Free Dirty Money (Bad Money #2) by Ali Parker Page A

toward him and looked up, his lips so close to hers. She hated that Jon was in the room with them. Marcus could swallow just about anything, but the haunted way Jon stared at her left her feeling hallow and tired all of a sudden.
    "Stop toying with everyone and get this shit over with." She slid her fingers along his jaw and pulled him toward her, kissing him softly. The shifting behind her left her no doubt that Marcus or Jon had moved from the couch. Neither of them would appreciate her changing teams, and she never would, but Victor expected obedience. If it would be the thing that freed Jon... She was willing to give it.
    "Good girl," he whispered softly and kissed her again, his tongue pressing into her mouth. She sucked on it hard to simply warn him as to whom he was dealing with. He turned her toward him as his fingers slid into her hair and he lifted her face to his, licking at his mouth. "So wickedly beautiful."
    He turned to look back into the room as Kate watched him, memorizing the laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. He was sensual and dark, but at one time he had only been a man. Someone had broken his heart or stolen his dreams. His eyes were soulless and his greed unbound. She could see herself heading quickly to becoming exactly the lost soul that he was.
    "Isn't she? How did we get so lucky to have the most beautiful woman in all of New Orleans as ours?" He smiled and turned back toward her. "You are ours aren't you?"
    "Yours," Kate spoke loudly and moved back from him, pouring the drink and hoping like hell that Jon would be gone once she turned back. She could explain herself to Marcus later, but never to Jon. He needed to believe the worst and run from her like hell was chasing after him.
    Victor chuckled and moved away from her. "Mine. Of course. I'm sorry, my dear."
    Kate lifted her drink to her lips and turned. Jon was standing in front of the fireplace, his glass empty and his eyes filled with hate. Who it was directed to wasn't relevant. They would part ways shortly and never be anything more than strangers again. This new future would take them in opposite directions and she couldn't be more content over it. It was the best way to give her true apology to Adam - saving his brother would do just that.
    Marcus moved back in his seat and ran his tongue over his lips before sucking the bottom one into his mouth. His eyes were full of questions, but he didn't utter one of them.
    "So I'll have my assistant work on the flights and hotel rooms and such. Marcus you reach out to your contacts on the west coast to see who might want to try out a new product that we'll be ushering in. It's a new form of ecstasy. Kate loves it."
    "Is it really necessary that I'm here for this?" Jon moved from the fireplace and walked toward the liquor counter, setting his empty drink down and walking toward the door without glancing back.
    "You leave when I tell you to leave. Otherwise... you stay - forever."
    "Jon, sit down and shut the fuck up, dude. You have an hour at best and then you're out," Marcus growled softly at the cop as Kate moved back toward the couch.
    Victor reached up and took her hand, pulling her carefully to sit in his lap.
    What choice did she have but to beckon to the bastard? A deal was a deal and she wasn't coming this far to have it blow up in her face. She sat on his lap, crossing her legs and taking a sip of her drink while she stared at the fire.
    "Make it quick. I buried my brother thanks to you today. I'm ready to get the fuck out of here." Jon moved to the couch and dropped down, his eyes moving toward Kate.
    She held his stare, unwilling to let him or anyone else see any of the hard emotions that played just below the surface of her facade. Victor wanted her as a show of power more than anything else. She would turn the tables on him soon enough, but part of making that happen would be to draw him in deeply.
    He moved forward, wrapping his arms around her and sliding his hands along her thighs.