“My conclusion, too, brother. Does she have any enemies?”
Splice made a warning noise in his throat, causing Tomb to laugh and hold up his hands in surrender.
“I know she’s a sweet girl but shit like this doesn’t happen for no reason. You said her old man is in lockup?”
“That’s for fraud, and why mention me specifically, and not her father’s name if it was revenge on him?”
“We don’t have much to work with, except maybe asking Primo to hack into the cameras on the road where she got hit.”
Splice hunched forward over his knees.
“My gut tells me this whole thing is about me, not Lisa. Unless she met someone sketchy at the sheriff’s office or courthouse, but she only translates; she’s not a lawyer racking up enemies.”
The pair spoke for a while longer, then Splice prowled through to the shower block. He encountered a group of the sweet bottoms on the way, and they flirted with him. “Let me know if you need any help, Splice.”
He ignored them all and carried on.
He arrived at Lisa’s place almost three hours after he’d dropped her off. She opened the door, no smile on her face. He walked in, pulled her close, and buried his face in her neck.
“Sorry I took off,” he rasped against her warm skin. “I needed to cool off.”
“How did you manage that?” she inquired, her voice wavering, like she suspected he’d been fooling around with other women. He cocked a brow, smirking before he tapped the end of her pert nose.
“I was in the gym torturing one of the probies. He’ll probably avoid me for a month. I hurt him that much.”
“Aww,” she finally smiled. “Poor boy.”
He growled, drawing her in and tightening his hold on her waist. “I’m the only one you can callpoor boy.”
Lisa stroked a hand underneath his leather jacket until he shivered; her touch was like gasoline on his fire.
He wanted to devour her like his favorite dessert, and he had to grind his back teeth to stop himself from pouncing on her in the hallway.
“My poor boy.” She reached up to pet his head, and Splice’s chest expanded with his fast inhale.
“Yours,” he shared and watched how she shied away, but he caught her chin in his finger and thumb, and that’s when Splice did what he’d wanted to do all day, and he kissed moan after delicious moan out of Lisa until she was breathless.
“You are so fucking sweet,” he said, their foreheads pressed together. “I’m trying to go slow,” he confessed, “but it isn’t easy.”
Lisa rubbed her fingers over his beard, tugging a little on the short bristles.
“I appreciate that,” she said. “I’ll try to catch up to where you are, hmm.”
He was so goddamn elated he wanted to slurp the smile off her face, but her hand rubbing his chest tamed the beast in him. He’d never had a problem with Lisa being the one calling the shots.
Cupping the side of Lisa’s face, he said, “You don’t have to rush. I get that opening up is a struggle for you. Come to me slowly and stay for a long time.”
There was nothing more satisfying than leaving her speechless and seeing her emotions play out on her face. He kissed the tip of her nose.
“I would love to.” She replied. “I really would love to stay for a long time, Ryan.”
Cupping the back of Lisa’s head, their eyes locked on each other, he felt the anger of their separation all the harder today.
“They stole all that time away from us. If I ever find them, I’ll slice them from throat to dick and watch them bleed out.” He declared.
For their sake, they’d better be fucking continents away from Splice.
TWENTY-THREE
