Savage Hearts (Queens & Monsters #3)(41)

“Absofuckinglutely not!”

When she only stands there looking at me with watering eyes, I feel like an arsehole and lower my voice. “He’s attempted to kill me twice in the last month.”

“He hasn’t succeeded. And you know he won’t, no matter how many times he tries. The man has only ever shot at fish. He’s never hit any of those, either. He’s completely incompetent at murder.”

“He’s also obsessed with you.”

“Exactly. He’s our best bet.”

“I’ll call Kazimir. He’ll know more than your gobshite ex-boytoy.”

“Kage is your enemy. He hates the Irish. He won’t tell you shit.”

She’s probably right about that, but the bastard still owes me a favor. I had his FBI file erased, for fuck’s sake.

She adds, “Unless I call Nat first.”

“I don’t think it’s necessary to get her involved.”

Ignoring my comment, she thinks for a moment, then nods, as if she’s made a decision. “She’s known Riley since she was a baby. She’ll want to help. And if anybody can make Kage talk to you, it’s her.”

Without waiting for me to answer, she whips her cell out of the pocket of her jeans and dials her girlfriend.

I watch her, shaking my head.

Whoever said it’s a man’s world was bloody fucking deluded.





22





Kage





Lying naked in bed beside Nat, I’ve got a full belly, a full heart, and an empty set of balls.

My baby’s gonna be sore in the morning.

“You good?” I murmur, my lips moving against her hair.

Her laugh is soft and satisfied. Head resting on my chest, she snuggles closer to me, pressing the length of her nude body against mine. “You know I am. People could probably hear me screaming in Seattle.”

I tilt her head up and kiss her gently on the lips. In the dim light of the room, I see how soft her eyes are, how full of devotion, and am amazed all over again that I get to love her.

Men as bad as I am don’t deserve this kind of luck.

“Dinner was great.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you liked it.”

“Liked it? I had four servings of that lasagna. I almost licked the plate.”

She whispers, “But you licked me, instead.”

Thinking of how hard she came for me makes my dick stiffen. I growl, “You’re goddamn straight I did. And you were loud.”

Her laugh is so sweet, it makes my dick even harder. I roll her onto her back, press my chest against hers, and kiss her again, this time hungrily.

When we come up for air, she’s still laughing.

“Honey! Give me a minute to catch my breath, will you? I’ve already had three orgasms in the past hour!”

“Only three?” I say, outraged.

It makes her laugh harder.

She stops when the phone on the nightstand beside her side of the bed starts ringing.

“Woman,” I say sternly. “What did I tell you about keeping your cell next to the bed?”

“Something bossy that I ignored.”

“Turn it off.”

“Let me just check and see who it is real quick. It could be Sloane.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

She pushes at my chest. I don’t move. The phone keeps ringing.

“What if I make you a deal that this is the last time I’ll keep the phone in the bedroom?”

“We already made that deal. You conveniently forgot.”

“Oh. Right.” She gazes up at me, biting her lip, silently pleading with her big doe eyes.

“No, baby. Don’t give me that look.”

“Please?”

Ah, fuck.

She knows I can’t resist that sweet, soft tone, and those sweet, soft eyes. I don’t know why I ever bother trying.

I roll off her with a heavy sigh and lie on my back, staring at the ceiling.

“Thank you, honey.” She leans over and gives me a peck on the cheek before grabbing the phone and answering it.

“Hello?”

There’s a long silence as she listens. Then she blurts, “Oh, my god! No! Sloane, I'm so sorry!”

It’s Sloane. Of fucking course it is. And I can already tell that whatever it is she’s telling Nat is some giant clusterfuck I’ll have to get involved in.

I should’ve thrown that goddamn phone out the window when I had the chance.

Nat listens for a few moments longer, then says urgently, “Absolutely! Put him on right now! I’ll put Kage on, too.”

She rolls over, thrusts the phone at me, and demands, “You need to talk to Declan.”

I turn my head on the pillow and look at her. My voice flat, I say, “Natalie.”

“Don’t take that tone with me, Kage! This is important! Sloane’s little sister was kidnapped by some Russian assassin named Malek, and she got shot in the process. We have to help find her!”

That son of a bitch.

I sit up and grab the phone from her hand. Into it, I bark, “Start talking, asshole.”

“Fuck you, too, you worthless piece of shite. Did you have anything to do with this?”