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“If you can keep him alive.” Manning belted out a laugh.
Genevieve narrowed her eyes at Brendan. “Hmm…Mr. Cole makes a good point. One that I’ve been trying to make as well.”
Brendan winked at her. “I’m not that easy to kill.”
She rolled her eyes, and he chuckled, savoring the warmth that spread through him at having her safely by his side.
Leading her toward the elevators, Brendan whispered, “Where are your shoes?” a hint of amusement lacing his voice as he punched the up button. His smile dropped. “Don’t tell me they put another tracker in them?”
“Oh, no.” Genevieve looked down and wiggled her red-polished toenails.
He flinched at the cuts that were clearly visible on the tips of her toes.
“Well, maybe,” she continued, “but that’s not why I shed them. I was going to make a run for it just before I spotted you, so I took them off and tossed them behind a slot machine.”
“Convenient coincidence. In fact, you probably saved my life. I’m not sure we’d have gotten away without me getting shot if you hadn’t.”
“Nah,” she purred playfully as the elevator dinged. “Seems to me that you can do anything, Mr. King.”
Brendan shook his head and stifled a laugh, scraping a rough hand through his disheveled hair. “I’m not bulletproof, Genevieve.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” She wrapped an arm around his neck. “I may like you cocky,”—she poked him hard in the chest, glaring at him—“but I don’t like you dead. If you ever do anything like that again, I’ll kill you myself. You almost gave me a heart attack. You’re absolutely right that you’re not bulletproof. That was stupid and reckless and?—”
He crashed his mouth down on hers, kissing her with all the pent-up passion of surviving an intense life-threatening situation. When he pulled away, she sighed dreamily.
Her tongue darted over her lips as if savoring his taste. “And worth that kiss ten times over.”
Brendan closed his eyes, letting her desire for him thrum through his veins. “Worth your freedom, Genevieve. Give me a few weeks to work this through under Manning’s protection, and we can go home.”
“Aren’t we in danger if we stay here?”
“I don’t think so. I actually think we’re safer here than anywhere else. Manning and I discussed Marshal’s potential reaction at length. If he sics the corrupt cops on us, we’ll retaliate by immediately involving the FBI, and Marshal doesn’t want his drug businesses exposed. If just Manning or I were to go after Marshal, maybe he could get away with unleashing his shady connections on us, but with the pair of us working together and our joint diversified networks, he’s got to tread carefully. If Marshal somehow gets either one of us behind bars, we’ve made a pact to support the other.”
“You’re not going to contact the FBI?”
“Yes, we will. Tomorrow probably. However, the FBI has to promise us immunity before we’ll work with them.” Brendan shrugged. “Unless, of course, Marshal makes an aggressive move we’re not ready for, in which case we’ll put instant pressure on him in return.”
Genevieve gnawed on her lower lip, and Brendan had to force himself not to go in for another kiss while she wanted answers. “I still don’t understand how we’re safer here than anywhere else. Can’t the cops come in here and arrest us before the FBI is even notified? Jed will have video footage of you setting off those flash grenades, and then there are the warrants for my arrest.”
“I’m not staying here, and neither are you.”
Her eyes widened. “What? I thought you just said that this was the safest place to be. Where will we go?”
“No, sorry, I’m not explaining this well. When I say we’re not staying here, what I mean is that Manning entered a false name for our reservation. There’s no record that we’re even here. He’ll have his security scrub all the videos of us in his hotel and casino, including the ones that just took place. It’ll be his word against Marshal’s that we came in here if the police show up. Without any idea of what room to search, there’s nothing the cops can do.”
The elevator doors popped open, and they walked through the hallway hand in hand.
She shook her head as if in disbelief. “How did you convince Manning Cole to support you like that in one day? He’s just as powerful as Jed in this town.”
Smirking, Brendan slid his keycard against the reader and opened the door. “I’m that good.”
“Don’t get too cocky.”
“Ah, but you like it.”
She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and shrugged. “Yeah, I do, but I like you alive more.”
Brendan held the door open for her and followed her into the villa, letting it slam shut behind him.
