I inch closer. “I’m not taking any chances.”
“Ok.”
She follows me into the house, and I make sure she knows to make herself at home before I head into my office, shutting the door behind me.
On a sigh, I dial Rogue’s number.
“Hey,” I say when he answers. “You alone?”
“Yeah, man. What’s up?”
“You’ll never believe who Steele is buying from.”
“Who?” Rogue asks in a hurry.
“Gunner.”
There’s silence on the other end of the line, and I know Rogue is trying to process what this all means. “Gunner Marble?”
“The one and only.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Who hired you? Who put the hit out on him?”
“You know I don’t have that information.” He curses under his breath. “You know the hits come in through an encrypted messaging system, and the money is untraceable.”
“Think we should bail?”
“Ok, here’s what we’re gonna do,” Rogue says, taking charge. “You’re going to keep digging. Find out what you can. And I’m going to do some investigating on my end. See if I can figure out who paid for the hit.”
“I’ll keep you updated.” Before I can say anything else, I hear my truck start in the driveway. “Fucking shit. I gotta go, Rogue.” I slam the phone in its cradle and rush through the house, straight out into the driveway.
I’m too late. She’s gone. I watch the back tail lights disappear into the night.
Well, this just won’t do. I race back inside to grab my keys to my motorcycle in the garage. I need to catch her. I hop on my Harley and race after her.
Shit just got too serious for her to think she can do this all on her own.
Eight
Blue
* * *
Basic rule of journalism: once something is off the record, keep it there. The things Titan told me were not off the record, so I have to get a call into Frank and tell him Steele is working with a man by the name of Gunner Marble. We need to run a search on the name. Find out who he is.
All I know is he used to be a hitman who trained Titan in the art of the kill.
As I speed down the street so I can’t be followed, I grab my cell, pulling up Frank’s contact info. I hit send and put the phone up to my ear. “Frank, meet me at the station. I have some information.”
“I’ll be there in twenty.”
A single headlight in my rearview grabs my attention. Dammit, Titan.
I’m no racecar driver, and kind of don’t want to break the law, but I try my best to outrun him. It’s no use. He’s gaining on me, so I pull into a gas station and get out of his truck.
“What are you trying to do?” I yell. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
He slides off his bike, and it’s really sexy and really inappropriate for me to think that right now. “Where are you going in my truck?”
I park a hand on my hip. “You don’t own me, ya know?”
He crosses his arms. “Actually, I kind of do. I paid twenty grand for you.”
My mouth drops open. “I can’t believe you just said that to me.”
He steps forward, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Believe it, sweetheart. You belong to me, and there’s no way I’m gonna let anything happen to you.”
He can’t possibly think he really owns me. Can he? “I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m fine.” I square my shoulders and raise my chin so he knows I’ve got this.
“Better safe than sorry.” He stares down the road. “Where are you going? This isn’t the way to your house.”
I bite my lower lip. “I was headed to the station to talk with my boss Frank.”
“About Steele? About Gunner? About me?”
“Listen,” I place my hand on his chest, “we have databases where we can search for Gunner. Find him. Instead of continuing to go to low-end bars and hoping he shows up.”
Titan purses his lips, tilting his head, as he considers my words. “Blue, you think he will find something we can’t. You don’t think we have the best databases at Ruthless Corp?”
“Don’t database shame me, ok?”
“Don’t what?”
“Just humor me, ok? Let’s see if Frank can find something out.”
“I still don’t like the fact you ran off.”
“Let’s go meet with Frank, and then we can go back to your place and I will behave.” Saying the word behave isn’t the word I was going for, but it makes Titan’s jaw tick. Like he enjoyed hearing that word fall from my lips.
“And just how are you going to behave for me?”
I trace my fingers up his t-shirt, willing to play with fire. “Any way you want me to.”
Nine
Titan
* * *
The thought of Blue behaving for me any way I want makes my dick swell with excitement. Makes me want to do whatever she says.