Page 3 of Bounty Hunter's Obsession

While the man now sitting in front of me is intimidating, I’m not scared of him. I have a ton of questions, but nothing in his demeanor says I’m in danger. So my shoulders relax as I decide to listen.

“Halo, I’m Hayden Haven. I’m a bounty hunter and owner of Haven Hunt Bounty Associates. Are you aware there’s a bench warrant out for your arrest?”

“What? No! Why? That can’t be possible.”

“You missed your court date,” Hayden says with worry in his eyes. I can’t decide if it’s pity or if he doesn’t believe I can make a dumb mistake like missing my first court appearance.

“That’s not possible. I spoke to my lawyer two weeks ago and he said that I didn’t have to show up, and if I had to come, he’d call me. He hasn’t called me,” I huff out.

“Halo. Order up.” Maybelle calls from behind the counter. Shit. I have to get back to work.

“Coming,” I shout back to her. Turning to Hayden, I catch him in a daze just staring at me. His eyes penetrate something deep inside of me that I can’t put my finger on, but I hope he can. I want him. In the mere moments I’m talking to him, I feel safe and don’t want to leave his side.

“Go ahead, finish out your shift. I’m not going anywhere,” he says and I can’t help but hope he means that beyond tonight.

The way Hayden follows me moving around the diner makes me smile, giving me chills in places no one’s been able to touch…ever.

Time flies with only one other customer hanging around as the chef shuts the kitchen down and Maybelle closes out the register. I count out the tips and split them between the three of us before heading back over to Hayden.

He stands up, towering over me, where the top of my head reaches the top of his chest. Then he does something that sends heat blazing to the spot between my legs. He licks his lips and places his hand on the small of my back, leading me out of the diner.

When I see my tiny blue Corolla, I nearly burst into tears. “It was going to take me months to save up the money to get it out of the impound lot. The cops took it when they raided Tony’s, but when they realized it belonged to me, they released it.”

“So why did that lot still have it?” he asks, opening up the passenger side door for me.

“Wait a minute,” I stop myself from simply sliding intomycar with a perfect stranger. “This is my car. Give me the keys. I’m driving.”

“Get in the car, little girl.” The command is enough for me to know he means business. I do as he tells me and get inside the passenger seat. When he slides into the driver’s side, I pout and turn my face away from him.

Hayden reaches across his body to hook a finger under my chin, turning me to him. “Don’t do that. You’ve been busting your ass the last few hours I’ve been sitting in that diner. Let me take you home.”

“Um, okay,” I tell him hesitantly, unable to break away from his gaze.

“Good. Now tell me why your car’s been sitting in that lot collecting fees if the cops released it to you after they had it towed.”

I let out a sigh of exhaustion, “Because that asshole in the booth said he called the number listed for the owner, and when I didn’t answer, they began to tack on their storage fees. 450 bucks a day plus taxes. He said if I slept with him, he’d take 50% off, but eww. I wouldn’t give my virginity to a sleazebag like that.”

“You’re a virgin?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I tell him, suddenly wondering if that makes me less attractive.

“God, you’re perfect,” he says to my surprise. Hayden shakes his head and asks, “You mind if we swing by that lot? I left my car parked there.”

“How did you find me, anyway?” I ask him.

“Pure fucking luck. I caught your warrant on my way out of the office and decided to do some digging. Found your car, paid it off, and took it out of that lot. Miles checked out and everything from the day they processed it, but that guy rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn't let you go back there and deal with him.”

“Thank you, Hayden. I’m going to pay you back every penny. I promise.”

“Don’t worry about that right now. Oh, and your house is taped off as a crime scene. I went by after I got your car and then my stomach told me to pull into the diner. There you were.”

“Are you going to take me in? I really didn’t mean to miss my court date. I was promised that the charges were going to be dropped as long as I showed up and cooperated. They even set my bail super low.”

He glances at me before returning his attention to the road. “Who told you that?”

“The district attorney. I was only a coat check girl at Tony’s. So I didn’t know anything, and the dancers at the club all vouched for that much. I hadn’t been working there long when everything happened.”

“How’d you end up working at a strip club anyway?” he asks as we round another corner where I can see the impound lot coming into view.

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