoughts like she never left.

Sweet, sunshiny Sadie Morgan, with her gorgeous blue eyes and her shy smile that wrecked the fuck out of me.

I glanced at my watch. Six thirty.Son of a bitch. Still thirty fucking minutes.

Figuring I’d just do a drive-by, I headed toward the bakery. Maybe park up the road and find a place to wait without being seen.

It turned out I didn’t need to because she was already outside.

Sadie stood near the side door, talking to some guy who looked like he’d stepped off the cover of a fucking Barbie catalog. Neatly cut blond hair, clean-shaven, and a boy-next-door smile. And young. Probably only a few years older than Sadie.

Not that I gave a shit. Our age difference had ceased to matter once she flashed me that shy smile the first day we met.

The Ken-doll said something, making Sadie laugh.

My jaw hardened, and my hands clenched the handlebars. The next thing I knew, I was easing the bike into the alley and cutting the engine ten feet from them.

Both heads turned, and Ken frowned, but Sadie lit up like I’d just stepped out of her favorite daydream.

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