Page 45 of The Colour of Revenge

"Shit," I mutter, my pulse still erratic. "We need to clean up. They'll be here soon."

In an instant, the Nate who just worshipped my body is gone. The playful smirk and lingering heat in his eyes vanish, replaced by something sharp. Ruthless.

He pulls out of me slowly, watching as his cum trickles down my thigh. His tongue darts out, wetting his lips as he hums in satisfaction.

"Don't start," I warn, pulling up my clothes, but the look he gives me is nothing short of wicked.

"Can't help it, Princess. You look even better like this—wrecked, marked by me."

“You’re sick.”

"You just fucked me next to the man you killed. That makes you sicker."

I open my mouth, then snap it shut because—yeah. Fair point.

Instead, I focus on the mess in front of us. "Let's just clean this up."

"Kai's already on his way."

I freeze mid-movement, narrowing my eyes. "How? That would take—”

"I had him on standby."

My stomach knots. The implication is clear.

"Wait." I turn to him fully. "You were here to kill Robert?"

Nate leans back against the desk, arms crossed over his chest. "You beat me to it. Again." There's a smirk in his tone, but something dark lurks beneath it.

"How do you even know so much about what these guys do? They keep this shit buried."

He tilts his head, considering me, then says, "Because I grew up surrounded by them."

The words are soft, but they hit like a gunshot.

A thousand questions rise, but one barrels to the front. My throat tightens. "Then you must know where to find Simon Gardner."

Nate's entire body becomes rigid. His expression shifts instantly, and the lightness is gone, replaced by something dangerous.

"He's a friend of my father's."

The air between us thickens, an unspoken truth crackling in the silence.

Then, finally, he speaks.

"That makes it easier." His voice is low, resolute. "But if I'm helping you, I'm in. All the way. We're a team now."

A flicker of hesitation grips me. I've planned to do it all alone. But I realise something as I look at Nate—at the sharp angles of his face, the ruthless gleam in his eyes. With him, I could make Simon's end so much worse. A nightmare of his own making.

And that thought?

That's the best thing I've felt all night.

"Fine," I say, my voice steady, the promise of revenge sealing the deal between us.

Nate's lips quirk into a smirk, something dark and satisfied flickering in his eyes. "Let's get to work, Queen Carina."

"Hey, lovebirds." Kai's voice cuts through the thick air of the room.