Ardan shook his head. “We have a duty to keep the boss safe. We’ll leave when this is all over.”
“What he said.” Gabriel wrapped his arm around Ardan’s shoulders, dragging him against his side. He smelled like peppermint, like maybe he’d been chewing gum, or it could have been his new cologne too.
“The boss is safe. You’ve done your research and put your best men on the job. Go home.” Rourke winked at them. “If something happens, I’ll handle it. This is my establishment; we’ll make sure Sloan and Conall are safe.”
“At least two of us should be free from a raging hard-on after this dance,” Forrest said, grin mischievous. “He asked me to teach him to dance.”
Rourke rolled his eyes. “Baby, you’ve been telling everyone you taught him that dance. I’m sure the whole room knows by now.”
Ardan chuckled low in his throat. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I made sure everyone knew I taught him how to swing those hips. They’ll be fucking right in front of us soon. That’s Conall’s plan, fucking Sloan in front of everyone,” Forrest answered.
Rourke placed a hand over Forrest’s mouth with a look of exasperation at Ardan. “I’m sure. Go. We’ll be fine.”
Ardan laughed again and patted Forrest on the head, ignoring the narrowed eyes he got in response to the action. “Be a good boy, Forrest,” he teased before nodding at Rourke in gratitude. Sliding his hand into Gabriel’s, he said, “Call me if something happens.” He dragged Gabriel through the crowd.
A few people, women and men alike, touched them as they walked past, as though they were hoping Gabriel and Ardan would let them in on a threesome, but with one shake of his head, the whores pouted and pulled back their hands. He didn’t blame them, Gabriel was sex on legs. It was crazy to think he’d tried to kill Gabriel for so long.
Ardan led Gabriel out of the front doors of the foyer and into the New York City streets. Cars honked and beeped, the street lined with vehicles on either side. It’d take them at least half an hour or more to get out of the gridlock of Saturday night. Ardan didn’t have that kind of time, he needed Gabriel now. He dragged Gabriel down the street, ignoring the laughter that came bubbling from Gabriel’s mouth. They strode past another young couple, and the curly haired women winked at them.
They got halfway to the corner when Ardan found a narrow alleyway to haul Gabriel into, before he pushed him against the brick wall.
Gabriel’s smile salaciously at him. “Do you have plans for me in this dirty alleyway, Murphy?”
Ardan grunted. “Apparently I have a thing for dark alleys.”
Gabriel raised his eyebrows. “Do they turn you on?”
“That’s not what I meant.” He huffed and slammed his lips against Gabriel’s, just to shut him up. Gabriel chuckled against his mouth, his arms curling around Ardan’s hips to yank him closer. His hands slid lower, grabbing a handful of Ardan’s asscheeks, and they both groaned.
Everything about Gabriel felt good, feltright, and Ardan didn’t care that he had lost control since the moment he’d been given the okay to chase him. Everything he’d done had been worth it. Gabriel’s kiss was electric, and Ardan felt the pleasure from his lips to his toes. He wanted so badly it hurt.
“Mm. You taste so good.” Gabriel cupped his jaw and licked at his upper lip. “So fucking good. I want to eat you.”
“So eat me,” Ardan murmured, wicked delight buzzing through him at the thought of doing something so erotic where anyone could see them. “Get on your knees and shove your tongue in my ass.”
Gabriel tapped him on the cheek. “Who’s in charge,tesoro? I assure you, it’s me, so keep your demands to yourself.”
“What are you going to do about it?” Ardan licked his lips, gaze dropping to Gabriel’s plump mouth. “You just said you want to eat me. So, do it.”
“You naughty boy, Murphy. Does your boss know what you get up to while you’re on the job?” Gabriel, the bastard, grinned like he’d said the smartest thing known to man. Ardan gave him an unimpressed look and it only made the Italian prick laugh.
“I’m serious.” Ardan poked him in the gut, hard, and Gabriel grunted.
“Hi, serious, I’m Gabriel.”
“Why are you cracking jokes right now?” Ardan grabbed his hard cock through his pants. “This needs attention.”
“Since you asked so nicely….” Gabriel winked at him.
Ardan let out a drawn out breath. Just as Gabriel moved to get to his knees, a shot rang out through the alley, the sound loud in the otherwise quiet backstreet. At first he didn’t feel it, and then pain vibrated from his back just below his lungs. He gasped, and it sounded wet, and dropped to his knees.
“Fuck,” he muttered.
There was chaos around him, Gabriel shouting and moving into action. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw a few men come at Gabriel, but the hitman knocked the handgun out of one of the attacker’s hands before he punched another. Their bodies became blurry and Ardan raised a shaky hand to his face, wiping at his cheeks where he realized tears of pain flooded down his face.
He didn’t cry. Why was he crying?
