Page 60 of Savage Temptation

There’s no way—no fucking way.

Lance sets down his beer. “What’s up?”

I receive the link, but I can’t bring myself to click it.

“Hey, it looks like you’ve just seen a ghost?”

I think back to the encounter, trying like hell to figure out if Tessa will be easily identifiable.

Her voice was never masked.

Fuck, fuck, fuck…

“Did something happen?” Lance says, his voice ripe with concern. “Are you being sued or something? Just put everything in my name so they can’t collect on it. I’m as trustworthy as they get.”

I look up at Lance, who has no idea that his best friend has so badly betrayed him.

“I’m…sorry…”I choke out.

“Shit, am I getting fired? Do I like, still have a home? I haven’t dipped my quill in the company ink in over a year, and Samantha never had any complaints.”

I need to warn Tessa.Fuck—the tabloids are going to slaughter her.

I try to get my thoughts in order, because the news I’m about to deliver has consequences, but instead of composing a well-crafted test, I say:

Atticus:I made a mistake. You’re going to think that I’ve wronged you, but that was never my intention.

“What are you so hesitant to tell me?” Lance says with an edge to his voice.

Just say it. Spit it out. Be done with it.

“I fell in love with your sister.”

Not like that…

He chuckles. “Good one. You really had me worried.”

“That’s not all I’ve done, actually, but that’s the lightest news I have to deliver. There’s more.”

His face grows dark. “You better be fucking with me.”

“There’s a video going around the internet. It’s…weird.”

“You better watch the next fucking words that come out of your mouth, Savage, or I might have to kill you.”

A television at the bar catches my attention, because plastered on the screen is an iridescent blue creature that is about to eat some stranded alien’s pussy.

How quickly things can go from bad to worse…

My phone buzzes, this time with a text from Tessa.

Tessa:What the HOLY HELL am I seeing on the news?

CHAPTER18

TESSA

Over the last few weeks, I’ve suffered unspeakable heartache.