Page 9 of Renegade (The Santini Assassins #2)

THE BIRTHDAY GIRL GETS WILD

CAROLINE

T he servers rolled a cart into the private salon, the lit candles snagging Caroline’s attention.

“Where’s the birthday girl?” called out a waitstaff.

Caroline made her way over as her sister buzzed into the room.

“Where were you?” Caroline asked.

“Finalizing your birthday present,” Sydney replied.

Caroline held her gaze for an extra beat. “I can tell you’re up to something.”

Sydney entwined her arm around her sister’s. “It’s all good. Better than good, actually.”

Caroline admired the beautiful chocolate cake with the pink icing, then read the icing words.

We love you, Caroline!

Happy 30th!!!!

“I love this!” Caroline said.

“Make a wish,” Kevin said.

“Hmm,” Caroline said as her gaze floated over the group. “I don’t know?—”

Grey Stone walked in, his gaze locked on hers, and a whisper of a smile tugged on his luscious lips.

“Make it good, Austin,” Grey said.

Heat spread through her like an out-of-control wildfire. Seeing him again brought back all the feels she’d forced down, talked herself out of having, and ignored so she could do her job.

But… they weren’t working together any longer. The man who’d been off limits for the past three years was a free agent.

So am I.

As she stared into his eyes, she knew exactly what she wanted. Dragging her attention from his stunningly handsome face, she eyed the lit candles, closed her eyes, and made a wish.

I wish for him.

She opened her eyes, sucked in a breath, and blew, snuffing out the candles.

“Yayyyy!” her friends cheered.

Sydney hugged her. “Love you, sis.”

“Love you back, sissy.”

As the servers stepped in to plate the sweet treat, Caroline glanced toward the door, but Grey was gone.

Damn. So much for wishes coming true.

Coffee was poured, cake was consumed, and the conversations resumed until Sydney made an announcement. “I’m taking Caroline to Lost Souls. Who’s in?”

A few of her friends were, but most were calling it. Caroline was excited to head to her club, do some dancing, but there was no way she was hooking up with another stranger. She’d rather help Addison behind the bar before she’d made that mistake again.

Sydney settled up with the server, then sat next to Caroline. “ Thank you for this,” Caroline said. “I was totally surprised. You’re the best, for real.”

Sydney laughed. “You ready to head to the club?”

“Sure!” She hugged her friends goodbye.

“I’ll text you,” JL said. “I want you to meet Erik. We’ll plan a night out.”

Caroline left the dining room, but instead of leaving, she headed toward the restroom, passing the open office door.

Her pulse kicked up speed as she slowly walked past. Grey was in the office, his phone to his ear.

His brows were slashed down while he listened.

Not wanting to interrupt, she made a quick stop in the restroom.

On her way out, she glimpsed him standing in his office doorway looking like an Adonis. Her pulse kicked up speed. Like every other time, she felt the intense pull to go to him.

“How was your party?” he asked.

“Loved the food. I had a great time.”

“Where are you headed?”

“Lost Souls. It’s not far from here.”

“Nice.”

“Are you working late?”

“Gotta put in the hours.”

Her heart dropped.

“Good to see you,” she said trying to hide her disappointment. It’s not like she expected him to show up, but it was her birthday and they had been work friends.

Pushing out the disappointment, she turned to leave.

“I’ll walk you out.” With his hand on the small of her back, he guided her through the busy restaurant.

The heat from his hand seared her, and when she glanced up at him, he was waiting.

The intensity in his eyes drew her to him.

She’d never known anyone so confident and so fearless.

Knowing what he did for a living only heightened her interest in him.

As they made their way through the room, she wanted to wrap her fingers around his biceps and feel the resistance of hard muscle against her soft skin.

“Mmm,” she whispered, the moan rasping out before she could stop it.

Near the front of house, she spotted her sister talking with Tank.

“Hey,” Tank said to Grey.

Grey tossed him a nod. “How’d it go?”

“It went,” Tank replied. “We’ll talk. Well, I’ll talk, you’ll grunt.”

Grey flashed a smile.

The joy on his face sent Caroline’s heart into triple digits. It was rare that he smiled, even rarer that he’d laugh, but when he did, she’d soak it up and relive it over and over and over again in her mind.

The comfort level between these two men felt more like a friendship than a professional relationship.

“Tank, thanks for everything,” Caroline said before her gaze found Grey’s. “I was definitely surprised.”

Grey hitched a brow, the innuendo not lost on him.

“I’m glad everything worked out,” Tank said before winking at Sydney. “I’ll talk to you.”

Caroline waited for Grey to show any interest in seeing her beyond tonight, but in true form, he stayed silent.

Bummer.

“See ya, boys.” Sydney looped her arm through Caroline’s and ushered her outside into the chilly April night. But Caroline welcomed the cold. Being around Grey turned up the heat, and she was eager to push on with her birthday celebration… and try not to obsess over him.

Forgetting about him would be impossible, but maybe—just maybe—she could cut herself a birthday break and not spend the rest of her night wishing Grey Stone saw her as something beyond a work associate .

“Tank’s gorgeous,” Sydney said. “And those guns. My god, his arms are bigger than my legs, which I’d like to wrap around him for days.”

Caroline laughed. “I’ve never seen you this gaga over a guy.”

“Not a guy, a man ,” Sydney corrected. “I’ve never met anyone whose name fit. He is a tank.”

“Yeah, so that’s probably where he got the nickname.”

“Right.”

“Are you drunk?” Caroline questioned.

“Hell, no. I’m feeling loopy, but not from the champagne. From the man .”

Caroline could relate.

They climbed into Sydney’s Jeep, and the two took off for the Alexandria nightclub. Caroline couldn’t stop thinking about Grey, so she pulled up a playlist on her phone and turned up the tunes. To her surprise, Sydney turned them down.

“So I did a thang… and we need to talk.”

In the dark vehicle, Caroline eyed her sister. “Okay.”

“I want it to be a surprise, but there’s no way you’d go along with this. I reserved a suite at the club so you can celebrate your birthday?—”

“With a stranger?”

“No.” At the red light, Sydney regarded her. “With Grey Stone.”

Caroline let the words sink in. Then, she laughed. “Good one!”

“Not joking. I asked him, and he’s all-in.”

“Are you insane ? I’m not having sex with him! We work together!”

“Not anymore. You’re not his handler and you haven’t seen him in months.”

Caroline thought about it. “He said he was on a mission, but he wouldn’t tell me where, and I have no idea why he’s back. ”

“Maybe he got out and he’s managing the restaurant.”

“That’s gotta be his cover,” Caroline protested.

“Look, you’re sick attracted to him and have been for years. He’s willing to do this?—”

“Ohgod, it’s a pity fuck.”

The light changed and Sydney drove through the intersection. “Why would he pity you? Maybe he’s horny, but so what? If the man delivers, you’re way ahead of the last one, right?”

Her sister had a point.

“I told him to buy condoms and that you’d be blindfolded,” Sydney continued. “I said you like kissing and that the two of you would have to work the rest out, but that he can’t say much or he’ll blow his cover.”

“I’m not sure if I should be thanking you or mad at you.”

“I know this is out there, but you deserve a fun birthday with a drop-dead gorgeous man who’s got a total killer bod. I know you think he’s hot?—”

“So hot.”

“If he makes you feel good, consider it payback for his ghosting on you and not being your mentor.”

Caroline grew silent as she considered the proposition. She’d been fantasizing about him for so long, it might be fun to live it out. He didn’t know she knew, so it wouldn’t be awkward after.

Sydney pulled into the parking lot and starting searching for a spot. After she found one, she killed the engine. “What’s it gonna be?”

“I’m going to let loose and have me an erotic birthday hookup with a super-sexy man.”

“Yay!” Sydney exclaimed.

“What happens if he’s a terrible lover?” Caroline asked.

“Maybe he’s phenomenal,” Sydney pushed back. “Stop overthinking this. You can be anyone you want in that suite. You don’t have to be you and you aren’t supposed to know it’s him. Have fun. Can you do that?”

“Yes,” Caroline replied. “Yes, I can.”

GREYSTONE

Greystone pulled Teddy into the office, shut the door. “A thing came up, I gotta take off. Can you close?”

“I got you,” Teddy replied. “With the blonde?”

Greystone bit back a smile. “How’d you know?”

“You two were eye-fucking the hell outta each other.”

Greystone furrowed his brow. “That obvious?”

“Don’t sweat it.” Teddy cleared his throat. “Are you planning on visiting G-ma?”

“Would she even want to see me?”

“Hell, yeah. She’s living with Carrera and his wife, Slash.”

Greystone said nothing.

“You want me to come, you know, as a buffer?”

Greystone put his arm around Teddy. “You’re a good brother.”

“I’m just trying to get us normalized.”

Greystone laughed. “Normalized? Where’d you come up with that one?”

“I like to read.”

“No shit.”

“You should definitely see her.”

After Teddy forwarded him their grandmother’s contact info, Grey said, “I gotta cut back on my hours here.”

Teddy’s expression sliced through him. His shoulders dropped, his smile fell away. It was like Greystone was leaving him all over again. “I know. ”

Greystone put his arm around his brother. “I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

“I hate that our family is so fucked up.”

“All families got some kinda fucked up. That’s what makes ‘em interestin’.”

“I never hear from Mom. You’re back, but Gabriel’s too busy in Italy to care, and Lulu’s too pissed to get over himself.”