Page 145 of Lovely Venom

Raina’s head snaps toward him with quiet, controlled anger. “Why not? I can’t trust—”

“Chain of custody,” my younger brother explains, voice cool but steady. “I already have a detective on the take writing a report on the attack. The minuteweclaim we processed it, we’ve put the prosecutor’s case in jeopardy.”

“Jesus Christ,” Raina mutters. “How long will that take?”

Griffin strides back to his desk from his wraparound view of Lower New York Bay, ending the call he was on. “That was the mayor. He’s briefing the DA he assigned to the case right now. The code names Valdrin revealed didn’t mean much to us, but their special crimes unit has been tracking those bastards. They want this case. They’re hungry.”

“How long?” Raina repeats, keeping calm.

“We’ll put pressure on them,” Griffin answers.

“Noel is going crazy looking for Valdrin,” Shane adds. “He ordered the knights to kill him,according to a new housekeeper I put on our payroll.”

“No, no, no,” Raina cries out softly.

Soothing her, I say, “They will not find him, and if they do—”

“We will kill them,” Griffin says, voice low and predatory. “I’ve heard enough to recognize Valdrin askyre. The way Ares Zervas recognized me. Plus, it looks like he’ll be family.”

If Griffin wants Raina to pass out, he might as well tell her I bought a ring.

“Tahiri knows something is coming down with you both gone,” Griffin continues. “He’ll probably implode and do something stupid soon.”

“Does this mean I’m next in line to rule with Valdrin?”

I chuckle. “Look who wants to be a princess after all.”

Raina flashes me a grin. “A warrior princess. Armor, not gowns. Knives, not glass slippers.”

I brush a hand through her long blonde hair. “Or combs. So I can find you again if you even think of disappearing on me.”

We kiss. It starts soft, but she leans in like the room isn’t full of people making plans to murder the enemy.

My hand slides to her hip, pulling her close. Christ, she’s starving for me.

Griffin clears his throat. “Guys.”

Raina sighs against my mouth, but we pull apart.

I press a final kiss to her temple. “Looks like we have a couple of days to wait.”

And I know just how to spend them.

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

Connor

Steam curls off the shower tiles, the air thick with the smell of Raina’s apple shampoo and sex. She’s pinned against the wall while I ram her from behind, our bodies slick with soap and spray.

We’ve been tangled up like this while the city forensics team tests Ruby’s clothing and detectives collect the knights’ DNA to match.

It’s been great and tense at the same time. Trace and Rhys cornered the new housekeeper we’re paying to spy, and she confirmed the knights and Noel are still looking for Valdrin.

I worry they’ll figure out we have him. But I’m even more worried that this poor maid will slip and tell Tahiri we’ve orchestrated his knights’ indictment and send them out of the country to a place with no extradition.

Not that I need extradition. I will hunt the planet for them if I have to.

My lips fasten to Raina’s throat while I drive into her silky cunt with my bare cock. I’m ready to bottom out. Without cigarettes, Raina is my new fucking drug. A high I never want to come down from.