Page 48 of Bad Guys Need Love Too

His eyes went wide. “I’m your boyfriend?”

Tenley threw her hands up. “That’swhat you take out of everything she just said?”

Lark bit her lip. “Only if you stop treating me like I’m fragile.”

He reached out and brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. “Not fragile. Priceless.”

That was all it took. She launched herself at him across the center console. Thank God he was strong enough to catch her when she leapt into his arms and locked her legs around his waist so that she could kiss the crap out of him.

Tenley groaned and drummed her fingernails on her thigh. “Should I get back in the van and wait while you two bang it out, or is someone going to go in there and talk to the absurdly handsome hit man so that I can go home tomyabsurdly handsome husband?”

Andsplatwent the romance. Again.

Ren ignored her as he rested his forehead against Lark’s. “I can’t lose you.”

“I’ve trusted you all this time. Now I need you to trust me. Trust me to do this my way and trust that you aren’t going to lose me.”

“Trust has never really been my strong suit,” he grumbled, kissing the tip of her nose so gently it made her heart ache.

“I know. But let’s see if we can start to change that up a little. This seems like as good a place as any to start. Besides, I have a plan.”

He leaned back. “You do?”

“Don’t sound so surprised. I’ve been around you and Tenley for days now. Is it so hard to believe I have a plan for how to rescue myself?”

Ren let out one of his big, deep, world-weary sighs. “OK. Let’s hear your plan.”

“That’s a huge victory,” Tenley stage-whispered to her. “He didn’t listen to one of my plans for years.”

“And how did that plan work out?” she asked.

“Once I busted her out of the Italian prison, it worked beautifully,” Ren said dryly.

Tenley shrugged sheepishly. “They can’t all be gems. But, hey, I’m sure your plan is great and won’t lead to prison time. Or, you know, violent death or anything.”

And with that rousing vote of confidence, Lark told them how she thought they should proceed. When she was done, Ren said, “You know that if that guy even breathes on you funny, I’m going to rip his arm off and beat him to death with it, right?

She swallowed hard. “Yeah. I figured.”

He nodded. “Alright then. Let’s do this.”

Tenley gave her a thumbs up and a wide grin.

That’s when Lark realized she was officially back in control of her own life. And if she played her cards right, she might just be able to keep it that way.

Or she’d be dead. And, either way…problem solved.

Note to self: Don’t give yourself inspirational speeches. You suck at it.

CHAPTER 23

When Fortunato ushered her in through the back door and locked it behind her and Dammit George, Lark had never felt more empowered…or more scared shitless.

Tenley is sure he won’t shoot you. I trust Tenley. And Dammit George knows a bad guy when he sees one. So, if Dammit George so much as farts when he sees this guy, we’re making a run for it.

The inside of the old warehouse was no better than the outside.

At least twenty years of dirt and grime coated the concrete walls, and the cracked concrete floors were semi-covered in dead leaves that had blown in through one of the many broken windows that ringed the space.

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