Stumbling back, she whirled to make a dash for the back door. She didn’t make it three steps before the man was on her, her body slamming up against the cabinet and countertop. One arm locked around her throat as he pulled her back against his chest, restraining her as easily as a child. Her hands grabbed his forearm, but she couldn’t break his hold. As every worst-possible scenario ran through her head, her eyes fell on the block of knives on the counter in the corner. She reached out her hand, frantically grasping toward it and felt the smooth wooden handle in her palm as she closed around the cleaver and yanked it from the block. At the same time, the unmistakable cold metal of a gun barrel pressed against her cheek.
“Drop it.” A man’s voice. Deep and rumbling and somehow familiar. It triggered some part of her brain, a memory buried deep inside a vault she’d thought she’d locked away years ago. She froze, her hand still clenched tight around the handle of the clever.
“Sky, drop it. Now.”
There was only one man that had ever called her that.
Shades.
The clever clattered to the granite counter as her body sagged back against him with relief. It was Shades. Not the Devil Kings. They hadn’t found her. They weren’t here to kill her.
The barrel of the gun was no longer pressed to her cheek. Shades stepped back long enough to spin her around, and then he was stepping right back in, crowding her against the edge of the counter again.
Something about the look in his eyes had her shoving him back. She managed to twist free of his hold, but didn’t get two steps before his hand closed over her upper arm, and he was pulling her back. She fought his hold, slapping at him and yanking back. When he’d apparently had enough, he spun and pinned her to the wall, his right hand coming up to close over her throat holding her there. He wasn’t choking her, but there was enough pressure there to let her know he was serious.
“Calm the fuck down,” he snapped.
“Let me go!” she tried to pull his hands away, but it was no use. He was too strong.
“I’m not gonna hurt you, Sky. Now settle down.” He stared down at her, his eyes intent on hers. There were strong feelings there reflected back at her, but hell if she could read them. Anger? Frustration? Desire? She couldn’t be sure. And then she was distracted from figuring it out as the thumb of the hand on her throat started stroking, the sensation stirring something back to life within her. She suddenly remembered how gentle his touch could be when he wanted. Swallowing, she pushed the thought out of her head. Her voice trembled when she spoke. “You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?”
“You know why I’m here.”
She shook her head, as much as his hand allowed. “There’s nothing for you here.”
He let out a huff of laughter. “You couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
“I’m not yours anymore. Get your hands off me.”
“Where’s your ol’ man?” he asked with a smirk because he already knew the answer. And that just pissed her off more.
“You know he left town. He was at the clubhouse saying his goodbyes not two hours ago.”
“Then maybe the question ought to be… what are you still doing here? He leave you behind?”
“That’s none of your business.”
He shook her. “I’m makin’ it my business.”
“Why? Why do you care? You made your choice years ago and it wasn’t me,” she reminded him.
“Sky—”
“Let me go,” she ground out.
He stepped closer, leaning down, his face just inches from hers. “Fuck, no. Not until we’ve talked this shit out.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. It’s all ancient history now. You mean nothing to me.” She spit out the lie. That must have gotten to him, because she saw his head pull back as if her words had physically struck him.
“I went back for you.” His voice came out whisper soft, and his hold on her throat released, his palm gliding down to her collarbone where it stopped and rested warm against her skin.
She frowned, completely thrown by his words. She couldn’t have heard correctly.
“What?” she whispered back, barely audible.
“I went back for you. That night. I went back for you, Sky.”
She shook her head. “No. I don’t believe you.”