Page 150 of Bleed with Me

“You make crime sound disappointingly simple.”

I smiled under my breath, turning to see through the almost-closed door as the detectives poured out of the conference room.

“Good job,” Lucas praised when I finally inhaled dirty New York air. A victorious grin tugged at my lips, and I pulled the wig off.

“You weren’t so bad yourself,” I returned the compliment, hurrying toward my car. Yet my heart nearly stopped when I saw who sat on the front hood.

“Fuck,” I muttered, pulling out the earpiece just as Lucas started asking questions. He didn’t need to witness this.

-60-

Nina

The tension in the car could be cut with a knife. Dorian scowled at the road as if it personally insulted him, squeezing the steering wheel so hard the leather cracked while I wondered how to start a conversation. But every time I opened my mouth, he shut me up with a murderous glare.

“I’m not going to apologize if that’s what you’re expecting,” I said eventually, ignoring another one of his glares. Crossing my arms over my chest in defiance, I watched his perfect profile. “I delivered it, by the way. You’re welcome.”

“Do you want me to applaud?” He stopped the car at the red light and turned to me.

“No,” I snapped. “What I want—”

“Shut up, Nina!” he yelled, my eyes widening in shock. “Just shut up and use your head to understand how much you risked there!” He pushed the gas pedal down, the wheels wheezing as he sped through the city. “Are you really unable to comprehend the consequences? Wasn’t it enough of a lecture after you almost killed me?”

“It’s not the same!” I shouted back, finding my voice because he really surprised me.

“No! It’s worse.” His palm blasted against the steering wheel. “I wasn’t with you at the police station!”

I blinked, my jaw almost hitting the floor.

“So, that’s what this is all about?” I asked in disbelief. “That you couldn’t protect me?” I shook my head angrily. “News flash, baby! I’ve survived worse than a fucking police station!”

“But not when you’re with me!” His blazing eyes pierced mine, but I refused to submit. I wasn’t born that way.

“You can’t tell me what I can or cannot do,” I ground out, fisting my palms. “You can command your team, or your men, but not me.”

“You still don’t get it, do you?” He flashed me another glare, incredulity reflecting in his face. “Just holding that fucking file could get you killed!”

“And still, here I am,” I said proudly, lifting my chin. “Arguing with you instead of being praised for taking care of it.”

“You can’t just admit it was the stupidest thing to do, can you?”

“You can’t just admit how good I am, can you?” I mirrored his expression, raising a challenging brow when he glanced at me.

“You mistake me for Carlile, ma vilaine.” He cast me a pointed look. “I don’t have a problem admitting a woman is good. I have a problem with you risking your life and freedom for something that could have been solved differently.”

“So you do think I’m good.” I leaned closer, a smug grin splitting my face.

“Of course.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his angry eyes. “You’re amazing at constantly finding new ways to get yourself killed.”

“Well, that way it seems I’m harder to kill than you give me credit for.”

He exhaled so heavily I thought his soul left his body. His expression was a mixture of exhaustion and frustration, the look of a man slowly realizing he couldn’t change me.

The silence stretched between us. Dorian’s fingers impatiently tapped against the steering wheel while I checked my perfect nails and the city moving outside.

“Are you giving me the silent treatment?” I asked after another maybe five minutes when he continued to ignore me. “You have no reason to act like this.”

“I have a hundred reasons to act like this, Nina,” he snapped, honking at the car in front of us because it didn’t move fast enough.