Page 15 of Temptation
“His body was never recovered. That was so long ago. A different life. He died back then, I know he did, but now, some twisted piece of shit is imitating his crimes. A new Last Breath Killer, trying to rise to his sick glory. He’s coming after me.” A pause. “And you.” His hands had fisted.
She could not move. Her feet were covered in little socks—booties?—that one of the nurses had given to her. Those covered feet of Sloane’s seemed glued to the floor.
“Preston…” She should tell him. Really. She should. But finding the right words was gonna be hard.
He nodded. “Time to go.” He scooped her into his arms.
“What are you doing?” She locked her left arm around his neck. “I can walk.”
“I can carry you faster.”
Highly doubtful. But he was rushing with her through hospital corridors as nurses and doctors gaped, and when she and Preston entered a waiting area a moment later, Atlas and Lily immediately sprang forward.
“What is happening here?” Lily demanded.
Sloane shrugged. Attempted to, anyway. “Apparently, he can carry me faster than I can walk?” Still debatable.
“You freaking run marathons for fun, Sloane. No way can he carry you faster.” A flat and serious response from Lily. It was also a true response. She did run for fun.
She ran so she could be away from the rest of the world. So there was just the pounding of her feet on the earth. So she could hear nothing but the furious beat of her own heart.
And not the screams that so often haunted her.
“Put her down.” A snapped order from Atlas. “Now.”
“No.” An equally snapped response from Preston.
Atlas quirked a brow. “Are things about to get messy between us?”
“I just fucking crawled out of a grave. You don’t want to screw with me right now.”
Sloane smiled at Lily. “Thanks for the save.”
“What are you doing, Sloane?” Real worry underscored Lily’s words.
“I’m good.” Her eyes tried to convey another message to Lily. Trust me. “Preston thinks I’m in danger.”
“You were just pulled out of the ground,” Lily emphasized. “Yes, you are in danger. I agree. One hundred percent. The jerk who buried you is still out there. The Feds are going to take over this case—they are coming in because we all know it looks just like the work of the Last Breath Killer.”
Preston tensed.
Sloane stroked her fingers down the back of his neck.
“Oh, what?” Lily’s hands went to her hips. “Was I supposed to act like I didn’t recognize the obvious?”
“Of course not, darling.” Atlas edged closer to Lily. He always did that. Got close. Placed his body protectively near hers. “You don’t suffer bullshit.”
No, Lily didn’t. She didn’t waste energy on falseness. One of the things that Sloane had always liked about Lily. I don’t have to pretend with her. She knows what I’m like deep inside.
“You escaped him before,” Lily added as her stare sharpened on Preston.
“I’m not taking a damn walk down memory lane right now with you. I’m getting Sloane out of here before the reporters close in. I’m keeping her.” A pause. “I’m keeping her safe,” he corrected.
And I’m just keeping you, Preston. Wow. That thought had slid through her head, all sneaky and tempting, and she should shut it down but…
It was hard to forget just how well the man had kissed in the darkness.
“You…found her.” Halting, from Preston. “You searched for her. You were digging her out. So I wanted you to know where Sloane was going. That’s why I brought her to this waiting area.”
