Page 111 of Crave

“Motherfucker,” Enzo mutters as he tries several other tricks to try and improve the resolution.

I tug on Alexei’s arm to draw his attention. “What did you promise her?”

He lets go and cups my cheek with his palm, this thumb smoothing over the scar on the corner of my mouth. “For you?Anything. I’d promise the world and the moon. I’d have dived to the center of the earth or floated out to the middle of the ocean to have one more chance with you.”

My throat tightens. I had no idea.

“Oh.” What do I say to that?

“Fuck!” Enzo flips his keyboard hard enough it lands on the floor near my foot.

“What’s the big deal?” Alexei still has his eyes on me, acting completely unfazed by Enzo’s outburst.

“She’s a chameleon. I’ve been chasing down leads on someone very important, and I know that—” He points angrily at the frozen image. “—monster is the key to finding them. But I can’t get to her.”

“Who?” Alexei reaches down and picks up the computer piece from the tile and slides it across the desk.

Enzo stops and looks at him with wide eyes and flared nostrils.

He pants heavily before flattening his palms on his thighs. “It’s a story for another time,” he grunts.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen him worked up. Even in the most hectic and dangerous situations, Enzo has always been the pinnacle of calm, cool, and collected.

Today, he’s acting…bizarre.

“Are you okay?” I ask him quietly.

“It’s frustrating as hell to get so close, and still can’t get the answers I’m looking for.” He wipes his face with his hand before shifting to rub his temples. “It’s been years.”

As if a switch has been flipped, he straightens his spine and neutralizes his features. “Thank you both, that’s everything I need.”

Alexei jumps up and reaches for my fingers. “Come on, we need to go.”

“What the hurry?” I close the office behind me, leaving Enzo with his blurry nemesis.

“I have my own obsessive mystery to solve.” He pulls me down the hall at a brisk pace, past a row of blacked out windows.

Spinning me into his arms, he presses his body against me, pinning me to a dark door.

“Now, tell me.” His lips hover over mine, making heat race though me.

“I have no panties on,” I whisper just as he crashes his mouth against me.

CHAPTER 52

ALEXEI

“Hold still, Alexei,”Jax growls from behind me.

The buzz of the tattoo gun tickles against my ribs as he traces the scratch marks that Lara put there last night.

“It feels weird.” I drop my forehead onto my arm and try to do what he asked.

“Probably doesn’t hurt as much as the original, stop whining,” he laughs. “I’m almost done.”

“I just want to show her. She’ll love it.” I want to prove to her how I feel, maybe this will do it.

My phone vibrates and Lara’s moans fill the room.

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