Page 24 of Scorched King

“I like men who don’t act like overgrown children. It just so happens that in order to find that then yes, they do tend to be more worldly.”

I laughed. That was quite a funny way to state old. “I guess that makes sense. I remember how I was when I was young and single. I was pretty stupid until I found the thing that finally settled me. I didn’t know shit about shit back then. I let my dick take the lead and do all the talking.”

“Exactly. And that is not my speed at all.”

“You put too much faith in men if you think just because they are older they aren’t thinking with their dick though. That kind of shit never really stops. We just get better at hiding it from others.”

“Duly noted,” she laughed, although I wasn’t sure if she believed me.

“I’m serious, babe. I don’t think about sex any less than I did back then. I’m not sure I even have more control than I had back then.”

“So you still go around sticking your dick wherever you feel like it whenever you feel like it?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation. Although the feel like it part was up for interpretation.

“Oh.”

I knew what kind of conclusion she’d just drawn, and as painful as it might be for both of us, it was for the best if I let her believe whatever she was thinking. The only way to keep her out of my bed would be for us both to exercise some restraint. Normally, I had all the willpower in the world. Except it seemed, when it came to her. I’d held her at arm’s length for as long as I could, but I didn’t think I could hold out for much longer. Not unless we both set some boundaries.

“How’s the heat level?” I asked, hoping to change the subject.

“It’s really good. For the first time in a while I actually feel warm. Doesn’t that sound crazy? You’d think after a burn I would want nothing to do with heat, but I can’t seem to get enough of it.”

With that, the memory of her that night flooded through my mind and the anger that had come with it tore through me. I had to find that fucking traitor soon. Little did he know that I’d found some evidence in the casino before we’d torn it down.

A black ski mask.

It had been half burned but we had sent it out for DNA testing at a lab in a different state. Once the results came back, we might finally have somewhere to start looking.

God help that mother fucker.

CHAPTER TWELVE

JD

After another night fixating on the traitor in our midst, I’d called an early morning meeting. For now, however, the clubhouse was quiet except for the sound of my gavel tapping against the conference table. Me, Axel and Tel were trying to piece together something from the evidence we’d spent the last month gathering.

Unfortunately, it had led to dick all at this point.

“I don’t know how this fucker has managed to hide so well.”

“Are you really that surprised?” I asked Axel. “We recruit the best of the best and so far he’s proven that we did our initial job well.”

“Yeah, except for making sure he was actually fucking loyal and wouldn’t turn on us,” Tel grumbled.

“And there’s nothing in anyone’s finances that even hint at something fishy?” More often than not, following the money trail led to the truth. It had been our best hope.

“Nothing yet,” Tel shook his head. “If the fucker was getting paid, he’s hidden that money better than Fort fucking Knox. I can’t find anything on anyone that seems out of place.”

“Then it’s not about money,” I concluded.

“So what else are we going to look for? What else would motivate this kind of thing.”

“Money. Power. Fear. Those are the three biggies,” I speculated. “I still bet it was one of those.”

“Well, let’s say money is out for now,” Axel said. “Which leaves power and fear.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think that Mazzeo bitch was in any position to offer any kind of power to our guy. He’d have to leave the club and either go to their organization or?—”

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