Page 25 of His Lair
I laugh. “Do you even have a gun, Lailani? Or know how to use one?”
“Pfft, it’s America. Everyone has a gun, Sammie. And you don’t know if I do or don’t, so I could shoot you,” she tells me.
“I’ll take my chances. You’re not a killer, babe. You’re not going to shoot me.” Wrapping an arm around her waist, I pull her against my chest and lean down. “Mmm, you smell fucking delicious,” I say, inhaling her fruity scent.
There is no way this girl is capable of murder. Maybe I should teach her how to shoot, though, and probably get her a gun too. This city is full of bastards who wouldn’t think twice about hurting a girl like her.
“Mmm,” Lailani moans as I start kissing my way down her neck.
I pull away, because if I don’t stop now, I’ll be even later than I already am. “As much as I don’t want to leave, I have a meeting I have to get to,” I tell her, kissing the middle of her forehead before turning around to find my clothes.
“It’s okay,” she says, following me out of the bedroom. “Um, Sammie?”
“Yeah?”
“Can we, um, not tell anyone about this? About what we’re doing?”
I pause before throwing her words back at her. “You ashamed of me, babe? Am I your dirty little secret?”
“Not ashamed. I just… like my privacy and don’t want to be the subject of the rumor mill at work,” she explains.
“Fair enough.” I nod. “I won’t tell. Besides, sneaking around with you is fun.” I wink at her.
It’s actually for the best that no one knows about us. After what happened to Charlotte, I have no intention of putting a target on Lailani’s back. I’d never forgive myself if something happened. I need to put a tail on her, someone to keep an eye onLailani when I can’t. I make a mental note to assign a soldier to her ASAP. I should have done it days ago.
“Come to my place tonight,” I say.
“Maybe I might be busy,” she replies.
“Doing what?”
“Washing my hair?” she questions.
“I’ll wash it for you. Come to my place.” I pull out my wallet and give her an access card. “Here, this will get you into the penthouse.”
Lailani takes the card and looks down at it. “Aren’t you worried that I’ll go snooping when you’re not there?” she asks me.
“Are you going to snoop, Lailani?” I ask her back.
She quickly shakes her head. “I wouldn’t, but I could.”
“There is nothing incriminating in that penthouse. Snoop away,” I tell her.
She looks at me with raised brows. “So there’s incriminating stuffelsewhere?”
We haven’t had the conversation, the one where she asks if the rumors around town are true. I don’t want to lie to her. But fuck if I’m going to tell her the truth and give her a reason to run. Besides, whatever this is, it has an expiration date. A girl like her does not end up with a man like me.
“Not that I’m aware of,” I say. “I gotta go. Let yourself in, and if you feel the need to be naked in my bed by the time I get home tonight, I won’t be disappointed.” I smirk.
“Noted,” she replies with a small smile.
“You think they’re going to try again?” Carlo asks.
“Would you give up after the first failed attempt?” I counter. We all know they’re going to try to go after Louie again. Honestly, it could be any one of us next time.
“I wouldn’t have missed in the first place,” the cocky bastard says.
I look over to the sofa where Carlo’s six-year-old daughter is sitting. Jazzy’s wearing headphones and watching a movie so she can’t hear us. “Anything on finding her mother?”
