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I stride through the crowd, trying to forget the interaction. Maybe Iwasoverreacting. As I walk back toward the hotel, I look over my shoulder. The man is following me, clearly visible through the crowd since he’s several feet taller than the average person. I move quicker, breathing fast. I turn a corner, then another one.
If you ever feel in danger, Ryan told me once,get out of the situation as fast as possible. You can always feel silly about it afterward.
I cling to that advice, repeating it to myself as I turn another corner, lights blinking around me. Am I lost? I thought the hotel was going to be right there.
“Samantha,” the man calls from behind me.
I turn to find him standing at the end of the street. Several people have also turned at his yelling voice.
“Samantha, come on. Don’t play games with me.”
“Leave me alone!” I snap, then turn and run.
That’s right.Run. Whatever this creep wants, I’m not interested, and I don’t give a damn about feeling stupid or paranoid. He’sdefinitelyfollowing me.
Feeling like I’m in some horror flick, I keep running, but I can’t run anymore.
I collide with somebody. They’re solid muscle all the way through, and their arm is around me, squeezing, trapping. This is bad.
That’s what my unhelpful mind throws up at a moment like this.This is bad, and now, when I should fight and scream, paralysis flows through me, terror freezing. It’s ridiculous. I shoulddosomething. Finally, I scream, dart my hand out, and hit him in the chin.
CHAPTERTEN
Kai
Her hands fly up to cover her mouth, killing the scream. Those wild, innocent eyes get beautifully wide as she realizes she’s just whacked me on the chin.
It was a decent strike. It’s the sort of punch that makes me think she’ll put up a fight if she ever needs to defend our kids, but it wouldn’t have stopped me or any man intent on doing violence. Maybe I’ll teach her when our children are young or before she gets pregnant—before Imakeher pregnant.
“Jesus, Kai, I’m sorry.”
I go for a cocky smirk, though my heart is thudding so hard.
“I’ve been looking for you,” I growl. “Why were you running?”
All around us, lights blink, twinkle, and blind. It’s all annoying, honestly, but the number of people is a good thing. Nobody will start a gunfight here unless they want the full weight of the Feds crushing them into the dirt.
“There was a man…” She gestures down the street, her chest rising and falling, still in her denim overalls. It’s so difficult not to kiss her again. “I think he was following me.”
My blood ices. “Describe him.”
She describes the man who called himself Randall, with swollen muscles and tall.
“I’m not making it up,” she says, staring at me with that sassy pout.
“Calm down, firecracker. I never said you were.”
“The last way to make somebody calm down is to tell them to calm down.”
“I’m taking you back to the room.”
I expect her to pull away when I grab her arm. Instead, she moves closer to me. It’s so damn hard not to wrap my arm around her shoulder, hold her close, and kiss her head to let her know everything will be okay.
“You shouldn’t have left without telling me,” I say, squeezing her arm.
She’s looking through the crowds, scanning faces. “Why not?”
“Because it’s my job to look after you. Ryan would never forgive me—”
