Page 20 of Vicious Temptation

She freezes with the gun still in her hand.

I cautiously move toward her. “Take your finger off the trigger.”

“I didn’t mean to. I don’t know what⁠—”

“Don’t move.” I reach for the weapon, but she turns in my direction before I can take it. The gun fires, and heat tears across my upper arm.

Fuck, she actually shot me.

I clamp a hand over the wound as the door flies open and slams against the wall. Remi storms in, takes in the scene, and closes the distance in seconds. She grabs Desiree’s wrist, strips the gun from her hand, and forces her to the ground before aiming the weapon at her.

“Stay down.”

“Wait! It was an accident,” Ryan cuts in, stepping forward.

“Then don’t fucking move.”

He stops.

Remi turns toward me, instantly noticing the blood slipping between my fingers.

“Thiago? What the fuck is going on? Are you shot?”

“I am. But it’s mostly a graze.”

“She fucking shot you?”

“It was an accident,” I tell her. “A reckless one, but an accident.”

Remi glances at Desiree, who’s now crying and still shaking on the floor.

“She put two rounds where they had no business going. One into my ceiling and one into your arm.”

“I’m aware.”

Her expression hardens. “Clearly not enough if you’re defending her.”

“I’m not defending her. I’m telling you she isn’t a threat.”

Remi holds the weapon on Desiree for another second before lowering it. She ejects the magazine, clears the chamber, and hands both off to one of her staff.

“Callahan, take care of this. Everyone out. Give them refunds or vouchers, I don’t care. Just make sure the place is clear in fifteen.” She looks down at Desiree. “And you, don’t ever come back here.”

The room fills with low voices and hurried movement as people pack up their things and head for the exit. Callahan takes over with Desiree while Ryan stays close, trying to calm her down.

Whatever plan I had for tonight went to shit the second that first round hit the ceiling. I came here hoping to cross paths with Remi without giving her a reason to question why I was around. Getting shot wasn’t exactly how I pictured it happening.

“Thiago,” she calls from behind me.

I turn around to find her waiting near the door.

“Come with me.”

Six

Remi

“Inexperienced idiots need supervision. Your little friend should never have been allowed to hold a gun, let alone fire one,” I say, skipping the elevator and taking the stairs with Thiago right behind me. “You’re lucky she didn’t put a hole through your face or one of my other patrons.”