Tempted Hero by Ella Miles

Ri

Less than a minuteafter Beckett leaves, the nurses and doctors start swarming me. Trying to get me to put the IV back in. Telling me I shouldn’t get out of bed. Telling me I need to stay here for a few days to ensure I didn’t lose too much blood.

But I hate hospitals. It would probably be the safer option to stay here, but my skin is already crawling to get out of here. I need to follow Beckett and figure out what the hell is going on, what he isn’t telling me.

The door opens as a nurse fusses over my low blood pressure when Leighton enters.

“Can you give us some privacy?” he asks the nurse.

She smiles at him, releasing my arm. “Of course, Mr. Stone.”

Leighton waits for the nurse to leave before he comes over to my side. He takes my hand like we’re lovers and then sits on the edge of my bed.

“I’m glad you’re awake. Sorry I had to leave. I had a couple of business things to take care of, but I’m completely yours for the rest of the week.”

The rest of the week—I hate the sound of that.

I smile tightly. “I’m sure your business needs you more than I need you sitting next to me in this hospital bed every day.”

He reaches out, tucking my matted hair behind my ear. “I talked with one of the doctors. You’ll be able to leave tonight.”

I bite my lip, unsure if I’m happy or scared to death to go home with this man.

Leighton’s eyes twinkle with concern as he sits and stares at me like he’s madly in love with me.

He’s just being sweet. Or he’s a psycho.

“Unless you’re not ready to leave? I assumed you removing your IV means you want to leave?” he raises his eyebrows, waiting for my answer.

“I’m ready to leave as soon as it’s safe.”

“Good, I’ll arrange it with your doctor. I have my own medical staff that can continue treating you at my house, so it shouldn’t be a problem for you to leave.”

“Thank you,” I say, quietly.

“You gave me quite the scare. There was so much blood loss I thought you might lose your arm.”

“I won’t, though?”

“No, the doctor was able to repair the damage. But you’ll be in that sling for six weeks.”

I frown.

He chuckles. “You’re adorable when you pout.”

“I’m not pouting, I’m frowning.”

“Of course, frowning.” His smile gets bigger, showing off more of his perfectly straight, white teeth.

“I can understand why you’re upset. It’s going to be harder to fight in the competition with an injured arm. But I hope by the end of the week, you’ll think I’m a worthy choice and be rooting for me to win.”

Now I’m glaring. “I want to choose whom I marry and even if I marry. I don’t want a guy to compete for me.”

“So feisty, I love it. But you’re right. You should be able to choose. That’s why I chose the game I did; I’d heard that you were skilled. I was giving you a chance to win. But something happened, didn’t it?”

I consider my choices. I could fake innocence, like I don’t know what he’s talking about. I could come clean or tell him a half-truth.

“Why did you think I was skilled?” I ask, deciding to just avoid answering altogether.

“I saw how you were during the first game. When you kicked my ass, I knew that you had training. I just assumed it carried over to guns as well. Sorry if that was my mistake.”

“I appreciate the gesture,” I say, still avoiding answering his question. It’s clear that Leighton wants me to like him. I decide to see how far I can push him to get what I want. “It’s been a long day. Any chance I can recover in my own bed in my own apartment? I’d love to see my roommate and her dog.”

He strokes my cheek, and I try not to cringe at his touch. I don’t know how I want to play this yet. Maybe I should just kick his ass instead of letting him touch me.

“My place is just as comfortable. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you rest easy.”

Then, before I realize what he’s doing, his lips brush against mine. It’s a quick kiss, but not something I asked for nonetheless.

“Ready to blow this joint? I harassed the doctor to let you out early.”

I nod.

Twenty minutes later, I’m dressed in some sweats the hospital had on hand and am being wheeled out in a wheelchair to Leighton’s car.

He opens the door, and I move to stand, but he grabs my unharmed arm before I fully stand. “Let me help you. You’ve lost a lot of blood, so you need to take it easy.”

The way the world around me is spinning tells me that he’s right, but I don’t like him putting his hands on me. He helps me up into the SUV before going around and climbing into the backseat next to me.

We start moving almost immediately as a man in the driver’s seat pulls us out of the parking lot without speaking to Leighton.

I study Leighton closer, and that’s when I finally spot the ghost tattoo as chills race through me. “You’re Phantom Brotherhood?”

He nods. “You’re looking at the new leader.”

My skin crawls, and there is no doubt that he’s a monster. Whatever charm he’s been giving me is all an act. I should have stayed at the hospital. It would have been safer, even if I was pumped full of drugs and forgot all my memories. It would have been better than getting in this car with him.

I still, trying to think of what I should do next. “You want revenge for Ares’s death, don’t you? That’s what this is about—hurting me to hurt my father.”

“No, I’m thankful to your father for killing Ares. I would have never become the leader without him doing that.”

He leans in closer to me, and I try to fake a smile. I keep my cool, acting like he doesn’t give me the creeps.

The car stops in front of a building, and an eery darkness washes over me. I don’t have to look outside to know where we are.

The driver steps out and opens my door, holding his hand out to me. Reluctantly, I take his hand and step out as Leighton runs around the car to help me.

“Are we just making a quick stop here, or do you live here?” I ask, staring at the club. The same club where Caius, Hayes, Lennox, and Gage fucked me. Where Beckett kissed me. Where I watched Vincent kill Ares.

Leighton grins as he takes my uninjured arm, linking our fingers together like we’re lovers. “I thought this was the best place for us to enjoy our time together. I’m still moving into a new condo since I’ve gotten my new title and earnings. But you’ll be well taken care of here.”

I swallow down the anxiety creeping up my throat as Leighton leads me into the club.

Loud music pounds through my exhausted body. I’m still groggy from the drugs and blood loss, and the sound is doing nothing to help my headache.

Thankfully, Leighton takes me through a door away from the booming music and people. The door closes behind us, and my eyes adjust to my surroundings. It’s then that I realize that we should have stayed in the main part of the club. This room is way more dangerous. Now I’m alone with Leighton, and based on what is in front of me, I know what his intentions are.

I just hope Beckett and the guys are still tracking me. I’m not sure I’m in any shape to escape on my own.