Page 28 of Savage Temptation
“I’ll take a rain check.”
His laugh is rough, and the rumbling of his chest against mine makes me feel whole. “Deal.”
I pat his butt as he walks by, heading for the front.
Once he is far enough away, I whisper, “I love you, Jager Malone. I love you with all my heart.” I laugh a little. Damn phone. I hate I was cut off, but I have all night to tell him. I want to do it the next time we make love.
I pull on my borrowed socks which are a little big but better than being barefoot. Next is the sweatpants. I look around for another shirt since I left the other one on the piano. Casting about, I spot a small wooden chest at the end of a sofa. I pop it open.
Bingo. Every color of shirt available in cotton is in here.
I fumble through it. “Oh, pink.” I grab that and slip on the V neck. In doing so, a gun falls out and tumbles to the side. My hands still over the weapon as I consider my options. But in the end, I put it back and take the shirt. Guns are not who I am.
I slip the shirt on just as Jagger’s booming voice echoes down the hallway. I can’t tell what he’s saying, but he doesn’t sound happy.
I go to head that way, but pause by the side alley door. Something moved on the other side. Or was that a voice?
I move closer. Listen. Yeah, there it is again. It sounds something like a thud and drag. Thud and drag and then comes, “Hey, it’s Acadian.”
I jump, my heart going from slow and steady to racing out of control.
Fists pound against the door. “Let me in. I need to see Jagger. It’s important.” The voice is muffled and a little higher pitched than what I remember Acadian having, but then again, he’s talking to me through a large metal door.
Oh, God. What if Oliver hurt him or found his mom? I don’t know what has me throwing the deadbolt open and grabbing the doorknob or what has me turning. Call it having too much heart for a boy who obviously loves his mom, or call it outright whatit is…stupidity. But I do and the second the hinges grind open, a snub-nosed revolver is in my face.
Blood drains from my face.
“Good girl.”
The stench of tobacco hits me first and then murky green eyes and an ugly smirk on a face I loathe steps out of the darkness.
“Oliver,” I seethe. “You just don’t know when to quit.”
Oliver takes a step toward me, pushing me in the opposite direction.
When I take another step back, the greedy mob boss tosses a lifeless Acadian at my feet.
My heart breaks. Tears want to fall for the boy I barely knew, but I don’t have that luxury unless I want to join him.
“Bitches in heat are so fucking predictable. I told you once, gator bait, you’re either mine or no one’s.”
Metal grinds as he cocks the hammer back. This is it. I’m going to die and I won’t get a chance to tell Jagger how much I love him. My rekindled passion for life fizzles. Fate, you worthless bitch, is all I can think as I raise my hands and step up to put the muzzle of his gun in the center of my forehead. I refuse to go out scared and shivering.
If this is it, I refuse to let this man see me crying. “You want me dead? Do it, you sleaze ball. Fuck you, Oli–”
My words are cut off as a roar rips through the tension. There’s a blur of movement and all I see in my peripheral is a massively pissed off Jagger barreling toward us. His laser focus is locked inon Oliver and I know for a fact the bayou is getting another body tonight.
Whose, is the question.
In the span of half a second I have a gun to my head and then it’s gone. Oliver’s love of all things food-related is working against him as he tumbles into Jagger’s office and bounces off the ledge of a heavy desk.
Jagger is on him. Fists meet flesh and bone. Grunts and manly cries rent through the air. Oliver’s, I notice.
Oliver doesn’t let up until Oliver gets a lucky shot to the side of Jagger’s head. It doesn’t move him, but Oliver does knock his head sideways. It is all the opportunity Oliver needs to grab the snub-nose gun that fell to the desk.
The fucker raises the gun, his eyes gleaming with madness.
Everything fast forwards. Jagger moves in a blur of motion and then…
