“Easy, baby,” he murmured as he lifted her.
Kata didn’t like this shaky, overwrought feeling, how vulnerable Hunter’s pursuit and the assassin’s attack made her feel.
“I’m fine,” she choked. “Put me down.”
Tyler rolled his eyes and kept walking. “Let’s sit to be on the safe side. Hunter would tear me a new one if I let you faint and you hit your head.”
She swallowed. Yeah, she could picture that. Even this poster child for bodybuilding didn’t want to displease her—gulp—husband? Was this how everything had started for her mother, with a bit of flattering attentiveness and overprotection?
“And you know him . . . how?”
Deke and Tyler exchanged a glance. Then Tyler set her in a chair and knelt in front of her. He shrugged and hesitated. “I’ve . . . um, worked some with Deke’s family.”
At that, Deke barked out laughter. “My cousin Luc would take issue with that description. He would describe it as trying hard to get in his wife’s panties.”
“He could kiss my f**king ass, too.”
Leveling a considering stare at her, Deke ventured, “How do you know Hunter?”
Kata froze. “He didn’t tell you?”
“There wasn’t exactly time. He barked at me to protect you. I figured there’d be opportunity for questions at some point. Spill.”
Damn, she didn’t want to be the one to tell Hunter’s family they were married. And why should she? Hunter may not have any intention of ending this impulsive relationship, but Kata was having second thoughts about this marriage. And third and fourth. Not that she wasn’t grateful to him for sending the cavalry, but . . .
Hunter’s a total Dominant. Very into BDSM. Insists on taking complete control.
“We met in Vegas last night.” A simple, safe response that didn’t invite more questions.
Deke’s sharp expression told her that he was mulling her answer. “It was your birthday party he flew out for. So, did he . . . make good on that favor for your mutual friend, Ben?”
Kata gasped. Deke knew that Hunter had flown out to participate in her birthday ménage? The sparkle in Deke’s blue eyes said yes.
A flush crawled up her face. Why couldn’t the concrete open up and swallow her whole? “Hunter told you about that?”
“Nah.” Deke shook his head. “Tyler and I happened to be with him when he got the call from Ben. Otherwise, we’d still be wondering where the hell he went last night and why. So, did you get your birthday wish?”
“Not . . . exactly,” she hedged.
Deke frowned. “Did Ben change his mind?”
Tyler looked her up and down and snorted. “If Kata was my girl, I would have changed my mind. Of course, I wouldn’t have invited some other schmuck to help me f**k her in the first place.”
Both men turned to her expectantly.
“Well . . .” Kata hesitated, mortification rolling through her. And more molten anger. Damn, who didn’t know her business? And what the hell did she say now?
Deke’s gaze zeroed in on her left hand, then he asked softly. “Shiny new ring. Did Ben marry you instead of share you last night?”
Kata swallowed, trying to figure out how to derail this train wreck of a conversation. “Not . . . exactly.”
“Shit.” Deke tensed, then pinned her with a hard stare that made Kata feel as if he could see straight through her. “Now I know what I heard in Hunter’s voice, besides apprehension. I heard possession. Ben didn’t marry you. Hunter did.”
TO all outward appearances, Hunter looked as calm as a lake on a windless day. He exercised great mental control to not pace the aisle of the plane, not imagine that, even now, Kata could be dead. But inside, the waiting, the not knowing, was f**king killing him.
How she’d become everything to him in one night was a mystery to Hunter. Their eyes had connected. They’d danced and kissed, then poof. That quickly, he was completely taken. He didn’t love Kata . . . yet. But that was coming, his gut told him. Soon.
If she survived.