Page 55 of Sinful Kingdom

I don’t realise he’s killed the engine and got out until he opens my door and appears before me.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks. “I could just take you home and allow Calli and D to believe we really did just go for a drive.”

“They’re stalking me. They already know we’re here,” I say confidently.

There’s no way they didn’t deliver that warning about the tracker to then ignore it.

“I’d put money on it. We’d better move before they catch up and try and stop you. That’s if you’re really serious about this.” His eyes bounce between mine, searching for any sign that I might be about to back down.

While it might have been easier to convince myself that this was a good idea in the safety of Alex’s bedroom, standing here now on the cusp of making it a reality is a very different thing.

Holding my head high and squaring my shoulders, I stare him dead in the eyes. “I’m serious.”

I take off toward the lift I can see over his shoulder before he’s expecting me to.

“I can see why Alex likes you,” he confesses as he catches up with me. “You’ve got the same butter-wouldn’t-melt face as he does, but under the surface, you’re a force to be reckoned with.”

“Let’s hope it’s enough to get me what I want then, huh?”

We step into the lift together after the doors open. I expect him to punch a button to the floor we need. What I’m not expecting is for him to reveal some secret panel and tap in a code to give us access to where most mere mortals aren’t allowed.

“I hope you’re ready for this,” Ant warns darkly.

“I can honestly say that I am not.”

He laughs as the lift ascends through the building, and sensing that I need something to help give me the confidence I need, he slips his hand into mine and squeezes gently.

“He’d be so proud of you right now. You need to know that.”

“I’ll do anything,” I confess. “Anything to get them both out.”

He nods, but neither of us says anything again as we head toward our destination.

* * *

My resolve to appear strong and sure of myself falters the second I walk into some kind of security room with Ant.

It’s full of computer screens and suited men. All of whom turn around to stare at me.

I can only assume they don’t have a lot of females up here. Intrigue and amusement fill their eyes as we walk past them, heading to a set of double doors at the back of the room.

Just before we get there, Ant dips his head. “I’m assuming you haven’t met Damien Cirillo before?”

“N-no,” I stutter as he lifts his hand and knocks.

Each thud of his fists against the door rocks through me, making my heart miss a beat.

I have no idea what lies beyond that door, other than the fact it’s almost as terrifying as if Ant had dropped me off wherever Alex and Zay are to do the trade.

“Come in,” a deep voice rumbles.

“Ready?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?”

He chuckles before pushing the door open, pressing his palm against my lower back and giving me little choice but to move forward.

I don’t breathe as I cross the threshold, and it only gets worse when I find multiple sets of curious eyes staring back at me.

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