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“You’re welcome, Little Flame.” He dips his head and presses a chaste kiss to my lips without allowing either of us to deepen it. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He turns on his heel and stuffs his hands into his pockets as he starts back the way we came, and I can’t help but watch him as he walks away.

Orion Henderson just asked me on a date.

Well, it was less of a question and more of an order, but it’s more than any other guy has ever bothered with. Sure, sleazebags have asked me out for a drink, but we both knew it was just about sex, and I always turned them down.

I mean, it’s possible Orion is playing me, but he seemed so genuine when he said this was more than just a one-night stand or sex, and my entire body hopes that’s true.

For the first time in almost a year, I fall asleep with a smile on my face and hope in my heart.

If it is too good to be true, it’s going to hurt like hell. But if it’s not? It might be everything I’ve never dared to hope for.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

ORION

Islip into the passenger seat of Killian’s Range Rover and ignore the look he gives me.

No one else would dare to question me the way he does, but that’s the reason he’s my second. I need someone to challenge me, and he sure as hell does that.

“Orion, you know this is dangerous,” he finally says.

“I know.”

“Lucas knows you care for the girl. Don’t you realize what kind of danger that puts her in?”

A growl rises up the back of my throat, but I quickly swallow it, because he’s right. He’s so fucking right that I’m desperate to slam my fist into his face just so he’ll stop reminding me how bad an idea this is. “He doesn’t know I’m the Hunter,” I force through gritted teeth.

“No, you don’tthinkhe knows you’re the Hunter. But he might. Even if he suspects it, it puts Ember in danger, and she doesn’t even realize it.”

“She’s a survivor. She’ll know if something is wrong,” I say quietly, but he’s right. I’m taking a risk by stepping out of the darkness, and I just have to hope that it doesn’t blow up in my face and get my girl hurt.

“I’ve been tailing her for a week, Orion, and she hasn’t noticed. Not once.”

I press my eyes closed and force a deep breath into my lungs. “You’re not a danger, though.”

“She doesn’t know that.”

I rub a hand down my face and turn to face him. “What do you suggest?”

His eyes flare with surprise. It’s not that I never ask his opinion. It’s that I only ever ask about it when it’s about the business, and while Ember will rule by my side once she’s ready, this is the first time I’ve ever asked for his opinion about my personal life. “You either need to cut her loose or move fast. Lucas has something on her. That’s the only way she would be working for him. I’ll work on figuring out what exactly it is that got her caught in his web while you work on getting her into your penthouse permanently.”

I smirk. “I like that you know the first option wasn’t one at all.”

He rolls his eyes. “I know your crazy ass better than anyone else. Of course I know you’re not going to let the girl go.”

“Let me know what you find.” I reach for the handle and shove the door open.

“You don’t want a ride back to your car?”

I shake my head. “No, I’m going to watch over her for a bit.”

He chuckles. “You’re being a creep. You know that, right?”

I cut him a glare. “You’ll understand one day. Men like us don’t fall softly.”

Without missing a beat, I make my way back up the street and head into Ember’s apartment building.