Dead Drop (The Guild #2)(48)

His jaw clenched and his grip on my waist intensified. “If you’re not, I will hunt you down, kaikohuru iti. That’s a promise.”

He kissed me again, harsh and demanding, pouring his frustration into each stroke of his tongue and nip of his teeth. He stole the air out of my lungs, tearing straight through my tissue paper walls and branding his touch right on my heart.

It was a kiss that left me breathless and trembling long after he was gone and the taillights of my rental car—sans windshield—faded into the night.

“What the fuck have you got yourself into, Danny?” I muttered into the empty room. I could smell him all around me, and it wasn’t doing me any favors in clearing my head.

Irritated, I flicked the TV on for some background noise, then looked around for my phone. It’d fallen out of my pocket while Kai carried me inside earlier, and I found it in the hallway. My first instinct was to call Jude. Or to send a message in our group chat. But Leon’s warning echoed through my head, and it made me hesitate. Again.

Could I trust them implicitly? Above everything else, all three of us had been raised loyal to the Guild. Sabine and I had come from Guild-owned orphanages, and Jude’s parents were Guild legacy. Our whole lives had taught us to never bite the hand that fed us, and if they were forced into a corner, would they choose me over their loyalty?

I wanted to think they would. I wanted to think that I would do the same for them, prior to all these new revelations about my employer. But I wasn’t certain, and that was ultimately what stayed my hand.

“Dammit,” I whispered, sliding my phone into my pocket and heading through to the kitchen. I’d brought the essentials with me when I arrived, knowing I might need to hide out here for a while, so there was a full bottle of Copper Wolf vodka in the freezer.

After I poured a glass, I headed back to the bedroom and tossed my phone on the bed, then hunted out my battery-operated friend. I needed to sort out my hormones before Kai got back, and reestablish the distance between us. Urgently.

I barely got my pants off when my phone vibrated against the bed, and I picked it up with a small sigh, anticipating Kai.

Instead, my lips curved into a grin, and I eagerly hit the answer call button.

“Marx,” I purred, “I wondered if maybe you’d forgotten about me.”

His husky laugh sent shivers through me, and I reclined into my pillows. This was a much better distraction. It sounded like he was driving, and I could picture his strong, tattooed hands caressing the steering wheel like how he handled my flesh.

“I doubt that would ever be possible, mon cœur,” he replied. “I was just meeting with someone, and I knew I wanted to talk to you alone.”

I bit my lip, embarrassed at how fluttery that made me. “Oh yeah? Who were you meeting?”

“No one special,” he muttered. “Are you alone?”

My smile was all kinds of stupid, and I sent a quick thanks to fate that we weren’t on video call. “Are you fishing for information on where I am, Marx? Because last I checked, you’re still Guild.”

He gave a low chuckle. “Good girl.”

Oof, maybe I don’t need my vibrator at all.

“Did you want me to call for a reason or just because you missed me?” he asked, making me remember why I’d texted him in the first place.

Crossing my legs, I gave myself a mental slap. “Actually, yes. I want a name.”

“I’m sure that’s something I can facilitate. What name?”

“Someone to get me closer to Blanchet. Maybe one of his outer circle? I know Blanchet is probably covering his tracks pretty well at the moment, but surely if I can lean hard enough on one of his guys…” I trailed off because he knew what I meant.

Leon didn’t respond for a moment, then he gave a sigh. “No.”

I frowned. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Ask me for any other name, but I won’t send you after Blanchet’s outer circle on your own. Yes, I do know who they are, and yes, I will tell you. But not until I can help.” His tone was hard and clipped, totally unwavering. Stubborn fuck.

“So help,” I snapped back. “I’m already sick to fucking death of waiting around for his next move. I need to go on the offensive, and this is the best idea I’ve got.”

“And it’s a good idea, but it will need to wait at least a couple of days. I have a few things to wrap up before I can come back to you.”

That answer had me enraged for a whole host of reasons, and my brain tripped over itself trying to get the best snappy comeback out of my mouth.

“Someone else has a hit out on me,” I said eventually. Was I trying to make him feel guilty? Yes, a little. Did I want to be more important than whatever he was doing? Absolutely. But I also despised the idea of being the kind of woman who turned into a wet pillowcase when their man was busy. We both had our own lives and our own work. We didn’t need to be joined at the hip just because feelings had gotten mixed up in the great sex.

Leon hummed a warm laugh. “Oh yeah? Snap, me too. Was yours any good?”

I grinned. He was really hard to stay mad at. “No, it was actually insulting how shit he was. And it’s only a three mill contract, too.”

Leon gave a dramatic gasp. “Those bastards. How dare they? Your contract should be ten times that at least.”