Page 46 of Prey

“Roman,” I whispered against his lips.

I felt his lips graze mine when the growl of engines took us by surprise.

He pulled away and looked off to something—someone—to my side, frowning a bit.

The engine growled louder, and I told myself not to be scared, yet I couldn’t help the way my heart reacted.

I moved closer to him, and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest.

I should have felt safe—and I did, to some extent—but it was hard to feel calm when I could feel how loudly his heart was beating against my face, and when I looked up at him, I saw something in his eyes that I had never seen before.

Fear.

Not for him.

No, when he turned down and looked at me, that fear was reserved just for me.

He pressed something hard into my palm.

I looked down and found the key to his truck. I frowned at him, not understanding why he gave it to me.

“Get in the car and drive off, you hear me?” he said, a hard edge to his voice.

“What about you?”

I tried to look back to see what had him reacting like this, but he shook my shoulders, bringing my attention back to him.

“Ryleigh, tell me you understand. Get in the car and drive. I don’t give a fuck where you drive off to, as long as you fucking drive and don’t stop. Got it?”

“Roman.”

He shook his head. “Baby, we don’t have time. Just go.”

He pushed me toward the driver’s side, and I climbed in, feeling dazed.

He tapped on the roof of the car, startling me out of my thoughts, and I looked over to see three big bikers approaching us.

“Start the car and go,” he yelled through the closed window. My hand shook as I started the car, and Roman took off away from the truck.

The big bikers gave chase, one of them meeting my eyes through the window, but he didn’t stop.

What the hell was that?

I put the car into drive, looking both ways. If I went right, it would take me out of the parking lot, and I could head North and return to Sacramento.

I could go back to my life.

The life I had before I met Roman.

I blinked, tears making my vision blurry, and I felt them drop to my thighs.

If I went left, it would lead me to where Roman had taken off.

My bottom lip trembled.

I already knew what my decision was before I even made it.

I turned left, my heart feeling like it was trying to lurch out of my throat.

---