Page 2 of Theirs to Hunt

Primal. Like one of my dark romance books come to life. Yes, Daddy in fiction. Real life? Hell no. I am not a TSTL girl.

And then Genevieve waltzed in, bragging to Justine about her five-thousand-dollar bonus for bringing me.

I’d wanted to storm out of that bathroom stall, demand answers, but kept still, hoping to learn more.

Sold? Like a Poshmark item?

My pulse thundered, my body vibrating with the need to run. I wasn’t worth five grand. Average at best. But apparently enough.

I slipped from the bathroom and aimed for the garden exit. If I could make it to the levee, I could follow it back toward civilization, call a Lyft, beg a ride, anything.

But fate, as usual, was a bitch.

I rounded the corner too fast and smacked into a wall of muscle. My breath caught as hands closed around my arms, steadying but firm.

I looked up.

Ice-blue eyes locked with mine, pale and glacial, beautiful and unyielding. Early forties, silver threaded through dark hair, tux fitting like authority had called ahead to custom-tailor him.

And the mask. Tiger. Predator to my doe.

“Going somewhere?” His voice was smooth, laced with something darker.

I swallowed. “I was… going to get some air.”

“Funny.” A ghost of a smile. “You don’t look like someone strolling. You look like someone running. Dangerous thing to do here. You never know what you might trigger.”

Fuck a duck. Is this a threat? Promise? Both?

He studied me, curiously. Hungrily.

“Reagan, right?” he asked, my name rolling off his tongue like he already owned it.

I froze. “Yeah.”

“Genevieve said you might be skittish.” His mouth curved, but his eyes stayed sharp.

“You know Genevieve?”

“Of course.” His voice dipped lower. “She brought you to us.”

Us.

I didn’t know whether to scream or cry.

Someone behind him called, “Sir.”

His head turned slightly.

My chance.

I yanked free and bolted through the side door.

Maybe I owed my trainer an apology. Turns out all that cardio had finally bought me something: a head start.

Chapter two

Grayson, Friday 09:35 p.m.