Page 74 of Hunted Temptation
“Her man is a dealer. Trouble. I noticed her for the first time with some friends. He wasn’t with her, but I never thought a woman could fucking glow. It was all around her, a golden light, and I knew that I had to have her.”
“So you took her?”
He chuckles with a shrug. “Only with her permission, of course.”
“I assume it was there at the club, a closet maybe?”
“Bathroom stall, but whatever. After that, I didn’t think I’d see her again. But I did a few months later, outside of the club with him. He hit her. She won’t leave him.”
“Then why are you driving yourself insane?” I ask.
He walks over to the office window, his head tipped down. I don’t make a move to console him. He wouldn’t let me even if I did.
“It’s not her I’ve fallen for, Vaughn.”
“Hale, you’re talking in goddamn circles,” I snap.
He nods a couple of times, then turns his head and looks over his shoulder at me. I watch him, my gaze focused on his while he does the same to me. I don’t bother speaking. There’s nothing to be said until he’s ready to actually say it to me.
So I wait.
“After I saw him hit her. I went to her place to talk to her, to help her. I needed to give her options so she knew she could leave. The sister answered the door. Fucking stunning.”
“And then you fucked the sister?” I ask.
Hale smirks. “I didn’t, actually. I offered the sister my help.”
“And?”
It’s like pulling teeth with this guy. I don’t understand why he isn’t giving me the entire story. I am imagining a million different scenarios.
“She’s pregnant with someone else’s baby.”
“I don’t know what to say about all of that,” I murmur.
He shrugs a shoulder, turning to face me. “She’s not safe in that house, in that environment. I need to get her out.”
“What do you need from me, brother?” I ask.
Because let’s get down to brass tacks. He’s here because he wants something from me. He wants me to do something. And I swear to fuck if he says to kill the baby daddy, I’m not so sure I’d tell him no.
I’ll do anything for these men.
Anything they ask me to do.
He drops his head again and wraps his fingers around the back of his neck, massaging it for a moment. When he lifts his gaze, his eyes find mine, and he smirks. I’m not sure what hewants from me. Whatever it is, I’ll give it to him. But I’m just not sure what it is yet because he’s being evasive as fuck.
“I’m moving her shit out tomorrow afternoon. I just… I needed to tell someone, and if I need help, can you help me?”
“With moving?” I ask. “My back is not what it used to be,” I point out.
He snorts. “With anything.”
“Who is the baby daddy?” I ask.
He shrugs a shoulder but doesn’t tell me who it is. I can only assume it’s one of her sister’s dealer boyfriend friends. Fuck. The last thing we need is more drama. It’s been a nice eighteen months without any.
We’ve done nothing but focus on our business. With the entire circle of the chief and the state comptroller’s sick fuck dead, we have all been breathing easy—at least Elodie and I have.
