Page 69 of Heart of Stone (Dark Billionaires)

Saf nodded, chewing furiously, giving them a thumbs-up.

It was past midnight by the time Warren and Brax returned. Kate, Rhys, and Saf were still sitting like sentinels in the living room, attempting to pass the time by binge watching TV shows. In the past hour, Saffron had finally begun to doze, curling up like a cat on the sofa.

Neither Kate nor Rhys had been able to sleep. The two of them had exchanged worried looks when Saffron wasn’t looking, particularly as the hour grew late.

But she finally broke out in a smile when Warren walked through the door, hitting him like a freight train. “You’re back,” she mumbled into his chest, into his kitten tattoo, wrapping her arms around him in a vice-like grip.

He looked down at her with a quirked brow. “You were worried?”

“Of course I was bloody worried. Did you see Saffron’s little sister? Or Graves?”

Saffron’s head popped up at the noise, and she gasped at the sight of Warren. “Did you see her?”

Warren paused, his lips pressing together. “No, I’m sorry.” He nodded a greeting to Rhys. “Wedidsee a couple of young girls coming out to put things in the wheelie bin, but none of them were blonde.”

Attempting to pull Saffron out of the slump she’d settled into, Kate spoke up. “But that doesn’t mean she’s not there, Saf. The fact that there are young girls there means there’s still a decent chance she’s inside.”

“Exactly. But Graves was there.”

Kate’s eyes shot up. “He was?”

“Only briefly. He couldn’t have been there for more than fifteen minutes, but we saw him, kitten.”

“Then call the police,” Saf begged, her voice high. “Please. You know there’s girls in there Warren. You know the location. Let the police deal with it—Graves was one of their own. They’ll come down on him like a brick shithouse.”

But Kate knew by the hard glint in Warren’s eye that Saf’s pleas would go unheard. “It’s not enough, Saffron. Think of what was done to you—to your mother. Graves worked her into the fucking ground. If he’s put away, he’ll be safe and cared for. And chances are he’ll be out within a decade.”

Hugging her arms around her waist, Saffron turned away.

“But,” Warren carried on, “if we wait until we’re able to trap him, you can be damn well sure that I’ll give him the kind of justice he deserves.”

Saffron’s shoulders shook, but Rhys grasped them. “We’ll get your sister out, Saffron.” She tried to turn away, but Rhys held her chin. “Hey, listen to me. I promise.”

She sniffed. “Okay.” Saf turned back to Warren. “I’m sorry,” she sniffed, her voice breaking.

“You don’t have to apologise, Saffron.” He gave her a small pat on the shoulder. “But Rhys is right. We know where Graves is now. We have a possible location on your sister. Once I have Graves, we’ll call the police.”

Kate nodded. “We’re a step closer. We should celebrate—anyone fancy a drink?”

“I’ll get it,” Saf offered, wiping underneath her eyes and heading out to the kitchen. She returned a few moments later with a bottle of some fancy cream liqueur that Kate had never heard of. It certainly wouldn’t be seen in the shabby corner shop on the estate.

Warren accepted the glass Saf offered with a smirk. “My favourite shot glass.”

“The cat paw one?” Rhys’s eyes narrowed, holding out his own shot glass—styled in the form of a woman, complete with heavy breasts and obvious nipples—for Saf to fill. “I prefer this one.”

“Mmm,” Saffron grumbled, catching Kate’s eye. “I thought you might. Low hanging fruit and all that.”

Kate’s own shot glass was plain, thank god. She didn’t much fancy her shot having its own nipples.

Half the bottle later, Warren ended the night with a, “Right.” He held his palm out to Kate. “Bed.”

Obediently, she followed, waving goodbye to Saf and a smug-looking Rhys before attempting to keep up with Warren’s rapid steps. He barely looked at her, almost dragging her up the stairs.

But when he closed the bedroom door behind them, Warren let loose, slamming her up against it so hard her breath gushed out. “Warren!”

His hands found her throat in a strangely tender grip. “Shut the fuck up.”

And then he descended, his body crushing her against the luxurious wood. His kiss was punishing, an all-consuming embrace that was as aggressive as it was loving.

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