Read Online A Hunter's Passion by Gwen Knight - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gwen Knight
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movement of lips. A haze settled over her thoughts, her arms slipping around his neck.
“We stay together,” he murmured.
“How?” she questioned. “There will always be something— someone —in our way. You’re a hunter and I’m a witch. They’ll never let us be together.”
He smiled that crooked, dimpled smile that always managed to steal her breath. “I don’t care.”
But Jenna wasn’t so naive. His brothers would find them. Even if she ran, they would find her. Distance meant little with the support of the Church. There was no such thing as jurisdiction. Death meant death, and with that sobering thought, Jenna lifted her gaze to Ryker’s.
Now there was another, one without any ties to Ryker, and that one might be responsible for murdering her family. The suggestion brightened her dark mood. At least one good thing might come from this—coming face-to-face with the bastard who had ruined everything. She might not be willing to go against Ryker’s brothers, but this hunter...if he were the one, may heaven have mercy on him, because she wouldn’t.
“Stay,” Ryker requested. “I’ll make my brothers understand.”
“And if you can’t?” She hated to ask such a thing, but she had to know.
Ryker offered no words. Instead, he hooked his finger beneath her chin and lifted it. His eyes burned with the need for her to understand and to have faith in him.
She nodded. “You got dressed too quickly,” she murmured before slanting her mouth over his.
Who knew how much time they had left together, but she would make every moment count.
Chapter Eight
A strange sound forced Ryker still.
Poised over Jenna, he listened, waiting for it to come again. When it did, he shoved her behind him and stalked across her bedroom, staring out the window over the small stretch of land framing Jenna’s house. It could have been anything—branches scratching against the siding, the wind rustling through the willows...but with all that was happening, he was on full alert.
It came a third time, and his chin jerked toward it. Whatever was out there, the crickets had stopped chirping, the coyotes as silent as the silvery moon. Even the wind hushed, dead quiet with anticipation of the inevitable.
“Ryker, what is it?” Jenna whispered.
There seemed to be someone—or something —rifling through the bushes below. The sense of invasion set off alarms in his head and with a string of curses flying from his lips, he snatched up his pistol and returned to Jenna, shoving yesterday’s sundress at her.
Ears primed, he listened to all the land had to tell him. Their visitor crept around the side of the house, their movements sloppy—something he delighted in. It made it so much easier to kill them when they were careless.
“Ryker?”
“Hunter.” He whispered, his chin jerking to indicate the window. “Get dressed.”
The color drained from her face as he loosened his grip, allowing her a moment to slip her dress on. He pressed a finger to his lips, cautioning her to keep quiet. The hunter downstairs might not have cared about the noise they were making, but Ryker did. When she nodded, he led her toward the door, her hand tucked firmly in his.
Anxiety tugged at Ryker’s stomach as he watched her gather herself. Her safety was all that mattered, and he swore to God that no harm would come to her; he would ensure that.
In silence, they inched through the house, his ears listening for any foreign noises. A thump came from the back, and something rattled against the door. Jenna stiffened against him, her nails cutting into his forearms.
“Stay behind me,” he whispered, pinning her with a firm glance. “No matter what.”
Bewildered eyes shot to his, her lips parting as she took in a wavering breath. When she finally nodded, he drew his hand out of hers and moved into a low crouch, craning his neck to see around the corners as he led them onward.
There was certainly someone out there; there was no mistaking
“We stay together,” he murmured.
“How?” she questioned. “There will always be something— someone —in our way. You’re a hunter and I’m a witch. They’ll never let us be together.”
He smiled that crooked, dimpled smile that always managed to steal her breath. “I don’t care.”
But Jenna wasn’t so naive. His brothers would find them. Even if she ran, they would find her. Distance meant little with the support of the Church. There was no such thing as jurisdiction. Death meant death, and with that sobering thought, Jenna lifted her gaze to Ryker’s.
Now there was another, one without any ties to Ryker, and that one might be responsible for murdering her family. The suggestion brightened her dark mood. At least one good thing might come from this—coming face-to-face with the bastard who had ruined everything. She might not be willing to go against Ryker’s brothers, but this hunter...if he were the one, may heaven have mercy on him, because she wouldn’t.
“Stay,” Ryker requested. “I’ll make my brothers understand.”
“And if you can’t?” She hated to ask such a thing, but she had to know.
Ryker offered no words. Instead, he hooked his finger beneath her chin and lifted it. His eyes burned with the need for her to understand and to have faith in him.
She nodded. “You got dressed too quickly,” she murmured before slanting her mouth over his.
Who knew how much time they had left together, but she would make every moment count.
Chapter Eight
A strange sound forced Ryker still.
Poised over Jenna, he listened, waiting for it to come again. When it did, he shoved her behind him and stalked across her bedroom, staring out the window over the small stretch of land framing Jenna’s house. It could have been anything—branches scratching against the siding, the wind rustling through the willows...but with all that was happening, he was on full alert.
It came a third time, and his chin jerked toward it. Whatever was out there, the crickets had stopped chirping, the coyotes as silent as the silvery moon. Even the wind hushed, dead quiet with anticipation of the inevitable.
“Ryker, what is it?” Jenna whispered.
There seemed to be someone—or something —rifling through the bushes below. The sense of invasion set off alarms in his head and with a string of curses flying from his lips, he snatched up his pistol and returned to Jenna, shoving yesterday’s sundress at her.
Ears primed, he listened to all the land had to tell him. Their visitor crept around the side of the house, their movements sloppy—something he delighted in. It made it so much easier to kill them when they were careless.
“Ryker?”
“Hunter.” He whispered, his chin jerking to indicate the window. “Get dressed.”
The color drained from her face as he loosened his grip, allowing her a moment to slip her dress on. He pressed a finger to his lips, cautioning her to keep quiet. The hunter downstairs might not have cared about the noise they were making, but Ryker did. When she nodded, he led her toward the door, her hand tucked firmly in his.
Anxiety tugged at Ryker’s stomach as he watched her gather herself. Her safety was all that mattered, and he swore to God that no harm would come to her; he would ensure that.
In silence, they inched through the house, his ears listening for any foreign noises. A thump came from the back, and something rattled against the door. Jenna stiffened against him, her nails cutting into his forearms.
“Stay behind me,” he whispered, pinning her with a firm glance. “No matter what.”
Bewildered eyes shot to his, her lips parting as she took in a wavering breath. When she finally nodded, he drew his hand out of hers and moved into a low crouch, craning his neck to see around the corners as he led them onward.
There was certainly someone out there; there was no mistaking
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