His shallow breaths became more even and deep.
Huffing with indignation, Mia pushed her way back to front and center and glared at Jaxon. “Look at the trouble she’s causing already. I wouldn’t doubt if she caused this strife on purpose. And that list—”
“Isn’t important. I need her for the case, so I’m taking her,” Jaxon said, getting them back on track. “She’s our best chance for success, and you know it. Just give me a f**king couple of hours. I have something to show her and then she’ll be able to convince Nolan to lead us directly to the other Schön.”
Something to show her? What?
“You know how to reach me,” he continued. “Call me if anything happens.”
“Yeah? I should call you if she tries number eleven? Injecting a virus into the tip of your penis so no one will find the puncture wound and know what happened?”
“Yeah.”
“Fine,” Mia snapped, “but you’re stupid to trust her. She’s been in touch with her boss since you left. He ordered her to kill you. Did you know that?” With that, Mia and Kyrin stomped off, their footsteps echoing in the hall.
CHAPTER 23
I’m not going to kill you,” Le’Ace assured him, a sort of desperate panic in her voice. She gripped his shirt. “I’m not even going to try, I swear. I made the list because I was planning how best to protect you, to fortify your vulnerabilities. As for Estap—”
“I know, sweetheart.”
Jaxon glanced over at Mishka, and his heart swelled in his chest. At the word sweetheart, her red lips had parted on a gasp and tears had misted her hazel eyes.
God, she was lovely. His friends hadn’t let her bathe; her hair hung in tangles, and dark circles formed half-moons under her eyes, but she was still the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. Strong, courageous, and loving. Yeah, he could see it in her gaze.
The woman loved him.
Her face glowed with the emotion, softening her features with all kinds of sexy. More than that, she wouldn’t have given herself to him otherwise. She wouldn’t have waited here with people who hated her. He knew her skills; she could have escaped at any time and killed everyone in residence.
She was probably scared right now. Not of him, but of Estap. She probably expected punishment and pain. Yet still she remained in place, unwilling to hurt Jaxon in any way.
“You trust me?” she asked, incredulous. “I mean, I realized you did when you didn’t care about the list, but…”
“But you need to hear me say it. I understand. Absolutely I trust you. No question. I see your heart, woman, I know who you really are.” He drew her closer, so close their chests pressed together. He cupped her cheeks and traced his thumbs over her smooth skin, wishing he could give her the world. Would give it to her, in fact. “Come on. I need to show you something.”
She swallowed. “You mentioned that already. What?”
“Sweetheart, you’re just going to have to trust me. It’s a surprise.”
Her eyes misted again. Obviously she liked being called by the endearment, so he was going to make sure he called her sweetheart at least fifty times a day.
“I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“You will,” he promised. He twined their hands together and tugged her from the cell, up a flight of stairs, and into the main area.
His friends were congregated in the living room, where they’d set up observation. Snack wrappers and empty cups littered the floor. Eden and Lucius manned the computers. Devyn lounged in a chair, flipping through a holocopy of Kink magazine, it looked like. Not that Jaxon had a subscription or anything. Mia and Kyrin sat on the love seat and Mia was outlining Jaxon’s “dumb-ass behavior.”
“Call my cell if anything changes,” Jaxon told them.
“Will do,” Eden said, flashing him an amused grin. Her skin and hair were so golden they glittered in the light. A honey scent wafted from her, and that scent apparently affected Lucius in a big way. The man’s cheeks were flushed and he was shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Jaxon knew the feeling. He’d like nothing more than to whisk Mishka away for heart-pounding, sweat-dripping sex, her pleasure screams in his ears, her nails in his ass, her legs on his shoulders. Afterward, he wanted to hold her, talk to her.
Soon…
He’d missed her more than anything he’d ever missed before.
Outside, the sun shone brightly and he had to blink against its harsh rays as they stepped past the garage’s bared walls. The midday air was warmer than usual, beading sweat over his body. Cars sped down the surrounding streets, flashes of color quickly gone. To the right, he could see the gates to Nolan’s building. A group of people were leaving, talking and laughing.
Jaxon helped Mishka into his SUV and buckled her in. After giving her a swift kiss, he settled in the driver’s seat and programmed their location. Automatically the car jostled into gear and onto the road, its sensors and navigation system in control, freeing him to face his woman.
He lifted her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. Her pulse hammered. He couldn’t keep his hands off her, had to be touching her, had to know she was near and she wouldn’t float away like a dream.
“I didn’t mean to be gone so long. I’m sorry.”
Her lashes lowered, casting shadows over her cheeks. “You don’t owe me an explanation.”
“Yeah. I do. We’re in what I like to call an exclusive give-and-take relationship. That implies certain rights. You have a right to know where I am and what I’m doing, just like I have a right to know about you.”
White teeth nibbled on her bottom lip. “All right. Where were you?”
“With Estap,” he admitted, expecting an explosive reaction.
“What!” Her mouth fell open, and her gaze snapped to his. “What did he want? What did he say to you? Did he hurt you? That dirty piece of—”
“He wanted me to interview an infected human,” Jaxon said, fighting a grin, “but that human died while I was in flight. And Estap said a lot of shit, most of which I ignored.”
“Oh, my God. You pissed him off. That’s why he called me.” A statement, not a question.
Jaxon nodded.
Her lips edged into a slow smile, though there was panic in her eyes. “I wish I could have been there. Did you punch him? Tell me you punched him. Lie if you have to, but tell me!”
Excitement had blended with her panic, radiating from her, and Jaxon just couldn’t resist a moment longer. He had to hold her in his arms. He unbuckled her and tugged her into his lap. She had to straddle him to fit into the small alcove his big body and the seat provided.