Page 24 of The Sinners Gambit

We waited to make our move so we could build up the paper trail of this “darker me” all over my life, so when the time came he would find me. And then I would be the one he couldn’t resist looking into—stalking. I knew he was watching me, and I knew with time he would come. But it all needed to look like he was in control and that when he came for me it was a surprise.

“Ooooo, he’s cute,” Quinnly says.

I take in the photo of Killian Morel in an online magazine, talking about how influential the billionaire tech mogul is. He was able to rebuild his family's previously thriving million-dollar business into a billion-dollar corporation with their hands saturated in the market. You can’t go anywhere without hearing about the Morels, they're a household name.

Killian has tan skin, with dark brown hair and deep green eyes. While I’m not short by any means, he should be at least half a foot taller than me. His eyes are piercing into my soul even though it's only a magazine cover. “He’s alright, nothing special,” I say, as I throw the magazine in the back of the car.

“Mhmmm.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.

“Shut up,” I say, rolling my eyes at her. “Look over there. He’s coming out with his posse.”

Killian is surrounded by a small group of celebrities and a pretty blonde draped all over him. It sets a twinge of something through me—I can’t tell what. She’s all wrong for him though. “Looks like he’s having a good night. Maybe that’s what you need! To get laid. You’ve been a bit crabby.”

“I’m not crabby,” I whine. “And I got laid two weeks ago!”

“See? That’s a long time!” She twirls a switchblade in her hands.

While we were distracted by my sex life, he got the blonde latched on to some other guy and is now walking in the opposite direction. All the people he was with climb into a limousine.

“Guess he didn’t want to get laid either, Mi. Looks like you have a lot in common.”

A girl stumbles out of the bar and groans as she falls down. “Fuck!” It catches not only our attention, but also Killian’s.

“Fuck! He won’t be able to walk away from an opportunity like this,” I say, staring between him and the girl. She looks so much like my mother. Dark hair, light skin. Just his type. “I don’t know if I can watch.”

He turns around and walks back over to her. “Are you okay, miss?” he asks as he helps her get up.

“Yeah, I just had one too many and my keys slipped and I fell trying to catch them. I’m just a—” she rambles until she sees him. “Oh!”

Killian gives her the biggest grin as she recognizes him.

“I’m gonna have to intervene if he tries something.”

“Let me help you,” he says, as he takes his phone and quickly dials a number. “Change of plans, pick me up at the bar. Yeah. Thanks.”

“Mi, wait!” Quinnly grabs my hand as the other grabs the door handle.

“Do you come here often? I would think this bar is beneath you,” the girl asks.

Killian laughs. “Never believe everything you read.”

“Does that mean I shouldn’t believe that you're single too?” She licks her bottom lip.

“Barf,” I say as I let go of the door handle.

A Honda rolls up right then, and Killian opens the back door. “It would take a lot for a man like me to settle.”

She gets into the car. “Then how about just some fun?”

“Have a good night. Axel, please take her home.” He smiles—a breathtaking, reassuring smile— and gently closes the door before the girl can say another word.

“Guess he doesn’t always go for the kill,” Quinnly says as we see him walking away.

I shrug, but I’m confused as to why he let her go. She was prime for the taking. “That’s unusual in sociopaths . . .”

It seems that there’s more to Killian Morel than meets the eye.

We planted seeds throughout my life until we set up the meet-cute. And it all worked like a charm until the moment he kidnapped me, kicking us into the final phase of the plan. We assumed he’d want to strike at some point before the societal ball. He’s very traditional in some ways, and we figured he’d want me to attend with him as a last-minute initiate. Little does he know, I’m already a member. We were getting a bit antsy the closer we got to the date, but here I am in his home and more conflicted with my emotions than I ever thought. It’s not as black and white as it seemed.

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