I holdher against me and promise myself that this won’t be our last time together. No matter what the cost. No matter what happens. We will finish what we came here to do. We will rescue my brother. We will find those responsible for the threat against us and put this behind us.
And I’ll make her mine. I don’t care what it takes. I don’t care what the cost. I need to convince her she’s mine and mine alone.
When she finally gets her legs out from under her again, I snap my fingers. I was already hard as fuck, but when I see her knees hit the floor, my need for her’s painful.
Jesus.
I scan the room from where I am and can see that Nicolette’s scanning from where she is. Singles wander around us as if looking for a place to land. I’m scanning for the Lyons.
“Still two o’clock.”
Richard Lyon sits on a straight-backed chair that resembles a throne, three beautiful women flanking his sides. Beside him sits a small velvet cushion. The overhead light hits the pillow. I draw in a breath.
The talisman of Napoleon sits right there. Right within our grasp. The ticket to my brother’s freedom and the answer to who’s behind the attack lies right there on a velvet pillow, like a wedding ring in the hands of a ring bearer.
If she could impersonate the women… no.
If I could get close enough… no.
Lyon is brutal and vicious and there’s no way in hell I’d be able to take that talisman without major blowback.
I have to think… think.
“Um… sir,” she whispers. “Master?”
I look down at her eager eyes and brush my thumb along her cheekbone. I’m immediately reminded of the first time I touched her, the night she was assaulted.
“Yes?”
“May I stand?”
“You may.”
I help her to her feet. “I have an idea.”
“Yes?”
“You slide me the dupe. We go over to where they’re sitting. I’ll get close enough so I can swap them, and as soon as I am, you pull the fire alarm.”
People would scramble and maybe even scream or cause a riot. She’ll swap the talisman. Thayer has a ride outside waiting for our escape.
It's so crazy it just might work. I am willing to try.
"If this doesn't work, we come up with another plan. I am not going to put you at risk. The whole point was for the two of us to get in here,” I whisper to her.
Nicolette nods, gets up on her tippy toes, wraps her arms around my neck, and gives me a huge kiss. I hold her to me.
Is this part of her act? I don’t want to believe that she feels for me the way I feel about her, only to find this was only a job.
I focus myself on the present.
“Let’s get this shit done.”
We've been here long enough. I don't want her to be taken by anyone or even for anyone to look at her. We walk together, when a man steps in front of us.
"How much?" he says.
“I've already bought her."
