Page 37 of Under Pressure

“Your boy, Delta… He thinks he’s pretty smooth, huh?”

Kendra’s interest was piqued. “Okay?”

“But he’s not as clever as he thinks.”

“What does that mean?”

Hunter grinned and continued, “The thing about SEALs is that they chew through women—and were you any exception? I’ve been the only person looking out for you. I’ve been here when he wasn’t.”

The way his words came out was like a justification. She raised her eyebrow again, feeling that there was a deeper story behind what Hunter was up to.

“Has something happened you would like to share?”

She slowly probed Hunter, waiting for him to make sense, but the man just shrugged, holding firm in his space as the bartender slung a clear drink down in front of her with a lime on top. She went to reach into her jacket for cash, but Hunter aggressively flung down bills to cover her. The bartender snapped them up before she could protest, which she very much wanted to.

Fuck, she thought as she paced back.

“Are we sharing now?” Hunter quizzed, advancing toward her. “Have we decided to be honest with each other?”

She watched him, silently, waiting for him to play his cards. He continued, letting her in on his point.

“When are you going to recognize that he’s a monster?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Kendra said, confused as hell. What does Hunter know?

“He’s dangerous, Kendra. I’ve been telling you that since the beginning. What more do you need?”

His focus followed her lips, on down her throat and resting there for a moment. Taking a swig of his pint, Hunter recovered, pausing the conversation. He then put the cold glass down and narrowed his eyes on her.

“As it is, I knew you wouldn’t take my word. I know you’ve been hanging on to hopes for him. Well, Delta is going to just hurt you…again and again, like he already has. And I want you to see it for yourself.”

As his words dripped out, she couldn’t hide the surprise on her face. He was about to show her something that she didn’t want to see. She knew it. He motioned to a dark wall on the edge of the room that clearly had line of sight to the antique bar in the middle of the room. It was, however, blocking the view of the back of the bar.

He continued, “I want you to walk to that wall, in the shadow, and look behind the bar. You’ll see someone sitting there. You’ll know what I mean.”

Kendra raised her eyebrow, her nerves growing inside her. She couldn’t explain why. It just didn’t feel right. But she moved toward the wall, like he said, needing to see for herself. Hiding herself in the shadow, she turned to look behind the bar.

That was when her heart stopped.

It’s Delta.

The man who made her feel too much, the man that never was available, sat there in his usual black hooded sweater, his hand on the bar, drinking whiskey. It wasn’t so much that he was there, but that his head was dropped and he was conspiring with someone.

A woman.

The gorgeous, slim brunette with an athletic build leaned into him, taking in every word. Is this a fucking date? Kendra stumbled back against the wall, gripping it for stability. He’d never taken her out on a date. Feeling sick, she stood on the sidelines like an invader. That woman was so much closer to Delta than she’d ever be, whispering intimately and smiling.

To say that Kendra’s heart died a little would be an understatement. Something inside her blackened just then. She was damn glad she was in the shadow, unseen—because she wanted to cry. Frenzy filled her as she watched Delta shoot his casual smile at the woman. It couldn’t be any clearer what was going on. Furious with herself, she wished she would have just listened to her own good sense.

A familiar, crawling voice came up behind her in the shadow, cold hands gripping her shoulders.

“He never gave a fuck about you,” Hunter grunted into her ear. “But I do.”

She turned her head, taking in the self-congratulatory look that was emanating from his very being. He spun her in his arms, far more aggressive than he’d ever been. It was like the Hunter she’d known had mutated. With fiery eyes, he gazed down his nose at her, like a tiger ready to eat.

“He’s not capable.”

Her lips parted with his words, realizing what he was getting at—and where it was going.

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