“You OK,” Decker asks when I make it back to his booth. His eyes rake over me and I hold my breath, hoping that he doesn’t recognize the faint stubble rash on the left side of my neck that I couldn’t cover completely, or the way my tingling lips are swollen from Aiden’s bruising kisses.
I force a smile and nod my head. “Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed a breather. You know, splash some water on my face and take a moment.” I plaster on a smile. “Sometimes a woman needs to freshen up, Decker. Don't you know that?” I curl my lips into a coy smile.
Decker arches a brow. Not sure that he's completely convinced, I tip my chin up toward him. As anticipated, the move captures his attention immediately. Before I can say anything or stop it from happening, he dips his head and brushes his lips against mine, a smile appearing as he shifts back slightly. His hooded gaze roams my face before his hands move to grip my hips and he kisses me again, groaning into my mouth as he does.
While he's doing it, I focus on how Aiden's lips felt on mine in the closet, how his body felt against mine, inside me… That's the only reason I let myself get lost in the moment.
When the kiss finally ends, Decker looks me over, licking his lips as if savoring the taste.
“What was that for?” I ask, raising a brow.
“I saw a chance and took my shot. What can I say, you're irresistible, Quinn. Every man in here wants what I have and after that, now they know they can't have it.”
It takes everything in me not to shudder. This man has caused so much heartache and violence and is suspected to be behind the order of so many deaths, that touching him and especially him touching me makes me feel so dirty I know it’s going to take a lot of showers to feel clean again.
The sooner we can take him down, the better. Maybe we should take Aiden up on his offer?
Channeling my inner ‘Quinn’, I playfully push him away and shake my head, making a tut-tut sound as I do it. “Hey now. Isn’t this supposed to be business?”
His smirk deepens and his expression is anything but apologetic as he slowly moves away, his arms in the air in a 'hands-off' gesture.
There's no missing the way his eyes linger on my body, or that tell-tale look in his eye that I've seen from the start. He may say this is business, but there's nothing professional about his plans for me.
I may have initiated the first kiss, but there's no way Decker will be satisfied with just that. Which means I need to find another way to keep him distracted and away from Aiden until we can take him down for good. One that doesn’t include me touching the man—not if I can help it, anyway.
A little while later, just as new drinks are delivered to our table, I look up to spot Justin walking toward us. His gaze darts from Decker to me then back to his boss.
“Hey,” he says, his voice low and cautious. “We've got a problem.”
“Deal with it,” Decker says dismissively, turning back to me.
Justin winces. “Can’t. It’s the type that needs your attention, not mine.”
Decker curses under his breath. “I'm sorry, Quinn. Duty calls.” He lifts his hand to cup my jaw, brushing the pad of his thumb over the corner of my mouth. “We're going to finish this another time though.”
I tilt my head and arch a brow. “Professional, Decker. Remember?”
“Hmm. If that was you being professional, then damn, I can't wait till you're not.” Before I can react, he leans in and kisses me square on the lips again before moving to his feet.
“I'll get someone to call a car for you, Quinn.”
I’m already shaking my head before he finishes. “I'm OK. I can find my own way--”
“I insist.” He stares at me in a way that I know I can’t get out of this. Not this time. I nod, and after one last lingering look, both men jerk their chins up before walking away.
Justin animatedly updates Decker as they move toward the hallway where Aiden found me, confirming what I suspected, that there's behind-the-scenes access around this whole building. It's probably a rabbit warren of corridors and stairs and secret elevators. It's the only explanation for how Decker gets away with everything we suspect he does through the club.
My mind races with possibilities as to what could warrant Decker's personal attention. Justin is his right-hand man, which must mean the issue is a big one. Hopefully big enough that we can use it to our advantage in future.
First things first, I have to take the car service to Quinn's apartment. Then cover my tracks to get back to mine. Or go to the office.
Whatever is going on tonight, I'm going to try and find out.
* * *
Quinn’s apartment is dark and quiet when I arrive, but something feels off. The hair on the back of my neck prickles and a chill runs down my spine, more so given the fact that I'm not armed right now and my service weapon is in a safe at the top of the bedroom closet.
I slowly make my way through the living room and into the kitchen, flicking on lights as I go. My heart almost stops when I find Barrett sitting on my couch.
“Fuck, you almost gave me a heart attack,” I say, releasing a huge sigh of relief.
“Care to tell me what the fuck you're playing at?”
“What do you mean?” My heartbeat thunders in my ears as I wonder if he knows what happened in the supply closet.
“You accepted a car service provided by Decker James, which means he now knows where you’re staying.”
“He knows where Quinn lives,” I add with a silent sigh of relief.
Barrett stares at me and I feel the intensity of his gaze. “Him knowing where Quinn lives means that this is the only place you can be from now until whenever we close the case and that monster is behind bars.”
My throat thickens but thankfully, all I have to do is nod. It was always a possibility that my cover would deepen if Decker got too close. Just my luck after tonight considering my head is all over the place thanks to Aiden.
“Then there’s the fact you let Aiden fucking Lawrence pull you into a supply closet and almost blow your cover and his? Am I forgetting anything?” he says angrily.
I shake my head. “Aiden wants to help us. Which makes me think he’s onto something or thinks he can help us with this case.”
“Like I’m going to accept the help of the man who almost got me and my wife killed, all because he was pissed off that she chose me instead of him.”
Now that my heart rate has slowed to semi-normal levels, I kick off my shoes and move toward the kitchen, grabbing a beer out of the fridge and holding it up in the air toward my handler. When he takes it from me, I get myself one before opening it. Moments later, I'm folding my knees underneath my ass and sitting on the opposite end of the couch.
The first swig of beer hits the spot just like I knew it would, the cold liquid sliding down my throat and calming my nerves as I return to the subject that has Barrett wound tighter than a spring. “He's a way to get in quicker than I ever could, without me having to compromise myself any further,” I explain.
Barrett takes a long drink from his bottle before leaning forward, resting his arms on his legs, his head dropped low. “Fuck.”
Silence falls between us, and I can tell Barrett's mind is working a mile a minute. Knowing him, he's trying to think of any other way to advance the case without involving the man he might just hate more than Decker James.
He’s right to be worried, but I also know that we need all the help we can get as quickly as possible if we're going to take down Decker and his criminal organization once and for all. And if that means working with Aiden, then so be it.
“It's a risk,” I say, breaking the silence. “But I've known Aiden for over twenty years. He regrets what he did. He's said as much, more than once. This could be his way of redeeming himself. You know he—”
Barrett's narrowed gaze snaps to me. “Did you expect him to throw you under the bus like he did after your history? Did you think he'd break the law?”
I swallow down, my throat tightening. “No. But he made it right again. He amended his statement and took full accountability, saving my career in the process. The fact he managed to leave with his pension intact and without a record is a miracle.” A muscle in his jaw twitches as he reluctantly nods so I forge on. “He did it straight away and he honored my wish to leave me alone. He didn’t reach out at all. And when I saw him last week, that was me initiating it, remember?”
Barrett's gaze softens and I don't want to see it, but I don't miss the pity there too. I hate it. “You're right. That doesn't mean I have to like it. He has and always will be a thorn in my side. You know that, Marlee.”
“Yeah, but you have something he doesn't,” I say, nudging his leg with mine as his lips quirk up to one side.
“Fuck yeah, I do. My family are everything to me.”
“I know that. Just remember, the quicker we bring Decker down, the quicker you can go back to your non-feebie life again and never look back.”
He jerks his chin up and that's all I need to see to know that he's accepting this fate. “Let's not let my involvement in the case be known until it's absolutely necessary. You want Lawrence to help you, then he does it for you. As soon as he knows I'm your handler, all bets are off. OK?”
I nod. The thing is, I didn’t anticipate that Aiden would put his own case and cover at risk with the stunt he pulled tonight. Especially not because he was jealous.
Barrett looks at me, determination etched on his face, and I know he's about to lay down the law. “This is how it's going to be. He acts as our eyes and ears only. He doesn't call the shots and at no stage will I—or you for that matter—trust him completely. Because if it comes down to you or him, I'll have your back 100 percent and he'll be left to the wolves. And just to be clear, if at any stage I suspect he's working against us, he's out.”
I nod, relieved that Barrett is willing to back me. “Agreed.”
“Lastly, and this is important. You and him, that's not going to happen again.” My mouth drops open as I stare not only at my handler but my friend too. “I'm serious, Marlee. Lys and I saw how shattered you were last year, and we don't want to see you like that again. You can’t fall for his shit again. Any man who can do what he did will never be worthy. That's not just because he's Aiden and his history, it's because—”
“I deserve better,” I say, finishing his sentence. I do, he’s not wrong. It’s just that I know the real Aiden and the man he is truly is deep down. I don’t think that will ever change.
“I’m just looking out for you, Marls.”
“Yeah, I know. I'm a big girl though. Some might say I'm a grown woman even,” I reply, wryly.
“Nah, you're still a baby in my eyes.” I flip him off, earning a low chuckle in reply.
Then it’s back to business. “Something happened tonight. Decker had to leave because there was a problem. That's why he insisted on ordering a car to take me home.”
Barrett's back straightens as he gives me his full attention. “Tell me everything and we'll find out exactly what went on. You never know, this might be just the lead we need.”