mollyI sank back in my chair.“He’s also a CI for the police.”A CI. Confidential informant, and a hit man. “He diversified his street résumé.”The corner of Ashton’s mouth twitched. “We got into his phone, and he received a call four hours earlier from Detective Worthing.”Every muscle in my body snapped to attention. “What?”“I sent my men to pick up the detective so we can have a talk about this man.”Alarm sirens were blaring through my whole body, but also a whole different type of alarm was sounding. “He’s a cop.”“Yes.”“You’re picking up a cop to talk?”“Yes.”I was remembering when they were at Easter Lanes—“Wait. Easter Lanes? Is someone still covering me there?”“We’re paying your cousin to run Easter Lanes while you’re with me.”“He can handle covering for a shift, but not any longer than that. He’ll mess everything up.”But wait again, Detective Worthing. “Worthing called you that day, and you said that he did. I saw the look he gave you and how his partner reacted.” I w
ASHTONAvery was still in the office when I returned, finishing buttoning up a new shirt. He glanced to the bathroom, where Molly remained in the shower. I lifted my chin to Avery. “You have news?”His eyes were carefully masked. “They got him. They’ll be arriving in thirty minutes and want to know where to put him?”I heard the water turn off behind me. “Warehouse one—put him in the back office and keep the cell jammer on.”“You think he’d call for help?”I shook my head. “I no longer think I know anything.”Molly was coming from behind me. I’d become so tuned in to her every motion, movement, emotion, that I could almost guess what she was thinking. That was until now. She had a glossed-over expression on her face, and she was shivering.Avery indicated the two trays behind him. “I brought the espresso shots and your omelets. Your maté as well.” He frowned at seeing Molly step behind me. “Would you like a change of clothes? Blanket?”“Uh, yeah. Sure.” She said it so distracted. “Tha
ASHTON“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Detective Worthing growled as soon as I walked into the room.I took note of him before responding. There were some bruises on his face. His jacket was torn in a couple places. Scuff marks on his jeans. His eyes were wild, and he was scowling. He was also zip-tied to a chair in four different places.He had zero chance of escape.“I see my men were thorough.”He growled again, shaking the chair as he jerked around. “I’m going to kill you, Walden. The second I’m free—”I walked to a table set up in the corner. We had all my toys here, but as I scanned them, a zing of disappointment went through me. I wasn’t looking forward to torturing him. Molly was right, what she’d said earlier. I was the one who liked to get my hands dirty. Torturing was my thing, but . . . it wasn’t today.Why wasn’t it today?I stepped to the side and swung my head his way.It was then that Worthing realized his predicament, and who I was. He stilled, the wildness in his gaze
He almost had me believing him. Almost.“Who told you about the rumors?”He went still again. “Why?” More wariness.“Who told you?” I was firmer.He didn’t reply, his mouth thinning.I was losing my patience with him, and I didn’t want that. The game would stop being fun. Because of that, I went over and pressed a button. “Bring me his phone.”“What?”I waited.“What are you doing? You can’t get into my phone.”The door opened, and Elijah handed me first his phone, and then my programming equipment.“What are you doing?! What is that?” Worthing was starting to struggle, trying to get free. The chair scraped against the floor.I ignored him, giving Elijah a nod that he could go back out. I spoke as I plugged my equipment into the phone. “Do you know my first business that I ever started?”I enjoyed asking people that question.“What does that have to do with anything? Stop fucking with my phone! That’s my phone—”Beep, beep, beeeeeep!I smiled, showing him his own screen as my program
MOLLYIf Ashton Walden actually thought I was going to go and take a nap, he was—well, I was being positive here. The exception was my father. I would always allow myself to be negative with him, but back to what I was currently doing.He was doing Mafia stuff. I was snooping.Ashton or one of his guys must’ve scooped up my purse after the explosion because I found it next to my bed. I’d been elated, grabbing for my phone, only to find no reception.So carrying my purse, my phone in hand, I was tiptoeing around the place.At one point, I was in the east wing. Yes. They literally had a north tower, south tower, west, east, and it looked like there was a whole middle section where the kitchen was set at. The place looked more like a spaceship than a house. Ashton did say it was a compound, so kudos to whoever paid for all of this. It was a bit overkill in my opinion, but then again, I’m not the head of a Mafia empire. And anyways, I was in the east wing when I heard voices, and looking
A cold shiver went to my toes.“Ashton.”He lowered his head, his eyes still on me, and his voice came out low and soft. “Do you have any idea what you just did? That I brought you somewhere no one knew about for your safety? That you didn’t think the person who tried to kill you might also be watching your ‘besties’ on the off chance you might contact one of them? That you might tell them where you were? If their phones were tapped, if you were on long enough for a location trace?”Right. Crap. I did all of that. I was aware that I had a problem. I hadn’t thought about that stuff. “I’m new to this Mafia stuff. I’m sorry, but next time give me some lessons.”His nostrils flared. “Lessons?”His tone was sending a whole new set of chills down my spine.I wrung my hands together. “I said what I said. I’m sor—”“Do not.” He leaned in, his head moving so he was a breath away, and he placed a hand behind me against the wall. “It’s not my life that’s going to be snuffed out if they find you.
ASHTONI ripped myself away from Molly, my whole body trembling because holy fuck, the need to tear down her leggings, throw her up against the wall, and sink my dick deep inside of her was tearing through me at a breakneck speed.She tore something down inside of me. Something I needed, the last bit of restraint with her.She didn’t just tear it down. She took a battering ram to it, and I was shaken, taking her in. Only her in. I was ignoring the emotions clawing through me.Only Molly. I could only feel Molly.I was also going to murder Remmi West because I knew who’d just stormed her way in.“What are you doing here?” I had to get ahold of myself, but I half growled at Trace’s sister.She was coming in, hoop earrings. Leather jacket. Her dark hair swept up, piled high, and she was wearing her usual black pants. Trace’s sister liked to dress the Mafia-princess stereotype, but today there was no faux fur jacket.Remmi ignored me, her neck craning so she could see Molly. “Who’s that?”
The desperation to be inside of her was primal, rushing through me.My hand skimmed down her leg from her hip, catching the back of her thigh, and I lifted it, stepping fully into her.She gasped again, a soft breathy sound coming from her. “This”—she trailed her finger down my chest to my stomach and lingered there, toying with the top button of my pants—“is one thing I keep getting distracted by, and I’m just going to reiterate again that I don’t care about the other bullshit going on.”I lifted her leg higher and moved in.She gasped again, her head falling back against the door, her chin rising, and her tongue wet her bottom lip.God.My dick just shot up at that sight, and feeling me, her eyes opened fully, seeing me.Her hand splayed out over my chest, pushing back but using that momentum to lift both her legs up.I growled, moving with her. My hands slipped under her ass as she wound her legs behind me, her ankles crossing.Jesus.I rubbed against her, slowly.Looking down, I w