Page 48 of The Assassin
“Would that work?”
Ardan huffed out an annoyed breath. “Enough, Gabe. Let’s get back to business. The boss’s party.”
“Correct.” Killough leaned on his desk, elbows pressed against the dark wood. “I won’t ruin my pet’s fun, so as far as he’s concerned, I don’t know a thing, but I do ask that the right preparations are made. Not for my safety, but my pet’s. My enemies are still stupid enough to target him. Even my collar on him won’t deter the fools. I won’t have that. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Ardan and Gabriel said at the same time.
“Good. Do what you need to. We still have a rat in our midst and I want him caught.” Killough stood and shoved his hands in the pockets of his gray pants. Gabriel took that as a sign the meeting was over.
He stood with Ardan and they inclined their heads before they left. Halfway down the hallway, Gabriel grabbed Ardan by the arm and shoved him against the wall. Ardan gasped in surprise but when Gabriel’s mouth slammed against his own, it warped into a groan. The bastard nipped at Gabriel’s lower lip hard enough to draw blood.
“We’re in the boss’s home and on the job. Keep your mouth to yourself,” he whispered, gaze flicking to his right. There wasn’t any hostility in his voice, though, and he grinned.
“What rat was he talking about?” Gabriel asked, littering kisses along Ardan’s jaw. He smiled when Ardan’s chin tilted back and Gabriel worked his way down the slim pale neck presented to him like a gift.
“Well, youareone of us now,” Ardan muttered, more to himself than Gabriel. Then he spoke louder, “We had trouble with a detective by the name of Diaz. She had a hard-on for Sloan.”
“Had?” Gabriel nibbled on a delectable piece of flesh just above the collar of Ardan’s shirt.
“Dead. Taken out. Suicide. All of the above.” Ardan inhaled sharply and tilted his hips against Gabriel’s. He mumbled something that sounded like “fuck.”
“By one of Killough’s I’m assuming?” He made sure to bite hard enough to leave the indents of his teeth and the groan he elicited from Ardan was worth it. Sliding his knee between Ardan’s legs, he nudged Ardan’s hardening package through his pants.
“Yeah, we assume so. Rourke’s not talking though, and what Sloan doesn’t know can’t incriminate him.” His teeth came out and he chewed on his bottom lip, eyelashes fluttering. “We can’t do this here.”
“Why not?” Gabriel whispered, licking at the spot he’d bitten into. He felt a shiver go through Ardan. “And the rat?”
“Before she died, Diaz spoke about an informant to one of our whores she was trying to turn. I—shit.” Ardan pumped his hips forward, rubbing his trapped dick against Gabriel’s thigh harder. “So we know we have a rat, but we don’t know who. We’ve been thinking of ways to smoke him out. He knew too much information that no one on the lower rungs would know.”
“The rat’s a top dog?” Gabriel tickled his fingers around Ardan’s neck before he gripped at his throat, squeezing, and making Ardan pant.
“Yes,” Ardan said breathlessly, the pupils in his eyes dilating. “That’s as far as we’ve got.”
“Why is it not high priority to find him? Wouldn’t he risk the company?” Gabriel put pressure on Ardan’s windpipe, watching his eyelashes flutter and his attempts to breathe, then he released it again.
“Sloan has men on it. I’m only needed when they figure out who it is so I can take them down.” Ardan swallowed, his Adam’s apple bouncing, and he sent Gabriel a dazed smile. “I trust Sloan knows what he’s doing.”
“It’s obvious hetrusts you….” Gabriel pressed a kiss to Ardan’s pulse point, but this one was gentle. His stomach turned over at the thought of how much Killough relied on Ardan, and Gabriel knew jealousy when he felt it. Ardan would die for Killough and that kind of loyalty wasn’t the kind anyone, even a mob boss like Killough, could buy. “I shouldn’t be jealous of how much you care about him, but I am.”
Ardan blinked and cocked his head. “It’s not like that. When my parents died, he took me in. You know the story. I owe him my life. He could have killed me for making a mess when I was intoxicated, but he didn’t. He doesn’t give second chances, but he did for me. There’s nothing to be jealous about.” Ardan cupped his face and kissed him hard enough to make his lips feel bruised.
Someone cleared their throat. Ardan and Gabriel sprung apart, glancing down the hallway in the direction they’d come from. Killough leaned against the threshold of his office door, dark eyebrows raised and smirk playing on his lips.
“Something I should know about?” he asked in an amused tone.
Gabriel shot him a grin. “I’m fucking your assassin?”
“Gabe!” Ardan poked him in the ribs so hard it hurt. He flushed, cheeks turning bright as he gave Killough an apologetic look. “Gabe and I are in a sexual relationship, sir. It will not affect the way we work.”
“See that it doesn’t.” Killough straightened. “The company comes first. If you can respect that and not make any foolish mistakes, you can fuck who you want.”
“Are they fucking?” came a voice from the other end of the corridor. They both glanced in that direction and saw Conall, who stood with his arms crossed and a wicked grin on his face. “Are you fucking each other? I knew it. Sir, you owe me a hundred bucks. I told you they’d end up fucking.”
Killough rolled his eyes. “Pet, don’t make me lay you over my knees and spank your arse red.” With that, he spun on his heel and slammed the door behind him.
Conall laughed. “He hates losing bets.”
Ardan huffed. “You made a bet about us?”
