Hostile Territory (Blackbridge Security 1)

“Please?” Dani begs, and when I turn my eyes to her, she’s standing there with a handgun, pointed in her former lover’s direction. Just what we need, an emotional woman who thinks she’s at the end of her rope.

Anna clings to me, quiet sobs escaping her lips, warm, salty tears running down her cheeks. I want to wrap my arms around her, comfort her and promise her everything will be okay, but I can’t. I have to get a handle on this situation before I can drop my guard.

“Pull the trigger,” Petrovich says with his arms splayed at his sides. He looks utterly broken. “Or get the diamonds, Kitten.”

The gun in Dani’s hand trembles uncontrollably, but in a matter of seconds she drops it to the floor with a gasp before turning and pulling a black bag from the open safe behind her.

Tears are streaming down her face as she walks the bag across the room, and I can see right through her. She isn’t upset for the trouble or the harm that has fallen at Anna’s feet. She’s upset that she’s having to relinquish her payday. She’s going to eventually be forced to go home broke, facing a reality she never thought she’d encounter. I don’t feel sorry for her one bit.

Petrovich takes the bag, clasping Dani’s hand in his. He pulls her close, leaning down to brush his lips across her damp cheek. She leans into his touch just briefly, but I don’t miss it. If I had to guess, I’d say she feels more for him than she ever did for me.

“Moya krovat’ ne takaya zhe bez tebya, kotenok,” he whispers before he releases her and turns to leave.

“This is over, Petrovich,” I say to his back as my guys part so they can walk out.

Petrovich spares Dani one more glance before he looks in my direction. A single dip of his head is all I get, but I guess I’ll have to take it.

With a gasping sob, Dani rushes from the living room of the suite and slams the door to the bathroom as she enters.

“What did he—”

“My bed isn’t the same without you, Kitten,” Ignacio answers before I can finish my question.

“That was fucking intense,” Flynn says as he steps further into the room. He doesn’t put his gun away. None of them will until we’re sure that the threat is eliminated.

“Wren?” I ask

Flynn nods. “He saw them coming through the lobby. The guy has got a wicked sense for trouble.”

I knew Wren wouldn’t let his guard down while we were still here. We had a long conversation about the possibility of Petrovich following me to the Maldives like he did to the Four Seasons. It’s why I brought as many guys as were available.

“Seems too easy,” Ignacio says before stepping out into the hallway.

“His problem isn’t with us,” Finnegan mutters, his eyes darting to the closed bathroom door. “Her on the other hand…”

Anna gasps, finally giving her sobs permission to escape.

I reach for her, determined to pull her against my chest. She can’t protect Dani from herself, and I’m willing to bet that Petrovich wouldn’t hurt Dani. He’s madly in love with the woman. If shooting him and stealing his bag of diamonds wasn’t enough to put a slug in her head when he first walked in here, I don’t imagine that it’ll ever happen.

She doesn’t give me a chance to hold her. Anna shrinks away from my embrace before I can get my arm all the way around her. My guys disappear like shadows, and I’m grateful they don’t give me shit about my girl pulling away.

She denied being with me when Dani busted in on us earlier, and at first, I understood, but the longer I stood, staring at myself in the mirror, the more pissed it made me. She didn’t stand up for me, for us. She went with her gut, which was to deny everything, no matter that we got caught seconds before I shoved my dick inside of her. She doesn’t want anything to do with me, and I’m a fucking fool for even entertaining the idea that she did.

I clear my throat, taking a step back. Without looking in her direction, I walk across the room.

“We’re leaving first thing in the morning. You and Dani can be on the plane for a ride back to the States or not. Either way, I don’t care.”

The busted door swings right back open when I walk out and slam it. Of course, I can’t even have the satisfaction of hearing it snap closed behind me as the final punctuation on whatever this shit was that I started with Annalise Grimaldi.Chapter 34Anna

I couldn’t bear to watch Deacon walk out again. It’s a situation of my own making, but he’s proved over and over that walking away is what he does. I’m an idiot for not letting him comfort me. I’m well aware of that, but I didn’t expect him to give up so easily.