Scary Hot

Back at July’s house, I stand back by the door while Wes talks to his woman, and I see the moment Kayan comes awake on the couch next to them.

“I talked to Jax,” Wes is saying to July. “Between his boys and mine, we’ll be able to figure this out.” He pulls July closer to him with a hand behind her neck. “I’m going to stay here with you and your friend until we can get some security in at her place and yours.”

“Uh, what—?” she whispers.

“That’s not happening,” Kayan cuts in, making her consciousness known. “Whoever did this isn’t going to scare me out of my own home. I love you, but I’m not staying here.”

This doesn’t surprise me one bit. She told me the night she shot me at her place that she liked her space and refused to move in with July.

“It’s not safe for you to be there alone,” July says softly, but Kayan stands up, crossing her arms over her chest.

“They are not scaring me out of my house,” she repeats.

“You’re not staying alone,” I finally speak up, stepping into the room more.

“You’re not my dad,” she replies, and her sassiness makes my dick twitch.

“You’re not staying alone, kitten,” I repeat, leaning forward and getting into her space.

“Fine, I’ll call Eric.” She shrugs, and I can see she’s purposely trying to bait me, obviously remembering my reaction earlier when she said she went out to dinner with him. It works.

“Think again,” I tell her, narrowing my eyes.

“You can’t tell me what to do!” she shouts, stomping her foot.

“Bet your sweet ass I can!” I holler back, and Wes’s dog Capone starts to bark at us.

“I’m going home!” she cries, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration while I glare at her.

“Okay, then I’m staying with you,” I say, sweeping my hand toward the door.

“What?” Kayan stops, her body freezing almost comically.

“I’m staying with you,” I repeat.

“Uhh…” She looks at July like she just realized what she had gotten herself into, and her friend smiles. “Maybe I’ll just stay here,” Kayan whispers.

“Nope,” I snap, shaking my head. “Walk your sweet ass to your car. I’ll follow you home.”

“Um…” She glances at July once more, and I can tell by the way she presses her lips together that July’s trying to keep from laughing. “Fine.” She glares at me then looks at the other woman. “I’m quitting tomorrow.”

“You were already fired,” July tells her, and my brow furrows until I realize it must be an inside joke.

“I hate you,” she grumbles at me as she stomps toward the door, but all I can do is watch her sexy ass as she passes by and heads out the front door.

“Please be nice to her,” July pleas, stealing my attention, and I give her a look, lift my chin, and then leave, shutting the door behind me.

5

Kayan

“What the hell have you gotten yourself into, woman?” I ask myself, turning into my driveway and watching in my rearview mirror as Z pulls in behind me on his motorcycle.

It’s true—some of my normal attitude had shown itself when I’d first woken up in July’s living room, and in my fog, I’d forgotten for a split second just who I was dealing with. But the moment that man got in my face and said he’d be staying with me, my mind was bombarded with images of his big body filling up my space. Which led to thoughts of his big body filling me up.

I flash back to the night I met him, when he and Wes caught us at Momma’s Country after we followed the guy who was leaving the dogs at the clinic.

“What?” I mumble as July wakes me up, where I’m in the car seat next to her. I wipe the doughnut frosting from my face. Half the fun of a stakeout is the snacks, after all.

“They’re here,” she hisses, and my head comes up, my eyes wide.

“Oh shit,” I whisper, pulling the camera off the dash.

July pulls out her phone and calls Mark, one of the vets who’s been working at our clinic over the last few months. She tells him he needs to get to the office and take care of the dog that was just dropped off, and to call the vet tech on call. We watch as the person drops the dog at the door of our clinic then gets back in their truck.

I can tell July wants to go to the poor animal, but knowing there will be someone coming to help him soon keeps her in place and focused on our task at hand. We need information, so we can do what we can to stop this from happening any longer. When the person pulls out, July keeps her headlights off before starting up the Jeep and following him out of the parking lot.