Page 17 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family

Chapter

Eleven

Baylyn.

Emir showing up at my job had me smiling all day. Especially after every woman who worked in the office made a point of casually stopping by mine to tell me how fine he was.

It was deeper than that for me though, and knowing I was the person he needed after having a bad day had me even more willing to open my world to him. Tonight was chill, we were at my place and I was kicking his ass in Mario Kart while he pretended his ego wasn’t hurt.

“I know damn well you didn’t just hit me with another red shell.”

Emir’s voice was laced with frustration and I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

The game screen flashed as my player, Princess Peach, obviously sped past him, drifting around the final turn just before the finish line. His character spun out, skidding across the track, and I crossed first place with ease.

The second the results popped up, I set my controller down, stretching my arms over my head with a satisfied grin.

“Another round, another win.”

Emir paused like he was trying to keep from saying something reckless, then he cut his eyes at me.

“Nah. Your ass cheated.”

I grinned, tucking my legs under me on the couch. “I don’t need to cheat. I’m just better than you.”

He smiled arrogantly, reaching for his beer and lifting it to his mouth like he was processing the betrayal. “Ain’t no way in hell you’re just better than me at this.”

“Don’t be hurt. You can’t be good at everything.” I stuck my tongue out and his eyes focused on my mouth.

“Unless you’re trying to put in work, keep that shit in your mouth, Bay.”

His full attention was on me and those dark brown eyes narrowed, but there was amusement there too.

“You need to focus. Don’t try to switch it up because I’m kicking your ass.”

“You just play this shit every day. I can’t compete with that.”

“No I don’t. I just have natural talent.” I smiled sweetly.

“You’re out here embarrassing me, Baylyn. Ain’t shit cute about that.”

I laughed. “I mean, you could just accept defeat with dignity.”

His eyes moved to my lips for half a second before they were locked on mine and my stomach tensed.

“You think that shit is funny?”

“Very.”

Emir sat forward, setting his beer down on the coffee table.

“You really think you’re that good?”

I lifted a brow. “The score says so.”

“Aight, fuck it. One more round,” he said looking amused. He really sucked so he already knew how this was going down.

“You sure you can handle that?”

“I’m done playing fair. I’m about to kick your ass, Bay.”

I grabbed my controller. “You weren’t playing fair before, just bad.”

He chuckled, sitting back, stretching his long legs. “Nah, I was being nice but you keep talking shit and I might have to teach you a lesson.”

Heat pooled in my stomach at the way he said it. I cleared my throat. “Then bring it, Corvidae.”

Emir’s grin widened and turned cocky as he hit restart. We played two more rounds and the results were the same…

I won…again.

Emir dropped his controller onto the table and brushed a hand over his head.

“Aight, I’m done with this shit,” he muttered. “You win.”

“Glad you’re finally accepting that I’m great and you’re not.”

He smiled sexily. “I let you win.”

“That’s cute. Lying to yourself like that.”

He chuckled, reaching for the remote. The screen went dark for a second before shifting to live TV.

“…Still no leads in the murder of Jacob Vance, the investment banker found dead on a penthouse suite balcony last week…”

The smile dropped from my face and the vibe in the room changed.

The screen flashed with images. A luxury hotel, the crime scene roped off with yellow tape, a balcony high above the city where the body had been found. A head shot of Jacob Vance followed. Salt and pepper hair, cold eyes, and an expensive suit.

The news anchor’s voice was robotic and detached. “Authorities are investigating. There are no known witnesses, and no clear evidence, but this was definitely murder for hire. Security footage from the hotel has revealed no leads.”

I turned my head and Emir was watching me. He hadn’t moved or reacted and his expression was blank.

I frowned. “That was you.”

Not a question because I already knew what his response would be.

He kept his eyes on mine. “Yeah.”

The confirmation hit different. I had known it was him, everything in my gut told me, but hearing him say it was something else entirely.

I glanced back at the screen and my mind caught up, filling in gaps I hadn’t even realized were there.

The week I didn’t see him aligned with when they said Vance was killed.

While I was going about my normal life, Emir had been out there in the world making a calculated move that ended a man’s life.

Now he was here in my space, on my couch.

Playing games with me, doing normal people shit .

“It’s still weird to me that’s you…” I pointed to the TV. “And this is you.” I motioned to where he was sitting.

“I get that but it’s not changing so if it’s a problem…”

I sighed. “It’s not. I’m curious though. How do you end up in this life? You’re young...” I frowned and then thought about it. “Wait how old are you and I would ask if you know how old I am but I’m sure you do.”

He smiled and nodded. “You’re twenty-nine.”

I rolled my eyes because of course he knew…

“I’m thirty-two.”

“Okay so like I thought, that’s young and your that . How?”

His eyes moved over my face, as if weighing how much he wanted me to know before he leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

“It was inevitable.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

He raked a hand down his beard. “My father was a contract killer before us. One of the best. Me and my brothers grew up in it. There was no escaping this shit. We followed the path we were given.”

The words were delivered so casually. He spoke like he accepted this life because he never had another option and was okay with not having one.

“You grew up knowing this was what you would do?”

“We grew up knowing the world doesn’t work the way most people think it does. My mother would have preferred we chose something else and my father never forced us but this is what we wanted. All of us, and it’s just how things are.”

“How does it work then?”

His expression darkened, but his tone stayed infuriatingly arrogant. “There are people who make problems disappear. People like me.”

The reality of who I was sitting across from registered. My mind filled with a million and one questions. Some I wasn’t sure I even wanted answers to, but still, I asked.

“I get that but like how ?”

Emir studied me for a moment. His body was still relaxed, but his expression was tight.

“It’s not important,” he said smoothly.

“Emir.”

“You really want to know?”

He ran a hand over the mass of curls that were on his head after I nodded.

“Encrypted contact on the dark web. That’s where requests are made.

We decide what we take, what we don’t. Half up front, the rest when the job is done.

Some jobs are paid in full up front because they’re high-profile.

I do this because killing is a rush and it’s my balance.

I’m good at it and I don’t lose sleep over any of the jobs I accept because it’s really just a job. ”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that,” he confirmed.

I narrowed my eyes. “Do you take every job?”

His expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes did. “No women. No kids. That’s the line we never cross.”

I wasn’t sure why that mattered to me but it did.

It was a strange thing, sitting here, curled up on my couch, talking about killing people like it was really that simple, because to him it was.

I studied his face, taking in the confidence in his expression. He was dangerous and calculated, a man who accepted the life he was in and navigated it with arrogance.

But I wasn’t afraid of him…

Maybe I should’ve been but instead, I was intrigued .

“Do you ever question it?” I asked.

Emir’s eyes fastened to mine.

“No.”

The weight of his revelation hung between us he killed people and didn’t feel any remorse or regret about doing so. He’d just confessed to a life most people couldn’t even processes existing and it didn’t matter to me. All I cared about was whatever the hell this thing was between us.

I moved closer and climbed into his lap, straddling him. Our faces were inches apart and our breaths blended. His hands moved to my hips and this fingers pressed into my skin.

"Is this a problem for you?" His eyes searched mine.

I cupped his face, trailing my fingers over his beard. "No. I'm in too deep and everything in me is telling me this is insane, but insane can be fun, right?"

His gaze intensified and he fucking smiled so sexily but was still searching for any hesitation. "Are you sure?"

Instead of answering with words, I leaned in and dropped my mouth to his. The kiss was everything and provided all the certainty he needed. When I pulled back, I rested my forehead against his, breathing him in.

"I'm very sure.”

His fingers on my hips tightened and our eyes locked while he held me steady.

“Say it again.” His voice was rough and vibrated against my lips.

I raked my fingers over his beard, loving the soft feel of it against my palm. “I’m very sure.”

His muscles tensed beneath me and his grip flexed like he was fighting for patience.

I didn’t want patience….

Without breaking eye contact, I shifted in his lap, pressing down just enough to feel the hard thickness of his dick. His fingers tightened at my waist a little more in warning, but I wasn’t about to stop.

Instead, I slid my hands down his chest, tracing the definition of the muscles beneath his shirt before slipping my fingers beneath the waistband of his shorts.

The pace of his breathing increased and I grinned. “Relax, Emir.”

“You got your hand on my dick and you’re telling me to relax?” He smiled sexily.