Page 6 of Depraved

But a larger part of me bristled at how easily he'd broken through my defenses. How quickly he'd reduced me to a quivering, moaning mess. I wasn't some blushing virgin to be seduced with a few well-placed licks.

I pushed against Sarge's broad chest, forcing some space between us. "Thanks for the orgasm, but I think we're done here," I said coolly, reaching for my discarded clothes.

Sarge's eyes narrowed, a flicker of anger crossing his features before his usual stoic mask slammed back into place. "Lala..."

"Don't," I cut him off. "This was fun, but let's not make it more than it was. Now get out so I can clean up."

For a moment, I thought he might argue. His jaw clenched, muscles ticking beneath the salt-and-pepper stubble. But then he nodded curtly and stepped back, unlocking the bathroom door.

After the shit went down with Gage, I’d backed off from anything that resembled a relationship. Even with Sargent. Not until things were settled. Betrayal fucking stung, and I didn’t think I could handle anymore emotional whiplash, and I’d made it perfectly clear where I stood for the time being.

"Whatever you say, boss," he rumbled, voice tinged with bitterness. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone once more.

I let out a shaky breath, slumping against the counter. My legs still felt weak, and the ghost of Sarge's touch lingered on my skin. I shook my head, trying to clear the fog of lust from my mind.

Mechanically, I cleaned myself up and redressed, smoothing my hair back into some semblance of order. The woman staring back at me in the mirror looked flushed and slightly dazed, a hint of guilt in her eyes. I scowled at my reflection. There was no room for guilt or regret, not when we were so close to catching Gage.

I splashed cold water on my face, trying to cool the lingering flush in my cheeks. The icy shock helped clear my head, washing away some of the post-orgasmic haze. I scrubbed my hands with the fancy lavender-scented soap, its soothing aroma filling the tiny bathroom.

With one last glance in the mirror to ensure I looked composed, I stepped out of the bathroom. The plane's cabin felt cooler now, goosebumps rising on my arms as I made my way back to my seat. The low hum of the engines and the occasional clink of ice in a glass were the only sounds breaking the tense silence.

Sarge had moved back to his original seat across the aisle. His face was a mask of indifference as he stared out the window, but the tightness in his jaw betrayed his lingering frustration. I wondered how hard his cock was right now. Blue balls for days.

I slid into a new seat, acutely aware of the eyes on me. Alex sat directly across from me, his gaze burning with an intensity that made my skin prickle. His eyes roamed over me slowly, taking in every detail. A knowing smirk played at the corners of his mouth. "Have a nice trip to the bathroom?"

"Fuck off, Alex."

He chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "No need to be embarrassed. We're all adults here." His eyes flickered briefly to Sarge before returning to me. "Though next time, you might want to be a bit quieter. These walls are pretty thin and I think you scared the poor flight attendant."

I took a long sip of whiskey, savoring the burn as it slid down my throat. The alcohol helped steady my nerves, pushing away some of the lingering embarrassment. Sure enough, the pretty blonde flight attendant was pretending to arrange cutlery up at her station, pointedly not looking my way.

"If you're done being an ass," I said, setting the glass down with a soft clink, "maybe we should go over the plan for when we land."

Alex nodded, his expression growing serious. "Right. River’s contact says Gage has been spotted at a few different locations around the Gaslamp Quarter. Seems to be staying at a hotel in the area.”

"Good. We'll start there. Set up surveillance on the hotel and any others nearby in case he’s hopping them."

Alex nodded, pulling out his phone to tap out some notes. "I've got a few guys already in the area. They can start setting up cameras as soon as we land."

"What about the woman he was seen with?" River's deep voice rumbled from beside me. I'd almost forgotten he was there, he'd been so quiet.

I tensed at the reminder. "She's a secondary priority. Our main focus is Gage. But if we can ID her, all the better. She might lead us to him if they keep meeting."

I tried to ignore the ugly twist in my stomach at the thought of why they’d be meeting. Who was she?

"I may have a lead on that front," River said. "My contact described her as blonde, early 30’s, with a distinctive scar on herleft cheek. I've got facial recognition software running through various databases now."

River's attention settled on my face, his eye roaming over my features with an intensity that made me want to squirm. I fought the urge to turn away. The fading bruise that still marred my left cheekbone left a sickly yellow-green stain against my skin. The split in my lip had mostly healed, leaving behind a thin, pale scar—another reminder of my fuck up.

When I'd returned to the villa empty-handed, after letting a narc walk free, I’d been prepared for the consequences, and even if Raul hated it, he knew that I’d never ascend to his position if he made exceptions for me. He'd ordered my punishment without hesitation, deaf to the protests of Sarge and Alex. River had to be held back, and nearly took out three enforcers.

I'd taken the beating stoically, gritting my teeth against the pain as fists and boots connected with my body. We’d been in the white room, so the mess was minimal, but embarrassing to say the least. Each blow was a penance, payment for my weakness in letting Gage escape. I hadn't made a sound, even as my ribs cracked and my vision blurred from the repeated strikes to my face.

Tomasso had enjoyed that a bit too much in my opinion and made sure to split my lip for good measure. It was the only time he’d have the chance to lay a finger on me and keep his life.

CHAPTER 3

Layla

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