Page 63 of Possessive

Hunter grinned. "We all know you won't do that. Parker and I are too useful."

"Is that what they call it these days?" Damon asked. "Useful?"

"I think he's insulting us again," Parker said.

"Enough." Reuben's voice was low, but forceful. "In case you've forgotten, we could have been killed last night. Let's focus on the matter at hand. You can insult each other on your own time."

All three of them fell silent. The twins even looked slightly apologetic. Reuben was right, we could have died. Kurt was the enemy here, not each other. There was no animosity in the banter, but it wasn't going to help us find him any faster.

"I'll keep in touch with my contacts," Damon said. "Someone has to have seen something, even if they got paid not to see. We have people looking at the financials of any of his known associates, or anyone who might have come in contact with him in the last few years. If he's paid any of them to pretend they didn't see him, we'll pin them down."

"I don't care who you have to bribe, threaten or kill, I want him found," Reuben said. "That is our priority. That and keeping our interests running. No doubt he'll try to fuck with them in some way, at some point. If he's getting desperate enough to send people after us, there's no telling what shit he might try to pull."

"Consider everyone bribed, threatened or killed," Damon said. "He can only hide from us for so long. At some point, he's going to make a mistake and we'll be right there, ready to pounce."

Reuben scrubbed a hand over his face. "We may have to consider approaching Samuel Bell. If we pool our resources, that should make it easier to find Lasalle."

"That's a good idea," Hunter said surprisingly quickly. "I definitely think the Brantley and Bell families should work together. Don't you Parker?"

"Definitely," Parker said with just as much enthusiasm. "I mean, the two families have been at each other's throats for so long. And for what?" He spread his hands. "No one even knows anymore." He gave an awkward laugh.

Reuben narrowed his eyes at him. "If you're so enthusiastic, you can talk to him."

The twins exchanged a glance.

"He'd probably have us killed on sight," Hunter said.

"That sounds accurate," Parker agreed. "A phone call might be safer."

"I'll consider it," Reuben said. He clearly thought they were up to something, but it wasn't something he was going to get into right now. "You all have jobs to do. Go and do them. Mina, stay here."

I stood aside to let them all out the door before closing it behind them. I caught a glimpse of Gianni grinning before it clicked shut.

Reuben stood and moved around to the other side of the desk, ice blue eyes on me. At first, he said nothing. He was silent for long enough to make me uneasy.

"Is something wrong?" I asked. Apart from all the other things I already knew were wrong in my life right now.

"No, nothing," he said, his gaze still intense. "I like to understand everyone and everything around me. It helps me to keep things in order. But you… I can't figure you out."

I struggled to remain still and calm. "There's not much to figure out. I'm just Mina DiMarco, sister of a famous rock star, a university professor, and a woman who knows how to dispose of suspicious body parts. You've known me for most of my life."

"And yet, I don't think I know you at all," he said. He shook his head and stepped back. "I think I underestimated you. Of course you know how to use a knife and gun, and stay calm in a crisis. We were all raised with those skills."

"You thought maybe I was going to wilt after what I've been through?" I asked.

That was a logical assumption. Alone at night, I did wilt, but I forced myself to keep going when the sun rose. I had to. If only so I could see this through to the end.

"People have gone through less and been thoroughly destroyed," he said. "Gianni has broken people by threatening to torture them. The suggestion of a few horrific methods has them begging for mercy and telling him everything they know. Some people are stronger than that. But you, you're stronger than any of them."

He slowly raised his hand and touched the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair. I didn't move while he lowered his mouth, lightly brushing his lips over mine.

Gradually, he deepened the kiss, his tongue dipping into my mouth, holding my hair in his fist.

Reluctantly, he pulled back and let his hand slip from my hair.

"You're mine," he whispered. "One day, I will show you how much."

"One day I'll be ready," I whispered back.

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