Page 36 of Under Pressure

“Why can’t I get him off my mind? I’m just wasting my time,” she growled at herself, grabbing her building pass out of her tote.

Reaching for the door, she lifted her feet to swivel out as her cell phone pinged, notifying her that she’d received a message. Her heart practically thumped out of her chest as she stared as the lit screen in her hand, slowly raising it. But her stomach sank so hard that she fell back into her seat as she read it. It was from Hunter.

Available tonight?

Irritated, Kendra snapped back a message.

No, I’m not.

It’s for work. If I text you a time and a place later, can you be there?

Goddamn. Kendra twisted in her seat, wishing she could break the stupid phone. Hunter, whether she liked it or not, was her boss. This was for work. He’d made clear. He could write her up.

I need back-up on this.

Can you get someone else?

No, I need you.

Kendra closed her eyes, caught in a bad spot. She hovered her fingers over the phone’s keyboard, at a loss. She just couldn’t go. Delta’s words crashed through her mind. Hunter was dangerous. She needed to stay safe, stay away. For once, she agreed with him.

But Delta’s other words sliced through her memories—“All mine.” He wanted her to feel like she belonged to him, to wait for him—so no one else could have her. Kendra looked around the car, gazing at nothing particular but letting the truth sink in. There was not going to be a fairy tale for her. She had to get back to her real life, and that meant raising a child and making a living. She had to write back to her boss.

Is it urgent?

Yes.

Send me the details.

Chapter Fourteen

Kendra’s black stilettos clicked down the sidewalk in West Hollywood as she approached a nightclub she’d never been to. In a black strappy tank top and a leather bomber jacket on top of dark jeans, she thought she cut the look of a good undercover operator. Protecting her identity, she’d even left her car at a quiet lot several blocks from her destination.

It wasn’t often that she did this type of work, but apparently, she needed to this time, according to her boss. Moving through a small club-going crowd in front of a row of buildings, she tightened her jaw, feeling a little out of place, to say the least. Party people were younger than she remembered and wearing things she didn’t quite understand. It took everything in her not to just turn around and bolt home. Home was the only place she wanted to be, the only place that felt right, cozy and safe.

But here she was—meeting Hunter.

Pulling out a twenty as she approached the bouncer at the entrance to a dark club, she observed the name—Holywood. A gothic, edgy design adorned the black doorway leading into a space down a shadowy hallway. As she strode into the bar, she spotted Hunter leaning up against the bar top, just where he had said he’d be.

“You came.” Hunter licked his lips, possibly inebriated.

She grumbled to herself as he ushered her into a tight space next to him. The room, peppered with dim lamps, featured a long antique-looking wooden bar. Loud music echoed throughout, a type of dance-rock, enticing people to move. If vampires drank anywhere, Kendra didn’t doubt they’d show up there, based on the crowd.

“This better be worth it,” she noted, cold and unsociable, which didn’t seem to dissuade Hunter from pawing up her back.

“You won’t regret this.” He slammed down on the bar beside her, leaning in to speak over the music. “What can I get you?”

Something in his gaze made her skin crawl, but it was a little unlike before. Something was different. The calculating look in his eye was unnerving, and she covertly inched away, creating space.

“Let’s get to it,” she prompted. “This is business.”

Hunter grinned, tracing the rim on his cup, looking her up and down. “Why can’t this be personal?”

“Why am I here, Hunter?” She grew incensed, looking around the bar. “What are we looking for?”

Hunter laughed, motioning to the bartender, ostensibly ordering her something. He always thought he knew what she wanted, she realized—and he always got it wrong. Now, both hands leaning on the bar, she couldn’t miss how he was flexing his muscles and looking at her through the side of his eyes. He seemed different. A little wilder.

Leaning into her, he exhaled as a strange, self-satisfied look crossed his face.

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