Page 111 of Lethal Vengeance

“When I met you, I could see the impact you were having on my team, almost from the start. And yet, you and I were completely at odds. I told myself we were too different from each other,” I admit, grimacing at how hard it is to open up.

“You reminded me of my old self,” she admits with a sigh. “It dredged up a lot of painful inner reflection. Things I thought I’d come to terms with long ago.”

“I could see flashes of the real you when you weren’t focused on Armando. It drew me in, made me want to know more,” I reflect. “And the closer we came to the end, the more I realized how much you meant to all of us, including me. Instead of being happy about it, I worried what might happen to my team… my family, if you didn’t make it out.

“Since you’ve been here, I’ve been waiting for you to show me that you want to stay with us. And I’ve been holding back because I wasn’t sure if you were just teasing or if you think you could want more with an old man like me,” I say, only half-joking about the age part.

“Oh, Zane,” she says with a laugh. “You don’t act or look like most men in their forties. In regards to age, I don’t think of you any differently than the others. Hell, I feel old. Some days, it feels like I’ve aged two decades since all this began.”

“Do you want to stay with us? Build a life here with Gabriel?” I’m almost holding my breath when I ask her.

“I spoke to Henley today,” she says, making me blink at the change in subject. “She told me about her relationship with Thiago, Mateo, and Grayson. When you ask me to stay, are you saying you want something similar?”

This is it. “Yes, we are. All of us. I know you have feelings for the others, and you and I are at the beginning, but I’m not in a hurry. I only need to know it’s a possibility.”

“Maybe you should give me a real kiss and find out,” she taunts me.

Picking her up, I haul her into my arms. My lips find hers, and it’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted. I take my time, learning everything there is to know about kissing this woman. The shape of her lips, the stroke of her tongue, and the little things that make her catch her breath.

The kiss heats up, becoming urgent, with the sharp edge of desire. Shifting her closer, I give her a taste of the passion simmering under the surface, waiting for her. Her kiss becomes wilder and deeper, while her body shifts restlessly in my arms.

Needing to know what she’s thinking, I slow the kiss and release her lips.

She stares up at me, her face flush with need, and drawls, “That was one hell of a kiss.”

“So, you’ll stay with us?” I ask again with more confidence.

“I want to hear it from each person,” she insists, waiting until I nod in agreement. “But yes, we’ll stay. Gabriel and me.”

49

QUINN

When I pull into the garage, Raider is waiting for me. I sit there for a moment, trying to wrap my head around the day and Zane’s kiss.

“Hi,” I greet him, getting out of the car. “Zane will be home soon. He’s picking up Chinese.”

He pulls me into his arms and kisses me hard on the lips. “I couldn’t care less about food. I’m just glad you’re back.” His eyes hold mine while he delves into all my secrets. “Something’s changed. You look lighter.”

“I feel lighter,” I reply. “I let myself get sucked up into this whirlwind of emotions around Sophia and Julio, and I couldn’t let it go.”

“And now?”

“Talking to Margot and Zane helped me work through a lot of it. It’s going to take a while to come to terms with some things, and maybe I never will, but I won’t shut you out,” I promise him.

He nods in satisfaction. “Good. I don’t like to see you in pain. It makes me want to kill someone.”

Wanting to test out the truth of Zane’s words, I lean forward and place a soft kiss on Raider’s lips. “You say the sweetest things.” Out of all the men here, Raider is the most romantic. It could be his Latin heritage or the time he spent in France, maybe both.

He narrows his eyes. “What are you up to?”

Just testing out a theory. “Fine, I won’t compliment you,” I reply with a roll of my eyes.

“Where’s Sterling?” I ask, needing to tell him about my decision to adopt Gabriel.

Raider tilts his head. “He’s upstairs with Gabriel, giving him a bath. He’s worried he might have scared you off.” He gives me a speculative look.

I frown. “He didn’t. And I’m sorry I made him feel that way. I’ll fix it.” I hand him the keys to Cruz’ car and head upstairs.