Page 124 of Illicit Temptation

“No. Not without you.” She looks ready to scratch Malone’s eyes out, but I shove her behind me. “He’ll kill you if I leave you, Trace. Let me keepyousafe.”

“How the hell did you get on this base?” I mutter when Malone comes close enough to hear me.

“She’s an escapee from Dunbar, and he’s the traitor who arranged her transport.” Malone kicks Rowan’s dead body. “He also killed her father.”

My throat tightens. “None of that is true.”

Malone smiles. “I have the paperwork to prove her incarceration. And as far as pinning Fergus’ death on Rowan? I knew about his shite investigation. I’ve literally killed two birds with one stone.”

“Is this about me or her?”

“Both. To be honest.” He signals for a man to approach us.

“Your chopper is ready, Commander.” By addressing his old military title, it’s clear how Malone got on base.

“Your ride back to Dunbar is waiting, Miss O’Rourke.” Malone reaches for her.

“Fuck you,” she says, and if she had worn her stilettos, I have no doubt she’d try to stab him with those sharp heels. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Iwillfuck you, my darling.”

“Don’t fucking call her that.” I raise a fist to Malone, my piece buried in my jacket. But hammers click all around me. “Why do you want her so much? There’s no shortageof women. Her father is dead. So is the deal he made.”

“Before I thought I was getting a beautiful woman on my arm.”

“Before what?” That’s all I heard.

“Now, I’m taking a womanyouwant as my wife. And every thrust of my cock into her cunt will feel so much better.”

“You will never put your filthy hands on her.”

“How are you going to stop me?” He presses his nose to mine. “You are lucky to be alive right this second.”

“I’m coming with you.” I quickly pull out the handcuffs, slip them onto Shea’s wrist, and clip us together. “Where she goes,Igo.”

“I could just sever your hand from your arm,” Malone grumbles and rolls his eyes. “But perhaps instead, you get to be right there when I fuck her.”

“You can strip me of my weapons, but you can’t strip my ability to rip that head off your shoulders. Besides, there’s a small detail you’re not aware of. You can’tmarryher. I’m already married to her.”

Malone laughs. “Do you want to hear all the ways that can be rectified? Do you want her to be a widow?”

I have to think fast, he has an advantage right now. Malone’s intense gaze speaks to the strength behind his eyes. He’s not a man who loses very often. He came close. He just dropped his chips on a table run by Shea’s father who was desperate to cling to power.

“There’s a reason I let Ian die and not you.” Malone leans in. “I always valued you. Saw what you were capable of. Comeworkfor me at Dunbar, you can be my deputy. I’ll...share her.”

“Yeah, try to keep up.” Shea snaps at him.

Malone is enjoying her feistiness. It’s keeping her from being killed even if I’m the one dying inside. Every cell in my body trembles, fearing how I’m seconds away fromlosing her.

“I’ll share her in the bedroom right after I slit your throat,” I mutter.

“Is that a no?” Malone says, grinning.

“That is a big fucking no way in hell.”

“Pity.” It happens in slow motion, he takes out a gun and shoves it in my chest. “I’ll take my chances that I’ll get away with killing you.”

A blast knocks out my hearing. Wrenching pain scalds my chest, and I watch the ground come up in my vision.

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