Hostile Territory - Marie James Page 0,69

since she shot a man in her apartment.

I peer over my shoulder making sure that Anna is close but not in harm’s way if some shit goes down. If I weren’t struggling with some fucked-up form of obsession over her, I could easily see my guys protecting her, keeping her close, within arm’s reach to come to her aid, but all I see are other men encroaching on something that belongs to me.

I shake my head to clear it of that thought. I don’t own her, and I never will. She’s a person for fuck’s sake, not something to claim and own.

Flynn is the closest, his strong arm brushing hers as they keep pace. Finnegan keeps a step and a half back, and I narrow my eyes when he looks down. I can’t tell if he’s trying to see where he’s going or if he’s enthralled by the sight of her ass, but I’m murderous with the prospect that it’s the latter.

A throat clears, and when I look back, I realize I’m so lost in my head, I walked right past the cabana my ex-wife is in.

My hands clench at my sides because I’m never distracted enough to lose focus, and it’s just one more reason I need to get this shit over with. I told Anna the truth when I confessed the danger my actions put her in, and now I can’t even do one damn thing right. I can’t fucking protect her if she’s so distracting, I lose my own damn head.

“Dani,” I hiss, standing in front of her lounging body, blocking the sun with my wide frame.

“Hey.” The smile she gives me is enough for me to deduce that she’s probably been drinking most of the day. Either that or she’s high as a fucking kite. Drugs weren’t her thing when we were together, or maybe they were and I just didn’t know about it. Nothing would surprise me at this point, but her grinning up at me like we’re old friends sets my damn blood on fire.

“Having a good time?” I grind out, keeping my eyes on her face and not the male hand rubbing lotion into her lean thighs.

“The best.” She lifts a hurricane glass to her mouth, lips wrapping around the straw as her grin grows.

I clench my jaw so hard; I won’t be surprised if I crack a damn tooth.

“You’re a hard person to find.”

Her fingers tease the back of the man rubbing her down, but she’s petting him like an animal, not someone she respects on any level, and that’s just typical Dani. She’s a user, someone who is only about herself, a queen always looking down on people, anticipating what they can do for her instead of caring about their needs.

I thought Anna was the same way, but I knew she was different the second I saw her get upset over the destruction of Zeni’s picture in her apartment. Anna and Dani are nothing alike, and I honestly don’t know what to do about that.

I step to the side, so my ex can see that her best friend is here as well, and only at the sight of Anna stepping out from around me does Dani’s demeanor change. She isn’t exactly happy to see her friend, but the irritation only lasts for a second. It’s so brief I don’t know if Anna caught it or not.

“Is this some sort of family reunion?” Dani asks as she looks at her oldest friend.

“We were worried about you,” Anna says through clenched teeth. “Imagine our surprise to find you here.”

Dani doesn’t acknowledge the sweep of Anna’s hand as she indicates the sunny beach and muscled hunk rubbing on her. She simply takes another sip of her cocktail before setting it aside on the table near her lounger.

“Imagine my surprise to see my two favorite people standing here,” Dani says, her eyes darting between Anna and me.

Yep, she’s definitely drunk. Dani wouldn’t spit on me if I were on fire, much less be caught dead calling me one of her favorite people.

“You just disappeared. I was worried about you.” Anna looks over her shoulder at me, and her emotions are hard to read. “I thought you were hurt, and I reached out to Deacon for help.”

“Help?” Dani scoffs, but it’s Anna’s reaction to the dismissal that makes my muscles tense. Anna’s arms cross over her chest and her hip kicks out a few inches.

With a wave of Dani’s hand, the guy with the lotion stands,