Page 27 of Edge
“Hey, were your ears ringing?” I answered. “Because my aunt was just teasing me about you.”
“She have good things to say about me?”
I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. “Definitely.”
Though if she knew exactly how much time I’d been spending with him, she might not have sounded so approving.
“Glad to hear it,” he chuckled.
“Are you free?” I switched the call to speaker so I could walk and talk more easily. “I’m on my way to grab lunch for Aunt Gloria and me, but I’m sure she’d understand if I ate with you and brought her order back a little later.”
“Sorry, baby. Can’t get away right now. But make sure you grab something heavier than a salad—gotta keep your energy up for later.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “You’re bossy, you know that?”
“Yeah,” he replied without a hint of apology. “But you like it.”
The butterflies that never seemed to leave my stomach lately swirled harder. “You have way too much confidence in your powers of persuasion.”
“You packed half your closet into a bag because I told you to,” he shot back. “You tell me who’s right here.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again, sighing in mock defeat. “Fine. But only because your fridge is better stocked than mine.”
“Damn right it is. And so’s my bed.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I almost tripped over a crack in the sidewalk.
“Tatum,” I hissed even though there was nobody nearby to overhear.
He just laughed, the sound vibrating straight through me. “Can’t see it but know you well enough to say your reaction is why I’m so damn confident, baby.”
My heart kicked up, pulse fluttering in a way that had nothing to do with the summer heat. I shook my head as I neared the corner where The Drift Café’s sign came into view.
“I suppose I can’t really argue with that.”
The cheerful hum of conversation from The Drift Café floated across the street as I neared the corner.
Tatum’s voice purred in my ear, my heart skipping at those two words I craved almost as much as I love you. “Good girl.”
Then an engine growled beside me, low and rough, shattering the moment. I glanced over and glared at the dark van without any logo on the side and tinted windows. I assumed itwas on the way to a delivery until the brakes squealed and the side door slammed open.
Hands shot out, rough and fast, grabbing for me.
“What the—?” My phone slipped, clattering against the pavement.
Tatum’s voice called out my name.
Panic surged hot through my veins, but instinct kicked in. I screamed, shoving back, twisting my body as one hand clamped around my wrist. I raked my nails across skin—caught a cheek, hot blood welling under my scratch.
“Bitch!” a man snarled.
Another hand snagged my arm, yanking hard. I kicked wild, my foot connecting solid with a shin. He grunted, stumbling.
I’d never been in a fight, but adrenaline roared through my veins, drowning out everything but the need to get away. Not just for me, but also the baby Tatum had been trying to put into me. If I was pregnant, I had even more reason to try everything I could to get away.
I threw my weight sideways, aiming for the curb. My tote swung free, spilling books across the concrete. One of the men cursed, boot crunching down on a paperback as he lunged.
I snatched the nearest hardback and swung it like a weapon, cracking the spine across his jaw. His head snapped sideways with a curse, teeth flashing red where my blow split his lip.
