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“I know.”
The workers noticed who I was, their eyes widening before they bowed their heads.
“Where’s the office?” I asked a young male, who clutched his broom and looked at the floor. He pointed to the back, and we kept walking.
The office door was cracked, and some obnoxious laughter poured out of it. I shoved the door open, making it slam against the wall.
Kurt froze, his mouth open and whoever he was talking to on the phone still yammering on. We stared at each other for a moment before he threw us back with a blast of air. It was so sudden that I was caught off guard, giving Kurt the precious seconds he needed to get out through the side door.
“Why are you running?” I called out after Kurt. “I just want to talk!”
I ran after him. To his credit, he was doing a good job defending himself. I could kill him with a flick of my wrist, but I wasn’t ready for him to die…yet.
The small tornadoes he shot back threw us off, putting us slightly behind. But I’d used wind and air to my advantage before.
I held Arden back, tucking her into an alley behind me, before throwing a ball of fire in a badly placed tornado. The fire blew ahead of him, catching a garbage can just as it tipped over. The short stumbling block was just enough for me to create a circle of fire around him that he couldn’t put out.
“Stay here,” I told Arden, stalking toward Kurt.
He was cowering, trying to avoid the flames. They weren’tthatclose to him.
“I didn’t do anything!” Kurt whimpered.
“Really? So you just saw me and decided to run for fun? Take a little jog?” I reached through the fire to grab him by the collar. He tried to shrink back but yelped as the other side of the fire ring got too close. “We know what you’ve been up to, Kurt. Normally, we’d do this the proper way—some enforcers coming by and gathering evidence. But I’m not in the mood to wait. I’m in the mood to fight.”
I picked him up by the throat, keeping him encased in the fire ring.
“Please!” he choked out. “It’s all a misunderstanding!”
“Is it?” I extinguished the ring and put him down, still gripping his throat. “How? How is ripping off innocent people who depend on your store a misunderstanding?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong!”
I sent heat through my hand, just enough for it to be uncomfortable for him. He squirmed but didn’t answer, so I applied more heat. I needed him to actually talk and get evidence, so I didn’t want to hurt him permanently. He wasn’t going to talk, at least not now. I still had some anger to burn, though.
I punched him in the stomach hard enough for him to fall to his knees. I grabbed his hair and held his head back. The fear in his eyes gave me the rush I was looking for. It was a once-in-a-lifetime fear, the kind that someone only experienced when they genuinely thought they were going to die.
I wasn’t going to kill him. I didn’t feel like pissing Lex and Flint off by creating a messy case. Having a dead primary suspect wasn’t good for anyone.
I created another ring of fire around him, this time barely giving him space to move, and called some enforcers to take care of him. They arrived not long after from a nearby station and took him into custody.
Arden was still where I’d left her, peering out from the alley with a smile.
“You stayed put,” I said. “I’m genuinely shocked.”
“I can be stubborn, but I didn’t want to get in the way of all of that.” She gestured toward the space where Kurt used to be, which was still smoky. “And you had it under control.”
The way she said it reminded me of how she spoke when we were in bed, low and husky. I grinned, stepping into the alley and pressing her against the side of the building.
“Did you like watching?” I asked, sliding my hands up her hips to rest on her waist.
“I like that you’re committed to justice. Even if it’s unconventional.” She sucked in a breath as I nipped the side of her neck.
I kissed her deeply, savoring the feeling of her body against mine. The coffee scent of her skin washed over me again, and I ground against her. I would have fucked her right there if people weren’t passing by now. I broke the kiss but kept my hands on her.
“As much as I want to fuck you right here, we should probably get back, so we won’t be disturbed,” I said. “And so you can be as loud as you want.”
Arden took my hand, and we hurried back to the car. The tinted windows made the space feel intimate. But I hadn’t had her alone in my bed. As fun as it was to share her with Lex, I wanted to give her all of my attention.
