Page 20 of Hunted Temptation (Alpha Nights: Unlikely Heroes #4)

Chapter Nineteen

VAUGHN

Leaning back in my chair, I watch the camera as the man walks around the building. He’s tried to open every single door around the building, and all have been locked. Because we’re not fucking stupid.

Flicking my gaze to the camera in my office, I see Elodie lying down on the small couch against the wall. She’s asleep, which means this is the perfect opportunity to take care of this really shitty private detective.

Taking my phone out of my pocket, I send Hale a text letting him know what’s going on and where I’ll be. I send Theron a text letting him know the same, but that Elodie is in my office and to keep an eye on her there.

Confirmation comes quickly from both of them, and I walk out of the surveillance room and head to the elevator. Touching the lobby button, I wait for the car to move down to the first floor of the building.

Once the car door opens, I step out and head toward the door. The private investigator is a few feet away, looking up at the sky, no doubt trying to figure out how customers get inside. I have a simple answer for that—they don’t. But he doesn’t know that.

I open the building door and slip out, closing it behind me and waiting for it to lock in place before I open my mouth.

“Can I help you?” I ask.

The investigator, still completely shit at his job, spins around as if he hadn’t heard me at all. I don’t know if he’s playing stupid or if he’s actually stupid. Either way, I arch a brow as I cross my arms over my chest, my feet planted to the ground.

I’m ready for a fight, but I doubt this guy has it in him. I’m not one to be too cocky, though. I’ve seen some men who look like they couldn’t throw a punch kill a man with their bare hands.

So, I stand alert but optimistic that this will be over soon.

“I’m looking for someone,” he announces.

I almost roll my eyes to the sky, but remain stoic. Keeping my facial expression completely blank as I wait for him to say something else. Because I won’t be answering that nonquestion. That’s what it is, too. It’s a statement, so I wait.

“Can you tell me anything about Elodie Scoggins?” he asks.

There it is.

I could tell him about her, all about her, but I won’t because she will cease to exist as a Scoggins soon enough. Staring at him, I tilt my head to the side, watching and waiting for him to ask something that I can actually answer… or rather, that I’m willing to answer.

He’s also very fucking lucky that since I can still taste her cum on my lips, have her scent lingering in my nose, and that my balls have been sucked dry, I’m in a damn good mood.

“Her father was found dead, and she hasn’t been found at all,” he informs me.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I let out a grunt before I speak. “And she would be here because?” I ask.

“Not sure why. But my leads have brought me here. Rowan Cross is looking for the person who actually murdered his brother.”

I know exactly who that is, but I’m not going to give that shit away. I’m an idiot. Just some security guy living across the entire country from these people. I was never there, never been there in my life, and I have no clue what he’s talking about—at least as far as he knows.

“You’re telling me this because?”

“Just looking for a girl,” he says, rocking back on his heels.

Arching a brow, I clear my throat. “Do I know this girl? Is this why you’ve been sniffing around here?”

He flicks his gaze up to the building, then shifts his eyes down to meet mine. “Considering you traveled cross-country with her and been fuckin’ her, I would say you do.”

Maybe he’s not as fucking stupid as I thought he was. “This a game?” I ask.

“A game?”

It is a game. He acts like he’s oblivious, but I know he’s not. This fucker is smarter than he’s pretending to be. Interesting. Which means if I kill him right now, he likely has someone on his side watching, likely taking pictures right fucking now.

“Nothing,” I murmur. “What do you want from me?”

“I want to talk to Elodie Scoggins.”

“You’re not going to. Not now, not fucking ever. Get in your car and go back to the West Coast.”

He tilts his head to the side, his eyes searching mine. He isn’t getting shit from me. Not when it comes to Elodie. Not when it comes to my Goldie. Fuck him. Whoever the fuck he is… Fuck. Him .

“I was hired by the family, so I won’t be going anywhere until I get some answers.”

“What answers do you want? What answers do you think she can give you?”

There is a moment of taciturnity we share as we watch one another, a silent standstill. Neither of us is giving in at all whatsoever. I certainly know that I am not giving in to a goddamn thing.

His lips twitch into a smirk. It’s pompous just like he is. I don’t find him interesting in any fucking way whatsoever, and if I didn’t think he had someone monitoring this situation, I would kill him right fucking here in the middle of the goddamn daylight.

Zero fucks given.

Not a single goddamn one.

Elodie is mine. I took her out of that world to protect her, and I am not going to throw her to the fucking wolves just because one comes barking at the door.

“I know you’re fucking her. Just hand her over so I can ask her a few questions. My client needs to know what really happened to his brother. You can’t get mad that he is concerned.”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure the police are on the case,” I say. “There’s nothing I can do for you here.”

He narrows his eyes, his mask slipping slightly, and my lips twitch into a smirk at the sight. Taking a step backward, I dip my chin in his direction. He clears his throat and takes a step toward me, and I almost snort because he’s clearly becoming desperate.

“She knows something,” he grinds out.

I shrug a shoulder, deciding that I’m finished with this conversation, and turn around to make my way back to the building's door. When he calls my name, I turn my head, looking over my shoulder at him. It’s not worth my time to turn completely around. He isn’t worth my time in general.

“I’m watching you.”

“Congratulations,” I grunt before I open the door and slip back into the building. I ensure that the door is closed, locked, and impenetrable.

ELODIE

There is a knock on the office door, and I jump up, my heart racing as I try to figure out where I am and what’s going on. Looking around the space, I inhale and exhale, trying to calm down.

“Elodie, it’s me, Nadine,” the voice calls out from the other side of the door.

Sinking my teeth into the corner of my bottom lip, I inhale deeply through my nose, then let it out slowly before I stand. One on one is probably better than the whole group of people earlier.

I walk to the door and unlock the dead bolt, then wrap my fingers around the knob before I twist it and tug it open slightly. I’m met with the beautiful woman from earlier. She’s wearing a kind smile as her eyes search mine.

“I was wondering if you wanted to just hang out. You don’t have to be locked up in here,” she says.

Looking over my shoulder, I take in the small office. It’s really no bigger than a closet, but I still find it oddly cozy. However, I can see how someone else would think that I need to get out and breathe.

Also, I should probably get to know some of these people if I’m going to try to be part of their lives. And I do want to ingrain myself in their world. I want to be part of them, invaluable, so that Vaughn can’t just get rid of me when he’s done.

“Sure,” I agree.

My voice is probably a little too high and chipper, but if she notices, Nadine doesn’t say anything. Instead, she turns around and walks away. I follow behind her, though I do it slowly. I’m still not sure if I want to do whatever this is, but I also know that I need to.

“I’m not that exciting, but I figured it has to be better than hanging out in that closet space Vaughn calls his office.”

“So what do you do here?” I ask as I move around the open area where her desk is centered.

Nadine starts to tell me all the things she does for Securus, but my mind drifts off, and I think of other things.

Like, how is it possible that all these men are so close and their women work for them?

It isn’t weird. I’m sure other companies have their wives and girlfriends working for them, but this just seems odd.

“I’ve been working here since Securus was created. They needed someone to handle schedules and billings.”

“And the others?” I ask.

Nadine lifts her head, and her eyes find mine. I watch as she stares at me, but she doesn’t respond immediately. It’s almost as if she’s trying to think of how to describe the other women’s jobs.

“I am the crazy one,” a woman announces, walking into the room from another one a few feet away. “Lucille,” she says with a smile and a wink.

I can feel my face heat in embarrassment. She, without a doubt, knew that I had forgotten her name. “I do a bunch of internet stuff,” she says. “Vaughn and I work together on his side jobs.”

“The hit man stuff?” I ask.

Lucille’s body jerks, her spine straightening and her eyes widening. “You know?” she asks on a hiss.

“I saw him kill my father and that man. I asked him if I could help with the others when it’s time.”

“You want to help?” Nadine asks.

“I do,” I say.

“Very fucking cool,” Lucille says, her voice soft and even.

My body trembles as I think about the words I’ve just said. I can’t believe I told them I was willing to kill people. But it’s the truth. And it seems as if these are the only people in the world who would understand.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” I mutter.

Lucille moves toward me, closing the distance between us, and stops just a few feet in front of me. She’s close enough to touch me, and when she reaches out, she takes my hands in hers.

I suck in a breath and hold it.

I don’t know what to do, what to say.

I am frozen in place.

“You should have said that, I mean, to us. Nobody else understands this world better than us, Nadine, Colette, and I. We know this world. We know these men. They’ve let us in on some of their past, though they don’t talk about everything. But there are no better friends to have than us girls.”

Her fingers squeeze mine, and I shift my attention over to Lucille’s before I return it to meet Nadine’s. I don’t know what to say about any of this. There is something about being accepted, about being heard and seen. I have never felt this way before.

So that’s when my next words come out, and the moment they do, I wish I could stuff them back into my mouth.

“I love him, and he isn’t going to want to keep me.”

Silence.