Dauntless (Sons of Templar MC #5)(103)

“You sure that’s not just an excuse for you to run and escape from me?” he asked, not teasing any longer.

I gave him a long look and held my breath. Before I could think about it too much, I went up on my tiptoes and pressed my mouth to his. It was quick and closed-mouth, but it did something. Something good, something that had my heart beating just a little quicker. And something bad. Something that had my skin prickling with goose bumps, and not the nice kind. The mixture of the two was an exquisite cocktail that I didn’t drink too deep of, not yet.

I stepped away and left him standing there with a hungry, dumfounded look on his face before turning to run in Rosie’s direction.

“Hey, bitch, don’t run with my lipstick,” I called.

She and Lucy had been chatting and staring at the man who just got out of an SUV, who was seriously yummy and frowning at Lucy. Both snapped their attention to me.

“Okay, I’ll give it back, but only if I can keep the boots,” she yelled back.

I shook my head and slowed my pace. It didn’t look like they were getting in Rosie’s car anytime soon. By the way the hulking Maori man was eating Lucy up with his eyes, she wasn’t going to find anything better anywhere.

If I didn’t have my own caramel, hulking man I’d totally fight her for him. But as impressed as I was with his muscles, his height, and the tribal design snaking down his sinewy forearms, I only appreciated it in a detached kind of way. Not just because men had been ruined for me from those three weeks in that cell. Or maybe they had.

All men except one.

“Who’s the hunk?” I asked when I reached the women.

Lucy chewed her lip and Rosie grinned wickedly at her. “Lucy’s boyfriend,” she said, her eyes on the man who was leaning against the SUV, looking like he was happy to lean there for the rest of time.

Her head snapped to Rosie. “He is f*cking not.” Her violet eyes focused on me. “He’s my stalker.”

I grinned, holding my hand out for my lipstick, which Rosie gave me. “Yeah, well, if I were you, I wouldn’t be so cut up about having such a hunky stalker. At least when he ties you up in the basement you’ve got something pretty to look at.” I winked at her and my phone vibrated in my pocket. “So I’m guessing you’ll be sticking around for the party after all?” I surmised, grabbing my phone and glancing down at the unknown caller ID.

“No,” Lucy snapped.

“Yes,” Rosie declared at the same time.

They scowled at each other.

“Well, you two have fun working that out. I’ll see you inside.”

I turned my back to their bickering, grinning at Gabriel, who was leaning against his bike, arms folded, waiting for me.

Such a normal moment, having him staring at me like that, having the itch down to a manageable level. Going to a party where I actually started to feel like I belonged had me feeling something I knew I shouldn’t.

Something that was dangerous.

Deadly.

Hope.

And then when I answered the phone, that hope was shattered into a thousand pieces.

“Yello,” I greeted, my voice light.

“Hey, baby,” a familiar sickening voice drawled.

I stopped in my tracks. My smile froze on my face and my throat closed up.

“No greeting? Not even your trademark smart mouth?” he continued. “I’m surprised. Delightfully so. My boys managed to f*ck it out of you.” There was a loaded pause and his heavy breathing filled my ears. “That’s until those biker f*cks came in and killed them all. Blew up our f*ckin’ house. Now that was just rude,” he hissed. “Turnabout’s fair play. Your boyfriend blows up my friends, kills my family, I blow up yours. Though I am disappointed to let such two hot pieces go to waste.” He sighed.

I found control over my body at his words, at the chilling realization of what he meant.

Lucy and Rosie had just finished their fight and looked like they were about to get into their car.

I dropped my phone, not needing the poison of his words anymore. I had bigger things to worry about.

“Rosie!” I screamed, my voice shrill. “Get away from the car.”

I didn’t wait for my words to penetrate, just started sprinting towards them. The man at the SUV did the same and Rosie and Lucy reacted immediately, running from the vehicle.

I got to them.

Not soon enough.

Or maybe just in time, depending on who you asked.

Because just as the man snatched Lucy out of her run and dove on top of her, the world exploded into face-melting heat and the air became a dump truck, pushing me through the air.

I was flying on the scorching air.

Then I wasn’t.

The ground came at me at a surprising speed.

Then it didn’t.

Because then there was nothing.



It was the ringing that woke me. The ringing that was so loud and so shrill it rattled through my forehead.

I blinked, trying to shake the sound out. Gabriel’s face was the first thing I saw, terror cloaking it. His mouth was moving, but all I could hear was the ringing.

I blinked again and tried to move.

Gabriel’s hands were around me and he said something else, his other hand going to my face and pulling it close to his.

“I can’t hear you,” I said, my voice sounding muffled in my own ears, like I was underwater.