Sins, Lies & Spies (Black Brothers #2) (15 page)

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

Trinity

After we had left my place, we jogged the pebbled pavement paths of the National Mall until I begged him to stop. We sat on a small black lacquered bench for an hour eating ridiculously fattening pastries, drinking coffee, watching the tourists and joggers, and swapping childhood stories. When we couldn’t ignore reality any longer, we made our way to his office. It didn’t escape my attention that Knox kept glancing over his shoulder the entire morning, most likely checking to see if we were being followed.

“Is your partner going to be here?” I asked as he punched a code into the keypad and pressed his index finger to the screen.

“Probably. He rarely goes home.”

“Why’s that?”

The lock clicked and Knox pushed open the door. “He and his wife don’t get along. He uses work to escape her. I think that’s the reason he pushed us to set up shop in an apartment rather than a traditional office.”

“I heard that,” a voice called from inside.

Knox placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me inside. “If I cared if you heard, I would’ve whispered.”

The studio apartment had one large room with a wall of windows on one side and a small kitchen tucked in the corner on the adjacent wall. A large rectangular table took center stage in the middle of the room. Computers and other tech equipment covered half of the surface.

A man with medium brown hair and similarly colored eyes sat in front of a computer monitor, his legs spread wide. His hair stuck up in every direction, and a least a week’s worth of stubble covered the lower half of his face.

Knox gestured to me. “Jack, this is Trinity Jones.”

Jack pushed away from the desk and stood. He had a bulky muscular build with broad shoulders. “Nice to meet you.” He stuck out his hand and I shook it.

“Likewise,” I said.

Jack turned his attention to Knox. “I didn’t realize you planned to come into the office today.”

Knox tossed a white bag of pastries on the table. “I didn’t, but I wanted to check on those reports from Trinity’s apartment.”

Jack slid a blue file folder across the table. “There’s nothing to see. Everything came back clean. The only fingerprints in the entire apartment were yours and Trinity’s.

Knox flipped open the folder and trailed his finger down a piece of paper. “They must’ve wiped down her entire townhome.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

Knox tossed the folder on the table. “What about the encrypted files from Lang’s computer? Have you had any luck with those?”

Jack’s gaze swept down my body. Anger vibrated from his pores. “I’ll fill you in later.” He cocked his head in my direction and breathed a sigh of irritation. “When she’s not around.”

Knox bent at the waist, his palms flat on the top of the table. “You can talk in front of Trinity.”

My throat tightened, I backpedaled a few steps. “It’s not a big deal. I can wait in the hall.”

Knox straightened and folded his arms across his chest. “It is a big deal. You’re assisting me on the case. Jack knows that.”

“No. I don’t know that.” Jack popped out of his chair, the wheels scraping across the floor. “I don’t know what sort of game you’re playing right now, Knox, but this shit has to stop. You may be the majority owner, but my life is on the line here, too.”

Knox’s eyes glittered. “What are you trying to say?”

“That I don’t trust her, and the last time we talked, you didn’t trust her either. Dammit, Knox.” He banged his hand on the table and released a sharp breath. “Just because you’re fucking her doesn’t mean she’s not going to shove a knife in your back the second you’re not looking.”

Wow. This guy was a jackass. “Look.” I held up my hands and took a few steps back. “I’m not getting in the middle of this.”

“No.” Knox clamped his hand around my wrist, but he didn’t break eye contact with Jack. “You’re not going anywhere. Jack, apologize to Trinity.”

“I’m not going to apologize. I’m your partner. She’s just some chick you’re using to get information to crack this case. The exact same case that I didn’t want anything to do with six months ago, but no.” Jack waved his arms wildly in the air. “You overruled me, and now we have Miles Knightly crawling up our asses, and you’re defending some woman with a murky as hell background. What next?”

Anger pulsed through my veins and I yanked my wrist out of his hold. I didn’t know who I wanted to hit first—Knox or Jack. “What the hell, Knox? You’re using me? That’s what you told him? Is that what this is about?”

Shaking his head, he reached for me again, but I swatted his hand away.

“Listen, Trinity.” He shoved his hands through his hair. “There’s nothing nefarious going on. I never misled you. I told you exactly—”

I couldn’t do this right now, especially not with Jack in the peanut gallery. I needed space. I needed air. I needed to think. I felt like I was on a never-ending merry-go-round ride.

“You know what?” I swallowed, but my throat was too dry to complete the motion. “I don’t want to hear your fumbling explanations and I don’t want his apology. He’s entitled to his opinion, but just for the record,” I said, pointing my finger at Jack, and then Knox. “I have a lot more at stake than either one of you. I’m the one with the dead cat and the trashed townhome. In fact, since I met Knox, my life has imploded. I should be questioning whether I should trust both of you, not the other way around.” I inhaled through my nose as I shook my head. Instead of calming me, it was like throwing gasoline on a campfire. “So screw you. Screw both of you. I don’t need this, and I sure as hell don’t need either of you to figure this out. You two can sit in here and play footsie and whisper secrets. I’m done.”

Pivoting on my heel, I stormed out, so mad I thought flames had to be shooting out of my eyes. I rushed past the elevator to the fire exit door. I flung open the heavy gray-hued door and it crashed into the concrete wall with a satisfying thud. The slapping of my sneakers against the metal stairs competed for attention with the loud drumming of my heart.

Grabbing the tubular railing, I whipped my body around the landing like a slingshot. One more flight of stairs and I reached out for the door handle leading away from Knox and his asshole partner. Just as I cracked the seal of the door, strong arms circled my waist. I hadn’t even realized he followed me. The sound of our lungs sucking in air filled the dimly lit stairwell. Seconds passed. Weighted. Heavy. Then I snapped.

“Get your hands off me,” I said through gritted teeth. I dug my fingernails into his forearms and donkey kicked backward, hitting him in the shin.

“Dammit, Trinity. Just calm down for a second.”

“Calm down?” I screamed. “Are you serious right now? You want me to calm down when my life is coming apart at the seams and I just found out the one person I thought I could trust was using me?” I dragged the palm of my hand down the side of my face. “Sorry. That’s not happening.”

Months of self-defense training wasted, he grabbed my wrists and locked them in one hand behind my back, easily overpowering me.

His teeth scraped along my earlobe. “I’m sorry about what happened in there. Jack was being an ass. I should’ve talked to him before I brought you here. I should’ve explained what was going on.”

I shouldn’t be so angry. Knox hadn’t made a single promise to me about the future. In fact, he hadn’t once brought up the subject of what might happen once this case ended. Stupidly, I deliberately steered clear of the topic of us, not wanting to come across as too pushy or needy.

I leaned my forehead against the door. “Are you using me? Is that what this is about? Is that why you’re letting me stay at your house, sleep in your bed, and…and…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish that thought because if he used sex as a tool to persuade me to help him, I’d lose my mind.

I’d done a lot of dumb things in my life like trusting Miles, moving to D.C. with no job and less than a hundred dollars in my pocket, but I couldn’t forgive myself for falling for Knox if I was nothing more than a pawn to him.

He spun me around, his deep blue eyes stormy. “I haven’t lied to you. I told you I wanted to make Miles jealous so he’d pursue you. We discussed this. You agreed to help me get information. I don’t understand why you’re mad.”

I shoved my hands between our bodies and tried to push him away. He didn’t budge. “You’re right. I agreed to your plan, but I thought we’d moved beyond that. I thought we were…” My stomach plummeted as the memory of encountering that woman waiting for Knox outside his door floated through my mind. She wanted more, too. He said he couldn’t give her more. I slapped a hand over my mouth to stop myself from saying anything further. I’d embarrassed myself enough already.

His eyes softened and he pulled my hand away from mouth. He pressed his lips against mine, but it was too much. I turned my head to the side and squeezed my eyes shut. Maybe he’d take pity on me and leave me alone.

He framed my face with his hands, and I reluctantly pried my eyes open. “I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong.” He leaned his forehead against mine and groaned. “I care about you. I respect you.”

A sharp pain sliced through me. As stupid as it seemed, I believed him. My heart told me he would never intentionally hurt me, but I wanted more than respect from him. I wanted his heart because I had a sneaking suspicion he was well on the way to claiming mine.

I jammed my hands into my pockets, so many thoughts on the tip of my tongue, but I feared if I opened my mouth I’d cry, and I refused to cry in front of him. I had too much pride for that, and I sure as hell wouldn’t scream or beg him for more than he wanted to give me. After all, I was a big girl, which meant I had to take responsibility for my actions. Leslie had warned me not to push the boundaries of my professional relationship with Knox, but I did it anyway.

“Are you going to say anything?” he asked, staring at me with a look so intense that goose bumps showered my arms.

I shrugged, hoping if I feigned indifference, he’d walk away. I was at the end of my rope, and the sooner he walked away, the sooner I could freak out. “There’s nothing to say. We made a deal, and I got caught up in the fantasy of us. I misinterpreted your actions.” I pressed a hand to my breastbone, trying to will away the growing ache. “At this point, I think it’d be best to make a clean break and part ways. I don’t feel comfortable with this anymore.”

“No.” His voice cracked like a whip rushing through the air and his blue eyes blazed with anger.

I cocked my chin to the side. “No? What do you mean, no?”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SEVEN

Knox

I took a deep breath, searching her angry eyes, darker now than they had ever been, and I was fucking tongue-tied. I shoved my hand into my hair, tugging at the roots like a deranged lunatic. I didn’t have any experience coaxing a woman to stay in my life. I never cared enough to bother. As a rule, I kept my relationships with women casual, uncommitted and uncomplicated. I didn’t censor my comments or consider how my actions would affect a woman because I never wanted a future with any of them, so nothing I said or did mattered in the grand scheme of things.

But Trinity had crashed into my life and here I was—chasing her down the stairs with a hundred half-baked apologies on the tip of my tongue, my heart thumping erratically inside of my chest from something other than exertion.

Logically, I should’ve let her walk away. We already had too much baggage and we’d only met a month ago. And we’d only been together for the last two weeks of that. Wanting her the way I did considering everything going on in our lives seemed crazy. But that hadn’t stopped me from rearranging my entire life to make room for her.

I moved her into my house.

I just punched Jack, my fucking best friend and partner, in the face.

I introduced her to my brother.

I made nice with her friend who wanted to rip my dick off the moment she met me.

I did all of that because I wasn’t ready to say good-bye to her. It felt wrong. I liked waking up next to her in the morning. In fact, I wouldn’t mind seeing her face every morning. In other words, I could see myself keeping her around for the long haul and have the fucking white picket fence and two-point-five kids with her—and that was impossible. I wasn’t cut out for that life. My mom had systematically destroyed my belief in other people and love, but I sure as hell could delay the inevitable as long as she’d let me.

I closed my eyes for a second, gathering my thoughts. “It wasn’t just about Miles and using you to get information. When I told you I wanted you from the minute I saw you, I was telling the truth. That hasn’t changed. I turned my life inside out to fit you into it. I didn’t need you to puzzle together the pieces connecting Miles, Benton, and Lang. I used it as an excuse to get what I wanted.”

“And what’s that?” Her words echoed off the concrete walls.

“You.” I slid the pads of my fingers over her pouting lips.

Her eyes softened and she nodded. “What now? Where does this leave us?”

“That depends on you,” I said quietly.

“On me?”

I smiled. “Yeah. What do you want?”

She stared at me for a beat, reluctance etched into her face, then she took a heavy breath. “I want to explore this. Whatever it is,” she admitted. “But—”

Not wanting to hear her objections, I kissed her, but it was so much more than a kiss. Every little thing felt more significant and more unforgettable with her. Did she feel the same or was I the only one so wrapped up in us that I couldn’t imagine a future without her?

A familiar sensation hummed through my body and every one of my senses zeroed in on her.

Her lemon scent.

Her pouty lower lip.

The delicate curves of her waist.

The way her curves molded against my body.

I groaned. Everything about her fit me perfectly, almost as if she were created for me and me alone.

My hands moved to her waist and I shoved her running pants down her legs. This stairway was seldom used. Even if it had been highly trafficked, I probably wouldn’t have cared. She kicked her pants to the side, and I didn’t waste a second. My fingers sought and found her wet heat, sliding, teasing and circling. Pleading noises tumbled from her mouth, and she clawed at my pants, jerking them over my hips.

She looked beautiful. Her neck was arched. Her dark hair tumbled down her back in waves. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes glowed. Her lips were parted. I wished I could transport us back to my apartment so I had time to explore every inch of her.

I yanked up her shirt and pulled one pink nipple into my mouth, then the other. She swayed and I lifted her, wedging my hips between her long legs. My hands easily spanned her waist, making me realize how incredibly small she was compared to me. I leveraged her weight against the door. Her hands curled around the back of my neck.

My brain told me this was the wrong time. The wrong place. The wrong choice, but damn, everything about Trinity felt so right. I was slipping past the point of no return. Maybe I already had.

Somehow, without even trying, she made me break all my rules, but I didn’t care. I wanted to be under her skin, in her heart and in her thoughts. I wanted her to think of me when she closed her eyes at night. I was ready to give her everything.

I aligned my cock with her entrance. “Is this okay?” I whispered next to her ear.

“Yes,” she groaned. “I want you.”

I didn’t wait for clarification. I fused my mouth to hers as I slid inside her, drinking every one of her sexy little moans like a fine glass of wine. I moved in and out, the door rattling with every thrust, announcing what we were doing to anyone nearby. The noise should’ve compelled me to stop this insanity. My life, my profile, and my job demanded discretion. Right then, I didn’t care.

“Every time, Trinity. Every fucking time,” I murmured next to her ear.

The pads of my fingers dug into her hips, gripping tight, and I moved a little harder, a little quicker, like we were on a race to the finish line. With her back leveraged against the door, she met me thrust for thrust. Fleetingly, I worried I was being too rough, but her shuddering breaths and incoherent pleas told me otherwise.

Her movements turned jerky and a little frantic, and fuck if I didn’t feel a little out of control too. Being with her was raw and honest, and every time I touched her, I fell further under her spell. My arms shook with exertion. My legs burned like the fires of hell. My heart pounded. Sweat dripped down the side of my face.

All too soon, her inner muscles clamped around me. My name tore from her lips and she tossed her head back, exposing the long line of her throat.

I dragged my nose up her neck. “You make me lose my mind, every fucking time,” I growled.

Her eyes fluttered open, dilated and dreamy. This woman…

Pleasure snaked down my spine and I cursed under my breath. I couldn’t hold on any longer. She felt too good. She smelled too good. One more flex of my hips, and I spiraled over the edge of reason.

Our breaths echoing off the concrete walls, I leaned my forehead against hers for a second. The scent of sex filled the air. When I could move, I released her legs and slipped out of her.

I pushed the loose strands of hair away from her face. She caught my wrist and brought it to her lips. “I’m sorry about that. Normally, stairwells aren’t my style.”

She laughed as she pulled her pants up her long legs. The sound was low, husky, sexy. It made me want her again.

“It’s a first for me, too,” she said, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

“Are we okay? I’ve never been in a real relationship, but I’m trying.”

“Yeah. We’re good. I’m sorry I ran away like that. I’m just—”

My phone rang in my pocket, the sound amplifying in the tight space. I yanked my pants over my hips. “I need to get that. It’s Jack’s ringtone. He’s probably wondering what happened to me.”

She sucked her lower lip into her mouth and averted her gaze.

“Hey,” I whispered, framing her face with my hands. “Don’t worry about Jack. I’ll take care of him. He isn’t normally so confrontational.”

She raised her eyebrows. “I won’t take that shit from him again.”

“Noted.” I reached into my pocket to retrieve my phone. “What’s going on?” I said.

“Are you still around?” Jack asked, his words clipped.

I traced the collar of Trinity’s shirt with my finger. Her answering smile was tentative and sweet. “Yeah.”

“Well, get your ass back in here. I just hit the mother lode.”

I snapped my hand away from her and rubbed it down the side of my face. “What are you talking about?”

“I figured out how to open the encrypted files. God, you aren’t going to believe the crazy stuff he kept on his computer. Either he wanted to get caught or he is dumb as fuck.”

My heart rate skyrocketed. “We’ll be there in a minute, but you need to cut the bullshit with Trinity. I trust her.”

“Why are you pushing this? Why do you care about her?” he asked. “We have everything we need. We don’t need her. Cut the ties.”

“No,” I barked, my gaze colliding with hers.

“Oh, shit,” he muttered. “You can’t be serious. Please tell me she’s not under your skin. Please tell me you’re not in love with this woman.”

I sighed. I wasn’t having this conversation right now. I couldn’t explain my feelings for Trinity. I wanted to be around her. I wanted to touch her, talk to her. I craved her, but I didn’t know what any of it meant.

“When have I ever steered you wrong? You know me. You know I don’t take unnecessary risks.” I squeezed Trinity’s arm. “I trust Trinity with my life.”

“Fine.” He blew out a breath. “If you trust her, I’ll go along with this. For now, but I’m keeping my eyes open. You’re more than my partner. You’re my best friend. You’ve stood by me through all this shit with my wife and respected my choices. I’ll do the same for you.”

“Thanks, man. We’ll be up in a couple of minutes.” I disconnected the phone and threaded my fingers through hers. “We have to go back in there. Jack opened Lang’s encrypted files.”

Trinity cleared her throat. “I gathered that.”

My mouth pulled wide, unable to take my eyes off her bee-stung lips. “This is a good thing. It could be the break we need.”

The tight lines between her eyebrows softened. “Okay, let’s do this, but if he’s a jerk—”

I kissed her forehead. “You have my permission to kick him in the balls,” I deadpanned.