Page 5 of Mine to Keep (Bloody Desires #10)

I listen to their entire conversation, and they say nothing about working together to kill me or anyone else.

They mainly talk about me, then about what Talon plans to do when he gets Cole alone.

Javier snorts when Talon tells him he’s been doing yoga so he can be more bendy for when Cole fucks him.

Javier tells him that it’s too much information.

I’ve never been into men, and I’m sure it’s my exhaustion speaking, but thinking about Talon and how bendy he is from all his yoga has my mind drifting to places it shouldn’t.

I haven’t gotten laid in close to six months, not since before the Adelane job.

Exhaustion coupled with a dry spell has to be the explanation.

I won’t front, though, both men are gorgeous.

Even objectively, I can see how good-looking they are.

Something low in my gut swirls as I discreetly glance between the two men, and it’s like they’ve woken something inside of me.

It’s like I can’t take my eyes off them.

Their relaxed and open faces draw me in, as well as…

something else? Is it their vulnerability?

Fuck, I hope not. If it is, I know what part of me they’ve woken up and it would be pointless to even entertain it. I’ll never see these men again.

Even though they say nothing about hits or contract murders in their ramblings in Spanish, I have to be sure. And maybe I can push away the unexpected attraction I feel for not one, but two men for the first time in my life.

Discreetly, I slip my hand into Talon’s bag and find his wallet without him noticing. Five minutes later, I stand and stretch as a normal person would without arousing suspicions, and tell them I’m heading to the restroom.

Talon smiles and puts his bag into my seat. “I’ll save your spot. There aren’t many empty seats left.”

I dip my head and shoulder my backpack. I don’t trust them not to rifle through my shit to try to figure out who I am.

Once I’m in a restroom stall, I call Peggy.

“What’s up?” she answers in place of a hello.

Pulling the wallet from my jacket pocket, I recite the information on the front. “Tell me who he is. And anything you can find on his friend named Javier. I don’t have his last name.”

“Don’t need it,” Peggy says, and I hear rapid typing on the other end of the line. “Give me three minutes and I’ll have everything you need.”

Exactly three minutes later, Peggy says a low a-ha .

“Talon Smith. Well, isn’t he the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen?

” I roll my eyes, though she ain’t wrong.

Both of them are gorgeous. “Age twenty-two. From Charlotte, North Carolina. Two sisters. Both parents still alive and still married. They’re retired and own a home on the outskirts of Charlotte.

He was a student but graduated from Cape Maddox University last week.

No priors, no arrests, no ties to any company.

Not affiliated with The Void or anyone that resembles them.

His social media is legit, not a cover profile.

Not a con by the CIA or some shit. His friend, Javier Lopez, age twenty-three, is also a recent graduate.

From San Juan, Puerto Rico. They’re flying into Toronto.

They have a return flight in ten days. Nothing crazy there either. They’re clean.”

I blow out a breath of relief. So Talon is just a normal, annoying college student, not someone planted to get me dead, and Javier is along for the ride.

“Thanks, Pegs.”

“Welcome. Everything is set up for you at the safe house. I even got you a Desert Eagle. Not sure why you like that loud ass gun, but that ain’t my business.”

I chuckle, tiredly rubbing my eyes. “Sends a message.”

“Got that right. Send me confirmation pics when you’re done.”

“Always.”

I hang up and tuck my phone into my pocket. I sit on the toilet, rubbing my hand over my face. Fuck, I need sleep. Nothing helps, though. Melatonin, Ambien, jerking off. Nothing. Demons dance behind my lids, ensuring I stay awake until I break or until I make an even bigger mistake than Adelane.

Overhead, a disembodied voice announces boarding for the flight to Toronto, and I jolt awake. Fucking hell. I was supposed to get back to my seat in time to slide Talon’s wallet back into his backpack. I’ll have to figure out another way to get it back to him unnoticed.

I exit the restroom and make my way to where they were seated.

Neither Talon nor Javier are there anymore.

I check my watch and realize I was in the restroom for close to twenty minutes.

The unintentional nap I took did nothing to refresh me—in fact, I’m more exhausted now than I was when I stepped inside.

I collapse into my chair, pressing the heels of my hands into my dry and itchy eyes. I need to get back on my game. I’m going to another country to kill someone. I can’t fuck up. Fifty thousand dollars demands I don’t have any slip-ups.

After a few minutes, I rise from my seat, looking around for the corresponding gate for the Toronto flight. It’s only a few gates down, so I jog over, pretending to look around frantically. When I spot Talon, who is searching in his bag with a look of despair on his face, I say his name.

He glances up at me, tears brimming his eyes. “Knox, hey. Did you happen to see?—”

“This what you were looking for?” I hold up his brown wallet that has ‘Bad Motherfucker’ embossed on the back.

Relief floods his face as he nods. “Yes. Thank God. My bag was open and I didn’t even realize. Sorry we were gonna leave without saying bye. Our flight was called. We tried to wait, but these fuckers are relentless. It was really nice meeting you.”

“You too,” I say, though I don’t really mean it. It was definitely an experience meeting Talon, though I don’t know if that’s good or bad. “Have a safe flight.”

“Thanks! God, I can’t wait to get there. I saved enough money to buy all kinds of touristy shit. Cole will?—”

Javier hustles over, grabbing Talon’s arm. “We gotta go, babe. Nice to meet you, Knox,” he says and pulls Talon away.

“Have a safe flight!” Talon says, and they’re gone.

Despite myself, I smile after him, hoping his soul stays pure.