Page 222 of Ruin Me Gently

But it certainly wasn’tthis.

He was maybe an inch shorter than Silas, but carried himself like he was seven feet and untouchable. His jet-black hair was short on the sides, slightly tousled on top, like he’d run a hand through it before walking in and somehow still looked like a damn runway model. His cheekbones were high, his jaw defined, and his full lips looked like they were set in a permanent smirk.

Finn shut the door behind him, and the guy’s gaze drifted over us all as he walked further in, landing on Finn first, then Silas, then me.

“I didn’t know we were going to have an audience.” His almost-black eyes dragged over me, slow and shameless. “And oh, what a delicious audience it is.”

“Don’t even think about it.” Silas’ voice came sharp, edged with warning.

The AI crime supermodel laughed, slow and silky, like he was having the time of his life. “Relax, Graves. I’m just enjoying the scenery.”

I tilted my head, raising a brow. “I’m right here you know.”

His smirk deepened, eyes flashing as he dragged his teeth over his bottom lip. “Oh, I know, baby girl. I know.”

Finn shot over toward him, obviously trying to interject whatever the hell was about to happen. “You’re late, Orion.”

He tore his gaze away from me and turned toward Finn with that same lazy smirk. “No, Finn,” he said, stepping forward. “You’re early.”

The tension in the air cracked as they stepped toward each other. Orion hooked two fingers into the collar of Finn’s shirt and pulled him in for a quick, back slapping hug. As they pulled back, the perverted supermodel—Orion—planted a firm kiss on Finn’s cheek.

Silas sighed heavily.

Orion turned toward him. “What? You want one too?”

Silas just glared at him.

Finn clapped his hands together. “Right. Let’s see it.”

Orion took his time making his way to the table, maintaining eye contact with Silas the entire time, even as the three of them all sank down into chairs.

Male hormones really were something else.

“Payment first,” Orion said.

Silas exhaled sharply through his nose, jaw ticking as he planted both hands flat on the table. “You’ll get paid when we know how this works.”

Orion lifted a brow as he tapped a single finger against the wood. “That’s not how I do business.”

“It is now.”

“Silas, come on. We both know you wouldn’t be here if you had any other option. And that means I’m the one holding all the cards.”

“You don’t hold shit.”

“No?” Orion said, grinning. “I hold the program. I hold the access. You need me, not the other way around.”

Silas leaned in, voice dropping. “You think so?”

Orion’s smirk twitched. “I know so.”

Silas’ eyes flicked to Finn, who had stayed silent the entire time. “Pull the logs.”

Finn’s fingers moved fast over the keyboard. I couldn’t see the screen, but from the way Orion’s face dropped, I knew it wasn’t anything good.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he said. “Let’s not be hasty.”

Silas didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t move a single fucking muscle. “You’ve been running access points to AIFG for what? Two years?”

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