Page 121 of Start A War (Saint View Psychos)

I knew they were right. As much as I wanted to think I could do this alone, I’d be stupid to when I had Vincent offering his protection. The rapid thumping of my heart slowed to a steadier beat, and I nodded. “Fine. I’m getting the money, and then we’ll go. See you in the parking lot.”

I hurried back toward the entrance and the secret door into the sex club section. It was dark inside, but the open door left just enough light to see. I punched the code into the safe and grabbed the money I’d already carefully counted out and put in a bag.

Vincent was in my doorway waiting for me.

By this point, I wasn’t even surprised that he’d disobeyed my orders to wait in the parking lot. I didn’t have time to argue. My watch said I had three minutes to get somewhere that needed at least five, so we’d have to argue about his stalkerish tendencies later.

We stormed back out into the night, Vincent slamming shut the door behind him.

My breaths came a little too fast, and a sudden rush of nerves engulfed me. “You’ll be close, right? You promise?”

His fingers came to the side of my face, and his deep-brown gaze captured mine. “You won’t see me, but I’ll be there. He so much as touches you, and he’s dead.”

There was that Vincent intenseness again. Right now, it was the thing I liked most about him. His complete and utter faith in his ability to protect me was reassuring.

I pressed up onto my toes and brushed my lips over his. It was a peck of a kiss, nothing more, and yet my lips sparked to life like they’d been electrocuted. Everything inside me screamed and shouted demands for me to wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss, even though kissing was the absolute last thing we had time for.

I slid behind the wheel of my car, putting the money in its little bag on the passenger seat. By the time I looked up again, Vincent had disappeared into the darkness.

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