Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
HAYES
There was a hell of a lot to unpack about this conversation, but apparently, the topic of Sloane's child would have to wait until we were alone.
"How do you know Hawk?" Nyx asked in disbelief.
I didn't like her tone. After everything that's gone down tonight, there was no reason for her to be suspicious of me. "Let's just say I take contracts from them."
"I'm going to need you to be a little more specific."
I prickled at her statement. I worked alone because I didn't like answering to anyone. Even working with Hawk was on my terms. I took the jobs I wanted and nothing else.
"Let him explain before you go jumping down his throat." Sloane stood up for me even though this night had to be destroying her. There was only so much trauma a person could go through, and I had a feeling Sloane was pushing that threshold.
"Do you remember me telling you about my work with Alexander Dunkin?" I waited for Nyx to nod. "Well, I do the same for Hawk. Except instead of a criminal organization, I'm cleaning up assassins’ messes when they take out scumbags."
Everyone except me shared a knowing look. They were having a silent conversation that I wasn't privy to, and it pissed me off.
"How often do you take jobs with Hawk?"
I shrugged. "It depends what I have going on. For the most part, my garage runs itself. I have a great crew, so I don't need to micromanage. I like the money I earn from those jobs, but I don't need it to survive. It's more a hobby and something I'm particularly good at, so I keep doing it."
"What was the last job you took?"
Suddenly, it clicked. Nyx's line of questioning made sense. "Shit." How the hell didn't I put two and two together. "An abandoned hospital. Pretty sure someone was trafficking organs, but they got interrupted."
"Did one of the guys have his asshole drilled out?"
That was an oddly specific question and could only mean one thing. "You guys were responsible for the interruption."
"We were," Nyx announced proudly. "It's a small world we live in."
It was indeed. I didn't believe in a higher power, but it was obvious there was something pushing Sloane and me back together after nearly a decade apart.
"What do you want to do about Toby?" I knew what I wanted, but Anita had made a deal with him, and it wasn't my place to step on her toes. I might not be able to get revenge for Sloane, but I would accept the fact that he would spend eternity rotting in hell.
"Sloane?" Anita looked at my woman expectantly.
She still had a death grip on my hand even though I tried to step away.
It wasn't that I didn't want the connection, but the thirst for blood had been strong enough that given the chance, I would've beat Toby to death for the additional pain he’d caused her.
Sloane looked at me when she answered, "Get whatever information you can out of him, then kill him. I have more important matters to attend to."
She tugged my hand, and like the lovesick fool I was, I gladly followed her. She could lead me to my death, and I would gladly go with a smile on my face as long as the love in her eyes shined bright.
We barely got the front door shut when Sloane grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me down for a kiss. There was no hesitation like when we were teenagers. It was passionate and full of a fire I hadn't felt since she left my life.
Her hands were all over me. On my neck. My back. Under my shirt. Sloane explored every inch like she was trying to memorize every ridge and groove. Her touch was setting me ablaze.
My cock was begging to get in on the attention. But I needed to clarify something first.
Despite my body screaming for things to continue, I tore my lips away from Sloane's pillowy ones with a groan.
"We don't have to do this." If I didn't slow things down, I was going to blow my load prematurely, in my pants, like a teenager looking at a risqué magazine for the first time. I didn't want to embarrass myself, and furthermore I wanted to know where her head was at.
"I want to. Last time, we agreed to wait until the perfect moment and look what happened. I don't want a repeat. There's no such thing as a perfect moment when it comes to sex."
I clasped her hands and stopped them from exploring my chest. Just the thought of how she came to that conclusion infuriated me.
I didn't need to hear about the other men she had been with.
It was bad enough knowing Toby was one of them even if it was unwilling.
"For my own sanity, please don't ever mention your past sex life to me. I can't handle it."
Sloane froze. "Wait. You think I know that from experience?"
"Don't you?" I was genuinely confused if she didn't.
"Noooo." She shook her head. "I guess it's confession time."
I wasn't sure if I liked the sound of that. I kept my mouth shut though and let her lead the discussion. What she said next floored me.
"I've never willingly had sex with anyone. Toby was my one and only experience."
My mouth opened and closed like a guppy fish. I couldn't have heard her correctly. Was she essentially admitting she was a virgin because as far as I was concerned, the incident with Toby didn't count as sex. It was betrayal.
"What about a self-induced orgasm?"
Sloane shook her head. The hint of pink on her cheeks told me she was embarrassed by the admission.
Well, shit. That changed things dramatically. "Ummm, okay." I grabbed the back of my neck. Suddenly very nervous.
"You don't want to have sex with me?"
I grabbed her hand and placed it on the tent in my shorts. "Does that feel like I don't want sex with you?" Her pupils dilated. "It's not that at all. I want to make sure you enjoy what I do to you, and I'm going to be honest here. I'm a little worried I'm going to screw it up."
Sloane snickered. "Considering I don't have anything to compare you to, I don't think that's something you need to worry about."
Fair point. I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and asked, "Are you sure this is what you want?"
She leaned into my hand. "More than anything. I want you to erase the bad and only show me how good touch can feel."
Sloane was giving me her trust, and I would cherish it forever.