Page 53 of Unveil

Thunder and lightning rend the sky as she slams a needle into my chest.

“Ow.”

One, unemotional word. That’s it.

I’ve planned this big cinematic moment from the second I saw the dart in the passenger seat—a sneak attack to tranquilize Orion so I could steal his SUV and drive back to New Orleans—andthisis the only reaction I get?

I expected him to start stumbling like my dad did last night. But as I pivot on the ball of my foot to run, Orion grabs my wrists and tugs me in, as strong as ever. The hard angles of his face are carved with annoyance, hurt, and… pleasure?

What the hell?

“Did you… did youlikebeingstabbed?”

My inner muscles clench as he grins. “I told you I like it when you fight back.”

Rain pelts us, and he leans over me almost like he’s trying to block the cold drops from landing on my head rather than intimidate me—which he’s clearly trying to do. Holding both my tulle-cuffed hands with one of his large ones, his jaw clenches ashe pulls the tranq out and holds it up. Lightning streaks across the sky beyond a mountain up ahead.

“Funny thing about these tranquilizer darts,” he muses. “I made them myself. The crossbow’s force depresses the dart’s plunger, delivering the sedative to the prey.” His brow raises at me as his thumb rests over the bottom of the tranq. “Like it did with your father.”

I gulp.

“Unfortunately foryourlittle stunt, you didn’t do that part.” He depresses the plunger and the sedative I’d hoped would jam straight into his heart shoots into the sky, mingling with the rain. “So, allyoudid, you reckless little thing, was stab me with the equivalent of a needle,” he growls. “Here’s a little rule of the woods. If you’re taking out a predator, finish the fucking job.”

He tosses the spent tranq inside the SUV.

“So, I’ll give you two options. The first is to get into the damn car without a fight.”

I swallow. “And the second?”

His lips tick up. “I’ll give you a chance to make your wish come true. Try to escape me. I’ll even give you a five-minute head start.”

My eyes flit around, scanning the surroundings before meeting his gaze again. “What if I scream?”

“During a thunderstorm in the middle of the woods, miles from anyone? Good luck.” He chuckles darkly. “Your call, though.”

Then he pulls my wrists in with one hand and digs behind his back with the other, pulling out his knife.

“No!” I try to jolt away, but he knicks the tulle, well away from my hand, setting me free.

I rub my wrists, and he scowls at the red marks. He takes them in hand, massaging them before I can stop him, forcing me to bite back a moan.

“Let me say this, little bird.WhenI catch you? I’ll show youexactlyhow you crave to be fucked.”

When he lets go, his eyes flick to the SUV and back to me. “So, what’ll it be? Get in or flee?”

I shake my head, taking a step away from him.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” He chuckles so deeply that the heady depth of it stops me in my tracks. Then he rocks toward me on his toes, his lips a whisper away from mine as he taunts me, “Fly away little bird. I crave the hunt.”

I fly.

Raindrops are sharp pellets on my skin, coming down so hard I can barely see ahead of me, and I barely have enough time to dodge trees after I see them. As treacherous as it is, I can’t help but look behind me, to see if he makes good on his word.

But he leans against the SUV, filling his crossbow quiver.

Why on earth does he look kind of hot doing that? Is something wrong with me that I like seeing him nonchalantly waiting to run after me and ravage me as he checks a weapon, inserting another dart into?—

Oh my God, run!