Page 94 of Double Shot

And then I found it, I found the record of the coup.

Chauvignon had been completely sincere in his truce with us, and I was looking at the missives sent to stand down tracking and surveillance of us, even the names of the people who had been doing the work. They were good, grassroots operations. One of the informers was a homeless man who cased neighborhoods in exchange for smack.

He had a heart attack, very sudden.

Then Kaijin took over. There was no one to oppose her. We had killed the Nazi, and Ajahi was somewhere in Asia, or Africa, and notes indicated that Kaijin thought he was actually dead, fighting some militia or Islamic faction in the far east. There was no one to stop her, and she had put her own people in places of power, at least a dozen other former Chauvignon supporters were executed or locked away somewhere until they changed their minds.

This was going to be a problem that we would have to deal with before she came after us again. This wasn’t business, withLe Generaleit had been just that, business that got personal and then it cost him his life. I had no doubt that she murdered him.

We were next on her list.

* * *

The next fewhours were quietly tense. We all took turns getting cleaned up. Lach got his own clothes, and we disposed of the bloody suit he had worn. Sadie traded her blood-stained tactical gear for something that wasn’t heavy on her shoulder. A bra was going to be a problem for a day or so, at least until the swelling had subsided.

I had the shortest turn around, which was to say none at all. I hadn’t been soaked in blood, tortured, or wearing a dead man’s outfit. When they were through with their bath and I was done with my computer work, I found Sadie in the living room. She smiled up at Kyle a little bravely when he brought her something, depositing a couple of round white tablets in her palm.

“Pain meds, from my secret stash,” he said with his characteristic crooked grin that was a few shades off from his usual devil-may-care.

She smiled up at him and nodded. I moved off to both give them some room and to bring back a glass of water. The only people who dry swallowed pills were either in movies or were certifiable psychopaths.

Kyle gave her face an unexpected but tender scrutinizing. I listened this time as I drew some water from the closest tap in the nearby downstairs half bath.

“I expected Roan to come through that door…” he murmured.

“Wasn’t gonna happen,” she murmured back, arching her eyebrow. “It’s about time I rescued you, for once.”

I stepped back into the living room as he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers. I very much felt the third wheel, this was something that was deeper than my relationship with her, maybe even with him.

“You save me every damn day, Shady Brooks. You have ever since we were kids. Don’t you know that?” he asked.

“I do now,” she said, bringing up her eyes to look at him that were starting to brim with tears.

He nodded slightly, and she let out a slight gasp right before he kissed her. She closed her eyes and I could see her letting herself go in the moment. When they parted, she drew in a ragged breath. There was a familiar flush to her cheeks and I could see her nipples pressing through the thin fabric of her light silk dress.

“Fuck her good, mate,” Kyle said and pushed away, up off the couch. “I wish I was in any kind of shape to do it right now.”

She smiled and said, “Raincheck.” Her eyes smoldered and I knew that was a check that she would definitely be cashing in later. Lach looked over at me and gave a nod. I returned it. I knew what Kaijin’s touch was like, and how sometimes when she was done, I would hurt for days after. He would make good on that check. Just not today.

“She’s in good hands, mate,” I said, and helped her up off of the couch.

“For sure. And now I’m going to go drink myself stupid and pretend its brain bleach.” He grinned, and I nodded. He had probably already taken a few of those pain pills for himself.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sadie…

I knew when Kyle Lachlan needed space, and right now he needed the space. Maybe from what Kaijin had done to him, the feeling of being completely vulnerable. He had always valued his solitude.

Roan moved back in front of me, coming near, his proximity an intimate and comforting one.

“Best take those,” he said, and I nodded, putting them into my mouth as he pressed a glass of cold water into my other hand.

I drank the pills down while he checked up on the bandaging on my shoulder.

“You want I should shag you on my kitchen counter, or up in my bed proper like?” he asked, and I smiled to myself. Not very demanding, but he wasn’t the demanding one. He was used to giving and generously so… it could work though, if he would justgive it to me, if you know what I mean.

“I don’t give a fuck where we fuck, Mister Roan, I just want your dick inside me,” I told him honestly, my blood heating.

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