Dead Drop (The Guild #2)(46)
For a moment, I weighed the sincerity of her words. I’d told Danny that no one associated with the Guild could be trusted, and I’d meant it. Myself included. I’d like to think I was being overly cautious, but it was better than being careless and getting her killed.
“I’ve asked her not to contact you,” I said, not really caring if it offended her. “Until the Circle member who wants her dead can be dealt with. It’s for her safety.”
Sabine gave me a pitying look. “And you think she needs your protection? Clearly you have no clue who you’re talking about.”
That comment made me feel violent, but I had a sneaking suspicion Danny would blame me if I strangled her friend to death. So instead, I gritted my teeth and kept my hands to myself. Harder than it sounded.
“Have you had this little chat with Jude, too?” Sabine challenged me, her hazel eyes flashing with irritation. “Did you track her down in the archives and demand she prove that she’s not faking her disability?”
“Totally unnecessary,” I drawled. “Judith’s injury was one of the first things I confirmed when I started taking an interest in DeLuna.”
“You mean stalking,” she corrected, and I just shrugged.
“And yes, I’ll be stopping by to visit her soon, too. Because my beautiful Valkyrie trusts you both, and that seems both reckless and dangerous to me. It’s also fascinating, for a Guild-raised asset to still have the capability to form such emotional attachments to people who provide her with nothing of value.”
Sabine practically crackled with indignation as she slid out of my lap. “We’re not all as broken as you, Leon. Some of us retained our humanity despite the trainers’ best efforts to stamp it out. We’re done here.”
She pivoted on her high heels, but I snatched her wrist in an iron grip, jerking her back to me. “We’re not nearly done, Sabine,” I told her in a harsh whisper. “If I even get the slightest feeling you’ve betrayed DeLuna, I’ll slit your throat and dump your body right on your lover’s doorstep. Am I perfectly fucking clear?”
Across the bar, a handsome and heavily tattooed man was rising out of his chair, his furious gaze locked on my hand around Sabine’s wrist.
“Yes,” she quickly responded. “Understood. Now let me go before this ends up in bloodshed.” She tugged her wrist free, and I let her go, watching as the man near the stage slowly sank back into his seat.
Sabine took two steps away from my table, then paused and turned back to me with a scowl. “So we’re clear, Leon, the same goes for you. If you hurt her, I’ll personally see you killed.”
I couldn’t help myself, I laughed. She wasn’t fazed, though, just giving me one last hard glare before strutting away to continue her work for the night. Still chuckling, I tossed some cash on the table to pay for my drink and the dance, and a healthy tip for Sabine just for that parting comment. I could see why she and Danny were friends.
Ignoring the curious, vaguely threatening looks I was garnering from various patrons around the room, I headed out into the night. I’d seen enough to get my answers, not necessarily from what Sabine said but from what she didn’t say. For now, she was cleared of my immediate suspicion, but nothing was definite.
To cover my bases, I made a call to one of my personal mercenaries to keep an eye on her. When it came to protecting mon cœur, nothing was overkill.
My flight back to Edinburgh was booked for midnight, and I still had the body of a would-be assassin in the trunk of my car to get rid of. But I could take a quick detour via Benny’s Pig Farm on my way to the airstrip, which would give me plenty of time to call DeLuna back.
The temptation to GPS track her was nearly overwhelming, but my own sense of paranoia won out. For her own safety, it was better I didn’t know where she was hiding. Just in case hell froze over and someone managed to effectively torture me.
It was highly unlikely, but better to be safe than sorry.
Humming a tune, I slid back into my car and dialed her number when the phone connected to Bluetooth. I was so damn excited to hear her voice I could barely sit still.
Fuck, I missed her.
21
Unlocking the safe house with the various door codes and alarm deactivations dampened the mood somewhat, but I’d be lying if I said I’d found my better judgment by the time we made it to the master bedroom.
Kai wasn’t giving me a second longer to change my mind, either. He peeled my high-neck top off with a speed that saw it tear along the seams, but that only appealed to my sense of urgency. I yanked his T-shirt off, and my hands traveled over his bare chest. My fingers flexed with excitement as his head dipped back to mine, his lips capturing my mouth in a searing hot kiss that promised all kinds of reconciliations tonight.
It was just sex. That’s what I needed to remember. Sex was simply a physical need, a scratch that needed to be itched. It didn’t have to mean anything more. It didn’t need to rekindle that tender emotion that’d been stirring in me for that week on the island when I spent every waking moment in his embrace.
“Siren,” he groaned as I unzipped his pants and pushed them down over his muscular ass. “God, I’ve missed this.”
I licked my lips, my fingers circling his thick shaft. “This?” I stroked him firmly, then smirked and dropped to my knees. “Or this?” I took him into my mouth, my tongue swirling around his hot tip like he was made of the most decadent chocolate.