Cross (Dark Kings 3)

April: Yes.

She’s lying, but why? Why won’t she just come out and talk to me? I don’t know how to respond to that, so I take the fact that she even messaged me back as a good sign and leave it at that. At least she is asking for help, even if it’s for something small.

Turning the light off, I make my way back through his pitch-black bedroom, hoping not to trip over the trail of clothes on the floor. I manage to get onto the bed and crawl in next to him.

He moves, and I stiffen, hoping I didn’t wake him. I feel his body shift, and then he’s pressed up against my back, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into him. I relax and close my eyes.

_______________

I WAKE TO darkness and stretch out, blinking a few times for my eyes to adjust but still nothing.

Reaching over, I run my hand over the nightstand and feel for my cell. I grab it and light up the screen, making me blink rapidly at the bright light. “Shit.” I sigh, seeing that it’s almost eleven o’clock. Rolling over onto my side, I pull up Cross’s number and call him.

“There she is,” he answers, sounding cheerful. “Good morning, gorgeous.”

I groan but hate that I smile at the way he calls me gorgeous. “Why didn’t you wake me when you left?”

“I wanted you to sleep. I kissed you goodbye, and you didn’t even move.”

He kissed me goodbye? Why does that make my breath quicken? “Well, you should have tried harder.” His head between my legs would have done the trick.

He chuckles. “I’ll remember that next time.”

“Seriously.” I push my hair from my face and sit up, feeling his cool sheets on my naked body. If I was him, I’d never leave this bed. “I don’t like being here without you.”

There’s a long silence on his end before he speaks. “Why?” he asks, sounding concerned all of a sudden.

“Because what if one of the Kings sees me here?” This is their suite. I’d hate for Bones to find me in the kitchen making coffee. I just feel like I’m not allowed here if Cross isn’t here.

He sighs. “I hate to tell you, Alexa, but at this point, they know what we’re doing.”

“Not Grave.” Cross had planned on telling him, but I know that conversation never took place. Not with everything else that has happened since then.

“You’re right. But he won’t be coming there anytime soon. Now, lie back down and get some more sleep,” he offers.

I smile at his bossiness and lie back down. “It’s almost noon. I’ve slept long enough.” But as I say it, I yawn.

“See,” he states, hearing me, and I laugh. “How about this? You go back to bed, and I’ll take lunch in an hour.”

“Meaning?” I arch a brow, staring up into the darkness of his bedroom.

“I promise I’ll wake you up this time.”

“How can a girl turn that down?” I joke, nibbling on the end of my nail.

“You don’t get a choice. Now, get some rest. See you soon.” He hangs up.

I drop the phone to my chest and smile to myself. As much as I want to go back to sleep, I don’t. Instead, I get up and go into his bathroom. I need to prepare his lunch after all.

CHAPTER TEN

CROSS

I HANG UP and pocket my cell phone, ignoring the look Titan is giving me. I wasn’t lying to her. At this point, everyone knows except for Grave.

“So—”

“None of your business,” I interrupt Titan and he laughs. “Let’s go.”

Titan, Nite, and I enter the Airport through the double doors off the parking lot. We make our way over to the elevators and hit the button for the fifth floor. When the doors open, a man stands on either side with a machine gun in his hands.

They nod at us. “Kings, Nite. Mr. Mason is waiting on you.”

“Thanks, Harry.” Titan nods back at him. As much as shady shit goes on here, the Mason brothers have very tight security on this level. Their operation isn’t anything like Kingdom. It’s not legal. Everything they do is off the books. They have millions of dollars stashed all over the Airport. We may not be on the up and up, but Kingdom is a good front for other things. The Airport is not. They make very large payments to very important people in this state to keep their doors open. Everyone wants their cut.

We walk to the door at the end of the hall and step inside. The table that normally has people crowded around it is empty, which is surprising. People are always in here doing drugs off it or counting out cash. Turner must have cleared them out for us.

I walk to the closed door at the back of the room, knowing it’s their office. I knock on it.