Page 15 of Queen of Blades

“I am.”

“Thenwhat the fuck?” she demanded.

Her ire tickled his dick. He shouldn’t be getting a chubby right now, but he couldn’t help it. It was Harper.

“What’s the job?”

Swallowing, he blinked slowly before turning to face her.

Her expression was hard, and her eyes blazed. He bet if the lights were on, he’d be able to see the red hue in her flushed cheeks.

Breathing heavily, she glared at him. “Talk. I need to know what you’ve gotten me involved in.”

He considered her words. Technically,hehadn’t brought her into it. “I’m here for you.”

She furrowed her brow. “What does that mean?” she asked with an exasperated laugh. The kind of chuckle one does in the face of absolute absurdity.

“You’re the job.”

8

Harper

Paul’sadmissionsuckedallthe oxygen from the dark hotel room. Harper struggled to breathe. Blinking, she fought to register what he’d just said. He couldn’t have meant itthatway. She had to have misheard him.

“Wh-what?”

It must be the post-sex haze. Her brain was still mush from all the orgasms. If her body could be sore, surely her mind was too.

Turning, he propped himself up on his elbow and rested his chin in his palm. The detached look in his eyes unnerved her. He’d never looked at her like that. She’d pissed him off a time or two back in the day. She could handle that expression, but this one—blank. He was devoid of anything. It chilled her to the core.

“Paul?” she whispered.

He had to have more of an explanation for her.

“Who’d you piss off?” he asked as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

That wasn’t an answer.

She swatted at his hand. How dare he try to be all sweet after telling hershewas his job. While they hadn’t actually been in touch, she’d heard a lot about the Ricci family from her siblings. They kept her abreast of the Riccis’ growth and how they’d splintered off into specialties. She was well aware of what Paul did for his syndicate, which made his assertion that much more perplexing.

Her brother, rather jealously, referred to him as Ice Pick Paulie since most of his jobs were resolved with one.

“How am Ithe job?” she asked. Surely, if he meant what he said, she would’ve noticed a long, sharp object on him before. They weren’t easy to miss and definitely would’ve been out of place.

“What did you do, Harper?” he asked, as though he were in pain.

Shaking her head, she couldn’t wrap her brain around this either. Scrambling out of bed, she chewed on her thumbnail and paced the dark room. She didn’t bother reaching for her clothes. What was the point? They were in a heap on the floor beside his. The two of them were completely naked. If she was his job, the only weapon at his disposal was his hands.

His very talented hands. Paul wasn’t that brutal of a person. Sure, he fucked like he hated her, but he didn’t.

Dammit. None of this made sense.

“So you showed up at the bar tokillme?” she demanded with her hands on her hips.

“Yes.”

That single word pierced through her heart, and she stepped back as though he’d actually stuck her with his ice pick.

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