Page 62 of Three of a Kind

“Don’t go all high and mighty on me now, Gunner.” Bless snorts derisively. “You do the same work.”

“No.” My head shakes. “We’re not assassins. We do contract jobs, but that’s not the same thing.”

“You’re sounding kinda hypocritical right now,” Maverick whispers out of the side of his mouth.

“She’s attached to Deveraux. Liberty loves him.” Bless shrugs. “Show your ass if you want to. I have a feeling you won’t like the outcome. He’s been around daily, putting in the work to earn her trust.”

I growl, and Maverick elbows me in the gut.

“Grab whatever you came for before she comes looking for you,” Maverick says. “We’ll handle him if he becomes a problem.”

I sigh heavily, scooping up Brooklyn’s cell phone and shoving it into my back pocket. “Fine, but you need to check in with Merrick. See if Stone can give us any assistance in case the timetable needs to be moved up with Ivanov.”

Bless doesn’t know Soren, Ivanov’s former enforcer, is alive, so I use his new, assumed name of Stone.

“Go cuddle with Brooklyn,” Bless says, dismissing me. “Trust me when I say she deserves all the pampering after the hell Avan put her through.”

My jaw slides from side to side, but I give a clipped nod.

I tug off my leather jacket and get myself out of my holster before taking both to the closet by the door. I shove them onto the top shelf, where I’m sure no toddler would be able to reach and move swiftly back toward Brooklyn’s bedroom.

It’s time I put in the work to earn her trust.

Chapter Eighteen

Brooklyn

Gunner is gone for so long that I give up on waiting and take a quick shower. I still feel sweaty from the trip to the park, and my nerves aren’t helping anything.

I grab a stretchy dress that can be worn around the house but not out in public and pull it over my still-wet body.

The flyaway pieces of my hair that fell out of my bun have turned to ringlets around my face. I’m too tired to mess with it now, so I tug the hair tie out and toss it on the dresser.

It’s slightly annoying that Gunner disappeared. He said he was going to keep me company. I’m guessing he got dragged back into more conversation about what a disaster my life is.

I wouldn’t be shocked if he brings me my phone and quietly excuses himself. Digging in the closet, I grab several of the small throw blankets that have extra soft textures and chuck them on my bed.

Once that’s done, I climb up on the edge and start to pull down the multitude of pillows.

The one Noble slept on last night makes my nose twitch. Rather than tossing it to the side of the mattress to make a wall, I hug it to my chest and breathe him in.

Scenting him makes my chest ache as a weird feeling fills my stomach.

I really miss him.

I wish he was here to curl up with me.

I startle as Gunner strides back into my bedroom. His head tilts as he walks behind me, dropping my phone on the end table.

“You showered.”

“Yeah, I was still hot and sweaty from the park,” I say, tossing the pillow up where my head will be.

“Are you okay with me joining you?”

“Yeah,” I agree, moving to lie down.

I roll to face Gunner once I’m situated, and my eyes widen. He’s bent over, working the laces on his boots. He has on a plain black T-shirt, but I somehow forgot he’s got a shitload of tattoos. They start at the tops of his hands and go all the way up both forearms, lining the top and bottom.

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