Page 114 of The Vigilant

I groaned. “Promise me again.”

I hadn’t told her she couldn’t come this morning, but I had put rules in place to make sure she wasn’t taking unnecessary risks. And then I’d made her promise me—with my lips between her thighs—to be careful.

She shivered. “I promise.”

I kissed her hard, burying my tongue in the heat of her mouth for a long but still too-short second.

“They’re here,” Creed rumbled so we could hear him, holding his position as the bored third wheel who was trying to not look too long at the show.

“Showtime,” I grunted and turned my head, moving my lips down to the side of her neck, feeling her head tip to the side. Itongued the thrum of her pulse, feeling it move faster as the car pulled slowly down the narrow one-way toward us.

It was minutes that felt like hours of waiting, the fuse of action chewed away slowly but surely until, boom, the car stopped at the stop sign, and we jumped into action.

I doubted the Straw Sandal even processed the car unlocking before Creed ripped the back door open, grabbed the man by his collar, hauled him from the car, and knocked him out with a single punch.

“Get in,” I shuttled Sutton to the open door, letting her climb into the back seat while I worked with Creed to find the Straw Sandal’s credentials to get into the building.

“I’ll monitor his phone,” Creed grunted when he found that along with the keycard in his jacket pocket, handing the keycard to me. “Go.”

I squeezed into the car beside Sutton, the semi-conscious woman resting against the other door, oblivious to everything going on as she slurred, “Are we there yet?”

I closed the door and rapped my fist on the roof. “We’re good,” I called to Rob.

The car lurched forward, making the turn onto the main road and then just as quickly, pulling to a stop in front of the apartment building.

I didn’t even realize I’d reached for Sutton’s hand again until it was time to get out.

“Lean on me. Face away from the cameras,” I said low and then opened the door.

The expectation was that cameras were everywhere and someone was watching, which meant we had to keep our heads down—especially me—to buy us as much time as possible.

Keeping my head tipped toward the interior of the car, I got out and then reached inside for Sutton, leaving the intended victim safely sleeping under Rob’s watch.

“Are we there yet?” Sutton slurred and then moaned, stepping right into her role as she leaned into me.

My arm hooked around her waist, keeping her stumbling weight steady and not missing how my woman turned her body as we reached the front door and then again when we passed the security desk to block my face.

“Are we at the party?” she spouted, seeing the security guard turn in his chair. “I need another drink. Puh-leaseee.”

“Almost.” I pulled out the keycard and waved it high enough that the guard could see.

I had access. I was allowed to be here. There was nothing to worry about.

The security guard turned away, clearly wanting to take a blind eye when it came to the things going on upstairs.

I punched the elevator button, and the doors opened right away.

“Fuck,” I grunted as Sutton swung in front of me, basically plastering her front to mine and sagging with all her weight.

She wanted me to carry her.

As I lifted and dragged her into the elevator, I saw the camera she’d caught and was trying to block me from.

I propped her against the back wall of the elevator, pressing the keycard to the pad and realizing there was no button to push. The keycard itself was what directed the elevator to the top of the building.

Only once we started moving did I let myself look at her. Did I search out her eyes and stare into them like they were my fucking lifeline.

I reached for the gun tucked into the holster at my side, sliding it free and holding it wedged between our two bodies, the heat of us warming the cold metal.

---