“Barely,” I reply.
“Riley,” she breathes out.
“Gillian,” I whisper.
I take my chance and claim her lips. The second I make contact I groan and she opens up for me. Our tongues connect and it’s like coming home. I pull her to me and sink my fingers into her black hair, pulling as I deepen the kiss.
She moans wrapping her arms around my neck, tugging on the back of my hair. Everything that haunts my nightmares is in front of me. Her sounds, her taste, the feel of her body. Everything I crave and can no longer have. She drags her nails down my arms and the sting feels so good. I rub my hard dick against her.
Like a fucking switch, she pulls away. She’s breathless searching my eyes. “I can’t do this, Riley.”
I nod and swallow the ache that begins to immediately grow in my chest. “I know, baby girl.” I can’t even force a smile as I reach out to touch her cheek. “I ache for you every day.”
“Please,” she begs.
“You’ll never forgive me, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop loving you and protecting you. That’s what I’m doing. Let me take this burden from you. You know me better than anyone else and you know I’m a man of my word. You feel differently because of Rachel, but take that away. Remember who I really am.” I search her eyes and sigh. “Remember the man that you fell in love with. That’s who’s protecting you. That’s who is promising you that the situation is handled. You can relax baby girl, because I’m not letting anything happen to you.” I turn to walk away before I fucking beg her to come back to me.
“Riley?” She nods and I turn my head. “I know who you are.”
I smile and shove my hands in my pockets. If I don’t I’ll turn around and pull her into my arms again. “I love you, baby girl. Always.”
I don’t wait around to hear what she says or doesn’t say. I leave telling myself she feels the same.
This is a fucking joke. The guy that agent fucktard wants dead is making it too easy. I’ve been following him most of the night. He left work. He went to dinner with friends or business acquaintances. He went to the ATM and now he’s pulled over to the side of the road to take a piss. I mean it’s almost like he’s asking me to kill him. I don’t know if this is some kind of setup or what, but it’s too late now. He’s got his dick in his hand as I step up behind him with my Glock pointing at his head.
I wasn’t always this cold and callous about pulling the trigger. The first time I had my gun pointed at someone I was shaking uncontrollably. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and my eyes were wide saucers. The guy saw my fear and got up, running. I pulled the trigger, but only grazed his shoulder. Axel pushed me out of the way and finished what I couldn’t. The next time I was alone and it was the first time I felt my life was in danger. The guy went for his gun and I squeezed the trigger on mine. The ringing in my ears was almost as bad as my trembling body. I knew if I didn’t kill him, I would’ve died. That’s what it comes down to, kill or be killed. This guy may be innocent, but if he doesn’t die, Gillian will. I refuse to let that happen.
He turns his head and before he can even say a word, I pull the trigger. He drops and I look around before rushing back to my bike. I peel out of there and head to the warehouse.
I know without even talking to that dirty prick that he’s watching me. I don’t see him, but I know. He’ll follow me and when we get there, he’s going to start fucking talking. I need answers.
It only takes about twenty minutes to get to the warehouses. I beat him, but I’m not surprised. He wants me thinking he’s not that close behind me.
I look down at my shirt and see the blood splatter on it. “Oh fuck, I like this shirt.”
I pull it off and flip it inside out. Asshole owes me a shirt now.
When he pulls up, he takes a minute before he exits his car. I meet him at the back and light a cigarette. “You obviously know,” I say.
“Yep.”
I blow smoke in his face and he coughs, causing me to smile. “So how about you tell me what the fuck is really going on?”
His eyebrows dip as he stays alert to everything around us. “What part of keeping Gillian out of federal prison don’t you understand?”
I shake my head and give him a humorless laugh. “I’m not some naive douchebag. You want something and I need to know what it is and why the fuck you came to me for it.”
“I need some things done that I can’t do myself. You just killed an innocent man, proving you don’t need to know anything more than what I choose to tell you,” he says. I toss my cigarette at him and he jumps. “Hey!”
“Fuck you, you’re lucky I haven’t put a bullet in your head.” I step closer to him and I’ll give him credit, he doesn’t even look intimidated. “Why me?”
“Because people don’t give you the credit you deserve.”
I laugh as I grab his shirt. “Why me, asshole?”
“Because I know you are the only one that would actually do it without talking to your club. You think I stepped into this fucking blind? I know everything about every single one of you. I have my reasons and if you want to keep Gillian out of jail, you’ll do it all,” he says, unphased.
What an arrogant prick. He’s after something bigger, I fucking know it. He’s using me to get whatever that payout is. I could just kill him right now, leave, and never look back. But the fear that he’s got others in on this and they’ll arrest me or worse Gillian, keeps him alive. For now.