Page 51 of Splintered Security
“Which is more likely—that Giltenhouse knew and set up Rosen or that Giltenhouse knew and is setting up Smith? Or that Heath didn’t know at all?”
“I don’t know. Probably number one. I can’t imagine Heath keeping Troy as close as he does, with the access he has, just to double-cross him later. Too much risk, too little reward.”
“Then let’s go with Smith and Giltenhouse were working together to take down Rosen more than a year after he fled Pueblo. Why wait? Why not make an example out of him early on?”
She shrugs. “None of this adds up.”
“Agree. But you get why I think it’s less likely that the bomb was for you. And you know it was called in, right? We knew in advance, so it was a message… Think it was a two birds one stone situation? If he knew you were there, they could scare you and, at the same time, eradicate Rosen.”
I don’t say what really gets me. They couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t be the opposite—a warning to him and an elimination of her.
22
delicious torture
Anni
The silence after his comment is loaded and weighty. A squeeze around my middle brings me back into the room. It could’ve been me. It still could be me. Heath will stop at nothing. Over a year and Rose wasn’t safe.
“Any idea what the club had on him?”
Huh? “No.” My head rubs against his solid chest as I shake my head. “I’m not the princess of the club. I’m just someone caught in the same snare.”
“Not any more. I’ll make sure of it. Change of subject… Tell me what happened with Ma before I got here.”
I suck in a breath and hold it. “There’s not enough wine for that.”
“You don’t need wine, Anni.”
I do. I so do. And to escape. I’d just escaped my Diana funk when Ren walked in with more wine and twenty questions.
“Can we talk about something else?”
“Sure.”
That was too easy.
“Wanna tell me why you were naked in bed when I got in last night?”
I walked right into that trap.
“I saw your mom pull into the driveway and didn’t even wait for her to knock?—”
“Let’s leave Ma out of it.” His voice is low and sultry in my ear before he nips my lobe. The hand around my middle moves, drawing patterns on my skin at my side. “Tell me what happened to your clothes last night.”
I can’t think with him touching me. Held in Ren’s arms, surrounded by lavender and lemongrass bubbles in warm water with wine in my belly, is too perfect.
He slides a leg between mine, his ankle inside my own, pulling it to the edge of the tub. “Your clothes, Sunshine. What happened to them?”
My breathing starts to come in pants as he does the same with my other leg, pinning my legs open with his own. “I took them off.” I wish I didn’t sound so breathy.
He slides us down just enough that my legs bend and I’m more reclining than sitting, my ass dangerously close to his thickening cock.
“Did you want me to touch you?”
His hand not holding me to him finds my thigh. His warm fingers draw a pattern on my skin that I can’t make out, but I don’t think I need to know its design. They’re tormenting me,weaving their way to my center. The thumb of his other hand grazes the underside of my breast.
I let out a moan but choke it back as best I can. A stubbled jaw returns to my ear. “Don’t hold back. Never hold back. Let me hear you.”
