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Not sure what I was expecting, but it’s not this look in his eyes. It’s filled with fear and anticipation, nothing like the lust they were radiating less than two minutes before. Nothing like the love I’m feeling now that I’ve decided to let it all out.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. And then I feel it, the definite presence of someone else in the room, a stranger lurking in the dark. I spin my head around, placing my arms firmly around Connor to protect him.
“Someone’s here,” I hiss, turning back to face him. I always carry a gun, but it’s in the pocket of my coat, lying somewhere downstairs on the dark floor. “Isn’t your team downstairs looking out for you?”
“I’m sorry,” he whispers in reply.
“You’re sorry for what?” My arms shoot forward to shield him from whatever danger has the fucking courage to challenge him. A distinct sound behind me makes me sit back on my heels as I check the semi-dark room again. The moment I see the shape of another man approaching rapidly, I realize that I recognize him.
A blow against my temple has me grunting in pain and seeing stars. Then everything goes dark.
Chapter 18: Connor
“Sorry, the woman in your team told me to go to you. Told me to hit him.”
I pull my jeans back on and tug the ripped shirt closer to my chest, while giving Xavier a wary look, kinda surprised that he managed to put someone out cold with a single blow. And not just someone—Austin.
“Well done,” I mumble, eyes still locked onto the man I’m about to screw over. The man who’s just told me he loves me. Because that’s apparently the kind of manIam when my family is in danger. My hand darts out and caresses the soft lines of his face, confusion steadily growing from the planted seed of doubt.
Xavier gives me a sheepish look and shows me the rope. “Shall I?”
“Yes.” My burning fingertips linger for a fraction longer on the endless slopes of Austin’s neck and collarbone, before they fist themselves in the hem of his shirt. “Let’s get him up and against that chair.”
Xavier ties Austin’s wrists and ankles with agile hands against the chair, and I watch with pursed lips and building disgust.
The Void didn’t suffer another attack. I set him up, got my hands on Thomas’s phone number, and left him a message and a location where the body could supposedly be found, certain that the older man would take the bait. Nearly certain that Austin would want his father protected by his people and certainly arrogant enough to believe that he could handle things here by himself.
Because he trusted you, a tiny voice in my head scolds.
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I read Mia’s text, then give Xavier a tilt of my chin. “You’re wanted downstairs. We’ll talk in a minute.”
The French guy gives me a nod, lets his eyes dart one last time toward Austin, then walks to the door. He’s barely outside when I hear a familiar grunt, the kind I’ve just heard before and I know that ourbrotheris down. “I’ll deal with you in a minute,” I mutter to myself, then focus my attention back on Austin, who’s slowly waking up. He thrashes restlessly, then lets out a hiss, before his beautiful, brown eyes flutter open.
“Motherfucker.” The moment he realizes that he’s restrained, his head lifts up suddenly and lets out a pained groan. Then his gaze is fully on me. “Connor, oh god you’re alright. Did they hurt you?”
“No.”
Austin’s eyes grow large, his confusion obvious. “Where, what...you?”
I slowly stand and take my time to pull the chair back from the table, then position it backward in front of him. My mind is racing.
“It was supposed to be kept a secret,” my voice is low and weak and I can’t look at him as I sit down, my chest leaning against the back of the chair, arms folded around it. “My feelings for you,” I clarify, though I’m too deep in my own head to know if he follows. “Somany feelings. In college, it was…” I lean my forehead against the chair back as I force myself to breathe through the internal wave of an ache that’s momentarily paralyzing me. “It was meant to be a secret. You weremine, in my mind. In my heart.”
“Connor, I—”
“Shut up,” I hiss. “You don’t get to speak. If you interrupt me again, I’ll gag you.”
My voice is raw, even to my own ears. “I can’t hide from you,” I choke. “You’re like this beautiful, toxicsnake. You’reundeniable. And I promised myself that I’d never let anyone in, but here you are. And you keep on coming, and I keep on pushing you away, and you keep on coming back.” My voice is shaking now, its tone weak and laced with the tears I’m so bravely trying to hold in. “You’re selfish, cocky, and lazy. And you are The Void. Why couldn’t you just be the sexy hockey captain from college that I can still fantasize about?” I take in a deep, shaky breath. “I saw you for the first time in my sophomore year. You were—are—the most beautiful guy I’ve ever seen. I’d watch you from afar. I dreamt of being one of the students you’d tutored. But then I got my new camera and I wandered around campus…” my voice trails off, and I need to swallow the lump away before I can continue. “I never wanted to take that picture of you. But then it sort of justhappened. And then you found out.”
“But I—”
“Quiet. Bequiet. You…” Another tremble. “No one’s ever touched me as you did. You promised me heaven, and then took me straight to hell. You’re playing me.” I get up and throw the chair into a corner with a loud bang, causing Austin’s body to shudder and he looks up at me with wide eyes. But I’m not finished.
“That’s what you do, right? You play. Well, I can play too.”
Austin lets out a surprised groan when I slide between his legs. My hands greedily rub all over his addicting, strong thighs. When I start unbuckling the belt of his jeans, he shifts in his seat, his dark eyes blazing with insecurity. My hands are wobbly, but I can take my time. He’s not going anywhere. When I feel his cock harden between my fingers—despite the beautiful love-making we just shared—I sigh contentedly.
“Connor,” Austin hisses when I start caressing him between my fingers. A moan spills from his beautiful lips and he flutters his eyes closed.
