Why hadn’t I noticed it sooner? Someone had been following me this entire night. I ground my teeth together in frustration. I had put Amelia’s life in danger. If she got hurt, it would be all my fault.

I checked my mirrors, but there were no headlights in sight. Of course, it was possible they had turned off their lights and gone rogue to sneak up on me.

Just to make sure, I pulled into a small inlet by the woods, killing the engine. All I could hear was the chirping of crickets and the rustling of leaves. I waited a few moments just to make sure, but it seemed I had lost them.

As soon as my shoulders sagged, Amelia loosened her grip. “What the hell is going on?”

“I’ll explain everything once I have you safe and sound inside your house.”

“No. Tell me now.” Her features were pinched with stubbornness.

I sighed, roughly sweeping my hair out of my line of vision. I needed to keep my guard up. So even as I spoke with Amelia, I was constantly surveying the area, searching for threats. I felt like I was back overseas, seeking out the enemy among No Man’s Land.

“Now,” she hissed, her arms crossed over her chest. “Or I walk home.”

I shook my head. “You can’t.”

“Watch me.”

I grabbed her arms and held her tight. “It’s too dangerous. They already know you’re with me.”

“Then explain to me why you have a goddamn hitman chasing after you. You got me into this mess. You at least owe me an explanation.”

I paced back and forth, my fingers tensing by my side. This couldn’t be happening. Why had I been foolish enough to think that getting close would be a good idea? I should have known better.

“Cruz.” She grabbed me by the arms, her fingers tightening like a vice. “Explanation. Now.”

“Look. I don’t know why someone is chasing after me.” I took her by the shoulders, holding her at arm’s length. “But that’s not what matters right now. What matters is that you’ve been put in danger because of me.”

“Wait, you don’t know?”

“No. I haven’t even worked a proper mission yet, and as far as I know, I don’t have any enemies in London.”

“So why is someone trying to kill you – us?”

“I don’t know…”

Suddenly, Amelia’s eyes widened. “Wait… what if there’s a connection between this and your sister’s death?”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t find it suspicious that your sister mysteriously died of a heart condition she never talked about? None of the medical records have been released. I think something happened.” There was a look of determination in her eyes. “And now they are going after you, too.”

“What? That’s crazy. Why would they want to target us? My sister was just a normal fashion blogger. I don’t see how she would find herself on a hit list.”

“I don’t get it either, but you have to admit that something fishy is going on.”

I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind. There had to be a logical explanation for all of this, but nothing seemed to add up. I wasn’t a man with many enemies. I had always kept a low profile. My promotion within VanGuard was the only thing that would put me on the radar, but I had yet to work a serious mission.

“I have to get you home. It’s not safe here. Those men could return at any moment.”

“How do you know it will be safe at my house?”

“Because you can’t be seen at mine. If I have someone following me, then there’s probably someone posted in my neighborhood. You’ll have to stay away from me until this is all over.”

Her expression softened as her eyes lost their luster. “Stay away? But you just got interesting.”

“Hmm?”

She grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me close, our faces inches apart. “I guess you can call me an adrenaline junkie. I live for dangerous situations and the need to snoop around where I don’t belong. You’re right up my alley…” Her voice took on a seductive tone as she looked up at me from under her eyelashes, the corner of her lips twitching like a snake ready to strike.

And she did strike. Her lips collided with mine, taking my breath away. There was such a fire burning from her soul that it scorched me into a frenzy I could barely control. My hands fell to her ass, squeezing it hard. My cock sprung to life, rubbing against her thigh.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer, her lips dancing against mine as if greeting an old-time partner.

The animal inside me roared with lust. Fuck. I wanted her.

Slowly, her hand snuck down my pants, about to grab me when I yanked away, shaking my head. “Amelia. We can’t do this. I’m not good for you. I’ll only get you hurt. You saw what happened tonight. I can’t have that happen again.”

She grabbed my wrist, reeling me back. “I don’t care. I want you.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying. I’ll be the death of you.”

“I don’t care,” she repeated.

I tried to keep her away, but she kept stepping closer, her body like a magnet that kept sticking to mine. I sighed. “Let’s just get you back home, okay?”

She pouted slightly. “I don’t know if I can wait…”

I responded by plopping the helmet on her head. Once it was secured, I got on my bike, waiting for her to join me. The feeling of her body against mine nearly drove me over the edge. God, how sexy could one woman be?

Keeping her at bay would be one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. Impossible. But it was the only way to keep her safe.