Page 35 of Incoming Layne Shift

Still donning his smile, he shifted his gaze over her body. “I might know a thing or two. For a price.” He ran his tongue over his lips like a wolf eyeing up a lamb.

She could feel his eyes trying to burn a hole through her clothing and what lay underneath. Now it was her turn to laugh. “Oh, who is playing who for a fool, now?”

He shrugged casually. “Everyone must pay for something, yes?”

While he wasn’t wrong, but Layne wasn’t about to earn a reputation for fucking every faction head in the city anytime she needed something. She stood, causing not just Alexei’s guards to shift into a state of readiness, but Gage tensed up in his stance.

Layne stepped over to the Russian, bending over at her waist while leaning down to bring her face up close to his. Her words melted into a sultry whisper. “Oh, Alexei.” She drank down the rest of her vodka and placed the glass between his legs on the seat of his chair.

It took everything Gage had not to intervene and tell Layne to stop playing with goddamn fire. She was toying with a very dangerous man, and teasing another—him. The way she was bent over, the hem of her dress was threatening to reveal what lay underneath forcing Gage to swallow down a groan. He mentally reminded himself what his purpose was here, and it sure as hell wasn’t sinking his cock into her in the middle of the club.

She pressed the side of the glass forward between Kuznetsov’s legs, bringing it up against the package bulging against the crotch of his pants. Layne’s lips found his ear where she whispered something only meant for his ears. It prompted Alexei to visibly shift in his seat.

Layne straightened up, leaving the glass where it was on his seat. “I want a name.” She stared down at the man seated before her.

He cleared his throat. “I once told your father that you would make a nice printsessa for one of my sons. I misjudged. You are more like your father than I realized. I think you will find the answers you are looking for over at a little souvenir shop across from the Empire State Building.” He placed his serving of vodka down on the table.

Her look turned dark as she got the answer she was looking for. “Thank you.”

As she stepped away from him, his hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. Layne looked down at his tight hold on her, his grasp engulfing the narrowest part of her arm. She flexed her arm, pulling on his hold as she looked up to see his eyes.

“Be sure of your actions, pchelka. You do not want to lay judgment on the tiger only to be bitten by the snake.” He released his hand from her.

She sat there thinking about his words and nodded. “Of course.” Layne wasn’t quite sure what he meant by the cryptic saying, but she wasn’t going to let anyone in this city destroy her—tiger or snake.

Leaving the nightclub, she approached Gage’s Jeep with determination in her steps. Before she could climb in, his hand grabbed her arm to turn her to face him. “What did you say to him in there that made him change his mind?”

Layne smirked. “That I knew his interests didn’t lie in bedding the O’Reilly in front of him, that he would need to take a trip to visit Liam in Rikers Island to get his fix.” Her devious little smirk grew before she added, “And that if he didn’t give me what I wanted I would cut his balls out, place them in a glass, pour his shitty fucking vodka over them, and make him drink it all.”

“That’s fucked up.” Gage stared at her knowing he should have been shocked, but found himself even more turned on knowing how she could hold her own in the big leagues.

“I know.” She slid her arm out of his hold and got into the Wrangler.

After Gage joined her in the vehicle, he took a look at his phone and sent a text before tucking it back into his jacket pocket. He drove them back to his condo just south of Hell’s Kitchen.

“What are we doing here?” She lifted a brow as he parked in the underground garage of a newly constructed building that laid residence to condos that were larger in square footage than the average American home. “Joey said he would meet us back at Cassidy’s after he was done.”

Gage didn’t say anything when he hopped out of his seat and came over to her side. He reached over and pushed the release of her seatbelt, easing it off of her. “I told him there was a change of plans.”

Her words held both irritation and suspicion. “What change in plans?” She hadn’t been made aware of any changes, and she didn’t like she was kept out of the loop. Layne got out of the Jeep and stared him down intently.

He took her jaw into his hand possessively. “Told him you were being a goddamn tease and you were going to learn what happens when you shake your ass at me like that.” His words were firm and laced with lust-ridden intentions.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

When they arrived upstairs at Gage’s 24th floor condominium unit, Layne was shocked to discover it was far different from the apartment Joey used to have. This was downright fancy as hell.

There were floor-to-ceiling windows in the primary living area upon entry that she imagined provided an impressive amount of natural light during the day. The furniture appeared to be high-end pieces with a large cream sofa with navy throw pillows, a round coffee table in front of it, and an impressively large television mounted on the wall.

Gage slid out of his suit jacket, exposing the dual shoulder holster holding twin nine-millimeter semi-automatics. He tossed the jacket over the back of the couch before taking a seat. He leaned back as his eyes followed every movement Layne made.

“Layne,” his voice husky and laced with need. “Come stand in front of me.”

Maybe she was still riding her attitude and sass from her earlier conversation with Kuznetsov because she smirked at him. “Trying to be bossy now?” However, she still complied and walked over to stand in front of him, her hands perched on her hips.

His eyes narrowed at her, but he didn’t respond to the question. Instead, he gave another order to her. “Turn around and bend over.”

Oh, so he did think he was going to be the boss now, didn’t he? She grinned as she felt excitement travel down her spine until it reached between her legs. After dropping her hands from her hips, she slowly spun around until her back was to him. Layne bent over halfway before looking back at him. “Satisfied?” The back of the dress still kept her body tastefully covered, barely.

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