Claimed by the Hellbound Rider

Through the Viewfinder

Elena POV

Once we reached the park, I stopped at a bench and unpacked my camera, selecting the right lens, adding on the filter. Then I flashed them a smile. “Renzo, would you mind terribly if I asked you to grab a coffee from that shop across the way?” I pointed to the Starbucks just past the entrance of the park.

He glanced at Antonio, who nodded once, then smiled at me. “Sure thing, Ms. Ward. What would you like?”

“Just a tall Americano. And whatever you two would like, on me, since I’m dragging you out basically at dawn.”

They both laughed, and then Renzo jogged off on his errand. Looking around the park, I took in the early morning joggers, the birds flitting through the trees, the way New York was starting to come to life. “I think I’m going to start over there, Antonio.” I pointed to one of the boulders in the distance. “I’m going to be bouncing around a bit this morning. Let’s see if you can keep up,” I joked, and he flashed me a grin.

I was conscious of him behind me as I moved around the area, framing and snapping and losing myself in the process of finding just the right shot. Photography had always been my passion. Freezing moments of life, letting them become permanent, soothed something deep in my soul.

A little girl laughed somewhere off to my left as pigeons scattered across the path, and instinctively, I lifted the camera and captured the moment. A jogger paused to stretch beneath one of the trees while a man in a business suit hurried past with a coffee in hand, already glued to his phone. Ordinary life. Ordinary people. For years, I’d photographed fashion spreads and galas and luxury hotels, but moments like these had always been my favorite. Honest ones. Fleeting ones.

I was framing my next shot, a group of pigeons in between two boulders, when he came into view.

The man walked into the viewfinder, a line of sweat down the center of his gray shirt, his black sweats loose around his thighs. He had corded earphones in both ears, linking down to an armband that held his cell phone. His hair was cropped short, and everything about him said he’d done time in the military. He carried himself with absolute confidence, his eyes scanning constantly as he moved along the path. His gaze ran over me, barely pausing, before it swept on.

Something about him caught my attention immediately. Not because he was the most attractive man I’d ever seen—though he certainly wasn’t hard to look at—but because he moved differently from everyone else around him. The joggers were focused on their music. The tourists stopped to stare up at the skyline. Even the businessmen rushing through the park looked distracted. But him? He noticed everything.

I heard footsteps as Renzo approached, calling out to Antonio. “f*****g place was packed, man. Why are all these people awake this early?”

Their conversation turned to a murmur in the background as I followed the man with my camera, snapping photo after photo. Finally, I set my equipment down and took my cup from the carrier.

The coffee had cooled enough to drink, and I took the moment to listen to the sounds of the park and get myself ready for what was coming next.

I finished my coffee and took a few more photos before turning to the men. “Sorry, guys. I need to run to the restroom.” Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I made a point of looking around. “There, I think that one’s the closest,” I pointed towards Belvedere Castle.

We headed that way, and Antonio stopped me outside the doors. “You know the drill, Ms. Ward. Hang on a second.” He motioned for Renzo, who knocked as he entered, calling out “Anyone in here?” When he didn’t get an answer, he walked inside. Within a minute, he was back out. “All clear, Ms. Ward.”

My palms were sweating, but I nodded and smiled my thanks as I walked past him. When I was sure they couldn’t see or hear me anymore, I pulled out my phone and texted the contact I’d added last night as “Danielle.”

I’m in position.

Three words. Just three little words, but my life was about to change forever. I stared at the message after it sent, my pulse thudding so hard I could hear it in my ears. There was no taking it back now. No pretending I’d changed my mind. Somewhere in the city, a man I’d never met was moving into place to pull me out of my life, and I was trusting him because a voice on the phone told me to.

Within two minutes, I heard raised voices coming from just outside the restroom doors. Antonio was arguing with someone. From what I could make out, an early morning drunk was trying to access the women’s restroom—and he certainly wasn’t a woman, judging by the deep, slurred baritone. There was a scuffle, then the sound of flesh hitting flesh, and Renzo burst inside.

“Stay right here, Ms. Ward. Don’t come out until I tell you it’s okay,” he said, glancing around one more time before ducking back outside.

The sounds of the fight grew louder, and more voices were carrying through the doorway. I was so focused on what was going on out there that I completely missed the service door opening behind me.

“Ms Ward? Elena Ward?” The man from earlier was standing behind me, still in his sweats, one earpiece still in his ear. I nodded once.

“Daniel Cross?”

He smiled. “You can call me Dane.” He glanced at the door, then back at me. “Let’s get you out of here.”