Page 10 of Forbidden Need

She almost rolled her eyes. He didn’t need to be antagonistic. Though Lachlan had shown up unannounced to ambush him… maybe antagonistic wasn’t so out of line.

“You’re—” This time a phone rang from the other side of the curtain. “Excuse me.” Lachlan’s, obviously, but he didn’t go anywhere. “Henry…” Her head rose, that was her grandfather’s name. The men in her family often used each other’s first names. Henry, Ronald, Lachlan, she wasn’t part of that club. “Yeah, that’s right…” her brother said. “Understood.”

“Wrong address?” Connel asked, a smirk in his tone.

“Family business.”

“If I can be of any help…”

She smiled at Connel’s offer. Yeah, it sounded sort of insincere, but she knew different.

“Yeah, right. You care about my family? Did you care when my sister was left for dead for your family?” Her hand flattened on the wall as her butt rose a few inches from the stair. Damn. Did Lachlan have to take it there? “I asked you a question.”

It wasn’t like her brother to be hostile or for Connel not to have an immediate comeback.

“I did,” he said through audibly gritted teeth. “And I made sure it would never happen again.”

“Really? ‘Cause what I saw was her getting hurt on your watch in your neighborhood. Who runs things around these parts? If I find out you were behind it…”

She bit her lip. If they came to blows… Lachlan never started the fight, he was always calm and levelheaded. Connel she’d expect to be more volatile, more aggressive.

“As I said, it will never happen again.”

“My sister doesn’t always think things through. Sometimes I forget how smart she is… Then she goes and cuts ties with all things McDade and I remember why she excelled at college.”

Her lips moved in silent murmuring of her brother’s name. He had to stop or she’d be the one losing her cool. Maybe listening in wasn’t such a good idea.

“She is smart,” Connel said. The swagger in his intonation set her on edge. “And beautiful.”

She sat back on an exhale. Great. This was going just swell.

Lachlan was snide enough to laugh. “You fucking wish, asshole.”

“McLeod,” a third voice.

About damn time. There was movement and mumbles.

“Guess we’ll see you next time,” her brother said a few seconds later.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Connel said.

Footsteps and then the office door closed.

FIVE

SERSHA DIDN’T MOVE. If Connel wanted her to join him in the office, he’d call for her. He’d done that before. If he needed a minute or was pissed at her, rushing him wouldn’t help. There was always the chance he’d throw her out. That he didn’t want to see her.

If enough cops joined Lachlan’s venture, it would take time to put space between them and the club. She wouldn’t overlook the chance they’d loiter nearby and watch the place for a while. Not that Connel would be dumb enough to immediately trot out whatever evidence they’d been looking for. Leaving too quickly could walk her straight into their ranks. Explaining her solitary presence to Lachlan could prove difficult.

As she rolled her lips into her mouth, the curtain moved and there he was, in the shadow at the foot of the stairs.

“You know that was gonna happen?” Connel asked. She shook her head. “They’ll hang around outside; you’ll have to stay a while.”

Laying a steadying hand on the wall, she rose to her feet. “How about the night?”

They’d put an end to them. They were no more… Except… their tongues had twined like they hadn’t missed a beat. Their bodies hadn’t feasted themselves full before her brother showed up and interrupted. They had unfinished business. Unsated need.

“You remember where you are?” he asked, stony-faced. “Who I am?” She frowned. “Don’t expect me to be a good guy. I’m no gentleman. If I want it, I’ll take it. I’ll use you. Any time I get the opportunity. And I’ll still walk away.”

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