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Chapter 10
Aiden
Before my body and my brain can get back on the same page, Marlee wriggles out of my hold. Her eyes are wide and frantic, her breathing ragged, and her expression morphs from shock to fury. “Who the hell do you think you are? We’re not… we don’t… just no, Aiden. No.”
I jerk my thumb toward the door and arch my brow. “You were loud and about to give us up. I did what I had to do,” I shoot back.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“You weren’t fighting it, Marls. That was fucking hot, fucking beautiful, and fucking overdue.”
“It wasn’t—” She stops herself from lying, not just to me but to herself. “Fuck. Just… fuck.”
My lips quirk up and I look her up and down, unable to help myself. "We did do that, yes."
If looks could kill, I'd be dropping dead right now, her gaze narrowed into fine slits. "Why. Are. You. Here?" she grinds out.
Because I’m an asshole, I can’t resist baiting her. “I work here.”
She rights her clothes and I wince at the state of her hair and makeup. Not because she doesn’t look as breathtakingly beautiful as she always is, but because it’s going to take a lot to fix and make herself look respectable for Decker again.
“I saw him kiss you,” I growl.
Her brows jump up. “Are you kidding me? So this," she waves her hand between us, "was all because you saw another man playing with your toy? Is that why you're down here throwing a tantrum?"
“If you call that a tantrum, then I'm obviously not doing it right. Maybe I need a redo."
Her glare darkens and before I realize it’s happening, she slaps me. “Don’t be crass. You’re many things, Aiden Lawrence, but disrespectful is not one of them. Not to me.”
I nod and rub my cheek, feeling adequately chastised as only Marlee has ever been able to do. “I saw a chance to talk to you and took it. I need to know what your play is here because you're back at the club and definitely not dressed for a business meeting, and you’re being a hell of a lot more friendly with Decker than the last time you were here. That tells me something has changed and you've got a new angle. Or maybe I don't have a damn clue what's going on.” I huff out a frustrated breath. “I can't cover you if I don't know what's going on, Marls.”
She scoffs, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. “I'm working the case on Decker. Whatever I do, it’s to keep my cover. That's all you need to know.”
“Bullshit," I spit out, the sight of him kissing her burned in my brain.
Her body jolts as she slowly arches a brow. “Funny, since I'm the one working the case that you know nothing about.”
“I know it's not a PD case.” She blinks, her lips parting before she quickly schools her expression, I know what I saw though.
“Harry told you then,” she says, trying to recover.
“Harry wouldn't tell me shit. Which means this is bigger and deeper than I first thought. You going to loop me in?”
“Nope.” She pops the P but I can tell I've put her off her game a bit.
“OK. The FBI is involved which means it's cross jurisdictions as well as state lines. I guess this isn't just money laundering now. It's more.” When she doesn't react or give me anything to work with, I keep going. Just to be safe, I pull out my phone again and bring up the camera feed showing the VIP floor and Decker sitting back in the booth waiting for Quinn's return. “That means it's smuggling--people, drugs, people and drugs... weapons? What?”
“I can’t tell you, Aiden.”
I shake my head. “You really don't trust me, do you? Like there's just nothing there now, right? One mistake and everything's gone?”
She jerks back like she’s the one who has been slapped. “You think you can give me a good fuck in a supply closet and all is forgiven?” Her responding laugh is dry and disbelieving. “Sorry, Aiden. It’s always been good between us, that hasn’t changed, but you’re right, I don’t trust you. Not a surprise considering the last time you were in my life, and in my bed, you screwed me over.”
Smoothing her hands over her hair, she looks to the door. “Now, do you have a way of checking whether the coast is clear, or is it going to be a crapshoot when I walk out there?”
Checking the feed again, I switch views to bring up the corridor camera. “You’re clear.”
“Good. I need to go,” she says shoving past me toward the door.
