Page 172 of Intent to Kill
“Adam thought it would be better if Dan wasn’t in charge,” Lulu said.
Carlos smiled, Adam was probably right. Dan was a very smart man, but if there was one thing he couldn’t do, it was keep his brain out of his pants.
“Thank you,” Lulu said.
Taken aback, Carlos frowned. “For what?”
“For making good on your promises. All of you. So Tia didn’t die for nothing.”
Carlos’s eyes shuttered. He would never forget the cost of their success, but he hadn’t been expecting such a heavy blow that early in the day. Before he got the chance to think of a reply, Lulu cut him off again.
“When are you going toletme thank you?” Lulu said, a wicked smile dancing on her lips.
Carlos chuckled. “You’re barking up the wrong tree, Lu. I don’t need to be thanked.”
“What do you need, then?” Lulu cocked her head to the side.
Truthfully, he didn’t need much to be happy. Just freedom, friendship, and okay, an industrial kitchen to cook coke in. But he had it all now. And he fucking loved it.
“I’m good,” he smiled.
* * *
Mercedes laughed as Adam placed wet kisses down her neck. In her newest car, a gift he’d given her, she straddled his lap. The electric blue Pontiac Firebird was a work of art, and the look on her face when he stole her out of the hospital and gifted it to her was something out of a dream.
She’d been so ecstatic that she’d driven full speed right up the Ridge City mountaintop, and all Adam could do was hold on tight and try not to fly out the sides.
Thanks to her ever-growing skill, they’d arrived on the mountain nearly forty-five minutes early. That was how the passenger seat ended up laying fully down with her straddling his lap.
“I’m going to take it that you like the gift?” Adam smiled against her neck.
“Ilovethe gift,” Mercedes said.
They were slick with sweat and well sated already. Her shirt hung open at the front and she wore no bra, considering how the bandages spanned across her middle.
She kissed him hard, and their tongues danced together, lips fighting to stay parted for their kiss as their smiles grew.
“Dan called earlier.” Adam struggled to breathe as she kissed down his chest. “All the assets were signed over successfully.”
“So we’re very rich now?”
“Thanks to you, yes, we’re all very rich,” Adam corrected. “But truthfully, I’m just along for the ride.”
Mercedes threw her head back and huffed a full-bodied, electric laugh. “Right. You just along for the ride of anything? Sure.”
“The point is, it’s all ours now.” Adam took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Thank you for coming to save me.”
She pulled away, giving him a puzzled stare. The way the skin wrinkled between her brows melted his healing heart. She was his everything.
“You charged onto the mansion property with two gunshot wounds to save me,” Adam smiled.
“I came to kill Dorian,” she said. “Saving you was an added benefit.”
Adam chuckled and nudged her elbow so that she would hug his shoulders. “Still, you saved me.” In more ways than one, he didn’t need to say.
She pecked a soft kiss to his lips. “I love you.” Her tone was breathy and full of wonder, like she’d witnessed real-life magic.
“I love you,” he said. “Always.” He took her hand in his, her left hand this time, and frowned when he saw the marks on them.
