Chapter 20
Callum
I stand alone at the dinner table for at least five minutes after she leaves, my feet rooted to the floor.
What the fuck was that?
One minute we’re eating dinner, celebrating her win, and swapping battle stories. The next… The last thing I expected was to feel Lucy’s soft, warm lips on mine.
I know for a fact that she despises me. Yet just a few minutes ago, she smiled brightly…and then kissed me.
And I kissed her back. Greedily. With a hunger to dominate her mouth that’s foreign to me.
On the random occasions I hook up with someone, I approach the encounters as a method of satisfying a biological urge. For both of us. Nothing more. I never kiss for kissing’s sake, and my blood never boils with desire like this. Half the time, I’m on autopilot.
Christ, this woman crawls so deeply under my skin, she hits the bone.
I’d intended to spend the rest of the night analyzing footage from the event to catch anything or anyone I might’ve missed lurking in the crowd, but that possibility just flew right out the window. I’m far too amped up to sit on the sofa and work.
Grabbing her like that was a misstep.
If I hadn’t startled her, she wouldn’t have fallen, and if she hadn’t fallen, none of the events that followed would’ve happened either.
If only I’d remained in control for another thirty seconds. Nothing between us would’ve changed. Instead, all I can think about is how perfect her body felt against mine. Her sweet jasmine fragrance. Her panting breaths. The plumpness of her lip between my teeth. Her breasts against my chest.
Fucking hell.
I need to get out of here.
I whip out my phone and arrange for Darren to station armed guards outside the suite.
As soon as backup arrives and positions themselves in the hallway, I ride the nearest service elevator down to the hotel’s parking garage.
Within half an hour, I’m on my motorcycle, tearing through the starkly lit Manhattan streets.
At first, I don’t have a plan. My lone goal is to untangle the chaos swirling through my mind.
Lucy—who’s given me nothing but trouble, resistance, and sass from day one—was tender with me tonight. Generous, even. Kind.
The way she spoke at dinner, the way she touched my hand…how she called me brave. No one’s used that term to describe me in a long time. Usually, compliments bounce off me, but hers sank right in.
Fear caused her voice to waver, though I doubt she’d appreciate I’d noticed that.
Foster care. Lecherous models.
When she uttered that remark about becoming a hermit, cold fury pierced my chest.
Lucy’s lived through enough shit to turn her back on humans and never trust the world again, yet she’s still out here, baring her soul to chase her dreams.
She’s a survivor. One of the strongest women I’ve ever known. Despite her painful past, she refuses to admit defeat and give up. Refuses to let her demons keep her down.
I can’t take back all the insensitive shit I’ve said and done over these past few days or erase all the judgmental thoughts that have filled my mind since I first started this job.
But I can treat her better going forward.
I will treat her better. She deserves nothing less, and I need to atone.
Otherwise, this guilt might swallow me whole.
By the time I pull up to the curb outside Lucy’s darkened apartment building, dread knots my stomach.
I release a forceful exhale and remove my helmet.
While I want to gain Lucy’s trust, I also need to be careful. I can’t afford to fall under her spell.
Survivor or not, she still chose to involve herself with a vile man.
And she’s still my assignment.
Even if I were willing to set both of those facts aside, we have no future together. Once Lucy learns about my secret agenda, she’ll hate me for misleading her.
My goal remains unchanged—steal the crypto wallet for Shane Gallagher.
Quickly.
Which is the main reason I’m at Lucy’s apartment in the middle of the night. Although I could also use a private space to manage all the untamed emotional bullshit she’s stoked behind my ribs.
While the glorified door greeter prattles away on his phone, I slip into her building and climb the steps to the eighth floor. I exit the stairwell, relieved that at least now I can search for the wallet without worrying about Lucy peering over my—
Voices reverberate ahead of me.
I flatten myself against the wall and peek around the corner down the walkway that leads to her apartment. In front of her door, a brawny man in a black suit chomps on an apple beside the big hall window. Judging by the Russian script tattooed on his neck, he’s not one of the Irish Kings.
Excitement heats my blood. Tonight might be my lucky night.
This punk must be the scout for whoever’s inside her apartment and nosing through her shit.
After I remove her uninvited guests, I can blame them for my snoop job.
I fish a quarter from my pocket and toss it down the hall. Brawny frowns before leaning over to inspect the coin.
The distraction works. He never sees me coming.
I charge down the hallway, slamming his body into the wall. The apple flies from his meaty palm.
He reaches for his waistband, but he’s too slow.
Poor slob doesn’t stand a chance.
I kick, sweeping his legs out from under him. He topples over with a pained grunt. Still, the giant oaf refuses to give up. He rolls and sits up, reaching for his waistband again.
I draw my gun while he grapples for his and knock him over the skull with a loud thud.
He crumples and doesn’t move again.
One down.
With my gun in hand, I ease Lucy’s door open a crack.
A lanky man with a long, hawkish nose rummages through her makeshift desk. Seconds tick by as I stand there in silence, watching. Waiting. Biding my time and fighting to contain my anger while that asshole paws at Lucy’s stuff.
Another man emerges from her bedroom, empty-handed. His greasy dark hair is swept back in a tangled ponytail.
I push the door open a little bit more.
Ponytail’s head snaps up. “Lev?”
I stay silent.
“Get in here, Lev.” Ponytail’s Russian accent wafts through the ajar door.
A beat passes.
“Quit fucking around and help us search.”
I creep farther back behind the door.
Heavy footsteps approach. Someone curses in Russian while I steady my breathing. The footsteps draw closer.
Adrenaline courses through me as I sheathe my gun.
He should be here in three.
Two.
The door flies open. “Kakogo cherta, Lev? What—”
I snake an arm around Ponytail’s neck and interlock my fingers. “Sorry, man. Lev needed a little nap.”
His eyes widen, first with surprise, then fury. I don’t give him time to physically react. I put him in a chokehold, pressing down on his head and locking my arm around his neck.
He claws at my skin and attempts to scream, but I hold on tight and squeeze.
Even when the struggling slows, I maintain the pressure. Ponytail starts to sway.
His skin drains of color.
Once his eyes close and his body goes limp, I release him, and he collapses in a heap on the floor.
Another one down.
“Get in here, pobochnyy rebenok,” a deep, grimy voice commands from inside the apartment.
When I raise my head, I’m staring down the barrel of a gun.
Not the first time I’ve found myself in this predicament.
I eye him calmly. “Not happening.”
Hawk Nose curls his lip and fires, but I’ve already hit the floor and rolled, dodging the bullet that whizzes overhead. The window shatters as I dive around the corner.
The jackass keeps shooting.
On any other night, I’d save us all the hassle and shoot the guy. But I’d rather drag his sorry ass and whatever’s left of his friends back to the Kings for interrogation.
With the right persuasion, they might share information that could help me keep Lucy safe.
If he continues shooting, though, he may leave me no choice.
Sitting upright, I pull out my own gun and aim.
Heavy footsteps announce Hawk Nose’s approach as he enters the hallway. The metallic click is music to my ears.
He’s out of ammunition.
“Shit!” Hawk Nose pulls the trigger again as panic darkens his eyes.
Gotcha.
The bullet I fire at his leg rips through his thigh. With a shriek, he collapses.
Number three.
Fishing my phone from my pocket, I call Darren.
“It’s me. Three more for pickup.”
I methodically restrain the Russians and drag them into Lucy’s apartment to wait.