Page 77 of Under Fire

Ushering her along, Warren’s body language told Alisa that he was on guard.

And she was under his protection.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Warren

Warren kept going, marching up the sand, despite Alisa gasping for air as he dragged her forward. He didn’t doubt her cardiovascular threshold. She was just in shock. He didn’t blame her. For once, he was a little stunned, too.

He flickered his gaze down to the mouth-watering woman holding his hand for dear life, like he was extracting her from a war zone. He never wasted time in taking control.

“Thank God you came,” she said behind him as they passed through beachy brush. “I didn’t think anyone was coming.”

“Yet, here I am.”

He felt her quake, clearly not missing his insinuation.

“How did you find me?”

“Maria,” he responded, continually assessing their surroundings. “She suspected Dean was behind it, the way that cop pulled you away.”

He ushered her forward onto the street, where he’d left his truck. There was a lot more to that story, but they didn’t have time to chat. Wasting no time, he wrapped his arm around her, heaving her into his truck. She yelped as he did, seemingly catching her off guard.

“Maria—” she started.

Yanking her seatbelt, Warren said, “So, he’s a fucking biker? And this is his clubhouse? You could have filled me in on those details.”

“I’m terrified to say what I really know, what I’ve seen.”

“You didn’t think it mattered?” he asked.

“Yes and no…”

As he buckled her in, he felt her body tensing and knew instantly what she was thinking. It had only been a matter of time. They’d been playing with fire. Shaking his head, he retracted, but when she placed her soft hand on his cheek, he was halted. The sensation of her gentle, tender touch threw him off, but not as much as seeing the look on her face.

“Thank you.”

Tears flushed into her dark eyes.Those goddamn eyes.

Warren sucked his teeth, trying to get a grip. They still had big problems.

He growled, “I’ll never understand why you’d throw your life away like that.”

Her palm flat against his cheek, she angled his face to hers, her lips trembling. “I never thought I’d fall in love.”

“Keep telling yourself that—and it will come true.”

“I was wrong. I know I was wrong because—” But she stopped talking.

The way she trailed her gaze up and down his face, pursing her quivering lip—it hit Warren hard. He knew exactly what she was going to say next.

And he didn’t want to fucking hear it.

Instinctively, he pulled back, perceiving danger. He wasn’t wrong.

“Leaving so soon?” Dean called out from the bushes lining the edge of the beach.

Warren whipped around, squaring himself to her approaching ex, hearing her cry out behind him to get in the truck. She didn’t want him fighting Dean.Laughable. Warren slammed the passenger door to the truck shut, and she didn’t have a goddamn choice anymore.

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