Page 72 of Lovely Venom

Not wasting an ounce of effort, Connor pulls the trigger. A thud into the neck from a silencer sends one guy down. Skinny Guy gets to his feet and points his gun at Connor, but the metallic clicking of a jam is all Quinlan needs. Connor leaps and slams the butt of his gun into the guy’s face. He crumples, and I flinch, hearing two more shots from the silencer tear into flesh.

It’s over in seconds.

Connor steps over the bodies like they’re trash. He picks up my briefcase and tests its weight before turning to me. His sharp blue eyes skim down my body, stopping at my useless, hanging arm.

His jaw clenches. “Fucking hell, Venom. I can’t let you out of my sight for a minute.”

I force out a breath, still shaking from the pain. “I had it handled.”

His lips curl in. “You’re adorable when you lie.”

I push off the brick wall, but my shoulder screams. Connor is there before my knees hit the ground. His arm loops around my waist, hauling me up, and bracing me against him.

I try to shove him off, but the movement makes me whimper as I nearly collapse.

“Hold still.” His grip tightens, steady, grounding. “You dislocated it.”

“No shit,” I bark.

“What a mouth on you.” He exhales hard, his chest rising against mine. “I should fuck it right here to teachyou a lesson. But I’d rather fix your arm and get you out of this pain.”

I shake my head. “I can do it myself.”

His expression darkens. “As much as I’d love to see you try, I hate the idea of you with only one arm the next time we fuck. I love both these hands scratching my back. Now let me help you.”

He presses me against the wall, his body heat consuming me. Keeping me still, his steady hands ghost over my arm. Firm and sure.

“Breathe,” he murmurs.

I glare at him over my shoulder, choking on the warm air. “I hate you.”

“As only a beautiful rattlesnake does and...”

Pop.

Pain. Sharp. Blinding.

Then, relief. I tumble backward, but he catches me.

“It’s back in, baby,” he whispers.

I sag against him. “Where did you learn to do that?”

“I’m one of four brothers who worked for the mob with a da who didn’t trust hospitals. You learn.”

“Thank you,” I say through clenched teeth.

“You never have to thank me,” Connor purrs.

Something inside me jolts. He holds me like I’m fragile, too fragile for a monster like him. Yet, the heat in his gaze and the tension in his fingers twitch against my waist like he doesn’t want to let go.

And I don’t want him to. God, I’m fucked.

He just saved me. A woman who vowed to kill him. A woman he fucked when I lost a bet. And I let him!

This is so messed up.

Our eyes lock, and the world falls away. Whatever connected us, sparks to life like a summer lightning storm. Its pull is undeniable. That and the bulge in his pants.