Page 29 of Hunted Temptation (Alpha Nights: Unlikely Heroes #4)

ELODIE

SIX MONTHS LATER

We didn’t get married the day after we were kidnapped, not because we didn’t want to, but because my new identity wasn’t finished yet, something that neither Vaughn nor I really thought about when we made that declaration.

Then Vaughn admitted to me that the reason he was rushing it was because he wanted to ensure that I never had to be compelled to testify against him and vice versa if the PI or the brother ever found anything out about the state comptroller.

I think I was supposed to feel some kind of way about that confession.

Like maybe he was being sneaky or manipulative, but I never felt that way at all.

His reasoning made sense. And it’s not like he took his offer or his love away when going to court became a nonissue because anyone who could have tried to do anything was dead.

In fact, I think we’ve only grown closer. The I love yous come much easier and more frequently from both of us these days. He even bought me an engagement ring and did a proper proposal. It wasn’t anything elaborate—dinner, then we came home and had dessert before he got down on one knee.

I use my thumb to twirl the ring around my finger.

It’s a three-carat oval natural Alexandrite solitaire in a rose gold setting.

It’s greenish purple and absolutely amazing.

I don’t know how much it cost and probably don’t ever want to find out.

If I did, I’d probably stop wearing it in public for fear of losing it.

“Are you ready?” a voice calls out.

Turning my head, I look back at my friends. Lucille, Nadine, and Colette stand just inside the doorway, their eyes on me and smiles playing on their lips.

“I’m ready,” I state.

I’ve been ready. For months, I’ve been ready. We’re doing the one thing we said we didn’t want, and that’s having a real wedding. Well, as much of a real wedding as we can have with just a few friends and no family.

Smoothing my hands down the yellow dress, I sink my teeth into my bottom lip as I take them in. Nadine places her hand on her pregnant belly at the same time Colette coos to her baby in her arms, and Lucille grins while holding her daughter’s hand.

“I’m so glad you kept the yellow,” Nadine says.

“I am too,” I rasp. “Is your brother here so I can thank him for the use of the club?”

Nadine wrinkles her nose, shaking her head a couple of times. “A wedding is the last place my brother would be, at least for the ceremony. He’s always down for a party. But seriously, he doesn’t care.”

Nadine’s brother owns the Willow Club, and he’s allowed us to use it for the small ceremony and reception. Nothing about my wedding is fancy. There aren’t even any table decorations, more like ten friends getting together for some appetizers, cake, and drinks.

“I still want to thank him again,” I murmur.

Nadine smiles as she closes the distance between us before she reaches out and takes my hands in hers. She squeezes, then dips her chin slightly. “I’ll call him when all the ceremony stuff is over.”

“Thank you,” I exhale.

“It’s time to get married,” Lucille says.

It’s time to get married.

It’s time to become Mrs. McCrae. Although my identity has already been changed to Elodie McCrae, and the court documents are already in the system.

We didn’t even have to go to the courthouse.

The master hackers of Securus took care of it all.

This is all just for the ceremony, but it feels just as important as if it were real.

“It’s time to get married,” I confirm the words out loud.

I’ve chosen to walk down the makeshift aisle alone with just a bundle of yellow roses in my hands. Nadine wraps her arms around me in a hug, and the others do the same. I watch as they leave, all of them giving me a small wave on their way out of the room.

I don’t turn around to look at my reflection again. I can’t stare at myself for another minute. Granted, I do love this dress, but I want to go to my husband. I want to hear him declare his love for me, and I want to tell the world how much I love him, too.

I move toward the door, reach for the handle, and gently tug it open. Walking toward the entrance to the club, I stand in the lobby area, staring at the closed door and wondering how I’m going to get it open without everyone watching me do it.

But then a throat clears. I turn my head and look over to see Hale walking toward the door.

He reaches out, wrapping his fingers around the knob.

He smiles at me, his gaze nothing but kind brotherly love.

The last six months, I’ve gotten to know these men and been able to fall in love with them as if they were my own older brothers.

“You ready?” he breaks me out of my thoughts.

Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I worry it for a moment before I release it and smile.

“I’m ready.” I dip my chin in a single nod.

Hale slowly opens the door, giving me that dramatic entrance, and my smile widens as I begin to move forward, taking one step after the other, trying not to fly down the aisle. Which becomes increasingly harder to do with each step forward and almost impossible once my gaze connects to Vaughn’s.

I want to run toward him and wrap my arms around him. It feels like it takes a lifetime for me to be in front of him. Without a word, he reaches out for me, and I release my flowers with one hand and slip my fingers into his waiting palm. He guides me directly in front of him.

The officiant begins speaking, but I can’t make out anything she says. She could be talking complete nonsense, and I wouldn’t know it. All I can see are his blue eyes looking down into my own.

We don’t say our own vows. We repeat after the officiant, and then we exchange rings. I bought him a black zirconium band with black diamonds encased along the center that goes all the way around—an eternity design. It fits his personality, fits him… It fits us.

We’re pronounced husband and wife, and Vaughn is instructed to kiss his bride. When he leans forward, my breath hitches, and my heart stops in my chest before he whispers against my lips.

“You’re mine now, Elodie—forever.”

I am his. Proudly. Forever.

VAUGHN

ONE YEAR LATER

Pointe Industries.

I can’t get it off my mind. I have spent far too long obsessing over this name. Over this company. Lucius was right. Not a single person is listed anywhere in any documentation. Nothing is listed anywhere.

Hale knocks on the door, though he doesn’t have to. My office door is open. Watching him, I dip my chin toward the empty seat across from me. He takes a step inside, closing and locking the door behind him. I watch as he sinks down in the chair.

“What are your thoughts on Pointe Industries?” I ask.

He shakes his head, his eyes flicking down to his lap before he shifts them back up to meet mine. There is something seriously wrong. All thoughts of Pointe Industries disappear, and now I’m focused on him.

“You good?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I’m on a job, and it’s not good.”

My brows snap together. This feels like déjà vu.

It seems almost every one of us found our women on a job that did not go as planned.

I’m wondering if Hale is about to fall next.

He clears his throat and slides the palms of his hands down his thighs.

If they’re sweaty, then I have a feeling this man has already fallen.

“What happened?” I ask.

He closes his eyes slowly, then opens them, and his gaze meets mine. I can tell he seems troubled, more than troubled. He looks broken. I don’t like this, not in the fucking slightest.

“Hale?” I ask.

He shakes his head a couple of times but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he leans back, closing his eyes as he takes a few calming breaths. I don’t rush him. He’s clearly working through something inside his head, and as much as I want to know what the fuck it is, I wait.

I have time. My work is complete for the day, and I was actually getting ready to pack up my shit and head home to my wife.

My wife.

I almost snort when I think about Elodie like that. She is my wife, but that was a title I was sure no woman should have or want. And then she came along, deserving so much more than that title, than the role, but she wanted it… all but demanded it, and I was proud to give it to her.

And hopefully soon, she’ll have another title I can give to her, another role.

Mother.

Though that is proving to be a bit more difficult than marriage. We’ve been trying for six months and have not had any success. Today, she went to the doctor for testing, so I am eager to get home and discover the results.

I tried to go with her, but she opted to have Lucille at her side, which is probably for the best. I can’t guarantee that if she got any bad news, I wouldn’t take my frustrations out on the doctor and kill him.

It was for the best.

“I don’t know what to do,” Hale whispers as he straightens his head, his eyes opening and immediately connecting to mine.

“I would love to help you, but I don’t know what the fuck is going on, brother.”

Hale chuckles before he speaks. “I fell in love with someone.”

“Who?”

I’m instantly concerned, since I’ve never even heard him talk about a woman, let alone one he could have fallen in love with. Hale is like the rest of us, deeply focused on self-control, so the fact that he’s feeling out of control, that he thinks he’s in love with this stranger, is concerning.

“A girl I met at the Willow Club.”

“I didn’t realize you were still going down there,” I state.

He smirks. “You don’t realize a lot of things now that you’re off the market, loved up, and devoted to the woman in your life. Bo and I go quite a bit.”

“Does this mean you feel the same way about this woman?” I ask.

He shrugs a shoulder. “I have fallen in love with her. But she’s not mine to have, and I’m afraid she’s going to die because of me.”

“Hale?” I demand.

He shakes his head, lifting his hands to press against each side of his head. He releases his hands as he stands, clearly frustrated, likely scared, too. I start to ask him if the man is a Night Devil member, but then he continues speaking.

“Her man is a dealer. Trouble. I noticed her for the first time with some friends. He wasn’t with her, but I never thought a woman could fucking glow. It was all around her, a golden light, and I knew that I had to have her.”

“So you took her?”

He chuckles with a shrug. “Only with her permission, of course.”

“I assume it was there at the club, a closet maybe?”

“Bathroom stall, but whatever. After that, I didn’t think I’d see her again. But I did a few months later, outside of the club with him. He hit her. She won’t leave him.”

“Then why are you driving yourself insane?” I ask.

He walks over to the office window, his head tipped down. I don’t make a move to console him. He wouldn’t let me even if I did.

“It’s not her I’ve fallen for, Vaughn.”

“Hale, you’re talking in goddamn circles,” I snap.

He nods a couple of times, then turns his head and looks over his shoulder at me. I watch him, my gaze focused on his while he does the same to me. I don’t bother speaking. There’s nothing to be said until he’s ready to actually say it to me.

So I wait.

“After I saw him hit her. I went to her place to talk to her, to help her. I needed to give her options so she knew she could leave. The sister answered the door. Fucking stunning.”

“And then you fucked the sister?” I ask.

Hale smirks. “I didn’t, actually. I offered the sister my help.”

“And?”

It’s like pulling teeth with this guy. I don’t understand why he isn’t giving me the entire story. I am imagining a million different scenarios.

“She’s pregnant with someone else’s baby.”

“I don’t know what to say about all of that,” I murmur.

He shrugs a shoulder, turning to face me. “She’s not safe in that house, in that environment. I need to get her out.”

“What do you need from me, brother?” I ask.

Because let’s get down to brass tacks. He’s here because he wants something from me. He wants me to do something. And I swear to fuck if he says to kill the baby daddy, I’m not so sure I’d tell him no.

I’ll do anything for these men.

Anything they ask me to do.

He drops his head again and wraps his fingers around the back of his neck, massaging it for a moment.

When he lifts his gaze, his eyes find mine, and he smirks.

I’m not sure what he wants from me. Whatever it is, I’ll give it to him.

But I’m just not sure what it is yet because he’s being evasive as fuck.

“I’m moving her shit out tomorrow afternoon. I just… I needed to tell someone, and if I need help, can you help me?”

“With moving?” I ask. “My back is not what it used to be,” I point out.

He snorts. “With anything.”

“Who is the baby daddy?” I ask.

He shrugs a shoulder but doesn’t tell me who it is. I can only assume it’s one of her sister’s dealer boyfriend friends. Fuck. The last thing we need is more drama. It’s been a nice eighteen months without any.

We’ve done nothing but focus on our business. With the entire circle of the chief and the state comptroller’s sick fuck dead, we have all been breathing easy—at least Elodie and I have.

But business is booming. It’s been amazing, so it’s about time for something to fuck us up. And apparently, this time, it’s Hale’s turn to find some girl who’s got a whole basket of trouble.

“I’m here for you, Hale. Just don’t ask me to pick up a box,” I say.

“Thanks, Vaughn. And if I need help…”

I know what he’s asking, and I knew immediately what he wanted from me. But I wanted to hear him say it. The next words I say, they’re the truth. “I am here for you. Always, Hale. Whatever you need, any way you need it.”

He grins. “Thanks, brother. I’ll let you go.”

Gathering my shit, I shove my phone and keys in my pocket as I close the distance between us. I don’t speak. There’s nothing left to say, but when I lift my hand, I curl my fingers around his shoulder and squeeze before giving him a gentle shake.

“I got you, Hale. Always. You’re my family.”

Without another word, I drop my hand from his shoulder and walk away from him to head home.

To my woman.

To my world.

No matter what life throws at us, I will always have her, and she will never be without me. I love her. Down to my goddamn marrow, I love Elodie McCrae with every fiber of my being. She is my breath, my life, my soul.

She is everything.