Page 36 of Hero: Claimed

“Won’t say a word,” he answers. “I’m out, then.”

“Gratitude,” I say, then wait for him to hang up. This is a complication we don’t need. I knew that Riot she flipped would have her picture in heavy rotation. All I can do is pray that whoever this Advocate is, he’s just visiting family, like Sly suggested. I mean, he hasn’t shown his face in town.

For the next couple of hours, I’m in a pissy, agitated mood. None of the boys do anything right and I find myself yelling at someone every ten minutes or so until the men refuse to talk to me at all and I have to see Brin.

I leave receiving to walk back up to the offices and watch her through the windows as she goes from file cabinet to file cabinet replacing a stack of yellow folders. She throws her hair back as she laughs at something Liv, her coworker and Chaos’s old lady, says, and when Liv walks out of the room in the direction of the bathroom, I take advantage of the opportunity to get Brin alone.

She’s surprised when I open the door, gasping, though she smiles once she registers it’s me. “What are you doing in here?” she asks.

But I don’t answer with words. I answer by stalking over to her, wrapping my arms around her, and pivoting to drop her ass on the desk while I press my lips hard against hers.

“Need to fuck you, bird,” I whisper against her jaw while pressing more kisses there, too.

She rakes her fingers through my hair. “What’s going on, babe?”

“Told you, need to fuck you… Are you sayingno?”

“I’m not sayingno.” Brin drops her head back as I grind my groin against hers through our jeans. “But something’s bothering you. If you need me to fuck it away, you have to give it all to me because the sex will just be a temporary fix if you don’t.”

“Can’t tell you that, baby.” And I answer her groaning, grinding harder against her center while I move my hands up her blouse, pulling down the cups of her bra to knead her tits and twisting her nipples. Brinley lets out a loud cry, digging her fingernails deeper into my scalp at the same time we both hear someone shout.

“Oh, good god!” It’s Liv. Brin and I turn our heads in time to see her standing in the open door with her hand on the knob. “Seriously, Hero? Not on my desk. Take it into the conference room.”

Brin’s face right down to her collarbone lights up the brightest red. “I—crap,” she says, slapping at my hands under her top while struggling to correct her bra but fumbling because she’s going too fast in her embarrassment. I use my body to block Brinley from view until she’s presentable again. “I’m so sorry, Liv.”

“Please, girl, I in no way holdyouresponsible for any of this.” Liv waves her hand in our direction. “I’m married to a Lord. Trust me, I get it. Now you, Hero, you should know better.”

She’s right. I don’t do this in public, but I needed to hold Brinley after that phone call. I don’t understand it. How did she go from a woman I wanted to help out to the woman I needed to hold just to prove to myself that she’s still okay? My heart beats so fast, it pounds in my ears and not from getting caught by Liv, but because Brin’s dug herself so far under my skin that I would fundamentally change myself for her.

“Levi, you okay?” Brin asks and she comes back into focus. I realize I’ve been looking at her but not seeing her.

“Yeah, bird,” I say low then clear my throat. “I’m good.” But I’m not good. I need to find out if the Advocate being in our county is a fluke and I need to give myself a break from Brin for a couple of days. From Liv’s office, I walk back to Chaos’s, rapping on the door with my knuckles.

“Come in,” he calls out.

“Hey.” I tip my chin up at him. “I gotta clock out a bit early. Some shit I need to discuss with Duke.”

“What’s up?” he asks, closing his laptop and waving me in. I don’t want to have a heart to heart with Chaos. I want to put distance and perspective between Brin and me. I want to see if she’s still safe here. But he’s technically my boss, which means I step inside the office, closing the door so Brin doesn’t accidentally hear.

“Sly called. He was on a tow run—other side of the county—and saw a Devil’s Advocate skulking around.”

“The fuck?”

“My sentiment exactly. Could be a fluke, but the Advocates run with the Pythons, Brinley’s dad’s club. Her dad tried to sell her to a Riot for drugs, but instead of sex, Brin knocked the guy unconscious and stole from him.”

“Dammit. The women… the kids.” Chaos sighs. “Maybe we can smuggle her out, get her to—”

“Don’t even finish that thought. She’s not going anywhere,” I practically bark at the man. He puts his hands up in a fucking placating “calm down” move that pisses me off even more.

“Girl got to you, didn’t she?”

“She wasn’t supposed to. I only wanted to help her out… It’s ridiculous.”

“Why is it ridiculous? Brinley’s smart and she’s funny as shit. She’s not exactly hard on the eyes.”

“Says the guy married to Liv,” I reply tersely.

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean? She’s got those exotic eyes and those fucking huge tits. Damn, brother, if you’re not attracted to your old lady, I’m sure there’re plenty of brothers at the club who’ll take her off your hands.”

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