Page 13 of Devlin

Krista regarded him for a few seconds, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.“You’re setting a trap for them, aren’t you?”

“Of course. Everyone knows I don’t suffer fools,” Devlin answered with a smirk.

When he took over from his father, he had made sure their defenses were ironclad. Krista was a dent in his armor, and his enemy knew that.

They were probably counting on Devlin making a misstep, and that still angered him. But Krista wouldn’t betray him, not now. Survival was her priority, and after speaking with Carver, he’d gotten inspiration from him without Carver realizing it.

He’d do to Krista what Carver did to Lucy. Killing Krista was nonnegotiable, so he’d claim her for himself and have her join his world. After all, as a thief for hire, Krista was already halfway in it.

“Devlin, you can’t just—”

“Yes, I can,” he interrupted, his voice softening as he cupped her cheek.“Krista, I won’t let anything happen to you. Trust me on this.”

Her eyes flickered with doubt and something else—fear, perhaps. But she nodded slowly.“Fine. But if this goes wrong, it’s on you,” she pointed out.

Devlin leaned in closer, his breath mingling with hers.“It won’t go wrong. I promise,” he told her.

The tension between them crackled like electricity, and he closed the gap between them, capturing her lips in a fierce, possessive kiss. Krista’s initial surprise melted into something more passionate, her hands gripping his shoulders as she kissed him back with equal fervor.

Pulling back slightly, Devlin rested his forehead against hers, his breath ragged.“Trust me,” he told her.

Krista widened her eyes, her breathing uneven.“You’re asking a lot, Devlin,” she said.

“I know,” he admitted, his thumb brushing her cheek gently.“But surely fate must’ve put you in my path again for a reason.”

For a moment, they just stood there, locked in an intimate embrace, the world outside forgotten. It was dangerous, this fragile truce between them, but it was also exhilarating.

And as Devlin held her close, he knew that no matter what happened, he wouldn’t let anything or anyone hurt what belonged to him.

****

Back in his office, Devlin watched the security footage on his laptop, tracking Krista’s every move as the two men he’d assigned to her led her to the waiting SUV in the building’s parking lot.

His mind raced with second thoughts. Letting her go meant using her as bait to lure out an enemy, but he couldn’t force her to stay with him either.

He was so engrossed that he didn’t notice Galen entering his office and perching on the edge of hisdesk.

“What hold does that woman have on you?” Galen asked, his tone more curious than accusatory.

Devlin watched the SUV door close behind Krista and slammed the lid of his laptop shut, glaring at his brother.

“What are you talking about, Galen?” Devlin demanded.

“I mean, I’ve never seen you like this before. So she must be special, huh?” Galen continued, oblivious to Devlin’s growing annoyance.

Devlin clenched his jaw, trying to rein in his frustration.“I decided she’ll be a key piece in a larger plan, that’s all. Nothing more,” he said in a dismissive tone.

Galen smirked, clearly unconvinced.“Oh, come on, Devlin. I know you better than that. You don’t get this worked up over just anyone,” Galen pointed out.

“Drop it, Galen,” Devlin warned, his voice low and edged with steel.

But Galen didn’t. He never knew when to stop. “You’re playing a dangerous game, brother. Mixing business with … whatever this is,” Galen reminded him.

Devlin stood up, leaning over his desk, his fists pressing into the wood. “You think I don’t know that? Are you questioning my decisions?” he asked.

Galen raised his hands in mock surrender, a knowing look in his eyes. “All right, all right. Just don’t let whatever this is cloud your judgment. We can’t afford mistakes with our enemies having their sights on us,” Galen said.

Devlin watched as Galen left the office, his words lingering in the air. He was right, of course. Mixing business with personal feelings was a recipe for disaster.

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