I jerk my head at the chaos beneath us. “They make a pretty portrait, though, don’t you think?” I tell her, just to get a reaction out of her.
She moves her hand away from her face to glower at me. “Take me home before I paint you right next to them.”
I choke on a laugh as I look her over. “Who are you, and what have you done to my Cignette?”
“She tripped and fell face-first into a boulder of depravity.” She pats my cheek. “Now, get me out of here before I scratch your face off your chiseled body.”
My God, why the fuck did that comment turn me on so much?
Maybe because I’m a degenerate, but eh, that’s already an established fact, isn’t it?
I bend and lift Cignette in my arms, earning a surprised intake of breath from her, then start walking us to my Harley.
“Sooooo, are we keeping this to ourselves, or are we telling Mave and Solo about the turn of events?” she asks, then wraps an arm around my neck.
“Maybe once I’ve gotten some sleep. I don’t think I have to energy to deal with either of those idiots right now,” I say.
She nods, because she looks just as tired as I feel.
“Who knew Gavin had it in him, huh?” I wonder out loud.
Cignette sighs. “I told him I didn’t want anything to do with him. I guess he didn’t like that.”
I grunt. “He forsuredidn’t like that. Asshole fucked up a perfectly good kill-night for me and the crew.”
Her lips twitch as she studies me.
“What?” I ask.
She lifts a shoulder. “There’s this ease with which you talk about murder and death. It’s hot. I never thought I’d like that, let alonethinkabout liking something of that nature, but here I am; I’m addicted to it, and you.”
I smirk. “Although I appreciate the fuck out of what you just said, I have to ask: aren’t you evenremotelyconcerned about Gavin?”
Her eyes shine as she grins at me, then leans in and kisses me, making me groan.
“Why would I be, when I know you’re going to take care of it the way you always take care of things,” she says against my lips, then fists the hair at the nape of my neck and kisses me again.
I stop when we reach my Harley, then open my mouth and slide my tongue against Cignette’s. My boner brushes against her ass, making her moan against me.
She has indirectly asked me to do something that I’d already planned on doing even before Graham revealed his client’s name. Gavin signed his sentence the moment he decided to get in my way, and because I’m the type of guy who doesn’t appreciate annoying child-play, I won’t make things easy for him.
A loud honk makes Cignette and I break the kiss. I glance at Jayce in the driver’s side of his Jeep, then shoot a quick scowl at him.
“We’ve gotta go,” he says coolly.
“Iknow, asshat,” I tell him, then place Cignette down on her feet before straddling my Harley. Once she’s done the same, I speed us out of the alleyway and into the vibrant streets, with the lamp posts illuminating us in half-cast shadows as we breeze past the unaware citizens of Riverside.
47.
Ipush openRadicalInk’sglass doors, and the moment I step into the shop, the smell of burning incense sticks hits my nose, making me scowl. The waiting area is empty, save for Nicole, who is sitting behind the front desk and talking to someone on the phone. She stops when she sees the crew and I, then gulps and shakily puts the receiver down on the table before getting to her feet.
“Dorran, hi…” Her eyes ping-pong between the 4 of us. “Umm, come here to get matching tattoos?”
“It’s too early in the morning for you to get on my nerves, Nicole,” I tell her, then walk over to the desk. I place my forearms on it and lean over, and Nicole’s chin starts trembling in time with the rest of her body.
“Where’s Gavin?” I ask her.
She’s panting a little, perhaps from having held her breath. “He’s not in yet,” she says.
