Page 19 of Exposed

Fuck me.

Collateral damage sounded a hell of a lot different before this woman dragged me through the kitchen of The Pink.

I shift Goldie so her back is to the room and keep her close to me. “Who threatened you?”

In my gut, I know who threatened her. If I were a betting man, that’s something I’d put money on. But if Trippy ingrained anything in us growing up, it’s that gambling is for fools, no matter how good we think that bet might be. I’m a grown-ass man and can do what I want, but Trippy has a way of making shit stick.

She gives her head a little shake. “It doesn’t matter. I need to leave and so do you. This isn’t somewhere you want to be. I’m sorry. So sorry. I never should have lied to you. Let’s escape through the kitchen, and you’ll never see me again. The last thing I want is for you to be seen with me. You can’t handle that kind of attention.”

I’d laugh in her face if I weren’t an undercover DEA agent in a sea of filth. “You have no fucking idea what I can handle. Who threatened you?”

Her bottomless brown eyes glass over with desperation. “Why does it matter? This was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made outside of moving to Miami to begin with. Please, I need to leave, and you need to come with me. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”

I know exactly what I’m getting myself into. I’m not going anywhere until I get what I need. “Goldie, I’m going to ask you one more time. Who?—”

Shit.

“Daniel?” Goldie tries to turn to see what distracted me, but I stop her by pulling her even closer. And since we were fucking close to begin with, we might as well be one. She panics. “What is it?”

Dex-fucking-Carter is stalking across the room straight for us. I need Goldie to tell me about her connection to Dex and The Pink, but none of this is happening the way it was supposed to. I thought I knew what was going on, but I was wrong.

Very fucking wrong.

I look back at the woman in my arms. Her dark hair falls down her back as she frowns up at me in confusion.

I lean down so close, our noses brush. “I need you to trust me and follow my lead.”

A crinkle forms between her beautiful dark eyes. “Why?”

If I had an entire week to explain, I still wouldn’t tell her shit. Instead, I go with my gut, because I need to get us both out of here in one piece instead of dragged upstairs and end the night tied up and who knows what else.

Brax and Micah would have to break out the raid gear to extract us.

I would never hear the end of it.

I never planned to come face to face with Dex Carter tonight. So I do the only thing I can do to protect her and buy myself more time.

I let go of her slim body and claim her face. My rough, scarred hands on her fair complexion looks like sin. If I could kick my own ass for dragging her into this right now, I would. I have a feeling everything that led me to this moment with Marigold Carter is wrong.

She was my golden ticket to get to the prize, and I took it like the selfish S.O.B. that I am.

That prize is stalking straight for us, and there’s no way I will hang my golden ticket out to dry.

I pull her mouth to mine and swallow her gasp like a starved man.

Goldie lifts to her toes and wraps her hands around my wrists.

But not to pull away.

To hold on.

Her grasp is bleeding terror and shock. She’s gripping onto me for dear life, which makes me feel like even more of an ass for what I’m doing.

But…

Fuck.

When I slide my tongue between her pink lips, nothing has felt this good in…

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