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I swallow hard.
Fuck.
Is that—?
She twists slightly in my direction, the outline of her perfect tits making my mouth water. I rake my gaze over her curves, my dick tingling at the thought of fucking her against the window in my hotel suite.
Can you still consummate a sham marriage?
Her head shifts, but before she can look at me, someone steps in front of the doors, blocking my view.
“Let me make something clear before you walk down that aisle.” Alek glares down at me, his dark eyebrows knitted together. “I agreed to take you in because I need you. It doesn’t mean you’re safe from your enemies. And it sure as hell doesn’t mean you get to touch things that don’t belong to you.”
I lift an eyebrow. “Big Brother is gonna crawl into my marital bed to keep me from fucking my wife, huh?”
“There’s always a shoe waiting to drop, Quinn. I respect Patrick, but I won’t have my plans fucked up because you can’t keep your dick in your pants. This mission is too important.” He leans closer. “Make no mistake. I won’t need you for long. And if you screw this up, poking the Sinalia Cartel will be the least of your problems. Facing off with El Azul will be a fucking picnic compared to what I’m prepared to do to you if you step out of line.”
Chapter9
Valentina
Istare down at the white camellia, brushing my fingers softly against the delicate petals. The last time I saw arrangements of my favorite flower was on the day of my would-be wedding to Dmitri Stepanov a few years ago.
The most horrible day of my freaking life.
Those flowers were the only things that brought me any bit of light and comfort, the fateful day that changed our family forever.
But today, the sweet-smelling blooms make my gut wrench.
Because they’re a reminder that taking this next step is fraught with risk, more than I’ve ever taken over the past few years. And my husband-to-be, my partner in this mission, is a cocky, arrogant asshat who doesn’t respect authority or know how to take instruction.
We’re so close to finding Branko. With Alek’s new information, I can get to him with my fake identity and the promise of bloated bank accounts as bait. But instead, I’m being forced to marry the guy who is quite literally the meaning of chaos.
Taking off after a fucking notorious cartel lieutenant by himself just to win a dick measuring contest?Really?Does Quinn seriously have all of his screws? Because there must be more than a few missing—forget loose—for him to voluntarily become prey for these sick and twisted cartel soldiers.
The flower slips from my fingers. It’s beautiful, but I know all too well how something so shiny and perfect on the outside can hide a whole host of sins behind a glossy façade.
And I’ve seen too many real-life examples.
A gentle palm rests on my shoulder, the familiar smell of whiskey, tobacco, and leather hitting my nostrils. I let out a shaky breath.
It’s like Dad knew I needed Boris right at this minute.
“Your father would be so proud of you, Valentina.”
I continue to stare at the strands of camellia wreaths weaved into the white arch in the chapel. A sarcastic chuckle slips from my lips. “Yep. Like father, like daughter. I’m a killer, just like he was. And also like him, I haven’t been able to crush the threat hanging over my family. I haven’t been able to avenge anyone we lost to it.”
“You stepped up at only sixteen years old to find the people who took Charly and to hunt them down to the source.” I look at Boris’s lined, worn face, his blue eyes still alert as hell.
“A lot of good I did. The source just keeps changing colors and shapes and slipping through my damn fingers.”
Boris nods. “I agree. It feels like failure a lot of the time. I know it well. Watching tragedy strike without being able to stop it. But think of all the good you’ve done, all of the people you’ve helped and saved. Your father… he was always a target. It was only a matter of time before one of his enemies got to him. You couldn’t have stopped it.”
“I don’t feel like I stopped any of it. Luka could have been killed; Nik’s been shot like a million times.” I throw my hands into the air. “What have I really done except tear down different paths at full speed only to stop short once I realize they’re dead ends?”
Dead ends littered with dark, dirty secrets, lies, and so much soul-crushing betrayal.
“Each step takes us closer to our destination.”
