for her shoulders slumped. He felt her withdrawal as clearly as if she shut a door between them.
When she tried to pull her foot from his grip, he tightened his hold. “A sister,” he said in a low, rough tone, telling her that topic was not up for discussion. “Zinc was the closest thing to a brother I had growing up. Our fathers were college buddies. I’d known him since he was born. I’m six months older.” His chuckle was rough and raw in his throat.
She reached out a hand, pausing in midair for a moment before she continued the rest of the way and picked up the dog tag lying on his chest. She brushed her thumb over the worn down letters. “Can you tell me about him?”
“Zinc? He, uh… he was a better man than I. He wanted to save the world, I just wanted to blow shit up and take out bad guys. He had a way with people that just put them at ease. I tend to make people clutch their belongings a little tighter. He,” he paused to take a breath. “He believed there was a life outside of the Marines. He was going to get married. But then Phoenix happened and…” He shook his head, unable to continue.
“I’m so sorry, Steele,” Alayna whispered and a tear slipped down her cheek. “It shouldn’t have happened. You weren’t supposed to be there. None of you should have been there. You all lost so much.” She dropped the tags. “We have to get him. Korovin. We have to get him now.”
“Hold up. Hold up there, sweetheart.” He grabbed her around the waist when she jumped off the bed. “Where are you going?”
“To Laskin’s villa to look for Korovin. If that little shit doesn’t talk, I’ll make him.”
“I love your enthusiasm, woman, but we can’t go in there half-cocked and without a plan. It’s late, and Korovin is still in town. I managed to get another tracker in the pocket of his suit when he was getting seated.” He bobbed his eyebrows, pretty pleased with himself due to her look of surprise. “Laskin also said earlier he was having dinner tomorrow night with some friends of the family. He wanted us to join him for a gathering in his suite afterwards to celebrate his last night in town. I’d bet good money Korovin is part of that dinner and an exchange of information is going to happen then.”
“He seemed pissed before you walked away from them. What makes you think he still wants us at dinner tomorrow night? We can’t let him get away.”
“We won’t, baby. I promise.” He dropped a kiss to her trembling lips. “I bet you a hundred dollars Laskin sends word here before we wake in the morning he still expects us at dinner.”
“What makes you think he gives a shit one way or another?”
He ran his nose along hers. “You.”
She seemed to wait for something else. “Me. What about me?”
“He hasn’t had you yet. He still thinks he has a shot. You’re the proverbial carrot dangling in front of him.”
“And you’re the stick he won’t see coming.”
“Stick of dynamite if I get my wish. So. Do we have a bet?”
Her lips curved but she fought it. “Yes. I don’t see any reason he’d hang around after he’s already been turned down several times.”
“You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?”
She scowled. “A means to an end. Nothing more. Could be gone in a heartbeat.” Her eyes changed, morphed into the color of sadness. Shame?
Probably still beating herself up about Korovin slipping away, so Steele kissed her pouty lips. “We’ll take him down. It’s just not going to be tonight. Think of it as playing hard to get. If we went after them tonight, with no reason and after they were both dicks we’d do nothing but stir up suspicion. What we are going to do is rest, right after a nice hot shower. You’re still sticky…” With my cum.
Her eyes grew wide.
Had he spoken that last bit out loud?
The thought that he might have didn’t freak him out nearly as bad as he thought it would.
He cupped her neck in both hands, tilting her chin up
When she tried to pull her foot from his grip, he tightened his hold. “A sister,” he said in a low, rough tone, telling her that topic was not up for discussion. “Zinc was the closest thing to a brother I had growing up. Our fathers were college buddies. I’d known him since he was born. I’m six months older.” His chuckle was rough and raw in his throat.
She reached out a hand, pausing in midair for a moment before she continued the rest of the way and picked up the dog tag lying on his chest. She brushed her thumb over the worn down letters. “Can you tell me about him?”
“Zinc? He, uh… he was a better man than I. He wanted to save the world, I just wanted to blow shit up and take out bad guys. He had a way with people that just put them at ease. I tend to make people clutch their belongings a little tighter. He,” he paused to take a breath. “He believed there was a life outside of the Marines. He was going to get married. But then Phoenix happened and…” He shook his head, unable to continue.
“I’m so sorry, Steele,” Alayna whispered and a tear slipped down her cheek. “It shouldn’t have happened. You weren’t supposed to be there. None of you should have been there. You all lost so much.” She dropped the tags. “We have to get him. Korovin. We have to get him now.”
“Hold up. Hold up there, sweetheart.” He grabbed her around the waist when she jumped off the bed. “Where are you going?”
“To Laskin’s villa to look for Korovin. If that little shit doesn’t talk, I’ll make him.”
“I love your enthusiasm, woman, but we can’t go in there half-cocked and without a plan. It’s late, and Korovin is still in town. I managed to get another tracker in the pocket of his suit when he was getting seated.” He bobbed his eyebrows, pretty pleased with himself due to her look of surprise. “Laskin also said earlier he was having dinner tomorrow night with some friends of the family. He wanted us to join him for a gathering in his suite afterwards to celebrate his last night in town. I’d bet good money Korovin is part of that dinner and an exchange of information is going to happen then.”
“He seemed pissed before you walked away from them. What makes you think he still wants us at dinner tomorrow night? We can’t let him get away.”
“We won’t, baby. I promise.” He dropped a kiss to her trembling lips. “I bet you a hundred dollars Laskin sends word here before we wake in the morning he still expects us at dinner.”
“What makes you think he gives a shit one way or another?”
He ran his nose along hers. “You.”
She seemed to wait for something else. “Me. What about me?”
“He hasn’t had you yet. He still thinks he has a shot. You’re the proverbial carrot dangling in front of him.”
“And you’re the stick he won’t see coming.”
“Stick of dynamite if I get my wish. So. Do we have a bet?”
Her lips curved but she fought it. “Yes. I don’t see any reason he’d hang around after he’s already been turned down several times.”
“You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?”
She scowled. “A means to an end. Nothing more. Could be gone in a heartbeat.” Her eyes changed, morphed into the color of sadness. Shame?
Probably still beating herself up about Korovin slipping away, so Steele kissed her pouty lips. “We’ll take him down. It’s just not going to be tonight. Think of it as playing hard to get. If we went after them tonight, with no reason and after they were both dicks we’d do nothing but stir up suspicion. What we are going to do is rest, right after a nice hot shower. You’re still sticky…” With my cum.
Her eyes grew wide.
Had he spoken that last bit out loud?
The thought that he might have didn’t freak him out nearly as bad as he thought it would.
He cupped her neck in both hands, tilting her chin up
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