Page 103 of How To Catch A Killer … And Date His Best Friend

The poor bastard didn’t even stand a chance.

He goes down hard, and I’m left standing in the street, staring at my girl on my bike. The very girl who spent all this time pretending she had no idea what she was doing on a bike.

I just stare at her.

“What?” she asks innocently.

Fuck me.

Lyra revs the engine before winking at me. “Get on, cowboy. You’re riding bitch.”

My jaw slackens, and I just gape at her, having no choice but to do as she says and climb on behind her, and not a moment later, we’re soaring up the street while I attempt to cover our escape.

The bike cuts through the street, and the woman sitting between my thighs rides like she was born doing it. Sharp turns and controlled slides. It’s absolute chaos, and by the time the last of the DeLuca men finally disappear and the street falls quiet, the adrenaline slowly begins to fade.

Smoke drifts through the air, and despite the cops being only a minute or two away, Lyra can’t help but turn the bike around. She skids to a stop right beneath the flickering neon sign, her eyes searching the darkness until Hunter finally steps out.

My feet hit the ground to stabilize us as Hunter strides our way, his eyes locked on Lyra, searching her for any sign of injury. His shirt is torn, and it looks as though these last few minutes rained hell down on him, but for the most part, he’s okay.

There’s blood on his jaw, a bruise already forming beneath his eyes, and he looked pissed, which tells me he’s fine.

Relief hits me harder than expected as Hunter stops right beside the bike, watching Lyra like she’s the second coming of Christ. He looks her over again before taking in her casual stance on the bike, then spares a quick glance at me before settling right back on her.

A slow grin stretches across his face, his eyes darkening with desire. “Do you have any idea how fucking hot that was?”

Lyra smirks. “If Maddox’s rock hard cock against my back is anything to judge by, then yes, I’m more than aware of how hot that was.”

I just grin. I’ve got nothing to apologize for.

Hunter laughs and reaches for her, his hand clamping around her throat, the same way he always takes her, and as he pulls her in, she can’t look away, and honestly, neither can I. He’s infatuated. Every piece of his soul belongs to the woman between us, and I can’t help but feel happy for him.

He’s my best friend, the man who has always had my back, and I want this for him, even if it means we have to share. I thought he’d never find someone he could truly be himself around, and the fact that he’s found it in Lyra somehow makes it better.

He kisses her deeply, and I just lean back against the bike, letting them have their moment, until Hunter pulls back and glances at me. “You know she handles this thing better than you do.”

I just stare. The fucking audacity of this man. “Your tongue was just down my woman’s throat, and you have the nerve to say that to me?” I say with a scoff, shaking my head. “You’re lucky you’re still breathing.”

Lyra laughs and looks back at me, a dazzling smile tearing across her face. “He’s right, you know?” she teases. “But if you’re not sure, I’m down for a little friendly competition.”

“Oh,” I laugh, locking my arm around her waist and yanking her back into me. “It’s on.”

I go to kiss my girl just as a piercing squeal cuts through the night, the sound loud enough to drown out the approaching sirens. My head snaps up, always ready for a threat, when I see Lyra’s favorite bartender, Danielle, racing out of the bar through the shattered window, her gaze locked on Dean.

“Holy shit,” she screeches, racing right into his arms and almost knocking him over before immediately smacking his chest. “Are you insane? What the hell was that?”

Dean just grins, his arm locking around her waist as Marcus discretely steps away. “Baby, you think I was about to stand back and do nothing? Not when you were inside that bar.”

Tears well in her eyes as she looks up at him. “You stayed and did all that because of me?”

“Why the fuck else would I be here?” he says to her, the adrenaline of the fight giving him the balls to finally confess what everybody apart from her could already see. “You’re the only reason I’m here every night, just waiting for the moment your shift ends so I can walk you to your car.”

She slowly shakes her head, trying to understand. “You’re lying.”

He takes her chin, holding her stare. “It’s always been you, Dani-girl.”

She whimpers, but before she gets a chance to say another word, Dean kisses her, and she instantly melts into his hold, kissing him back. Marcus steps up beside the bike, his stare locked on Lyra. “Alright, you ready to tell me how the fuck you know how to fight like that, why you have semi-automatic rifles hidden inside the bar, and why the two assholes you’re dating are capable of slaughtering an army of armed men blindfolded?”

She winces, and looks up at Marcus with those big doe eyes, feigning innocence. “Would you believe me if I said I just took a few self-defense classes and figured it was in the bar’s best interest to have weapons on hand, you know, for protection?”