He tilts his head to the side.
“That will lose its effect once you take my last name, Cupcake.” He pauses, letting his gaze sweep across my body again, then licks his lips. “My punishments won’t though.”
I can’t help the smile that truth brings to my lips. I’ve always loved submitting to Liam, the only man I’ve ever trusted to have complete control of me. I don’t think he realizes how much that has helped me heal. Or maybe he does and, in a way, it helped him heal, too. Retaking the claim that Elio tried to steal from the both of us, Liam branded himself on my very soul. It’s an invisible declaration that I am his, and his only.
“I’m not taking you anywhere if you can’t focus,” I say, brushing past him to grab the jacket that lays on the armory couch behind him.
His hand shoots out and closes around my wrist, jerking me into his chest, while his free hand tangles in my curls. Leaning down, his lips ghosting mine, he smirks, knowing the effect he has on me.
“I can focus,” he purrs in a deep tone that vibrates throughout my body. “We aren’t in any danger yet, so I can admire you if I fucking want to. You’re mine and I can do what I want.”
I snort.
“I’m not yours tonight, Liam, I’m your boss,” I say with a shrug, knowing that I’m dangling his favorite game in front of him.
He moves quickly, closing his hand around my throat and pressing against my airway. I giggle as he growls into my ear.
“Let me make myself very clear. You are first, and foremost, mine. You are only my boss in the bedroom, and that is only handed to you if you’re a good girl. I am here to be by your side and your side only. Together, Cupcake. We’re fucking partners. Partners in life. Partners in business. You are my priority. Got me?”
I shudder against his hold, nodding slowly.
“If you got me.”
Liam bends down and places a kiss on my neck. “I’ve always got you.” He places another on my jaw. “Together, Malia.”
“Together,” I agree on a sigh.
Liam steps away, satisfied with my answer, and moves to gather his weapons, tucking two pistols into his waistline before he strides to the door.
“I’m not going to lie though,” he quips. “I’m excited to see you in action.”
I smirk, curious what his mind has conjured up about how tonight’s going to go. I jog to catch up with him and fall into line as he grabs my hand and interlocks our fingers.
“A junkyard?” Liam scoffs as we follow the path toward the heart of the yard.
Through Hazel’s research, we were able to find out it’s run by two men working together. They worked closely with the Hall twins, who tried to set up camp last year under Martinez.
We’ve been lucky they haven’t struck out and taken anyone yet, at least that we know of. There have been growing reports of stalking, all following the patterns of how a poacher operates, within the past week.
“We’re criminals, Officer,” I grumble, hating grouping myself with people who do this. “Not everything goes down in fancy hotels, offices, and resorts simply because a lot of us have money.”
I may haveslightlyhigher morals and my depravity checkmarks in different sub-categories, but as a whole, we’re all the same. Criminals. Perhaps that’s my way of thinking that I’m not as bad as they are, but definitely not on my way to earning my wings and halo anytime soon.
I purse my lips at the thought.
What a boring life it would be to rely on others to keep you safe, never knowing what it’s like to vanquish your demons and watch the life leave their eyes while their blood pools around you. That thought gets me excited, knowing with every step I’m taking, I’m closing in on another extension of Elio. My mouth waters the closer as I get closer to spilling the blood of men like him.
“I’m not a dumbass,” Liam grumbles, and I raise a brow at him, challenging that. “I’m just surprised seeing you walk casually in here like none of this bothers you.”
I chuckle.
“I like to get dirty, Officer,” I taunt, biting my bottom lip. “Plus, if you want something done right, you do it your-fucking-self.”
Heat flashes behind Liam’s icy blues. Crunching gravel ahead of us pulls our attention away from each other.
We had a plan in place and roles to play. The stalking, waiting, biding time, has been their call to others to join the hunt before they strike. If they were already poaching, we’d have more missing persons cases than interlopers. Liam is answering the call and I’m the unsuspecting victim hoping to score some drugs.
“You’re perfect, you know,” Liam says through a smirk, his gaze ahead, but scanning for trouble.