Falling for the Killer

I laughed, and he laughed, and I felt stupid and giddy and pleased. “That was unexpected,” I said.

“Was it really?” He smirked and kissed my neck. “I don’t know, it felt obvious to me.”

“I bet it did.” I shook my head and pulled away. “This complicates things, right? I mean, we almost got killed.”

“Almost,” he said.

I sighed and leaned my head back against the cabinets and tried to still my spinning thoughts. Gian’s body, his lips and smell, the pleasure that still buzzed like icicles at the edges of my limbs, the heady rush of pure happy joy, and the terror, the horrible conviction that we were going to die, we were really going to die. I knew in some deep and distant part of my mind that I was maybe in shock, or at least experiencing the effects of serious trauma, and yet I couldn’t bring myself to care, or to stop.

It felt too good, to stay in his arms.

“What do we do now?” I asked.

“Right now, nothing,” he said. “I plan on sitting here and enjoying this view while it lasts.” He looked down at my body and my cheeks turned pink.

“Easy there,” I said. “Or else I’m covering up.”

“Don’t you dare.” His fingers dug into the skin on my back and I let out a surprised little yelp.

“Come on,” I said, pushing him away slightly. I leaned forward, hands on the floor, and stared at him. His eyes pulsed down to my bare breasts and back up again like he couldn’t help himself, which I loved. “Focus. What do we do now? Do you really think we need to go on the offensive?”

He clenched his jaw. “You really want to have this conversation?”

“Really,” I said.

“All right then,” he said. “You’re not going to like it, but I need to send a message to Stuart. Let him know that he can’t come at me like that without consequences.”

I felt a little chilled and wrapped my arms around myself as I looked for my bra. “What are you going to do?”

He sighed and rubbed his face as I got dressed. “This is why I wanted to wait,” he said. “You’re getting dressed.”

“Gian,” I said, getting to my feet. “Talk. You can’t be sure that was Stuart, right?”

“True,” he said, and stretched his long, muscular arms above his head. “But there’s no doubt in my mind that motherfucker had a hand in it. I plan on sending him a little message.”

I watched Gian as he climbed to his feet. I was suddenly aware of his size and the potential violence behind those long, lean muscles.

I was afraid he thought he could solve everything with his fists. But Stuart was from a whole different world, drenched in money and power. Gian might be able to intimidate Stuart, but I didn’t think he’d be scared away.

Gian gave me one last look as I got myself together then left me alone in the kitchen, a little smile on his lips that left a strange knot in my stomach.

14

Gian

Ash looked pale in the seat beside me. The moonlit night sky played off her long hair as she nervously tugged at it. “Are you sure about this?” she asked.

“The girl sounds nervous,” Tomaso said from the back seat.

“It’s almost like she’s never broken into an office before,” Stefano added.

I glared back at them. Stefano grinned back innocently, decked out in dark jeans and a dark long-sleeve shirt, while Tomaso wore his usual basketball jersey and shorts.

“Leave her alone,” I said. “She’s not a hardened criminal like you two animals.”

Stefano rolled his eyes. “You know we’re just teasing, right, Ash?”

“Right,” she said, and gave me a sharp look. “Gian’s a little too protective sometimes.”

“More like all the time,” Tomaso said. “This guy would take a bullet for any one of us, and no, that’s not a good thing.”

I laughed and grimaced slightly as the wound in my shoulder pulled. “I’d take one of anybody but you, Tomaso,” I said. “Now, can you all shut up so we can go over the plan?”

“I thought the plan was simple,” Ash said, stretching her legs. “We break in and—”

“No,” I said, cutting her off. “You’re staying here.”

She glared at me. “Come on,” she said. “I’m the one that brought you here.”

I shrugged a little and peered past her into the quiet Old City street. Stuart had an office in a row home right at the corner of the block up ahead, which was a classic rich asshole move. Instead of getting a skyscraper, he got prime real estate. When his hedge fund collapsed under the weight of his own ego, at least he could sell the building for a profit.

“We need you back here,” I said. “Someone’s got to be lookout.”

“Then make Stefano do it,” she said. “I’m not staying behind.” Her tone was hard, and I clenched my jaw. I didn’t like her pushing back in front of my guys, but she wasn’t mine to control. She had every right to speak her mind if she wanted.