Page 59 of Lethal Lover

“Alek, you don’t have to be so rough.”

I sway against the car, my knees wobbling. Val puts her arm around me for balance. I manage a grin at Alek. “Yeah, I’ve seen her naked, brah. Hopefully again soon.”

Val lets out a huff. “I will drop you if you don’t keep that mouth shut.”

Alek glares at me. “Get the fuck in the car and stay on the towel. If you bleed all over the place, I will finish you off myself.”

Val slides into the back seat next to me. She sits me straight up but I fall over. My head lands right in her lap, my lips pressed against her thighs. Oh fuck, I’ve wanted to have my head between them again so badly. I just never thought it’d be because I’m dying.

Although, what a fucking place to die in.

I don’t know how long we’re in the car. The ride is smooth. I drift in and out, tuning out the tight voices in the car. I don’t really care what they’re saying. I just want to be close to Val. I take in a deep breath, the tingling in my toes blunted by numbness. My head feels like a cement block, my ears ringing like clashing cymbals.

“…doctor… lost so much blood… no use to me dead… need him… love him…”

She loves me. My fake wife loves me. I heard it. It definitely wasn’t my imagination or a dream or the fact that I’m delusional because I’m at death’s door.

“I love you, too…” I mumble, my mouth filled with imaginary marbles.

Alek stops short. “Easy, Romeo. This is a job. Keep your head in the game.”

“I know exactly where I wanna keep my head.” I force open my eyes and stare up at Val. She rolls her eyes at me and gives her head a little shake.

I’m barely conscious as they wrestle me out of the car and drag me into an elevator. It isn’t until we’re inside an apartment and I’m on a couch that I even try to take in the space around me.

An old guy with thinning gray hair and crinkly blue eyes stares down at me, his thick brows furrowed.

“Who the hell are you?” I ask.

“This is Dr. Ivan.” Alek’s lips twist. “He’s gonna fix you.”

My gaze drops to a table in front of me, and there’s a mess of needles, gauze, and stainless steel tools spread out over a white cloth. “I thought you volunteered to do that.”

“You have no idea what I want to do with those tools.” Alek turns and walks into the kitchen. Val drops down next to me and takes one of my hands. Her skin is so soft and smooth. Those perfect hands shot up a guy’s head not too long ago, saving my life. She’s like a dichotomy, so glossy and prissy on the outside, but underneath it all, she’s a fucking brutal killer.

No wonder Alek has a hard-on for her. How could any living breathing guynot?

“Dr. Ivan is going to put you out for this next part, okay?” She strokes the top of my hand. I’m so focused on her fingers that I barely feel the pinch of a needle go into my other hand. I stare up at her, struggling to keep my eyes open.

“You blew that guy on the roof away. It was so hot.” My voice is thick, the words catching in my throat as whatever the hell is being fed into my veins takes over my consciousness.

A small smile lifts her lips. “I did what I had to do for the mission. You saved me, and then I saved us.”

“Mm. It was good. You’re fucking vicious. I like that version of you better than the control freak one. I like it when you don’t have a pole stuck up your ass. I love your ass.” My eyes drop because I can’t keep them open for a second longer, the drugs taking over my body, mind, and mouth. “And I love you, too.”

Chapter23

Valentina

Idrum my fingers on the arms of the chair across from Quinn’s bed, his words looping through my mind. He was completely whacked from the morphine that Dr. Ivan fed into his veins last night. He obviously had no idea what he was saying when he told me he loved me.

Still, it’s hard for me to ignore the fact that I’ve never had a man tell me he loves me before, other than Dad or my brothers, of course. But relationships? They never got that far before my almost wedding to Dmitri Stepanov. And after I fled Miami years ago? I kept everyone at arm’s length because any emotion that played with my heart could potentially put my life at risk.

Quinn’s heavily medicated profession was my first time hearing it.

And I won’t lie. It made me feel nice. Wanted. Warm and fuzzy inside.

It’s not like he meant it, though. How could he? We’ve known each other for less than a full day.

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