Page 57

I rubbed at my brow. “How?”
“There were two people in there like you said, but the one who identified himself as being in charge lied. One of the other grunts rolled over and confessed we had the wrong guy. The real head honcho, Nikol Petrosian, had slipped off your boat before we could get him.”
“Fuck,” I hissed out, wondering which one it had been. My gut told me it was the new guy. What better way to check me out than fake being someone lower in the organization?
Damn it.
“I need you to go back in and see if we can get a lock on his location,” Judd said, his tone all business.
I opened my mouth to say yes, but a flash of Tris’s stricken face filled my vision. “I can’t right now.” The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them.
“Great. Wait … What?” I didn’t blame Judd’s confusion. I’d been all in on this since the very beginning.
My insides twisted like a knife through my ribs at the thought of jumping into a dangerous situation while I helped Tris. “I’ve got a lot happening with the new album that I need to figure out right now. Can we wait a beat? Maybe a week or two?” It shouldn’t take much longer to show Tris how to catch Peter’s attention. It still surprised me that given a perfectly good excuse to end our lessons, I was reluctant to do so. Clearly, I was a glutton for punishment. After all this time, Peter still hadn’t noticed her inthat way,so who knew how long these lessons would last? At some point, he had to take notice—or Tris had to admit defeat. Either way, this couldn’t go on indefinitely.
“Okay.” Judd paused for a second. “You know, it’s alright if you’re having second thoughts about being part of this. You’re not a trained operative. I don’t blame you for backing away.” His understanding tone grated on me.
“I’m not having second thoughts,” I assured him. “I just need to be in the studio recording, and I won’t have much time.”
I really did need to start recording. Once I was able to come up with a few songs.
Stupid fucking writer’s block.
“I get it.” I pictured Judd holding up his hands in surrender. “But if you ever do change your mind, I’m good with that.”
I grunted. “Sure.” I wasn’t going to change my mind. I’d told Judd that I’d help, and I would.
My phone dinged with an incoming message. Tris. “Got to go. I’ll call when my schedule eases up.”
“Or before. We don’t always have to get together to discuss our side project.” Only Judd would call taking down a drug ring a “side project.”
“Make it a bar, and you’re on.” It had been too long since we grabbed a drink together.
I ended the call.
Instead of texting back, I called Tris. “Tink.”
“Oh, thank God, Killian. Can you let me up? Your doorman thinks I’m lying about knowing you.” Joe was good at his job. I’d had a few overzealous fans follow me here and he was excellent at keeping them away.
“Will do. See ya in a few.”
“I’ll be right up.”
I called Joe to let him know Tris was now on my permanent guest list and could come up any time.
Maybe I’d give her a key.
Don’t even fucking think about it.
The angel-devil act in my head was heating up.
When the elevator inside opened into my apartment, Tris strode in like a whirlwind. Her green blouse showed just enough cleavage to make my mouth go dry. A fitted skirt hugged curves that I desperately tried–and failed–to ignore. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves, framing her face in a way that made her look like a dream come to life.
Fucking shit.
I was supposed to be chucking my feelings down into an abyss, never to hear from them again.
Not imagining the way her soft lips would feel against mine or how good her pussy would feel choking my cock. And if those were the only images searing my retinas, I might have a fighting chance, but I could also see her curled up next to me under a blanket on the couch in matching Christmas pajamas while we watched those ridiculous Hallmark movies she liked.