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Once everyone’s in, I gun it toward the skyline in the distance. Not in the direction of our home, but on the way to the security department of our firm. I check the rearview to make sure we’re not followed and catch sight of Grant’s raised brow.
He’s no idiot—he knows what I’m after.
Well, I’m not about to waltz onto a drug lord’s turf without firepower.
That would be dumb.
City lights create a strobe effect as we streak past. Within minutes, I’m veering into the underground parking lot attached to our corporate headquarters.
Swinging into my private spot directly in front of the elevator, for when I need to minimize exposure for high-profile visitors, I’m out of the car the instant I shift it into park. I waste no time before plucking Clover from Grant then wrapping myself around her until I have her and the guys piled into the steel box and on the way up to our offices.
“I don’t suppose you’re going to let me handle this myself?” I flick my gaze from Wesley to Grant, then down to Clover’s flushed face. She’s got to be exhausted, strung out on adrenaline and the aftereffects of her initiation, but she’s struggling to keep up with us. She’s a fighter.
“Hell, no.” Grant scoffs. “You’re going to resolve the situation, but we’re going to back you up.”
“I have to see River for myself and make sure he’s okay before you give anyone the money.” Clover might be young, but she’s not a pushover. It’s better to keep her close so I can watchover her than risk her getting into trouble when I’m not around. I respect her allegiance to her brother. “And honestly, I’d still rather you let me do it alone.”
“Absolutely not,” Wesley barks.
“If one of you got hurt because of me, I couldn’t handle it.” She clutches my shoulder for a moment, so I squeeze her tighter.
“None of this is your fault. You’re doing your best to put an end to what other people have done. That’s respectable, it is. But Clover, they’re not going to let you waltz in there, write a check for your brother’s mistakes, take him, and go.” Grant spells it out, as always. “River knows a lot about them. Their operations. He’s one hell of a liability.”
She frowns as if she hadn’t considered that. “You think they’re going to take my money…then what?”
“What we’re saying is we’re not going to let you find that out, babe.” I stand up as tall as possible, bristling at the thought. It’d be easy for demons like that to take advantage of Clover. Hopefully, they realize they’ve more than met their match with me. No one is going to so much as scratch her otherwise flawless skin. “Besides, what are you going to do? Were you really hoping to cut them a check? Or maybe transfer funds from whatever account Gunner paid you at? This is a cash-only situation. Unless I’m mistaken, I don’t think you’ve got access to a suitcase full of hundreds at this time of night. Or, really, ever. There are regulations these days. Reports, protocols, hold periods…”
“But I need to get my brother. Otherwise, all this was a waste! I whored myself out to you for nothing!” Clover thrashes, and I set her down now that we’ve reached my office stronghold.
Besides, her words slice me deeper than a knife.
She scampers to the corner of the room and glares out at the sparkling city below. It’s dark, but it’s also beautiful. Sort of like the rest of the night.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Wesley hunching over as if Clover just kneed him in the nuts. Or maybe his not-so-cold, usually calculating, heart.
Grant claps him on the shoulder and looks at me pointedly. “She’s upset. She didn’t mean that.”
Wesley doesn’t let it go. He strides to Clover, spinning her around so her shoulders hit the cool glass before pinning her to the window with his palms slapped flat on either side of her startled face. “Careful how you talk about my prize, or I’ll put you over my knee and remind you of exactly what benefits there were to becoming ours.”
A gulp echoes around the room as our girl studies Wesley. She peeks over his shoulder to us for help. I only shrug. If she thinks we’re going to be any more lenient than our partner, she’s still got a lot to learn. At least when it comes to our newfound infatuation with her and the pedestal we’re not about to let anyone take her down from—herself included.
After evaluating the three of us, she gives Wesley a tiny nod.
“Let’s settle her issue and then we can work on the rest, huh?” Grant cuts the tension.
Wesley retreats, though he doesn’t stop drilling his heated stare into her wide, slow-blinking eyes.
I’m already on it, spinning on my heel to punch in the code to a walk-in safe concealed in the closet. Loading up, I slip an entire armory into every available spot sewn specially into my suit for such an occasion. It also conceals my holsters.
When I’m finished, I grab a few spares for the guys. They’re not nearly as good as me with them, but I’ve made sure they’re competent. We’re too damn rich to take chances.
“I hate guns.” Wesley accepts the pistol I hand him, but he holds it like it’s radioactive.
“You’re not going to need it. Take it just in case.” I also give one to Grant.
He stashes it inside his coat.
“Can I have one too?” Clover wonders from the corner, sheepish following Wesley’s admonition yet bold enough to ask anyway.
