Page 396 of The Tempted

“Fine,” she sighed. “I don’t like it but for Pea, I’ll swallow my pride,” she whispered.

I nodded.

“If you want something else to swallow, give me a call,” I teased.

“You’re a pig,” she said, punching me in the arm.

I winked at her, stepping through the door.

“You love it,” I quipped, turning around to look at her one more time. “For the record…” I shoved my hands into my pockets, pulling out my leather fingerless gloves and fitting them to my hands, “…if I had to choose between you and Brittany, I’d always choose you,” I lifted my eyes, watching as her mouth opened slightly.

“Good night, Kitten,” I said.

“Good night, Tiger,” she whispered.

And just like that, we were Kitten and Tiger again.

I don’t know why that made me smile.

Or why it made me feel better about things but it did. I walked away, running down the stairs and not because I was running away from Lauren but running to my bike, desperate for the open road to help me make sense of it all.

I stepped outside and turned to where I parked my bike and noticed it was missing.

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

I glanced around the street when I felt someone walk up behind me.

I didn’t have time to turn around because whoever it was grabbed me, putting me in a headlock before they covered my head with a bag. My gun was lifted from my waistband and I went to elbow the motherfucker in the ribs but I was too slow, something crashed against my skull and everything went black.