Page 85 of Intent to Kill
Adam looked at the door, then at her panicked eyes that locked on the entry, anticipating Blake’s arrival.
The feelings in her eyes were gone. That beautiful look of love, gone. He couldn’t let them go. God,shecouldn’t let them go. He had to see them again. This couldn’t be it for him. He would always need more.
Adam stopped at the ledge before shutting the window. He grabbed her hand and steeled his voice, willing his words to pierce her soul. “Don’t let go, baby.”
When she turned to really look at him, her features softened, but in a way that gave away a sweet sadness. Not the burning desire he had been hoping for. Just pity, hollow, emptiness.
“I’m not the one who let go.”
She pulled the window shut and fastened the latch, forcing Adam out just as Blake burst into the room.
“The car is ready, darling. Let’s get going,” he said.
* * *
A bell sounded as Adam pushed into his bar. He looked above, wondering who had placed that little bell up there. Either way, it was of no use because the party was already in full swing, the bell only a quiet tickle above the grunging metal of music. Hordes of his people were already deep in their drinks, with only a red whistle of neon light coating the atmosphere.
Somehow the underworld scene, all the people who had been hiding from Blake, too, just knew that this was a safe space now.
Adam sank into his shoulders, hands slipping into his pockets to keep his face low, but nobody even looked as he slinked to his regular booth. Right at the back of the bar, Carlos and Paul were already perched at the edge of the leather seats, engrossed in decoding the secrets of the white book.
“How is it going?” Adam asked as he slid into the booth. His muscular, tattooed sleeve spread out against the edge of the booth as he placed his other hand on the hip of his black jeans.
“My God, the shit that’s in here,” Carlos said, marveling like the pages were spun with gold.
“You made copies yet?” Adam asked.
“Not yet,” Paul said.
“Well, do it soon. We’ll drop the book back before M and Blake get back from out of town.”
The little bell rang, and Adam looked lazily over his shoulder to see Dan approaching them with three girls at his side, his arm around two of them. The brunette at his left side whispered sweet nothings in his ear, gently nibbling on the lobe, and looking at him like he cured cancer for a living.
Dan was halfway through a conversation when he reached the booth, his eyes a stinging red. “Team—meet Tia’s girls, Alyssa, Bronte, Leticia. Girls—meet team. You already know Paul and Carlos.”
Adam shot Paul and Carlos a warning glare. It was bad enough that Dan couldn’t seem to find the line between business and pleasure and stay on the right side of it. He couldn’t have everyone losing their heads. Especially when he himself misplaced his own so often.
“They’re very grateful for all the help.” Dan winked at Adam. “They wanted to thank us.”
Adam smiled tightly as he watched the girls’ eyes rake over the colorful tattoos on his sleeve. He folded his arm away in response.
“It’s a business arrangement, ladies, no need to thank us.”
Dan huffed as he waved the girls away, and then jumped into the booth across from Adam.
“What the hell are you doing? They want tothankus,” Dan said again, raising his eyebrows as if he thought that Adam didn’t understand what he meant the first time.
“I know what you meant,” Adam chuckled.
Dan exchanged a knowing look with Carlos. “Let the girlsthank us, Adam.”
“Not interested.” Adam frowned in amusement, waving Dan away with a flick of the wrist. He turned to the others for confirmation that Dan’s behavior was odd, but found none.
“Suit yourself,” Dan shrugged. He was up chasing after the girls again before his body could even catch up with his feet.
Adam wasn’t trying to be rude. His heart was simply somewhere else.
“You sure you want to pass that up?” Paul said.
