Page 79 of Carnal Wagers

“You are if I’m a paying customer.”

“We’d have to accept the contract, and the cartels have never been a problem Adrien and I want to take on.”

“Not even to help family?”

His whole face closed off. I shook my head and exhaled hard. One by one, I shook the knives loose and plucked them from the board.

No matter how much of myself I put into the family business or contributed to Endgame’s arsenal, it didn’t go both ways. Something always mattered more: a person, an opportunity, a purpose. It was never me. Whatever. I was used to handling things myself. It was just one more on the long list.

Maeve teed her hands. “Let’s time-out, and step back a little. How about this? I have some spare vacation days. We take a flight to Chicago, visit your sister for a bit, have some spa time, clear our minds, then we can rethink this situation calmly.”

“No.” Visiting my spoiled younger sister and her arrogant husband once a year was more than enough for me, and that quota was filled for another four months at least. “That would be breaking my momentum here. I’m close to a breakthrough. I can feel it.”

“You better have a killer plan, babe.”

Biting my lips together, mouth tipped up in a smile, I waggled my brows.

Chapter 22

Instinct roused me awake. My eyes snapped open. Adrenaline flushed through my limbs, my fatigue evaporated, and my heart raced a storm in my chest.

I scanned my dark bedroom with steady focus. The door was closed. There was no movement, no sound, but I just knew. Someone was inside with me. My hand slinked up under my pillow. My fingers wrapped around the grip of my gun.

No one had ever dared attack me in my sleep before, and that deviation shot pure exhilaration through my bloodstream. Either I ended this quickly, two shots to the chest and one to the head—boring—or I let it play out. See what my attacker chose to do. Toy with them and drag out this sensation as far as it could go. The latter was the far more enjoyable option.

My intruder shifted in place. There was a slight swish and a muffled titter. They took cautious, shambling steps closer from the left corner of the room. Skeleton shafts of moonlight outlined a feminine shape. A whiff of spiced floral perfume hit me.

Ah, now I knew exactly who invaded my space. My little stalker was more daring and more foolish than I’d given her credit for.

The bed dipped to my left.

“I know you’re awake, mon mari chéri.”

Her whisper held a husky, sultry edge, enough to drive a man over the edge. I licked my lips. She was in my bed again. Close enough to touch, close enough to hold. My cock eagerly twitched, and I tightened my hold on the gun. This woman was a menace.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

The bed creaked, and the sheets pulled taut under her weight. Her breath fanned my cheek, and her hair tickled my forehead.

“Leave.” Before LK knows you’re here. Before she counts this as round two. Somehow, that killer always knew.

“You still holding that gun?” Again, that damn sultry voice.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, my stiffy turned firmer than a flagpole.

I pounced and flipped her onto her back. My body pinned hers down, wrists above her head, as my gun jabbed at her temple, but the madwoman in my bed chuckled under her breath.

“You still don’t know what’s good for you, mo síbhean.”

“What if this is exactly what I wanted?” She twisted free, and her arms wrapped around my back, her legs around my hips. She rubbed up against my dick. “I’m not worried.”

Either she was brazen beyond belief or…Shit, the gun felt light in my hand. No bullets. In fact, it wasn’t even my gun. Mine had a deep nick on the bottom of the grip where a knife scraped it in a fight two years ago.

“You switched my gun.” Now that impressed me.

Her nails scratched up my nape. “I’m smarter than you think.”

“That can be argued.”