Page 25 of Consort of the Crime Queen

The desperation in her voice makes me groan. I kiss lower, over the taut plane of her stomach, then settle between silk-smooth thighs. At the first hot swipe of my tongue through her already-glistening slit, Aurora cries out, fists twisting in my hair.

I drink her up, intoxicated by her taste and scent. My tongue dances over her tight little clit until her legs clamp around my head, back bowing off the bed. Then and only then do I slip two fingers inside her sweet, wet cunt, pumping firmly as I suckle her bud.

"Don't stop," Aurora gasps, writhing against my mouth. I curl my fingers just so, stroking her inner walls in time with my tongue on her clit until she shatters with a sharp cry. I gentle her through the aftershocks, lapping up the juice dripping out of her.

I could live on this. No food. No water. Just Aurora.

I kiss back up her trembling body until we're face to face. Her hands come up to cradle my jaw, guiding me into a slow, sensual kiss.

"My turn," she murmurs against my lips before gently pushing me onto my back. I sigh in pleasure as she palms my breasts, plucking at the hard peaks until I'm tingling all over. Then Aurora's talented mouth continues lower, tracing my abdominal muscles.

I'm already soaked and aching for her touch, but I let her take her time, teasing me as she works her way toward her target. She inches her way down, hands roaming over my stomach, brushing lower. When her hot breath finally plays over my aching center, I reach down to card my fingers through her hair. Gently, she parts my folds and gives me one long, slow lick. A moan catches in my throat. She focuses on my swollen clit, flicking it lightly, then letting her tongue glide up and down, around and around until I think I might explode from frustration instead of orgasm. I'm on the edge of sanity when she finally slides her tongue into me, flicking it in just the right way to make my toes curl. She's a natural at this, as if she's been made for me and only me.

"Aurora," I groan, digging my fingers into the sheets. The room around us melts away, leaving only the two of us and the inferno building between my thighs. She presses down on my clit again with a flat, deft tongue, and I tense, coiling tightly as the orgasm crashes over me, washes through me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Aurora crawls back up my body, her smirk smug and satisfied as she rests her head on my damp chest. Her hand trails down my sweat-soaked breasts and I wrap her up tight in my arms and let my breathing slow.

"I want to visit Mrs. Graves," Aurora says, breaking the afterglow. My body tenses as I'm reminded of the housekeeper's disdain for me now. "You said I could."

"It's too dangerous for you to leave Elysium right now," I reply flatly.

Aurora's brows draw together, mouth turning down. "You promised I'd have my freedom. You said?—"

"I know what I said." That was much too sharp. I soften my tone, tracing her cheekbone. "Of course you may come and go. But only with an armed escort, for your own safety."

Aurora considers this compromise, anger fading. I resist the urge to kiss away her pout.

Finally she nods. "Fine. You can come with me to visit Mrs. Graves then."

I can't contain a scowl. Facing the housekeeper's judgment is the last thing I want. The sting of her words still remains.

"Let Lyssa take you," I counter. "I'm sorry, but a visit to Mrs. Graves is low on my list of priorities right now. I'm busy trying to find allies, Aurora, just like you wanted me to do."

Trying and not really succeeding. There are a lot of criminals in Chicago who owe me a favor, but expecting them to put their lives on the line for the Syndicate is a step too far.

And sometimes, when I try to speak to them, they are impossible to find. This means that my father has been there first. Has paid them or threatened them enough to make themselves scarce.

If things continue the way they are, I'll have to take on the Imperioli Family with only the Syndicate. One Syndicate member is worth ten Imperiolis—of that, I am certain—but I'd rather the odds were a little more on my side, all the same.

Aurora frowns again, but seems to accept what I'm saying, with my not-so-subtle reference to taking her advice. She settles against me once more and I wrap an arm around her bare shoulders, savoring her warmth.

This young woman can unravel my composure like none other. She slips past my icy exterior to expose the vulnerabilities within. And hell, for her, I would brave even Mrs. Graves' disapproving glare. If I really, really had to.

If only Mrs. Graves was the worst problem I had right now. Because the other reason I've been out tonight was because I got the call that another one of my mercenaries, Eddie Torres, was found dead in a downtown alley, a stiletto to the heart, and no witnesses.

And he's not the first. Bulldog Brassi was killed in a similar fashion while Aurora was staying in the safe house. At the time, I assumed the job had gone wrong; that although Bulldog's assassination target had been successfully eliminated, bratva associates must have chased him down.

I was wrong. Torres and Brassi were both targeted attacks, meant to send a message. But I already know who's behind it. The tipster who called up the gatehouse with the news of this latest killing was very eager to leave his name.

It's Nero.

Nero's men are hunting down my people and killing them.

CHAPTER 14

Aurora

The war room thrums with tension as Hadria calls the gathering to order. Lieutenants and mercenaries are seated at the long table, trainees standing, and the expressions around that I see range from nervous to angry.

I'm so glad to be back here, even though I know there's no good news coming. Hadria told me when we woke this morning—well, late this afternoon, since she did make an effort to get to sleep before dawn—about Nero's attacks on some of the Syndicate members recently. Hadria stands rigidly at the head, radiating frigid authority, and I sit at her left side, feeling a little awkward.

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