Chapter 30 Pink Lipstick and Other Crimes of Passion
KADE
I watch Amanda walk away from me, pink lipstick smeared across my visor like a declaration of war.
And I fucking love it.
I rev the engine and ease the bike forward, following her at a crawl.
She makes it maybe half a block before I tap the app on my phone.
The vibrator pulses once, quick and sharp.
Amanda stumbles slightly, catches herself, and keeps walking without looking back.
But I see the way her shoulders tense, the way her steps falter for just a second.
Good girl. She’s not giving me the satisfaction of reacting.
Another block. Another pulse.
This time she stops, pulls out her phone, and types furiously.
AMANDA
I will murder you in broad daylight.
I chuckle, typing back as I idle behind her.
CHAD
You’re still walking. That means you like it.
I’m walking because I have a JOB. Some of us have to work for a living.
Some of us already made enough money to retire before we turn forty.
Ew, forty? How old are you exactly? Because I am NOT interested in an age-gap romance.
Worried you can’t keep up with an older man?
Worried I’m going to have to explain TikTok to you.
I know what TikTok is, baby doll.
Do you, though? Do you really?
I know enough to know you probably shouldn’t be getting dating advice from it.
Says the man who’s currently stalking me via motorcycle.
I’m courting. Very traditional.
If this is traditional courting, I’d hate to see your modern approach.
I watch her stuff her phone back in her purse and continue walking, but her posture has changed now. Less rigid. Like she’s settling into this game we’re playing.
A businessman in an expensive suit shoots me a dirty look as he steps around my bike.
“Get off the sidewalk, asshole!” he shouts.
I don’t even acknowledge him. My attention is entirely on the blonde in the black dress who’s trying very hard to pretend she’s not enjoying herself.
Another pulse.
This time, Amanda’s hand shoots out to steady herself against a building. She takes a deep breath, straightens, and keeps going.
Stubborn little thing.
How long is this going to go on?
Depends how long it takes you to get to work. I could turn it up higher.
She stops walking entirely, spinning around to glare at me. Even from here, I can see her flushed cheeks, her breathing slightly uneven.
You wouldn’t dare.
I hold up my phone where she can see it, thumb hovering over the screen.
She narrows her eyes, crosses her arms, and stares me down like she’s calling my bluff.
I turn it up.
Amanda’s mouth falls open in a silent gasp. Her knees buckle slightly before she catches herself.
A woman walking a small dog stops to ask if she’s okay.
“Fine!” Amanda squeaks out. “Just… twisted my ankle!”
I bite back a laugh as she waves the concerned stranger away and resumes walking, but faster now. Much faster.
I hate you so much.
Your body says otherwise.
My body is a traitor.
Your body knows what it wants.
She doesn’t respond to that one. Just keeps walking.
We’re getting close to Monarch now. The morning crowds are thicker here, people in business attire power-walking to their corporate prisons with coffee in one hand and their souls slowly dying in the other.
“Move your bike, dickhead!” someone yells.
I glance over. A guy in his twenties wearing a Supreme hoodie and an attitude he hasn’t earned.
I rev the engine once. Low and threatening.
He keeps walking.
Good choice.
Almost there. Please tell me you’re not going to follow me inside.
Tempting. But no.
Thank God. I need to retain some dignity at work.
You still haven’t taken it out.
I watch her slow down, one hand moving unconsciously toward her hip.
Maybe I like it.
Fuck. My cock hardens instantly at that admission.
Good. Keep it there.
All day?
All day.
You’re insane.
You love it.
She doesn’t deny it this time. We reach Monarch, and Amanda pauses at the entrance, looking back at me for the first time since she started walking. Even through her sunglasses, I can see the challenge in her expression.
This has been fun. Try not to terrorize any other women today.
You’re the only one I’m interested in terrorizing.
Lucky me.
She turns toward the building, then pauses, looking back one more time.
When do I get my reprieve?
When you earn it.
She flips me off with a grin and disappears through the glass doors. I give her thirty minutes before I turn the vibrator off completely. She deserves a break. And I have work to do.
I head back to my apartment and park the bike, my mind already shifting gears. The USB Cal gave me is burning a hole in my pocket, and I’m curious to see how good Monarch’s security really is from the inside.
My phone buzzes as I’m unlocking my door.
JAKE
You got a minute? Need to run something by you.
I frown. Jake doesn’t usually text during work hours unless it’s important.
KADE
What’s up?
Hearing some chatter. Petrov name came up in a few different channels. Thought that family was finished.
When?
Started picking it up yesterday. Nothing concrete yet, but enough to make me nervous. You sure Montenegro was clean?
I think back to the mission. Marko Petrov, dead on the warehouse floor. No other targets in the building. Clean extraction.
Positive. Bergen confirmed. Marko was alone.
Then someone else is picking up the pieces. Uncle, maybe? Cousin? These family operations don’t just die with one guy.
No. That can’t be right. I went through everyone—every cousin, every associate, every distant relative with even a loose connection to the organization.
I spent eight years mapping out their entire network, tracking bloodlines, following money trails.
The extended family wasn’t involved in the business. They were clean.
But fuck. What if I missed something? What if there was someone I didn’t account for? Someone who stayed in the shadows long enough to survive the purge?
What kind of chatter?
Movement of money. Personnel. Someone’s building something new. And they’re asking questions about you.
How much does Amanda know about your work?
Nothing. She doesn’t know anything.
Good. Keep it that way. I’ll keep digging, see what else I can find.
I set the phone down and run a hand through my hair. Eight years. Eight fucking years of this, and it’s still not over.
I boot up my system and plug in Cal’s USB. The Monarch servers open up like a book, and within minutes I have access to their entire security network.
A notification pops up in the corner of my screen.
CALKNIGHT_SECURITY
Nice to see you again. Try to behave yourself in my system.
I chuckle, typing back.
KSTEELE
No promises.
Also, you missed a real opportunity with that username. CalKnight? Could’ve gone with TheDarkKnight, something with flair.
I’m not a comic book character.
Your loss.
Amanda’s on level 3 if you’re looking for her. Try not to be too obvious about it.
Appreciate it.
Just don’t make me regret this. Izzy will kill me if something happens to her best friend.
I see Amanda on the feed from level 3.
She’s having a heated discussion at her desk with that personal shopper, Daniel. She’s gesturing wildly with her hands, probably telling him about her morning. Her cheeks are still flushed, and she keeps shifting in her chair.
I zoom in on her face. She looks… happy. Frustrated, maybe, but happy. Like she enjoyed our little game as much as I did.
I spend the next few hours monitoring the feeds while I work on other contracts. Nothing unusual. No one watching the building who shouldn’t be. No signs of surveillance.
But Jake’s message keeps nagging at me.
By five o’clock, I’m parked outside Monarch again, watching employees stream out of the building. I spot Amanda immediately—that blond hair, that confident walk, the way she moves like she owns every space she enters.
AMANDA
Let me guess. You’re here to drive me somewhere I haven’t agreed to go.
I look up and see her standing on the sidewalk, one hand on her hip, the other gripping her phone in its ridiculous pink glittery case, staring directly at my bike.
CHAD
Monthly family dinner. First Monday of the month. Your parents’ house.
How do you even… Never mind. I’m not getting on that bike.
Yes, you are.
Oh, no, you don’t get to put a device in me all morning, tease me for six blocks, leave me on edge all day, and then just show up here like nothing happened.
I gave you a reprieve.
A reprieve? I’ve been distracted ALL DAY. Do you know how hard it is to focus on work when you’re constantly thinking about… that?
Sounds like my plan worked perfectly.
You’re insufferable. And I took it out, so your little game is over.
Don’t lie to me, baby doll. I know you didn’t.
How could you possibly know that?
Because you’re still shifting your weight. Still breathing a little uneven. Still thinking about it.
That’s… that’s not… ugh.
Besides, the day’s not over.
What’s that supposed to mean?
You’ll find out.
I should be mad at you.
But you’re not.
Another pause. Then she sighs and walks toward me.
She climbs on behind me, her arms wrapping around my waist like they belong there.
And despite everything—Jake’s warning, the Petrov family, the threats that might still be out there—at this moment, with Amanda pressed against my back and her arms around me, everything feels right.
I just have to make sure it stays that way.