content, her eyes closed and her lips slightly parted. His dick grew hard just looking at her. He ground his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to strip his pants off and drive into her, but now was not the time for several reasons.
The most important being that he didn’t want to be her regret.
Her stomach growled and a smile tugged at his lips. That was the more immediate reason. When was the last time they ate?
She blushed. “Sorry. I guess I’m hungry.”
As much as he hated to do it, he disentangled himself from her and retrieved his shirt from the floor.
She pulled the covers up to her neck, her eyes wide. “Where are you going?”
He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair away from her face with his fingers. “We need food. And a burner phone.”
“I’ll go with you.”
He shook his head. “You’ll be safer here. Keep the door locked. I’ll be back in half an hour.”
She snaked her arm around his neck, pulling his lips to hers. “Hurry back.”
He stood and put the two guns in the nightstand drawer, making sure she saw them. She paled a little, but nodded. He hoped it didn’t come to that, but no way in hell was he leaving her without a way to defend herself. He’d never relied on a gun for protection before—his fists were usually enough—but Natalie wouldn’t stand a chance against an intruder without a weapon.
He hustled down the street to the convenience store to load up on food they could carry with them. Having to venture out of hiding for sustenance would be a stupid reason to put themselves in danger. For once luck was on his side as the store carried a meager selection of burner phones. He grabbed the cheapest model.
“Such a nice day today, isn’t it?” the clerk said brightly as she rung up his purchases. Knox nodded, not wanting to make small talk, but she was relentless. “I hope the sun stays out long enough for me to take my dogs for a walk this evening. The poor things have been so cooped up since I’ve been pulling double shifts. Do you have dogs?”
“No.” Christ, the woman wouldn’t shut up.
“They’re great companions. Man’s best friend, you know? Or in this case, woman’s best friend.” She chuckled and handed him his bag. Knox took it and strode toward the exit.
“Sir! Sir! Your receipt!”
“Keep it,” he said over his shoulder and pushed his way out of the store. Fuck. He missed the south side, where people kept their heads down and their mouths shut.
Knox stole away into the alley next to the burger joint that was across the street from the hotel, where he could keep an eye on the front entrance. He had to dial from memory since all his contacts were in his abandoned phone. It took him three tries to get the number right.
“Tony, it’s Knox.”
The background noise faded, signaling Tony must have walked away from the other guys.
“Knox, what the fuck, man? Where are you? X has all his men looking for you. Did you really beat the shit out of him?”
Knox ignored the questions. “Do you have any useful information?”
“Ah, shit. Yeah. Some of X’s guys were hanging around talking about X going uptown to meet with a guy named Kent. Something about a missing woman.”
Fuck.
Kent and X were bad enough when they were separate. He didn’t know what their meeting would mean for him and Natalie, but it couldn’t be good.
Tony chuckled nervously. “You didn’t kidnap her, did you?”
“Is that all?”
“You should know there’s a price on your head.”
“How much?”
“Quarter mil.”
Knox whistled softly. X must be really pissed that his heir apparent had turned on him.
Fuck him.
Knox had told him time and time again that he wanted nothing to do with X’s business dealings. Once upon a time, he would have been more than happy to take over X’s empire, back when he still looked up to X as a father figure.
Those days were long gone.
Damn.
Now he’d really have to watch his back. Everyone on the south side would
The most important being that he didn’t want to be her regret.
Her stomach growled and a smile tugged at his lips. That was the more immediate reason. When was the last time they ate?
She blushed. “Sorry. I guess I’m hungry.”
As much as he hated to do it, he disentangled himself from her and retrieved his shirt from the floor.
She pulled the covers up to her neck, her eyes wide. “Where are you going?”
He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair away from her face with his fingers. “We need food. And a burner phone.”
“I’ll go with you.”
He shook his head. “You’ll be safer here. Keep the door locked. I’ll be back in half an hour.”
She snaked her arm around his neck, pulling his lips to hers. “Hurry back.”
He stood and put the two guns in the nightstand drawer, making sure she saw them. She paled a little, but nodded. He hoped it didn’t come to that, but no way in hell was he leaving her without a way to defend herself. He’d never relied on a gun for protection before—his fists were usually enough—but Natalie wouldn’t stand a chance against an intruder without a weapon.
He hustled down the street to the convenience store to load up on food they could carry with them. Having to venture out of hiding for sustenance would be a stupid reason to put themselves in danger. For once luck was on his side as the store carried a meager selection of burner phones. He grabbed the cheapest model.
“Such a nice day today, isn’t it?” the clerk said brightly as she rung up his purchases. Knox nodded, not wanting to make small talk, but she was relentless. “I hope the sun stays out long enough for me to take my dogs for a walk this evening. The poor things have been so cooped up since I’ve been pulling double shifts. Do you have dogs?”
“No.” Christ, the woman wouldn’t shut up.
“They’re great companions. Man’s best friend, you know? Or in this case, woman’s best friend.” She chuckled and handed him his bag. Knox took it and strode toward the exit.
“Sir! Sir! Your receipt!”
“Keep it,” he said over his shoulder and pushed his way out of the store. Fuck. He missed the south side, where people kept their heads down and their mouths shut.
Knox stole away into the alley next to the burger joint that was across the street from the hotel, where he could keep an eye on the front entrance. He had to dial from memory since all his contacts were in his abandoned phone. It took him three tries to get the number right.
“Tony, it’s Knox.”
The background noise faded, signaling Tony must have walked away from the other guys.
“Knox, what the fuck, man? Where are you? X has all his men looking for you. Did you really beat the shit out of him?”
Knox ignored the questions. “Do you have any useful information?”
“Ah, shit. Yeah. Some of X’s guys were hanging around talking about X going uptown to meet with a guy named Kent. Something about a missing woman.”
Fuck.
Kent and X were bad enough when they were separate. He didn’t know what their meeting would mean for him and Natalie, but it couldn’t be good.
Tony chuckled nervously. “You didn’t kidnap her, did you?”
“Is that all?”
“You should know there’s a price on your head.”
“How much?”
“Quarter mil.”
Knox whistled softly. X must be really pissed that his heir apparent had turned on him.
Fuck him.
Knox had told him time and time again that he wanted nothing to do with X’s business dealings. Once upon a time, he would have been more than happy to take over X’s empire, back when he still looked up to X as a father figure.
Those days were long gone.
Damn.
Now he’d really have to watch his back. Everyone on the south side would
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