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Pulling my pistol from my jacket, I shoot Smithson at point blank range. The hole left in his forehead is neat and efficient, but the job has been done.
He slumps to the floor and the astonished tension in the room is palpable.
I don’t explain myself to anyone.
“I see.”
I tip my head in a fake show of respect to my father and he nods in return. He won’t question me in front of the others, but he trusts my judgement.
“Does this wrap things up quite nicely?” I ask, getting to my feet and buttoning up my suit jacket once more. I can’t wait to get the damn thing off. “I have to go, but please, stay as long as you need. I trust you’ll have the trash taken out and my boardroom cleaned up before you go.”
“Your boardroom?” Old O’Connell sputters, his face turning a violent shade of purple.
He’s been trying to buy this old rundown hotel for over a decade. Unsuccessfully, I might add. Right before the ancient owner, Mrs Grande, finally croaked it and the property was put up for auction, I swooped in and made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. O’Connell wanted to raze the hotel to the ground for real estate, and I promised Mrs Grande I’d restore The Arcelia Grande Hotel back to its former glory and then some. She died with a smile on her face and left behind way too many zeroes on her only granddaughter’s inheritance.
“I know she’s not much yet, but gentlemen you must all come to the grand reopening when she’s ready. I promise you, she’ll be full of surprises.”
With my brothers at my back, we walk to the elevator and board. The last thing I see before the doors slide shut, is a room full of flabbergasted, impressed and disbelieving faces.
“You always taste like strawberries,” Zie murmurs against my lips before kissing them again.
“Sorry.” I giggle softly.
“Don’t be. I fucking love it. I love kissing you.”
My heart leaps at his words and I can’t fight the goofy smile on my face.
“Shut up and kiss me again, then,” I demand.
“Yes, boss.” He winks and salutes me, so I lightly punch him on the arm.
He doesn’t seem inclined to actually listen to me, so I take matters into my own hands, hooking my leg over his hip and rolling so that I’m lying on top of him. I don’t care that we’re on my bed and my mum could be home any minute, kissing Zie is an addiction I don’t want to get help for. He grins up at me like our whole make out session just got a lot more exciting, and I have to admit, it did. I don’t usually take control like this, preferring to let him call the shots. I guess it’s because I still can’t believe my luck that he actually likes me.
Today though, I’m thinking what the hell. I want more, and if he’s not going to give it, I’ll damn well take it. With a playful grin, I lean down and lightly bite his bottom lip, causing him to groan. I can feel his arousal pressing up between our bodies, but it’s like an elephant in the room that neither of us wants to acknowledge.
I’m not ready for that. Not sure I’ll ever be, not with Zie. Or the others. But the thought of doing it with anyone else makes my skin crawl too.
I push those confusing thoughts aside and concentrate on kissing, enjoying the feel of him beneath me, savouring the taste of him, cherishing every noise he makes.
“Damn I can’t believe you’re leaving soon,” I complain when we eventually come up for air. I never knew I could survive so long without it, but simple things like breathing seem irrelevant when Zie’s around.
“I know,” Zie groans. “I hate that we wasted so many years. Why’d you keep refusing to kiss me like that? We could have been so good together.”
“Zie, it’s only been a few weeks and you’re already terrible at keeping secrets. Even Kaiden suspects there’s something going on and you know how unobservant he is!” I shake my head in exasperation. We have to be so careful. Our friendship is so delicately balanced. With the boys leaving to go to university in a few weeks and with me still having two years to complete, things are tense. I’m sure it’s because none of us want to face the very real goodbye that’s imminent. We care too much. But now with this secret thing between me and Zie, saying goodbye will be harder than ever.
“I’m so over this fucking shit” I moan. We pulled an all nighter on some bullshit surveillance job only to be home less than an hour before being given something new to do. “I hate how hard your dad has us working. We should be enjoying ourselves, not being whipping boys for some gang banger.”
“I know,” Axel’s response is tight. I can’t tell if he actually agrees with me or if he’s just trying to keep the peace. He’s been even more uptight than usual lately, especially where his dad’s concerned.
“We didn’t even ask to sign up for this shit,” I rant. I'm on a roll now, my dangerous anger sparking and threatening to get the better of me. “It’s always the same shit. ‘Shake this guy down for money, rough this asshole up a bit, threaten that one’s family. Good work, boys, now can you get rid of half a dozen bodies for me.’ I’ve had enough, Axel, I didn’t sign up for this! I don’t care what perks there are to being in your dad’s favour, I didn’t want this!”
“What do you want?”
“Right now? A day off and twenty-four-hours solid sleep. The chance to hang out with Peony without being called away and having to lie to her, and maybe a really large greasy pizza.”
“Okay, the pizza I can do. I’ll speak to my father about the other stuff but if you only get one day off and you want to sleep and see Peony, you can’t snooze for twenty-four hours.”
“Unless she sleeps with me,” I muse. Axel huffs, unimpressed with my joke. Nothing is funny to him anymore where Peony’s concerned. “I bet if we had their money, power and connections we could do a much better job.”
