Page 10 of Devious Corruption

“I don’t know. I don’t ask them questions.”

“You don’t ask them questions you don’t want the answers to.” I amend. “Because if you knew what they were up to, maybe you’d have a harder time letting them use you the way they do.”

Her eyes go wide as anger pours into them.

“You should go.” She jerks her head toward the door.

“What’s wrong? Did I hit a nerve?” It shouldn’t be so enjoyable to piss a woman off, but this one isn’t like other women.

Her cheeks flush, barely enough to add a brush stroke of pink. And her lips, those full fucking lips that I can’t help but acknowledge would look amazing wrapped around my dick, swell from dragging her teeth across them.

It’s a sight, her temper. A beautiful, sexy, arousing sight, and I’m not regretting having a front seat.

“They’re my brothers. They don’t use me. They count on me. They depend on me. You should understand that. You have an entire criminal empire at your disposal when you need help. They have me.” She thrusts her hand out again. “Now give me the fucking gun and leave my apartment.”

I stare at her a moment, letting the silence build between us. It’s a little surprising her glasses haven’t steamed up from all the anger she’s vented.

A soft mewling breaks the stalemate as her cat, an older looking thing with blotches of brown splattered across an otherwise black coat, prances from the bedroom. When she goes ignored, she howls, walking between Max’s feet and rubbing against her ankle.

“I think the cat needs something,” I say casually.

Her nostrils flare. “Give it to me and go.”

This time there’s a touch of exhaustion. Either from our conversation or her day. She’d been asleep in thehallway when I’d found her. Completely knocked out, with her mouth slightly open.

She’s had a long day, and the soft grumbling of her stomach underlines the fact she’s hungry. A night of rest is what she needs. And I have a meeting to get to all the way across town. No time to get to the bottom of this with her right now.

“Fine.” I tuck the Glock into the back of my jeans, pulling my jacket down over it.

“You’re not taking it.” She steps in front of me when I turn to the door.

“You want me to go, I’m going.”

“You can’t take it.” She presses her back against the door, spreading her arms out like she is some sort of formidable blockade.

“I can.” I step closer until I’m fully in her space.

She has to tilt her head back to keep her defiant stare aimed at me. A lock of her shoulder-length roasted chestnut hair clings to her cheek. Unable to resist, I trail the tip of my middle finger across her cheekbone, capturing the errant hair, and tuck it behind her ear.

“And I am.”

“You’re a real prick, do you know that?” She grabs the door handle, as though it can stop me.

“It’s been brought to my attention a few times, yes.” I lean closer, inhaling the sweet scent of her. Like cotton candy and coffee.

“You have no right to take it.”

“Why do you protect them? If they’ve stolen it from someone, they’ve put you in danger by leaving it here. If they’ve been trying to sell these on their own, they’ve put you in danger by bringing it to your apartment. Whatever the scenario, this thing being here is dangerous for you.”

Her throat works as she swallows, trying to think of something snarky to shoot back at me. The woman is all spice and firecrackers, and I can’t deny it intrigues me. The librarian thing never really did it for me before, but with her thick-rimmed glasses and her business casual fashion, she’s making me rethink it.

She raises her chin, growing even more defiant. Her eyes narrow at me, and her body stiffens. She should be rolling into battle with the fierceness flashing in her gaze.

“They’re my brothers.” There’s something there, buried in her words. The way she says it,…like it’s a defense or maybe a confession. I’m not sure. And I don’t think she is, either.

“Not very good ones.” I retort and reach under her arm to yank her hand off the handle.

My shoulder brushes against her as I jerk the door open, shoving her away from it in the process. I pause long enough to be sure she didn’t stumble before pulling it open completely.