Page 33 of Lethal Lover

This wasn’t just a random attempt at kidnapping.

This motherfucker knew we were here. He knows exactly who we are.

So much for my disguise.

I don’t waste a second. I tear after him and shove him against the railing overlooking the parking garage below. Grabbing the sides of his shirt, I slam him back against the metal.

“Who the fuck are you?”

The guy doesn’t answer. Purplish smudges stain the area under his eyes. His lips are as pale as his skin. And under the dark clothes, his frame is thin and weak. Up close, he looks like a zombie inThe Walking Dead.

I shove him against the railing one more time and he lets out a weak laugh. “You think you scare me? Go ahead. Pull the gun out of your pants and shove the barrel down my throat.”

Heat floods my body.

Strong hands pull me away. I thrash around, struggling in the grasp of the guards.

“We’ve got this,” one of them grunts.

“The fuck you do.” I pull free and lunge for the guy again.

“You’ll never get anything out of me. Lung cancer, three months left.” Just then, the guy backs toward the railing. “I’m already dead.”

And then he flings himself over the railing. A sharp scream shatters the air.

Val and I rush for the edge. My fingers grip the metal rail, clenching tight when the guy’s body lands in a bloody mess on the ground stories below.

I look at her. Color drains from her face, her eyes wide.

“They know.” That’s it. Two words, laced with promise that evil will always win.

“Fuck.” I fist my hair and slump over the railing, watching as people flip the hell out over the mangled body decorating the pavement.

Heaven grabs Val’s hand and nods her head toward the elevator when the security guards pull out their phones and turn away from us. “Come on. We need to get away from here now.”

We run toward the elevator bank, and she stabs the Down button. “I booked the Tower Suite for you guys since you can’t go back to the Montepremi.” She rolls her eyes when she sees the blank look on my face. “You need to keep your distance from all of us; otherwise, it’ll look suspicious.”

“Heaven, does it really seem like it’ll matter where the fuck we sleep? Someone followed you or us here. They tried to take Aisling. That’s a direct hit to our family, and whoever that asshole worked for will send someone else to take what they want, no matter where the hell we sleep.”

Heaven’s green eyes spark with anger and she holds out a finger at me. “Shut up, Q. Do not say another word.”

“What the fuck ever,” I mutter. Like it matters. For all we know, there could be an army up here mingling with the crowds of people, just waiting to pounce.

We already saw firsthand that security in this place is a fucking joke.

“Hey, you can’t leave,” one of the security guards yells.

Heaven pushes us into the elevator as soon as the doors open. The guard runs toward us, but the doors close just before he makes it.

Nobody says a word. The silence is thick. It chokes me, along with all the what-ifs.

What if we hadn’t gotten to Aisling in time? What if the guy had grabbed her and taken her along for the free fall over the side of the hotel? What if someone else had been here for the handoff and Aisling disappeared forever?

I pull at the shirt collar tugging tight at my throat and collapse against the elevator wall. My hand brushes against Val’s and she pulls it away like she just touched fire.

But not before the shock of electricity shoots to the tips of my fingers.

Heaven hugs Aisling tight. The elevator finally stops at our floor and the doors slide open. I push off the wall and poke my head into the hallway. Light-gray walls with silver sconces give it a bright and airy look.

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