Dead Drop (The Guild #2)(37)

He grunted a sound, and I took that as confirmation. I already guessed at his fear kink with how he was that first night, and it made sense that he’d been struggling to find anyone to fulfill his need.

“Contrary to what it may have seemed,” he murmured, “I’ve never forced anyone.”

I snorted a laugh. “Oh, precious, don’t fucking lie to yourself. You forced me. You just didn’t realize I was into it too.” The force of his scowl bored into the side of my face, and I smirked.

“Fine,” he growled. “Before you, I’d never forced anyone. You flipped a fucking switch in my brain, and I couldn’t stop.”

“Malachi Arden,” I scolded with an edge of mockery, “you’re better than that. Victim blaming? Deflecting responsibility for your actions? You’re not fooling anyone here. You’re an intelligent man in full control of his actions. You didn’t stop, because you didn’t want to. Simple as that. You liked the way I ran from you and how I begged. When you forced me to my knees and made me suck your dick, were you seeing me? Or Charlotte?”

He said nothing, just shifted his gaze out the window. I wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know, but maybe he wasn’t used to being forced into honesty.

“Something changed, though, didn’t it?” I pushed, curious enough to dig deeper. “You didn’t need me scared when we had sex on your island. And you sure as fuck had no problems finishing.”

“Evidently,” he agreed with a wry tone, “you cured me. It shocked me enough that I didn’t shoot you, when I should have. But I couldn’t live with another mistake on my conscience. I needed to be sure you were a mercenary.”

I arched a brow at him. “And now you’re sure. What are you gonna do about it?”

His only response was a low laugh. The kind of laugh that made my stomach twist up in knots and my pussy throb with desire. I had all kinds of questions burning on the tip of my tongue, but all of them were about Charlotte. All of them made me sound like a jealous girlfriend, so I bit my tongue and remained silent for the rest of the drive.

We were meeting Mo back in Echo Valley, because I sure as hell wasn’t in the mood to deal with the rest of their team just yet. I just wanted to talk to her one on one and find out what her history was with the Guild.

“She’s running late,” Kai told me, checking his phone as we parked.

Irritation pricked at my patience. “She better be coming alone.”

He just gave a shrug, climbing out of the car as I popped my own door open. “I guess we will soon find out. Of course, six against one would put you in an awkward situation.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Cute. You truly have no idea who you’re messing with, huh? Believe me when I say, I’ve gotten myself out of much worse odds before. But hey, if you’re that willing to get your family killed, be my guest, test me.” I didn’t pull a gun, because I didn’t need to.

Kai circled around the hood of the car, his gaze hungry as he stalked closer to me. He loved trying to intimidate me with his size, and if I was honest, I kind of loved it too.

“You’re so sexy when you’re murderous,” he confessed in a lustful whisper when we were toe to toe.

I tipped my head back, fluttering my dark lashes. “You think so? Or would you prefer me on my knees, begging for my life?”

Kai’s hand whipped up, his fingers tangling in my hair and jerking my head back at a sharp angle. “Keep teasing, ātaahua, and I’ll give you something to beg for.” His other hand stroked my exposed throat, his warm thumb caressing my bruises with reverence… and threat.

I couldn’t help myself; my breath hitched and a small moan escaped. His pupils blew up at that sound, and I knew I was fucked. Or about to be fucked. Both. Definitely both. Suddenly I was regretting my choice to wear jeans, because a dress would have been such easy access to—

“Whoa, am I interrupting something?” Moana laughed from somewhere behind us, her voice like a bucket of ice water over my raging hormones.

Kai didn’t release me immediately. His frustrated gaze flicked over my head, then he returned to my eyes. “We’re not done with this conversation, Siren,” he whispered. “I can wait.”

I didn’t doubt that for even a second. In fact, I suspected he could wait a hell of a lot longer than I ever could… which was terrifying. He could and would wait me out.





17





Goddamn fucking Moana had the worst timing imaginable. I had Danny right where I wanted her, pushed to the edge, and that little moan she’d let out when I teased her throat? Fucking heaven. She wanted me, I was sure of it. And that was the first step to breaking down her walls. Contrary to what she might think, she hadn’t been acting the whole time she’d been with me.

The more time I spent with her, the more convinced I was that I’d fallen for the real her, not the fabricated parts. My dick wasn’t hard for the doe-eyed innocent, proclaiming her ignorance. It was hard for the confident risk-taker, the sultry goddess who turned to liquid when I wrapped my hand around her throat. It was for the fearless queen that let me fuck her cunt with a loaded gun, then came with the barrel still inside her.

The woman who haunted my dreams wasn’t the sad, broken creature sobbing in her cell, it was the quick-witted vixen who I’d spent a blissful week with in paradise. That woman, the one who’d laughed with me and shared her love of a plant named Stanley? She was the one I’d fallen for. She was still here too.