Page 67 of Bitter Queen (Advantage Play 4)

“And what are you?”

“Executioner, and VP.”

He laughs. “But the government doesn’t dabble in illegal activities.”

My amusement bounces off the walls as I fight the urge to slap my knee. “You serious? You don’t think they dabble in illegal activities? Come on, Jack. You can’t be that naive.”

Jaw tight, he exhales long and slow before looking back at me. “I know you’re right. It’s just––”

“Like finding out that Santa isn’t real but still wanting to believe for another holiday season or two because facing the truth before you’re ready is depressing as hell? I get it. Just know that Kingston isn’t a bad guy. We do what needs to be done to keep our world spinning and to keep our family safe, but we don’t take any of it lightly. Understood?”

He stays quiet for a second before coming to his conclusion. “Yeah. I get it. If I’ve learned anything while staying here, it’s that you guys aren’t bad guys.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, Jack. Just think about it,” I press. “Or don’t. Just know that we’ve got your back.”

“Thanks, D. I’ve got yours too.” The refrigerator door swings open with a quick tug, ending our conversation as quickly as it’d started. He grabs his own protein shake from it, then closes the fridge and lifts the drink toward me in a silent salute before striding out of the kitchen.

I guess that’s that.

I watch him disappear then grab my drink off the counter. With the protein shake pressed against my mouth, I nearly spit it out when Q rounds the corner into the kitchen while wearing my shirt from last night.

My. Fucking. Shirt.

It reaches just below her ass and displays her milky thighs that I had wrapped around my waist the night before. With a few buttons left open at the top, it leaves little to the imagination and makes me so hard that I’m throbbing in less than a second.

“What are you wearing?” I growl as I set my shake on the granite counter.

She grins and reaches around me before grabbing my drink. With a smirk, she presses it to her pouty lips and takes a sip. Her blue hair brushes against the back of her neck as she tilts her head back while a soft purple bite mark plays peek-a-boo with me on the column of her throat. The throat I was sucking on before I pushed myself inside of her. When she lowers the plastic cup, a smudge of chocolate clings to her lips, and her tongue darts out to taste it.

“Good morning,” she greets me with a coy smile. It’s one I didn’t think she was capable of delivering. But damn, it’s gorgeous. I want to bottle it up and keep it for myself. Along with the bare legs she’s sporting.

My eyes narrow, and a growl escapes me. “Go upstairs and change.”

“Why?”

“Because if you don’t, I’ll have to pick you up and fuck you on the counter.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” she quips, that same flirty grin on full display.

Grabbing her hips, I pull her into me before grinding myself against her. A soft whimper slips past her lips, but the gleam in her eyes is begging for more. The pressure from my grasp is bruising. But I refuse to let her go. Not when she looks at me like that.

“If we were at Matteo’s still, I’d already be inside you. Unfortunately for both of us, we share this roof with more than a couple of individuals, and I doubt you’d be interested in giving them a show with their breakfast.”

“Yeah, please don’t do that,” a deep voice interrupts. Dex swaggers into the room, then opens the fridge and grabs the orange juice while keeping his eyes glued anywhere but to her. “I mean, I know D and I are trying to strengthen the whole brother thing, but I think having front row seats to him having sex is crossing a line or two. And we already heard enough last night.”

A light blush tints Q’s cheeks before she buries her face into my chest and mutters, “Kill me. Kill me now.”

Snatching my shake out of her hand, I laugh then finish it while Dex busies himself with breakfast.

“Any new ideas?” I ask, the idea of using Q as bait feeling just as sour as before.

He stops stirring his scrambled eggs then glances over at me. “A few.”

“Tell me.”

Dropping his gaze to the girl in my arms, he questions, “Now?”

I look down at her. The girl who’s stronger than she thinks and braver than she knows before lifting my chin at him. “Yeah. She has a right to know.”

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