Quinn had shed all hesitation, squirming against me. I pulled one of her legs up, and she wound it around me.
One taste of her and I was addicted.
This right here was where I was meant to be. A kiss had always been a means to an end for me. Sex was just an exchange that helped me relax. Now I knew how much better it could be. How wrong I’d been.
She turned my world upside down. I realized how much she calmed the raging beast inside me. For the first time since I was little, I felt at peace. And I was utterly fucked. Because we could never be.
And the last thing I wanted was to hurt the thing most precious to me.
My body screamed in protest when I pulled back, my hands still holding on tight, unwilling to release her completely.
Taking a shuddering breath, I fought to reclaim my sanity. “I need to go.”
Dazed, Quinn stared up at me, her hands still buried in my hair.
Placing one last kiss on her swollen lips, I stepped back without another word, leaving her leaning against the counter, her hair a gorgeous mess, her cheeks flushed. She looked like a goddess. But she wasn’t mine and never could be.
I didn’t look back, and I didn’t offer an empty excuse.
Jude was already in position,waiting on a roof, ready to take out whoever was necessary. He’d never missed a target, and there wasn’t anyone in Chicago who hadn’t heard of him.
Jude loved the life he was born into, reveled in it.
“He’s already inside,” Gabriel murmured as we walked up to the warehouse the meeting would take place in. “And I’m not surprised, since we’re running late.”
Ignoring his disapproving tone, I buttoned my jacket and tapped the gun strapped to my waist. Initially serving as a reassurance, the move had become a habit.
We were all carrying. Cian didn’t trust us, and we didn’t trust him.
“How many?”
I didn’t have to say anything else. Gabriel knew I wanted to know how many guys Cian had brought with him.
“Twenty-eight.”
They outnumbered us. But our guys were the best. And of course, there was always Jude. He was worth at least ten of Cian’s guys.
“Be prepared for anything,” Gabriel continued.
I scoffed. “This isn’t my first time.”
Entering the derelict building, I cursed Cian’s paranoia. We could have met in an office. Or a restaurant. Instead, we were acting like common criminals.
The dust on the floor was disturbed by footprints from what must have been Cian and his men. I followed the trail they’d left, taking in the men stationed on the open first floor, semiautomatics in hand, ready to shoot if Cian gave the signal.
“Did you get lost on the way here?” Cian greeted us, sitting in a lone chair, resembling a king on his throne. I bet he’d made one of his men drag it in there.
Stopping in front of him, I took in the four men at his back. Three of them I’d seen around before, and the fourth one had a close resemblance to Hannibal Lecter. He was staring at me as if he were ready to get out the chainsaw and hack me into tiny pieces. I’d have to keep an eye on him. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”
Cian opened his arms wide, his jacket sliding back, revealing the guns strapped to his body. No wonder he needed the chair; it would be difficult to walk upright with that much added weight. He was lean but not overly muscular.
His ego would be his downfall. Hopefully soon, if my plans panned out.
“Tell me why we’re here, then, wasting my time.”
“I want to know who shot my dad.”
Cian didn’t look surprised. He would most likely have guessed the reason for our meeting.
