Page 101 of The Butterfly Killer

He thought over Mercer’s words. He gave his partner a confused look, looking for answers in Mercer’s eyes as to what he meant by that. Well, he knew what he meant, but he didn’t know what Mercer wanted him to do with the information.

The car started and they were driving away. Cortez was in another car in front of them. Burns watched the car and kept an eye on Cortez though he didn’t know what good that would do him.

Mercer wasn’t surveying the area like Burns was compelled to do. Burns fed off his partner’s calm exterior. He knew hecouldn’t trust what Mercer showed on the outside. He could never gauge the man’s emotions or thoughts, but if there was one thing he needed right then, it was a false sense of security. Calm was the closest thing he was going to get and he was going to take it.

He needed it for his sanity’s sake.

A few minutes rolled by and Burns only finally started to calm down. His racing heart had become melodic. His body almost seemed numb but also hyper aware of every little touch.

Mercer’s words played over in his head.The guy next to you has been eyeing you since we got here.

Burns slowly tilted his head up to look at the man next to him.

The bodyguard stared straight ahead. His body was tense. Unlike Mercer, his eyes were flickering back and forth, surveying for danger. However, he very clearly avoided looking at Burns.

Well, fuck. Did Mercer want him to do what he thought he wanted him to do?

Burns’s eyes looked over the man. He was fit as expected, his clothes hugging his body tightly. The black slacks and button up shirt didn’t slim his muscles down at all. If Mercer was wrong about his assessment and the man turned on Burns, he was going to be beaten to death and it wouldn’t take much to do it with the size of the man’s biceps.

The car turned a corner. Burns exaggerated the force, practically falling into the man’s lap. The man jerked upright. His eyes shot down to Burns who gave a coy smile.

“Sorry,” he said, trying to sound innocent as possible.

The man’s eyes widened. He looked down at Burns like he was a snake about to strike. He didn’t get what this man found attractive about him. Maybe it was the character he’d been playing? Perhaps stealing other men’s trophy husbands was a kink of his.

Either way, Burns fell back into the role he’d built up. He was surprised how easy it was. It was like flipping a switch. And if he was being honest, it was fun being this person he’d created. He felt more confident, sexier somehow, and like he had more power than when he was holding a gun.

Burns righted himself, but it was made difficult with his hands tied behind his back. He pretended to fall again. He fell almost face first into the man’s lap. The growing tent in the man’s pants didn’t go unnoticed.

Mercer was right. Again.

Burns pushed down the urge to roll his eyes. He put on another smile, this one more coy as he looked up at the man who was flickering through a number of emotions. Fear, lust, and nervousness. There was hesitance like he wanted to go for it, whatever that might be, but he held himself back.

Mercer nudged Burns. He sat upright again and looked through the windows.

Shit. They were heading toward a warehouse. Once they were inside, there probably wouldn’t be another chance to escape or get the upper hand.

It was time to turn up the facade.

The car parked. Cortez was already inside the warehouse, waiting for them.

They pulled Mercer out first. They probably already assessed he was the main threat here. That would work in his favor, but he didn’t know how much that would get him.

Mercer was being shoved toward the front of the warehouse. That left Burns and the other bodyguard.

The guard got out first. He pulled Burns out, more gentler than the other guard had done to Mercer.

When Burns’s feet were on the ground, he clenched his thighs and bit his lip. “Hey, is there a chance I can go to the bathroom?”

The guy’s brows furrowed. “No?—”

“You can watch me! I just need to go sooo bad.”

He wiggled his hips. The guy’s face turned red. There was no doubt his thoughts had turned very dirty. Burns ignored the fact he didn’t feel grossed out. He kinda wondered what the guy was thinking about doing to him, but he firmly shut those ideas down.

The guy sighed. “Okay, but if you try anything…”

Burns grinned. “Promise to punish me?”

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