Page 49 of King of Temptation

“There seems to be a misunderstanding,” Richard purred. “We can’t just let the girl go, she’s too much of a liability. The deal is, you give me what I want and I’ll ensure she disappears quietly, with nothing to tie her back to your family. You don’t, and like I said… You’ll all be on the hook for her death.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Killian turn, and apparently his nerves were finally getting to him because he reached up, tugging at his tie twice, as if trying to loosen the noose around his own neck.

A loud banging sound rang out through the warehouse as the door to Goldie’s left flew open and Reagan strode in, dragging a body behind her as if it weighed nothing. A smirk curled her lips as she dropped the dead man practically at Richard’s feet. “I brought you a present, brother. There are five more outside.”

“Misha!”

A strangled cry rose from behind her as the knife pressed against Goldie’s throat disappeared. Brody’s eyes met hers, and in them she saw nothing but cold determination before he pulled the trigger.

Gunfire erupted around them, but even over the deafening roar she heard the sickening plop of a body hitting the concrete floor behind her. And then Brody was on his knees, the dim lights of the warehouse glinting off the blade of a knife as he used it to slice through her bonds.

“Stay low,” he growled, a second before yanking her up out of the chair. Reagan stepped in front of them, firing off shots in rapid succession as Brody all but dragged Goldie toward the door. Moving purely on instinct and adrenaline, she stayed crouched as low as she could as she let herself be led out another side door.

Waiting by the exit, perched atop his giant gleaming motorcycle was the owner and head baker of Rev and Roll, Boone Winters. As soon as they were free of the building, Brody stood, yanking her up with him. Picking her up with an ease that would have had her soaking through her panties if they weren’t fleeing for their lives, he plopped her on the back of the bike and stepped back.

“My house. Don’t stop for anything, not even cops, and stay with her until someone in my family comes. Go!”

“No!” Desperate, terrified, she shook her head and tried to climb down from the bike. “I’m not leaving you!”

Sliding his hand around the back of her neck, Brody yanked her to him, his lips a claiming brand across hers. “I’ll be home soon, menace. Go.”

Without giving her a chance to argue further, he spun on his heel and marched back toward the warehouse.

Toward death.

“Brody!”

Her screams were drowned out by the roar of the machine beneath her as they took off, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Boone’s waist to avoid falling off. Looking over her shoulder, she watched as Brody disappeared into the warehouse once more.

Chapter 18

Goldie

“Would you please sit down? You’re making me dizzy with all that pacing.”

Goldie paused just long enough to shoot Boone a sharp glare. “You wouldn’t have to watch me pace if you’d taken me back to the warehouse like I told you to.”

One dark brow raised in a gesture Goldie was all too familiar with. But unlike when Brody gave her that look, all she felt was annoyance. None of the tingling excitement and fear mixture she was used to.

Please let him be okay.

“You may be willing to risk pissing off the O’Rourkes, but some of us have this little thing called self-preservation,” Boone drawled.

Dropping onto the couch opposite him, she crossed her arms and huffed, well aware she looked and sounded like a pouty child. “I have plenty of self-preservation.”

Boone snorted. “Yeah. That’s why you’re suddenly all buddy-buddy with the mob.”

“Look who’s talking. You act like you hate them, but you came running when they called.”

And wasn’t that interesting? Clearly there was more to the relationship between the O’Rourkes and the Princes of Purgatory than anyone had bothered to let on.

If Boone was at all bothered by her pointing that out, however, it didn’t show. The giant biker-slash-baker simply shrugged. “We have some… common interests.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Before he could answer, a surprisingly pleasant chime echoed throughout the house. Pushing up from his seat, Boone jabbed a finger in her direction. “Stay.”

“Or what?”