Read Online Gina Takes Bangkok (The Femme Vendettas) by S. M. Stelmack - Free Book Online
Authors: S. M. Stelmack
Ads: Link
second we walked in.”
Gina leaned against a wall of corrugated metal to steady herself. “You don’t know that.”
“I saw him do it. You might have too if you hadn’t been so busy chatting.”
“I got useful information out of them and you know it,” she protested, holding up her hand with the web address written on it. “You didn’t have to kill them.”
“Can you walk?” he asked, pointedly ignoring her rebuttal.
She was dizzy and wobbly and ready to do a face-plant into the muck. “Of course I can.”
She straightened and started off. She staggered, stopped, staggered on.
“We don’t have time for this,” Kannon growled. He scooped her into his powerful arms as if she weighed nothing, and strode on, leading their motley crew out of the slums. Gina rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, because the way she was feeling, she’d end up barfing on his suit.
“Kannon?”
“What?”
“Who the hell wears a suit to the slums?”
“I’m on the job.”
“And you always wear a suit on the job?”
“Yes.”
“Why a suit?”
The arms about her tightened. “It commands respect. Besides, I’ve got a lot of them. Don’t want to ruin my good clothes.”
She opened one eye. His jaw was rigid, his gaze straight ahead. “What do you consider ‘good clothes’?”
“Why are we talking?”
“Because you hurt me, and payback is you get to distract me from my pain.”
“Payback is I’ve got to haul you back to the boat.”
“That, too.”
He made a grumping noise. She snuggled against him, figuring it was easier to carry a load close than farther away, and because even if she verged on losing her cookies, he felt awesome. She slipped her hand under his jacket to the hard muscles of his upper pecs, and brought her lips against his neck. “Maybe you could distract me other ways.”
“I thought you were dizzy.”
“Not if I keep my eyes shut. Lots of things I can do by touch.” To demonstrate she slid her tongue along the tendon in his neck.
He sucked in his breath. “Cut it out.”
“Why? Because you’re on the job?”
“Yes.”
“So you admit that you find me distracting?”
“Like a monkey.”
Stock it up to the pain, or to an evening dealing with the worst kind of scum in the worst part of the city, but Gina decided to call him on this one. She slid her hand from his chest and began to unbutton his shirt.
“I told you, cut it out, or I’ll throw you over my shoulder and take you back that way.”
“Aren’t you in enough trouble with my old man as it is?”
“It’ll be worth it.”
“Uh-huh. How about I play nice if you just admit that you think I’m hot?”
There was a deep volcanic rumbling from Kannon that finally erupted with, “A Hawaiian shirt and a pair of cargo shorts.”
She paused her work on the buttons to take that in. “Those are your good clothes?”
“Yes. Now do up my shirt.”
She thought to negotiate when there was a sudden scuffling from behind them. Kannon spun around, and Gina sprung her eyes open in time to see Jarun sprint off into the darkness. Ryota, who’d been herding the children, cursed and drew his gun. There was nothing to aim at. Jarun had vanished.
Ryota moved to pursue. Kannon stopped him. “Let him go. He knows these slums. You don’t.”
Reluctantly Ryota obeyed.
“I told you to keep an eye on him while I carried Gina,” Kannon ground out. “Now he’s gone.”
Ryota bowed. “I’m sorry.”
“If we were still Yakuza, one of your fingers would be shorter. Better hope your mistake doesn’t put Tasanee at risk.”
Ryota’s shoulders slumped as the group trudged on.
“How did you know Ryota has a crush on Tasanee?” she whispered.
He readjusted her in his arms, not very gently at all. “I have a daughter. I know the look.”
His jostling and Jarun’s escape was doing a number on her, and she quickly closed her eyes. In the comfort of near unconsciousness, she murmured, “You think my
Gina leaned against a wall of corrugated metal to steady herself. “You don’t know that.”
“I saw him do it. You might have too if you hadn’t been so busy chatting.”
“I got useful information out of them and you know it,” she protested, holding up her hand with the web address written on it. “You didn’t have to kill them.”
“Can you walk?” he asked, pointedly ignoring her rebuttal.
She was dizzy and wobbly and ready to do a face-plant into the muck. “Of course I can.”
She straightened and started off. She staggered, stopped, staggered on.
“We don’t have time for this,” Kannon growled. He scooped her into his powerful arms as if she weighed nothing, and strode on, leading their motley crew out of the slums. Gina rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, because the way she was feeling, she’d end up barfing on his suit.
“Kannon?”
“What?”
“Who the hell wears a suit to the slums?”
“I’m on the job.”
“And you always wear a suit on the job?”
“Yes.”
“Why a suit?”
The arms about her tightened. “It commands respect. Besides, I’ve got a lot of them. Don’t want to ruin my good clothes.”
She opened one eye. His jaw was rigid, his gaze straight ahead. “What do you consider ‘good clothes’?”
“Why are we talking?”
“Because you hurt me, and payback is you get to distract me from my pain.”
“Payback is I’ve got to haul you back to the boat.”
“That, too.”
He made a grumping noise. She snuggled against him, figuring it was easier to carry a load close than farther away, and because even if she verged on losing her cookies, he felt awesome. She slipped her hand under his jacket to the hard muscles of his upper pecs, and brought her lips against his neck. “Maybe you could distract me other ways.”
“I thought you were dizzy.”
“Not if I keep my eyes shut. Lots of things I can do by touch.” To demonstrate she slid her tongue along the tendon in his neck.
He sucked in his breath. “Cut it out.”
“Why? Because you’re on the job?”
“Yes.”
“So you admit that you find me distracting?”
“Like a monkey.”
Stock it up to the pain, or to an evening dealing with the worst kind of scum in the worst part of the city, but Gina decided to call him on this one. She slid her hand from his chest and began to unbutton his shirt.
“I told you, cut it out, or I’ll throw you over my shoulder and take you back that way.”
“Aren’t you in enough trouble with my old man as it is?”
“It’ll be worth it.”
“Uh-huh. How about I play nice if you just admit that you think I’m hot?”
There was a deep volcanic rumbling from Kannon that finally erupted with, “A Hawaiian shirt and a pair of cargo shorts.”
She paused her work on the buttons to take that in. “Those are your good clothes?”
“Yes. Now do up my shirt.”
She thought to negotiate when there was a sudden scuffling from behind them. Kannon spun around, and Gina sprung her eyes open in time to see Jarun sprint off into the darkness. Ryota, who’d been herding the children, cursed and drew his gun. There was nothing to aim at. Jarun had vanished.
Ryota moved to pursue. Kannon stopped him. “Let him go. He knows these slums. You don’t.”
Reluctantly Ryota obeyed.
“I told you to keep an eye on him while I carried Gina,” Kannon ground out. “Now he’s gone.”
Ryota bowed. “I’m sorry.”
“If we were still Yakuza, one of your fingers would be shorter. Better hope your mistake doesn’t put Tasanee at risk.”
Ryota’s shoulders slumped as the group trudged on.
“How did you know Ryota has a crush on Tasanee?” she whispered.
He readjusted her in his arms, not very gently at all. “I have a daughter. I know the look.”
His jostling and Jarun’s escape was doing a number on her, and she quickly closed her eyes. In the comfort of near unconsciousness, she murmured, “You think my
Similar Books
