Page 8 of The Hitman's Prince

“I don’t know who I can trust,” I said.

Recognition dawned on Fletcher’s face, but the lines around his eyes deepened. “And you think you can trust us?”

“Oh.” I chuckled. “I know I can.”

“That’s bold.”

I tapped my finger against the tip of my nose, letting a small smile spread across my lips. “I can trust you because I know how to hurt you, and you know that Iknow how. You wouldn’t test me, would you? You wouldn’t really betray me and make me prove it, though. Would you?”

Gideon growled at me, like he was an actual beast, and it was only Fletcher’s hand curling around his shoulder and drawing him back that quieted him down.

“No,” Fletcher answered for both of them. “We wouldn’t.”

Yeah, I was right to come here.

Love truly was going to be the death of them all.

But not me.

And not yet.

Chapter 6

Orion

When I showed up in the doorway of Vince’s office, ready to light a fire and suck his cock, I found the room dark, cold, and empty. I let myself in anyway, dragging my fingers across the leather back of his chair, finding it also cool to the touch. He’d been gone for a while, and I never even heard him leave.

We were running out of time.

The deadline for the hit I’d taken out on him was quickly approaching and, as the days went on, I found myself reminded thoroughly how I’d not thought aboutmyselfwhen I made the call. I’d called from a place of anger and grief…of fear. My brain and body hadn’t been on the same page, because for all the harm Ricardo had brought me, he’d also given me purpose. With him gone, I thought the purpose had left me. But what I knew now was that wasn’t true. However, when Vince was gone…

I’d have nothing.

No home. No job. No release. No anchor to moor me in the waves.

It was time to start thinking for myself, about myself.

I lit a fire, standing over it with one arm braced against the mantle. The flames licked caressingly around the fake logs, whipping up and bringing enough heat to burn. I didn’t pull away. I leaned closer, the pain and the fear from the fire sending a shock of adrenaline through me so quickly my cock was instantly hard. Maybe that was some Pavlovian response to being in the office; I wasn’t sure. When I started the fire, I normally took Vince’s dick into my mouth. Maybe it was just my body reacting to what it expected to happen next.

I’d long ago been conditioned to find arousal from pain, and it was that desperate need that had me leaning closer to the flame, taking my cock out of my pants and squeezing hard around the base. The firelight flickered, reflecting in the beads of precum that had already began to pool in my slit. I groaned, stroking to my tip, arching to get closer to the fire.

I didn’t hear Vince come home. Didn’t hear his careful footfalls from the doorway to me. But I felt his breath against the back of my neck, hot as the flames licking at my cock. My hand worked up and down my length, slowing as Vince curled his fingers around my hips, half touching my skin and half the leather of my undone belt.

“Where were you?” I rasped.

One of his hands slid around my front,across my stomach and down into the trimmed curls that framed my shaft. The side of my hand bumped into his as I continued to jerk myself off.

“It’s not for you to ask, is it?”

“No,” I whispered quickly, shaking my head. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry.”

“I’m sorry, Sir. Did you want my mouth?”

Vince hummed and smiled against the back of my neck, his teeth cold and slick against my skin. I shivered, the dueling sensations on either side of my body almost too much for me to manage without coming all over my hand.

“I want more than your mouth.”