Page 7 of Murder & Mayhem

I stifle my groan as I push open the door to my apartment and step in, but before I have a chance to worry about the state of the place, Oliver is pulling on my arm, spinning me around to face him as he kicks the door shut with his foot.

His hands are in my hair, his lips on mine before I’ve even processed what’s happened, and suddenly, I’m drowning in the feel of him. In the possessive hold he has on my hair and the hard press of his hips against mine.

“Let me in,” he growls, biting my lower lip. I know he’s not talking about right now, as I’ve lost all control over my body. I couldn’t keep him out if I tried. “Stop pushing me away.” It’s another husky command, delivered with a searing kiss that leaves me breathless before he moves to kiss his way down my neck. He pushes his thigh between my legs, and all I can do is fist his shirt and pull him closer as he drives me wild with his mouth.

His lips return to mine, devouring me, and I lose all rational thought as he claims me with every swipe of his tongue. It takes far longer than it should before I find the strength to push him back.

“We’re working together,” I begin in a strained, breathless voice that sounds weak, even to me.

“So?” His voice drips sex, and I can tell his thoughts aren’t really on the conversation. Fuck, I don’t blame him. Even I am struggling to focus.

“So, whateverthisis will get in the way of that. It’ll stop us from being objective and doing what needs to be done. If we were a thing, you might think you have a say in what I do. You might try to stop me if, for instance, I get a job in a sex club to get close to the Antonellis.”

That statement is enough to gain his full attention, and he pulls back so he can look me in the eye.

“What? Are we talking hypotheticals here?”

I shake my head. “Nope.”

His brows knit together, and he peers deep into my eyes as if needing further confirmation that I’m not lying to him. “How? When?”

Pushing him back a step, I shake my head. “I’ll explain it all when we’re at the clubhouse. I’m sure Cain will want to have a say too.”

Reluctantly, he lets me move away from him, and I retreat to my bedroom, where I quickly pack a bag, ensuring I tuck my gun in it and strap one of my daggers to my thigh. You can guarantee every one of the Rejects will be armed, so you can be damn sure I will be too.

Tossing the bag on my back, I pause in front of the mirror. I run my hand through my hair, pulling it out from beneath the strap before fixing my leather jacket. With a once-over of my black skinny jeans and chunky-heeled boots, I grin at the striking image I present with the dagger slotted in a sheath around my thigh and stride from the room.

“Holy shit,” Oliver murmurs when I step into the living room.

He not so subtly reaches down to adjust himself, and I smirk as I walk past, quirking a brow. “Are you coming?”

Chapter 4

“I’ll put your bag in the spare bedroom,” Oliver says as we climb out of the car at Radiant Park.

“Spare room?” I question, my gaze snapping to his.

“Yeah. There’s a spare room beside mine and Cain’s.”

That fucking asshole!I knew Cain deliberately put me in Oliver’s room the night I turned up here with my head injury, but he fuckingknewthere was a spare room next door.

Grumbling under my breath, I stomp up the path to the front door, slowing as the steady thud of loud music makes its way to me through the walls.

“Are you having a party?”

Oliver gives a casual shrug. “Just a typical night.”

I roll my eyes, hoping my luck isn’t so bad that I’m about to walk in on a room of hairy gangbangers fucking girls on every available surface as I push open the door and step into the once-lobby-now-bar. The music is much louder inside, but I’m pleasantly surprised to find most of the Rejects sitting around talking to one another or dancing with girls.By gang member standards, I guess it’s still early.I’m even happier to discover that neither Luc nor any of the kids are present.

“Where are—”

“Game room. At the back of the building,” Oliver answers before I can even finish. “We’re not complete heathens, you know.”

Right. I don’t know why I keep expecting them to be. Every time I anticipate the worst, they surprise me. I should probably start raising my expectations. They aren’t like the other gangs I have dealt with, and I need to accept that.

“Go get yourself a drink. I’ll be back in a sec.” Oliver gestures toward the bar before disappearing down the back hallway, and I do as he suggested, helping myself to a beer before scanning my eyes around the room. They’ve done a good job of fixing up the place, with large booths and smaller tables interspersed around the room and a small dance floor at one end. It’s a typical gang clubhouse in every shape and form, except for the people who reside within its walls.

Bringing the bottle to my lips, I take a sip of the cool, bitter drink, but I almost choke when my eyes land on a stripper pole in the corner of the room, behind the dance floor.Seriously?I roll my eyes and continue my exploration until I spot Cain on a sofa in the back corner, with some girl grinding in his lap.

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