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I nodded my head, attempting to hide my clenched fists. “Got it.” My tone was clipped.

I didn’t like Pres insinuating Ryan might be a liar. Logically I knew she might not share all she knew since we were from different organizations. I mean, I sure as hell didn’t tell her the whole truth, but it still grated on my nerves. Moving past Pres, I was careful to keep my emotions under wraps, not wanting him to think I wasn’t level-headed enough to be around her.

Cracking the door open, I poked my head inside, noting Dex sitting next to the bed in a chair he must have grabbed from downstairs. His head was in his hands, and he rubbed his tired eyes.

“How is she?” I asked, making sure to keep my voice low so I didn’t wake her.

Dex looked up and caught my gaze. “She’s good. Doc cleaned her up. Gave her a sedative and pain medication. Given what the alley looked like, homegirl’s relatively unscathed. The cut and bruises on her throat are the worst of it all. She’s got some other cuts and scrapes, but nothing major. She’ll be knocked out for a bit and will probably be groggy when she comes to,” he replied.

I nodded my head while moving to the bed. She looked so peaceful lying on my pillow with her dark locks splayed across it. I tucked a strand behind her ear before leaning forward and kissing her forehead.

“What did you find?” Dex prodded as I walked over to my dresser to strip out of my clothes. Thankfully, he didn’t comment on my show of affection.

Dex would burn all our shit from tonight. Looking over a scene was messy work, and we didn’t want any evidence linking us to the alley.

A deep sigh left my chest. “You ain’t gonna like it.” Our eyes locked. “Feeling it’s ’bout to get messy for us, Dex.”

He straightened in his chair, prepping for the blow to come, nodding for me to continue.

“First guy I checked out was a reaper. Thought maybe Ryan got caught up in some retaliation shit. But Torque called me over to check out what he found. His dude…tatted with a cartel tattoo…”

Dex’s jaw dropped slightly, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion as mine had.

“So was she there with him, and they fought off three reapers?” he asked.

I shook my head before continuing, “Thought the same thing at first, but there were two of them. Two reapers, two cartel members. I think Ryan and this other chick managed to kill all four.” A sense of pride filled my voice.

A cruel smile played at my lips. “I bet my balls the one with the slit throat came from my girl,” I said. My blood still boiled at her going up against them alone, but I couldn’t deny she had the talent to do so. My mood turned when I remembered the object stuffed in my boot.

“Then there was this,” I said.

Dex caught the small burner phone I lifted off one of the cartel members. I made sure no one saw me do it, wanting to keep this find under wraps.

“The last text message came from an unknown number—burner. Says, ‘Take out the nosy bitch before she gets too close.’ I don’t know if that’s referring to Ryan or the chick with her. But someone is pulling some strings,” I commented, rubbing my forehead.

All the secrecy shit gave me a headache. We were being left out of the loop, which meant people would get hurt until we uncovered this shit. Dex stood and moved toward me, collecting my ruined clothes while holding up the burner.

“I’m guessing no one knows about this…”

I gave him a single nod. “No one knows…” I let the implications hang in the air.

The look Dex gave me said he knew what I was trying to say, and then he was out the door, leaving me alone with my sleeping beauty. The last thing I should have done was get in bed with her, but after seeing her lying lifeless in a pool of blood, I didn’t give a damn about what I should be doing.

I would enjoy knowing she was pressed against me all night and not her asshole of a fiancé. Soft sheets brushed against me as I eased myself under. My calloused fingers met the silky smoothness of her skin. A growl left my lips. She was wearing nothing but a bra and panties. I didn’t know if I was pissed or excited. Dex better not’ve looked at her, or I would dump him in the same grave I put the reapers.

Pushing my irritation down, I molded our bodies together, trying to convince my dick it needed to chill out because she was in no condition to entertain him. Fuck, being around Dex for so long had me talking to my dick like it was a whole other person.

The moment her back touched my chest, she let out a satisfied sigh and wriggled in close. Filling me with masculine pride. I told myself that even in her unconscious state, she knew I would watch over her. I didn’t know if I was right, but it’s what I would go with.

Fuck the rest; right now, all that mattered was Ryan.

Ryan

Great, I was for sure spending too much time around Gunner while not getting laid enough, and it was affecting me mentally. Because now I was having horny dreams and waking up wet and unsatisfied. Sleep was fighting to take me back under, and I was willing to go if it meant returning to the dream that had my body feeling so hot and overly sensitive.

Apparently, I fell asleep wrapped around my body pillow because something solid was against my front. My hips ground against the pillow in hopes of finding relief for the ache between my legs. A moan fell from my lips at the pulse of pleasure I experienced when pressure was applied to my clit. My teeth bit down on my pillow, knowing the orgasm I was planning on bringing myself to might wake Nikki up if I didn’t silence myself.

But instead of soft fabric, I was met with the saltiness of skin, making my nipples pebble and increasing my need to reach my climax.