Page 161 of Trapped Truth

“Sweet or savoury?”

“Uh, surprise me.”

Clapping his hands together, Axel stalks in my direction. “Want to be my wing woman?”

“Now, how could I refuse an offer like that?”

“I’ll make it worth your time, babe.”

“No stopping for a quickie on the side of the road.” Warner peers over his shoulder to chastise Axel. “We have work to do.”

“Ugh, he’s no fun.” Axel snags my hand. “Let’s go.”

“Wait, let me say goodbye.”

It’s silly, but seeing them all together like this, working side by side to clean up the devastation of our first case completed as a real team, I can’t help feeling proud. I take my time approaching each man to plant a kiss on their lips, one at a time.

First, Hyland braces a giant palm at the small of my back, letting the kiss linger. I smile when he pinches the top of my ass. Next to him, it’s a simple task for Warner to seize my hips and pull, landing me half across his lap for a stolen kiss.

He feathers the back of his knuckles over my cheek, caressing me with such reverence, it almost brings tears to my eyes. I want to remain here, but a throat clear from Axel has me moving to the final man, patiently waiting for me like he has been all along.

I have to stoop down onto my knees to reach Blaine, surrounded by photos of the bloodied scene we escaped together. The movement twinges the purple bruise on my chest where the force of the bullet landed, but it doesn’t stop me from planting a heavy kiss on his lips.

“Never walk away from me like that again,” I warn into his mouth.

“I had no intention of going with him.”

“I don’t care. You will never jeopardise your life like that, no matter the stakes.”

“Worried about me?” Blaine taunts cockily.

My teeth sink into his bottom lip, tongue coasting over the cool piercing. “You’re an idiot.”

“Your idiot, last I recalled.”

“And that’s forever.”

“God, I sure hope so.”

Clambering from his lap, I laugh at the crack of his palm across my butt cheek as I follow Axel from the office. Not before he pushes me up against the corridor’s wall to steal his own kiss, hot and demanding.

“I’ve never been so turned on by watching my girl stick her tongue down three different dude’s throats.”

“You’re such a voyeur, Ax.”

“And I make no apologies for it.”

Our hands link as we head for HQ’s underground parking garage. There awaits Axel’s pride and joy, the sole belonging to survive our recent brushes with death. Everything else went up in smoke across the capital.

Cherry-red steel paintwork glints underneath the fluorescent lighting. The fact that he left his 1978 Harley Davidson at work the day our penthouse burned to ash is nothing short of a miracle.

“It’s been a while since you took me for a ride.”

“Well, then today’s your lucky day.” He casts me a wink.

“How far is the bagel shop?”

“A while. But it’s worth the drive.”