Chapter Fifteen
Neil
CADE’S UNDERCOVER work hadn’t gone to plan. He’d been inserted into the path of Slay, a member of the Destroyers motorcycle club. Marco had kept them from getting a foothold years ago, but he’s slacked on everything since Alicia’s death, though if anyone was to blame, it was him.
Cade had pulled the plug on the op to keep his partner safe. Brent had been forced to transfer from homicide to vice. Slay didn’t seem too happy about losing Cade but at least he seemed content with Cade not having a partner. His other operative was still firmly planted in the Destroyers’ inner circle, and he kept working to uncover their connection with Hughes. He was getting closer, but he was also taking stupid risks. Neil couldn’t blame him. Seeing that many people circling in and out of the Destroyers’ hands? It was unbearable.
With every person Mike saved, he risked exposing himself, but he knew the man would say that it was worth the risk. Aidan had changed something in Mike. It was a change he feared would get Mike killed and as stoic and emotionless as he pretended to be, he didn’t want to see Mike hurt. Or Aidan for that matter.
He stepped out of his car and looked up at the house he’d once called home. For once, he walked through the front door. He headed toward the voices he could hear in Marco’s office. He recognized Marco and Rome’s voices as they argued. They were standing in front of the desk, Rome’s hands gesturing as he spoke, his voice lowering with each word.
“It’s a bad idea,” Rome said.
“I don’t care,” Marco said, chin lifting.
They turned toward Neil at the same time, Rome giving him quite an unpleasant look while he found Marco’s expression unreadable.
“I wanted to thank you,” he said to Marco. “I know this didn’t go the way we hoped.”
The plan had been for Cade to get the evidence needed for them to shut down the Destroyers for good so that Marco could swoop in and take back the territory they’d occupied. The more territory Marco had in Baltimore, the safer he would be. That, and removing anything and anyone Hughes had his claws in, was his sole motivation.
Marco stared at him, his expression unreadable which was unusual because he’d always been able to read the man like an open book. Things had changed, though. They had changed. Marco had grown cold and distant while he had given up.
“Leave us,” Marco said.
For once, Rome didn’t protest, even if he glared at Neil the whole way out.
“Marco,” Neil said, taking a step closer.
“I need you to know that this means nothing. It changes nothing,” Marco said.
He felt his brow furrow as confusion hit him because something told him Marco wasn’t talking about helping Cade.
As Marco made his way toward him, doubt slithered down his spine. He didn’t back away, though. He didn’t protest when Marco grabbed him by the shirt and jerked him close enough to slam their mouths together. His lips were rough, the kiss fueled by the anger inside Marco.
When Marco pushed him across his desk, he felt as if they might end up worse off after this than they already were, but that didn’t make him put a stop to it. He couldn’t. Marco was his kryptonite in all things and what Marco wanted, he would give him.