Page 49 of High Stakes

23

SILAS

“Do we have any resources?” I ask as my fingers fly across the keyboard, clicking on windows and opening tabs on the screens in front of me. “What are we working with?”

Hector leans against the wall to my right, watching as the screen changes rapidly. “The Russians are always reliable for us. The Irish are also available if necessary.” His deep voice rumbles through the quiet room.

“This is going to be difficult,” I admit as I click through windows and tabs, trying to find the information I need.

“The fucker is almost never without a heavy security detail,” Hayden says as he enters the room with three beers. He hands them out before taking a long swig of his own. “That’s why he’s not dead yet.”

“Where’s Emelia?” Hector asks, his eyes scanning the hallway behind Hayden.

Hayden smirks and his eyes sparkle with mirth. “Declan is tending to her. He’s really big into aftercare, and she really took a pounding.”

I snort out a laugh and grab Hector’s wrist as he tries to shoulder his way out of the room. “Easy, tiger, she’s fine. They’ll be here soon. Now,” I say quietly and my fingers click across the keys again, “if we’re going to have a hope of getting close to Cabrera, it’s going to be at his Masquerade ball.” I click open a tab and shift so the two of them can see over my shoulder. “He holds it every year for his birthday.”

Hector leans forward to read the screen, and I inhale his masculine scent. My nostrils flare and, even though I just got railed, my stomach flips excitedly as I imagine taking him in the stockades like Hayden had not long ago. “That could work, although I’m not sure how we’ll get close enough to him.”

“You doubt the power of seduction,” Emelia says lightly. We turn and take her in. She’s leaning against the doorframe with Declan at her back. Her hair is piled on the top of her head in a messy bun and her face is still pink and flushed. “He always has several dancers and entertainers at these events.”

“You want to pole dance, Princess?” Declan chuckles quietly.

“How do you know this?” Hector asks, his eyes flashing dangerously. He knows how she knows this information, and he’s not happy about it. I look up at him and my stomach does another quick dip at his dark tone. Dammit, I need to get a grip on my dick.

She sighs and sinks into a chair beside me. “Because I’ve been there before, Hector. I’ve snuck in several times to try and recruit people when we needed bodies, and sometimes I just go for the free booze and dancing.”

“We shouldn’t need much backup if we do this quickly and quietly. How far are you willing to go, Angel?” Hayden asks, and drops a hand to my shoulder, giving me a gentle squeeze when he feels my tense muscles.

“What do you mean?” She asks warily, and looks between the four of us. I know what he’s getting at, and by the looks onDeclan and Hector’s faces, they do too. “How far do I need to go?”

“If you grab his attention, you could be lucky enough to get him alone, but you’ll have to be okay with fighting dark and dirty.”

A dangerous smile splits her face and if I didn’t know her, the expression would terrify me. “That’s the only way I know how to play.” She pushes my hands away from the keyboard and takes over, pulling up photos of past events. “He’s partial to curvy blonde women. That’s what all the dancers are in the photos of previous years. Blondes with big boobs and outrageous costumes.”

I nod and take a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves jumping through my body like pop rocks. Could it really be as simple as cutting the head off the snake? Will we all be done and able to live our lives once he’s dead? Or will our reapers need to find new obsessions, and slowly tear this new relationship dynamic apart?

Hayden’s voice pulls me out of my downward spiral. “If you bite any harder on that lower lip, you might chew it off,” he whispers in my ear and uses the pad of his thumb to pull my lip from between my teeth.

I look around and find the room empty. When had everyone left? I didn’t even hear the rest of the plan. Fuck. I move to stand, but Hayden’s hands on my shoulders keep me in the chair. “Where’d everyone go?”

He sighs and gives me a small smile. “Emelia took Declan to the armory to start planning our strike. Hector went to one of their warehouses to handle a mix up with products. You,” he says softly and sits directly on my lap facing me, his thighs draping over either side of mine. “You need to relax. You’re so keyed up that you’re practically vibrating.”

I tense up as he shifts on my lap, unsure where to put my hands or eyes. We just shared the most intimate of moments, but now I don’t know how to act around him. I fumble around like an awkward teenager and keep my eyes anywhere but his face. If he expects me to calm down with him this close, well he’s fucking stupid.

His fingers grab my chin and tilt my face until I’m looking into his eyes. His tight grip keeps me from pulling away. “Seriously, baby,” he whispers, and slides his hand forward until he’s gripping the back of my neck. “Relax.”

I close my eyes and press my forehead against his. We’re so close that we’re sharing breath, and the warmth of him against my skin is doing things to my insides. “What happens when this is done?” I voice my concerns without looking at him.

“Are you worried you won’t be enough to hold my attention? Her attention?” He asks quietly, and the emotion in his voice is enough to have me opening my eyes. “You don’t have to worry about that, Si. She loves you. Once this is done, she won’t be whole, but she’ll meld her broken pieces to our broken pieces. We’ll all be whole together.”

“Kintsugi,” I whisper with a smile and his nose brushes mine gently.

“We’ll fill all the cracks with gold, making everything that was bruised and broken into something beautiful,” he says softly, touching his lips to mine tenderly.

His touch ignites the embers glowing inside me, and I feel like I’m burning up from the inside out. I slide my fingers into his hair, gripping his roots hard and slipping my tongue through his parted lips.

Hayden makes a noise low in his throat and cups my face with both hands as his tongue strokes against mine, fighting for dominance. My body shudders as he pulls away and presses hisforehead to mine. “I’ll love you until my last breath,” he whispers shakily.

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