"Call Vittorio.He'll confirm everything."
"And if he doesn't?"
Rocky shrugged."Then you can help Ghost put a bullet in my head yourself."
His casual mention of his own death twisted something in my gut, but I managed to snap back at him."Don't tempt me."
He almost smiled at that, a brief flicker that vanished as quickly as it came.Then his body stiffened, eyes focusing on something over my shoulder.I started to turn but his hand shot out, gripping my wrist.
"Don't look," he murmured."Guy in the blue hoodie by the entrance.Copperhead prospect.Zero.Been with them about six months."
My heart jumped to my throat."Is he following you?"
"Maybe.Or maybe it's coincidence."Rocky's grip on my wrist tightened."Either way, we need a cover story for why we're talking."
"What kind of cover story?"
Rocky's eyes met mine, dark and intense."The simplest one."
Before I could process what he meant, he pulled me toward him.His free hand came up to cup my face, and then his mouth descended on mine.
The kiss hit like lightning, hot and sudden and electric.My body responded before my brain could catch up, my lips parting, my hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt.His beard scraped against my skin as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss.One hand slid into my hair, cradling the back of my head with surprising gentleness for such an urgent moment.
I knew I should push him away.Knew this only complicated an already fucked-up situation.But my body had other ideas, melting against him like we hadn't spent the last three days apart, like I hadn't spent those days hating him.
When he finally pulled back, we both breathed hard.His eyes looked darker than before, pupils blown wide with something that had nothing to do with our potential audience.
"Sorry," he murmured, not sounding sorry at all."Needed to make it convincing."
"Fuck you," I whispered back, my voice lacking any real anger.
Rocky glanced over my shoulder again."He's still watching.We need to keep this up a little longer."
I should have told him to go to hell.Should have slapped him and walked away.Instead, I nodded slightly.Should have at least looked to confirm he wasn’t playing me again.But I didn’t do any of those things."Fine," I said, forcing a small smile like we shared some private joke."So this plan of yours...what exactly does it involve?"
His thumb traced small circles on the inside of my wrist where he still held me."Saturday night.Warehouse on the edge of town.The girls arrive by truck, get 'processed' and moved to buyers within hours."
"And Vittorio plans to stop it?"
"That's the plan."Rocky's fingers intertwined with mine, a gesture that looked intimate to anyone watching but also kept me from pulling away."His men will move in once the shipment arrives, catch everyone red-handed."
"Why tell me this?What do you expect me to do with this information?"
He studied my face."Nothing.Stay away.Stay safe.That's all I want."
"Bullshit.You didn't risk coming here just to warn me off."
A ghost of a smile touched his lips."Maybe I just wanted to see you again.In case things go sideways."
"That's manipulative as fuck, you know that?"
"Yeah."His thumb brushed across my knuckles."Is it working?"
I narrowed my eyes."You think you can kiss me and suddenly everything's forgiven?"
"No."His gaze dropped to my mouth briefly, then back up."But I think you're still feeling something, same as I am.Otherwise, you'd have grabbed me by the balls, twisted until I was at the ground begging at your feet, then walked away."
Damn him for being right.I pulled my hand from his grasp, needing to break the physical connection to think clearly.
