Page 31 of When Sinners Dare

Viper’s head comes round the corner at me. “All good?” he asks.

I nod and lock the last cabinet. “Yeah. Good day.”

“No trouble?”

“No, why?”

“Just checkin’ in. Need to do that kinda shit for Donaldson.”

“Everything’s good, Viper.”

“KAI!” Jude calls from the front. “Get your sexy ass up here!”

I roll my eyes and leave him to walk the other way, and then head up front. The second I arrive in reception I know exactly why I’ve been called. Mariana’s waiting there for me. Loose, black pants on her legs this time, chunky boots, and a smile that lets me know just what she’s after. I look her over, desperately telling my dick to calm the hell down. Beautiful? Yes. But doable again? No.

“Hey,” she says.

I sigh and stay behind the desk. “Hey. What can I do for you?”

She looks at Jude and then around reception. “I thought we could talk.”

“About what?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Things.” I frown, contemplating how much talking needs doing. Considering she’s decided to come hunt me down, the thing that definitely needs talking about is that nothing is happening going forward.

“Can you give us a minute,” I ask Jude. She doesn’t move. “Jude?” She looks up at me. “Fuck off.”

“Okay. Jeez.” She stands and sashays her ass out of the room, making sure to give Mariana a frown of her own before going.

“Bitchy much?” Mariana says with a smirk. She looks at the floor soon after. “Of course, I suppose you’ve been with her, too.”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no.” She looks back up and smiles again, and this time I notice the make-up covering a bruise. “Was that from him?” I ask, lifting my chin at her face.

She nods and runs her hand over it. “Yes. Although I can kinda understand why.” My brow arches. No woman should have that reaction to being hit, no matter the reason. “How do you know my brother?”

Brother?“Brother?”

“Yes. I’m Mariana Cortez. Abel is my brother.”

My shoulders hit the wall I’m standing in front of, and I sigh, unsure if that makes it better or worse. “Does he know about what happened between us?”

“No.”

I nod and look at the floor. “Alright. What do you want then? I'm just about to clock out.”

“Well, we had a good time, and I thought, perhaps, we could see where that goes.” Nowhere is where it’s going. I look at anything but her, fighting everything in me that wants to stare and remember. “What’s the matter with you? You seem different.”

“Nothing.”

“Not so chatty today.” No.

My gaze comes back to her. “Look, little lady, we did have a good time, but that’s all and this isn’t anything other than that night.”

“Because of Abel?”

“Not in the way you think.”

“What way do I think?”

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