Page 7 of Unconditional

I’d barely seen Milo’s snapping point when he’d flown across a bar to break our good-for-nothing uncle’s arm for touching his girl.I was too distracted by pale blonde hair, blue eyes, and lips the color of cherry blossoms.

She was standing behind Birdie, her expression only slightly confused and frightened—but mostly pissed off.When Kyle had put his arm around her friend, Misely’s entire demeanor had gone defensive and if it hadn’t been for the grip the woman beside her had on her upper arm, I was certain she would have lunged for my uncle.

When her eyes met mine, they narrowed, clear accusation written in them, as if she were daring me to do something about the drunken bastard.The oddest part had been that I had the urge to do just that, if only to see how this woman would react.

I hadn’t known her name then, but it didn’t take long to figure it out.Milo had been living in a very small town, where everybody knew everybody.The first place I’d looked when I’d started the hunt for Milo, was the girls’ shared apartment.I was ashamed to admit that I’d spent more time than necessary snooping through Misely’s room, digging for any information that I could get my hands on abouther.I found enough—her name, her occupation, her family.A week later, she was gone and there was no trace of where she’d fled to, killing off my only lead on Milo.

I had tried social media before, but as if they had predicted I would—or more likely had been warned away from online platforms by witness protection—both women had gone radio silent.Until now.I stared down at the photo of the blonde, smiling ear to ear with an older woman, and my own grin grew wickedly.Looks like I’d be making a trip to Chicago.

four

Misely

Hewas here.How was hehere?He’d been a plague in my mind for the last year, the guilt that accompanied that fact overwhelming.Tall, broad, and imposing with a steel in his eyes that could kill.The star in my every fantasy, waking or otherwise, and the primary reason I’d sworn off trusting myself to make wise decisions when it came to men.A criminal by every definition.Abusive and neglectful.The exact type of person I made a career out of protecting children from.

Talon MacArthur.

Milo’s older brother’s hand was still pressed tightly over my mouth, his sneering face so close our noses nearly brushed.The grin stretched across his mouth was smug and vile, like a cat who’d just sunken its claws into it’s prey.

“Here’s what’s going to happen, Blondie.”His tone was low and rough, cinnamon breath washing over my face, and eyes jumping with amusement when my brows narrowed at the unwelcome nickname.“I’m going to let you go and you’re going to go sit down on the couch like a good girl.You got me?”

Did Igethim?No.What I got was a sick satisfaction at the shocked gasp he gave when my teeth sunk into his calloused palm, leaving me with the faintest taste of salt and…was that motor oil?The thrill was short lived because the next time his hand shot out, it wasn’t to cover my mouth.The back of his hand hit the side of my face with such an impact that the sound echoed off the still barren walls of my apartment, my body flying backward into the sofa from the force of it.It took several moments for the pain to register, but when it did, I didn’t cry.I palmed my cheek, willing the throb away without luck, but it didn’t matter.My fight or flight had kicked in and before either of us could blink, I was diving across the floor to where I’d dropped my phone only a few minutes before.

As soon as I held it, I was threatening him, my voice hardly wavering.“Get out, I am calling the police!”

It had been my mistake to put my back to him.A firm grip latched onto my ankle, pulling me on my stomach across the cheap rug.Talon was chuckling as I kicked out at him, trying my damnedest to unlock the device in my hand and dial 911, but he was faster and stronger, his giant body straddling mine and pinning me to the floor.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Blondie.You really need to take some self-defense classes.”His breath was hot in my ear, making me shiver.“That was too easy.”The phone was plucked from my outstretched hand, and I withheld the sob that clogged in my throat.I could scream,I thought,loud enough to get the attention of the neighbors.I sucked in a breath, ready to do just that, but Talon’s next words stopped me just short of the sound leaving my lips.

“If you value your mother’s life in the slightest, you will shut that pretty mouth of yours and listen.”He was cold and brutal in his delivery and my entire body went still.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”I hissed, jerking up in a very sad attempt at bucking him off me.It was a wasted effort.The man was a behemoth.

“I’m talking about the fact that if you don’t help me, your mother could be in very real trouble.”His hand was gripping the back of my neck, keeping my face plastered to the coarse floor, the tufts of the rug chafing my undoubtedly bruising cheek.

My heart was hammering in my chest.He was bluffing.He had to be bluffing.

“What could I possibly help you with?”I laced my voice with as much feigned ignorance as I could fathom, already knowing full well what he was going to say.I wasn’t stupid.

“Your little friend and my brother.They ran off together and now there’s not a single trace of them.”

Internally I flinched, knowing I had to lie through my teeth, something I was never very good at.I liked to think I was an open book and honesty was incredibly important to me, even when lying would be easier.That wasn’t a personal ethic I could honor right now.“I don’t know what you think that has to do with me.Last I checked, Birdie dumped his ass after she found out he was just another piece of shit low life junkie likeyou.”

The words felt wrong, like poison on my lips.Milo wasn’t any of those things.For a long time, I really believed that he was bad news for Birdie, but now that I knew the whole story, I’d never accuse him of that again.He was doing what he needed to keep her safe, and I had to do my part.So, I recited the same story we’d rehearsed a thousand times, just in case this day came.We had been hoping that it wouldn’t.

Talon’s grip on my neck tightened even as another disbelieving laugh left his throat.“Oh, Blondie.You don’t really think I’m that stupid, do you?”

“You don’t want me to answer that,” I ground out, trying fruitlessly yet again to push him off me.When his weight did shift, it was only so he could grab both my wrists in one of his large hands and flip me over, pinning them above my head as he settled over me again.He straddled me, pressing right into my hips to keep me flat to the floor.The position gave me an unhindered view of him and I hated how fresh excitement changed the tune of the hammering in my chest.

It wasn’t fear, at least not entirely.There was an unmistakable heat scorching through my veins, warmth pooling in every place it shouldn’t.Iknewit shouldn’t.This man was a predator, clearly some sort of stalker, and if I wasn’t mistaken before, he’d just threatened the life of my mother.The very last thing I should be feeling is all the excitement that had been missing from my every other interaction with past and present lovers.I shouldn’t be feeling it at all.

Talon’s gaze raked over my face, lingering on where I’d wet my parched lips, golden brown eyes lit with humor and something I couldn’t quite name.We sat like that, the only sound in the room our ragged breathing and my pulse in my ears, our eyes caught in some strange battle of the wills.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I forced myself to resume my efforts in throwing the bear of a man off me.This seemed to bring him back to earth, his lips curling up into another cruel grin.

With one fist holding my arms above me, the other scrolled through my now unlocked phone.It only took him a few minutes before his head fell back on a laugh.“Alisha, huh?What an original name.”

The blood rushed from my face.

“W-what are you talking about?”

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