Page 52 of Deception

“Lucius.” His name passed my lips in a pained whisper.

Lucius’s head whipped around to Santino. “What the fuck is she doing here? Are you out of your mind?”

“My mind isn’t the one in question here. I’ll be back in an hour.” Santino pushed me into the messy room and closed the door behind him as he left.

We stood in charged silence. Lucius stared at me, his hands opening and closing into fists as if he were trying to hold himself back. I was all out of words, having used up all my courage for the night. Or early morning, since dawn was breaking through.

“You should go home. Santino had no right to drag you into this.”

I flinched. Those were not the first words I’d imagined he’d say to me when we saw each other again.

His jaw muscles worked overtime, but he said nothing else.

I could do this. I had to do this. For Lucius. For us.

If there was still an us.

“I won’t let you go on a suicide mission.”

He shook his head. “Not your choice. And I know what I’m doing.”

I shakily stood my ground, wondering how I could get through to him. Before I could talk myself out of it, I walked up to him. His eyes were flitting from me to the door like a cornered animal.

“What are you doing?” Confusion replaced his anger. And that I could work with.

In answer, I leaped at him and hung on. His arms automatically came around me. Before he could protest, I sealed my mouth to his, taking what I’d longed for so desperately.

His hold tightened, the kiss turning into a frenzy of teeth and tongues. It was anything but refrained. It was real, it was messy, and it was what I needed at that moment. We dropped onto the bed on our sides, Lucius holding on to me so tightly my ribs were aching.

He buried his face in my hair. “Fuck, I missed you.”

I held him to me, breathing in his familiar scent, relishing the feel of his arms around me. “Not as much as I missed you.”

He leaned back but thankfully didn’t let me go. “You shouldn’t be here. It’s not safe.”

“Are you not with me in this room?”

My question made him lift his head. “Of course I am. Why?”

“There’s nowhere safer than with you.”

My conviction was absolute, and there was nothing he could say to change my mind.

“Everleigh.”

My name was the last word he spoke for a while. His hungry kisses demanded attention, and the burning need to be as close to him as I could erased all other thoughts.

Until there was a knock on the door and Santino’s voice brought us back to the dingy motel room. And with it came the stark reality of our situation.

“A couple of cars pulled up outside. You might want to handle this.”

Lucius sat up, pulling me with him. “Nobody knows we’re here.”

I cleared my throat, most likely looking as guilty as I felt. “I texted Gunner. He tracked my phone.”

Lucius reared back, disbelief on his face. “You sold me out?”

Confused, I stood up, shaking my head. “No, never. I got you the manpower you need. I’d never do anything to harm you.”

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