Desiring the Enemy

Chapter 4

Hunter scoffed. “I’m not holding back to spare you, baby girl. It’s a matter of self-preservation.”

Self-preservation? “Are you scared of me?” She couldn’t imagine he would be. Something about the guy said he was more acquainted with danger than he let on. He wasn’t just some handsome, rich face. She knew that type, and she was certain it wasn’t Hunter.

Then again, perhaps it wasn’t her he feared. Mackenzie’s eyes darted around the street, but she saw nothing. She was certain she wouldn’t be alone for long, not when she was exposed outside like this, but still, Hunter had no way of knowing, so that couldn’t be his source of fear.

A smirk lifted the corner of Hunter’s lips. “As a rule, I respect women. The women in my life have ensured it.”

Mackenzie blinked. That wasn’t what she had been expecting. She didn’t know why, but she suddenly felt a tug of jealousy at the fondness the guy couldn’t hide in his voice. She mentally shook it off, even as she couldn’t help wondering who these women were. Not that she would ask him about them.

Oblivious to the thousand thoughts racing through her brain, Hunter went to say something else, but then he stopped and frowned, his eyes fixed on something over her shoulder. Feeling the hairs tingle at the back of her neck, Mackenzie quickly turned, already certain of what she would find.

She wasn’t wrong. It was only a split second, but she caught sight of DeAndre’s face before he disappeared into the shadows. Mackenzie knew he had done that on purpose. His way of letting her know he was there, and it was time to leave. Damn it!

Mind spinning a mile a second, she turned back and faced the handsome man she’d soon have to leave. The reassuring smile she plastered on her face faltered when she realized his eyes were not trained on her, but rather still over her shoulder, where DeAndre had been.

Mackenzie was sure DeAndre wouldn’t show himself again, not unless she didn’t leave immediately. Then he would have no choice. It was his way of not embarrassing her, even though she probably deserved it after the stunt she had carried out tonight.

Reckless didn’t begin to describe her actions. And if it hadn’t been for Hunter, she knew she would have found herself in a nightmare situation. For a second, she’d wondered if it had been them again. But no, it couldn’t be. Still, she couldn’t be too sure and had hoped Hunter would have a drink with her. Clearly, that wasn’t going to happen now that she had been found.

Mackenzie’s lips tugged down at the corners as a deep sense of sadness washed over her. She couldn’t even do this one thing right. At least she had met a handsome man, but that was pointless since she would never see him again.

Swallowing down a huff of frustration, Mackenzie looked around the street. There were so many people around that it shouldn’t be hard to slip away without anyone noticing. Not even Hunter.

Then again, it seemed she didn’t have to worry about Hunter. The man had gone tense, like a panther ready to pounce. He’d somehow moved and placed her behind him as he watched the shadows.

He was protecting her; she realized. Warmth bloomed in her, battling with the disappointment. What was it about this guy? Why did he feel the need to save her even when he had no idea what was happening, and why did it affect her so much?

Sadly, Mackenzie knew she couldn’t stand there and wait for Hunter to realize that this time the threat was different and there was nothing he could do about it. With a silent sigh of regret, she stared at the back of his head and his tense shoulders, committing his features to memory. Then, quietly, she took a step back and then another.

Hunter never turned his head, his attention now divided between the shadows on the other side of the street and the phone he now held in his hand.

Mackenzie hesitated for a second, but she quickly reminded herself she needed to leave, and the guy’s distraction worked in her favor. So she took more steps and didn’t stop moving until she was swallowed up by the shadows in the alley between the club building and the twenty-four-hour diner next to it.

She was barely halfway down the alley when a figure stepped out in front of her. Mackenzie stopped walking and stared at the man. Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. She wanted to take a deep breath, but the rancid smell of rotten food and piss stopped that urge.

DeAndre looked her up and down as though to ensure she was in one piece and then nodded and turned, silently leading the way out of the alley on the other side. Mackenzie sighed, but followed. She wrapped her arms around herself, only then realizing she was still wearing Hunter’s jacket.

Her steps faltered, and for a split second, she considered returning it. But that wasn’t possible, and if she was honest, she was glad she had something to remember her encounter by. A small smile tugging her lips, Mackenzie brought the jacket up to her nose and sniffed before she wrapped it securely around herself. Then she followed her shadow to the waiting car, not caring about what would come next.

***

It was almost two in the morning by the time Hunter parked his Ford Ranger in the garage and turned off the engine. For a moment, he just sat there and contemplated the night he’d had.

He rolled his shoulders back, tension rolling off him in waves. Hunter had no idea who had been lurking in the shadows outside the club. He’d tried to check it out, but hadn’t seen anyone, and he hadn’t spotted any camera directed in that area, so he’d known it would be pointless to wake Trick or Nadiya up. He could wait to tell them in the morning and hope they found something useful.

Trick and Nadiya were a couple and both possessed mad skills with a computer, which was why Hunter had them helping him to locate the brother he’d never known existed until he’d gone snooping in his deceased father’s drawers.

His father, Spenser Wex, had been a man Hunter admired. After the unexpected death of his wife, Spenser had raised his two teenage sons and built a business from the ground up all single-handedly.

Hunter had worshiped the ground his father walked on, and when the man suddenly died from a heart attack, Hunter was beyond devastated and flew off the deep end. Hunter still cringed when he thought of some of the crazy things he’d done the months following the death of their father, more so when he accidentally discovered the man he had put on a pedestal hadn’t been so great.

Hunter knew he owed Jaxson a lot for keeping him out of trouble and keeping the business their father had left standing. But it hadn’t come at an easy price, which was how they had come upon Lorenzo and the guys. A group of six men who knew the true meaning of loyalty.

They were Hunter’s go-to in case of any trouble. So he knew there was no escaping it. He would have to call Trick in the morning and explain his night.

Part of him wondered if it was all nothing, but the fact that Kai had disappeared on him made him think there was more to it. Unfortunately, he had to wait until the sun was at least touching the horizon before he called his friends, otherwise, he would never hear the end of it.

Sighing, Hunter exited his vehicle and made his way into the house through the side door attached to the garage.

Considering what time of the night it was, Hunter expected the house to be dark and quiet, but as soon as he punched in the code and opened the second door off the mudroom that led into the large, modern kitchen, he knew that wasn’t the case.