Page 36 of Wrecker

“What’s wrong?” she asked, voice husky.

“Condo building’s wired,” I said, pulling on my jeans. “Midnight’s guys spotted the charges this morning. I gotta go check it out.”

“I’m coming,” she said immediately, scooting to the edge of the bed.

“No, the fuck you’re not,” I fired back as I reached for my shirt.

“Yes, I am,” she snapped, eyes flashing. “We both know how to identify the patterns in the setups. I’ve seen the documents, and I’ve been on those sites. I can help.”

“No,” I said, voice hard. “Not up for discussion.”

Her spine straightened. “Reid?—”

I finally stopped and spun around to face her. “Not a chance in hell. That building’s set to blow. We don’t know if someone’s still inside, or if it’s rigged with a manual detonation that they’ll press as soon as they fucking see you. You’re not stepping foot near that shit.”

She stood, stark naked, arms crossed over her chest, and her eyes sparking with heat and fire. “Do we have to have this argument again? I’m not made of freaking glass!”

“No,” I growled, stalking closer until I crowded her, and she had to tilt her head back to meet my eyes. “You’re made of fire, and steel, and soft fucking curves I want wrapped around me till the end of the fucking world. You might not be made of glass, but you’re mine to protect. Which is exactly why I’m not letting you anywhere near an active bomb site!”

Her lips parted, outrage rising, but I leaned in close and dropped my voice.

“You could be pregnant, Peyton.”

That shut her up. Her breath caught, eyes wide. Color rushed into her cheeks. Then her jaw worked for a beat before she muttered, “Low blow.”

“Maybe,” I said, brushing my knuckles down her jaw. “But I’ll take every dirty advantage I have if it keeps you breathing.”

Her nostrils flared as she stared at me, then she huffed and looked away. “Are you trying to knock me up just so you can wrap me in a bubble?”

I smirked and bent to kiss the corner of her mouth. “No, baby. That’s just a side perk.”

She growled and shoved at my chest, but it was weak and halfhearted. “Jerk.”

“I know.” I shrugged on my shirt, then my cut.

She rolled her eyes but stepped forward, wrapping her arms around my waist. “You better come back to me, Reid.”

I tipped her chin up, kissed her hard, then pulled away with reluctance clawing at my chest.

“Be good,” I rasped. “And don’t leave the room unless you’re wearing my cut.” After kissing her hard and fast, I whispered, “Be back before you miss me.”

I cupped the back of her head for one more beat, then forced myself to leave before I dragged her back into bed and said fuck the building.

The site was alreadyroped off when Midnight and I rolled up on our bikes, parking a good distance away, just in case. One of his trucks was backed toward the entrance, and two of his guys were standing guard. They’d secured the perimeter, but I could tell by their grim expressions that the unease was already setting in. Timers had a way of fucking with your head.

Three more brothers pulled up, parking their hogs beside ours before joining us.

“Place was condemned last year,” Midnight muttered as we moved toward the busted entrance. “Inspector's report said that shifts in the ground had caused the foundation to become uneven.”

“Fifty bucks says that asshole set up an offshore bank account right before the report was published,” Wolf commented dryly.

“Not taking that bet,” Midnight grunted before continuing. “Rather than spend the money to tear it down, they let it sit.”

“And with the lawsuit, they risk a new inspection shedding light on the shitty build,” I surmised.

Inside, the air was stale and smelled like mold and decay. Carpets were pulled up in strips, and everything was covered in dust thick enough to coat your lungs. The floors creaked as we moved quietly, our flashlights slicing through the darkness where the sunlight couldn’t reach.

My gaze scanned everything. We went unit by unit, making note of any charges we found so that our crew could work on dismantling them.

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