Page 34 of Retribution

Lorcan nods and then meets me as I head to the door. He starts to key in the code to unlock it, and his eyes connect with mine. “Never alone. I’m serious.”

“You know.” I lean against the wall. “Despite what happened today with the not eating, I can take care of myself.”

His hazel eyes soften, and he comes closer. “I like that you’re tough, think you can handle anything. They’re good qualities—things I value. But when you work for me, when you represent me, an attack on you is an attack on me. I don’t want either of us in that position. He’s a predator. Don’t act like the prey. Be the pack leader, not the lone wolf.”

My body yearns to wrap myself around him. The sincerity in his eyes, the lilting voice, the confidence, the power, the sense of family implied in his words—it’s intoxicating. A lethal cocktail.

His fingertips graze my cheek as he moves a few stray hairs from my ponytail out of my face. “Understood?”

My gaze is locked with his. “Yes.”

The door clicks open beside us, breaking the spell, bringing me back to myself. I could sleep with him. It wouldn’t be the first time I found a mark attractive. These other things that keep bubbling to the surface need to be pushed under so deep I never feel the hint of wetness again.

“Good night.” I slip out the door, head lowered, then stride to my own wing.

As soon as I round the corner to my set of rooms, I slow. Against my bedroom door is Finn, scrolling through his phone.

When I approach, he glances up. “Ah, there you are. I need you tomorrow.”

I stop walking, keeping some distance between us. “What? Why?”

“You’ll see. I’ll clear it with Lorcan. Shouldn’t be a problem though. I’m the one paying for you to be here.”

Since Lorcan told me Finn controls the majority of the purse strings, his statement seems accurate. I’m not sure I want to go anywhere with Finn. “What if I don’t want to?”

“Then quit.” He kicks one foot forward to pop his back off the wall. He strolls toward me. “Because as long as you’re living under this roof and taking a paycheck from our joint account, you’re as much mine as his.”

“I’m not quitting.” I meet Finn in the middle of the hallway. “But I want to get something else clear. I’m not a possession. You don’t own me. Lorcan hired me. If he asks me to go with you tomorrow, then I will. I don’t answer to you.”

Finn’s lips twist, and he taps my nose. “You will, Kimmy. You will.” Stepping around me, he wanders away, whistling a tune I’ve heard before. With a frown, I punch in the code to my room, my mind trying to grasp the song.

In bed, hours later, it still remains out of reach.

Chapter Thirteen

The brisk knock on my bedroom door startles me awake. Instinctively, my hand grazes the handle of my gun secured under the bed frame.

“We roll out in fifteen,” Antonio says through the door.

“Fifteen?” I ease my shoulders down, rubbing my face. Throwing the covers to the side, I check the clock. Somehow, I managed to sleep until ten in the morning. Of course, my brain didn’t switch off until almost three.

“That’s what you got left for your beauty routine. When Finn says wheels up, we leave whether you’re in the car or not.”

“Got it.” I grab the gun I keep latched to the underside of the bed and put it on the nightstand. I rush into the bathroom. I brush my teeth with one hand while I comb my hair with the other. I strip off my pajamas and throw on another black outfit.Screw you, Antonio.

An alarm would have been helpful. Why didn’t I set one? At least I showered last night.

Grabbing my gun, I tuck it into its spot inside my coat. I double-check each of my other guns for ammunition and ease of use before leaving my room. The hallway is empty, and I stride toward Lorcan’s office.

Once again, I pause at the door, debating whether I should ask if he spoke to Finn. To take them down, I’ll need information. To prevent the war between the brothers, I need them both to connect with and trust me.

I’m about to leave when the latch clicks unlocked. Glancing up, I spot another tiny camera above the doorway. With a huff, I open the door.

Lorcan looks up from the pile of papers on his desk. “You’re right. This camera thing is quite handy.”

I shake my head and roll my eyes. “Are you really loaning me out to Finn today?”

“Of course. I gave him a hard time about it. I was never gonna say no, was I?” Lorcan drops his pen and rocks back in his chair. “You’ve got a problem with that?”

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