Wilder’s voice was like a balm to his soul, soothing the fears and that raging pulse in his ears.
“I don’t plan on it,” he mumbled, burying his face in Wilder’s neck.
Fingers slid through his hair, Wilder’s big hand cradling the back of his head as he held him close. He could feel Wilder’s heart thundering beneath the hand he had on his chest, and he knew his own wasn’t faring much better.
“What happened?”
“I clipped the bastard in the arm before he could get a shot off,” Wilder said, lips feathering across Emmett’s forehead. “He got away.” He motioned with a tilt of his head at the door next to the bar.
“Anyone hurt?”
The heartbeat between his question and Wilder’s answer felt like a lifetime.
“Nothing serious.”
“Thank fuck,” he breathed, something settling inside his chest. The last thing he wanted was to cause anyone harm orbethe cause of their harm. “What about your head?”
One of Heath’s guys had hit Wilder in the back of his head with a piece of lumber left at the back door from the renovations.
“I’ll live,” Wilder said, pressing a kiss to Emmett’s lips before pulling him to his feet.
He looked around the bar, catching a quick glimpse of someone standing behind Kian, who was using his foot to roll over what he assumed was a body.
“Emmett?”
Kaz appeared in front of them, running his gaze over Emmett, his shoulders dropping when he realized he was unhurt.
“I’m alright,” he still mumbled, needing to hear the words, too.
“Good,” Kaz said with a nod and pulled out his phone, likely to let everyone know he was safe.
A shadow appeared in the doorway the man who’d tried to shoot Kian had disappeared through, and Emmett’s heart skipped a beat until Talon stepped inside. He breathed a sigh of relief, then instantly grabbed Kaz by the arm.
“They’re after Kian. He kept asking me questions about him.”
Kaz’s eyes widened for a heartbeat, and then he whirled around, taking two steps toward Kian. “The fuck have you gotten into?”
Kian grimaced. “I have no idea.”
Kaz frowned, then turned his gaze on the guy who was stepping around Kian. He had sun-kissed skin, silky-looking black hair, and gray eyes that kept darting back to Kian. He was wearing a suit that looked expensive. He was definitely pulling it off in an almost casual manner that Heath had never been able to.
“You know anything about that?” Kaz asked him.
“No,” he answered, his tone cool.
“Why the fuck would he know anything about it?” Kian snapped, something dangerous swirling in his eyes as he scowled at the man.
Emmett sucked in a sharp breath when it finally clicked who he was.
“You okay?” Wilder muttered, his hand rubbing soothing circles on Emmett’s back.
“Is that who I think it is?” he asked in a whisper, gaze shooting back and forth between Dante and Kian.
“You know who he is? Kian’s told you about him?”
Yeah, he knew about Dante Serrano. He was probably the only one Kian had told about Dante. About their past. Everything that had happened between them as teenagers.
Before he could answer Wilder, Dante inclined his head at Kaz and turned on his heels, walking back out with steady strides. Kian was quick to follow, cursing under his breath.
