Page 21 of Guarding her Gangster Girl

“Uh-huh. You could’ve gotten out of it if youreallywanted, I bet.”

She has more faith in my manipulative skills than seems warranted. But I set down my fork, considering my answer. “Maybe I’m just a sucker for a damsel in distress.”

“I’m no damsel, honey. And I’m certainly not in distress.”

“Remind me again—who was getting shot at the other night?”

She leans forward, her gaze intense. “Whydidyou save me? You don’t even like me.”

The question, an echo of the time she asked before, still catches me off guard. Because I’ve been asking myself the same thing. “It’s not a matter of liking you,” I say, stilted. “It’d be bad for business for a Consortium member to be in the vicinity of a dead Colombo. Or—or maybe I just don’t like seeing innocent people get hurt.”

Brie’s laugh is soft, almost sad. “Oh, Nik. There are no innocent people in this world. Not anymore.” But her face hardens and she says, “I know Eva thinks you’ll be able to feed back intel to her. But you won’t have a chance to hear any Colombo Family business with me. I’m kept well out of the loop.”

“Then I guess we both know where we stand.”

“We do.”

We fall into silence again, but it’s different now. Charged. Heady. I find myself studying the curve of her neck, the way her lips partslightly as she breathes, the way her nipples are hardened and clearly visible under the gold satin.

Fuck.

This is not good.

We’ve finished our meals, so I stand abruptly. “We should get back to your suite. I want to do another security sweep before you turn in for the night. You must be tired after the day you’ve had.”

Brie rises gracefully, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “Sure. Let’s head back to my suite.”

I ignore the seductive way she says it, but I still can’t shake the feeling that I’m in over my head. Eva wanted me to get close to Brie, to be her eyes and ears. But I’m starting to think that this assignment won’t be as simple as I first thought.

And the worst part?

I don’t dislike Brie Colombo quite as much as I used to.

CHAPTER 11

Brie

I lie awake,staring at the ornate ceiling of my bedroom. The sheets are cool against my skin, but I can’t shake the warmth that spreads through me at the thought of Nik just on the other side of the door. My new bodyguard. My protector.

What would it be like to go to bed with her?

I roll onto my side, but the thought persists, tantalizing and forbidden. I imagine her strong arms around me again, her intense blue eyes locked on mine. The way she leaned over me, commanding and sure as she told me to quit it with the “heel” stuff.

Ugh. She’s really hot.

I squeeze my eyes shut, willing sleep to come. It’s ridiculous to entertain these thoughts. Nik works for the Consortium. She’s useful to me right now for various reasons. That’s all.

Still, as I drift off, her face is the last thing I see.

In my dreams, I’m running, my bare feet slapping against the dusty ground. Someone’s chasing me, heavy footsteps getting closer and closer.

I cry out as I’m swept up in a tight embrace. But when I turn, it’s Nik. “I’ve got you,” she says, her voice low and sure. “You’re safe now.”

I wake with a start, my heart pounding, and I’m disoriented for a moment before realizing I’ve slept through the night. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this refreshed.

But the dream lingers and I think about it, about Nik protecting me from old nightmares. It’s a fantasy, I know. But isn’t that what I’ve always done? Turned my fantasies into reality?

After a quick shower, I dress in a gold silk blouse and body-hugging black pants. Power and elegance—exactly the image I need to project. I add a pair of diamond earrings—a gift from Terry—as a final touch.

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