Page 25 of Lawless Deception
I pull up next to her as she stands there looking for a button to open the gates, but she won’t find one. I wind down the window and push the gate fob in my pocket as she turns to me.
“Oh, hell no,” she says, waving her hand and shaking her head.
“Come on, Rox.” I step out of the car and walk to the passenger side. “I’ll even let you drive,” I say, giving her a wink. The fact I’m offering to let her drive her own car amuses me, and her too given the half smile she tries to hide.
“This is bullshit, Zak. Bullshit.” She climbs behind the wheel, pulling her seatbelt across her body and snapping it into place before driving out onto the main road.
She’s quiet and clearly on edge as we drive into town, and I allow her the time knowing this must be hard for her.
She parks just outside Oxford Circus, and we walk down to Oxford Street, weaving in and out of the Sunday morning crowds, which are mainly tourists.
I’m not surprised she picked here, knowing that it’s a neutral territory when it comes to gangs and most crime here is from opportunist pickpockets.
I hang back while she flits in and out of shops, purchasing items as though she’s reading from a list. When she slips inside the next shop, I almost groan.
Stepping inside behind her, the assistant approaches her instantly and asking if she requires any help, Rox shakes her head and walks away. As I go to follow, the assistant asks me the same thing, her eyes taking me in from head to toe, and I hear the double meaning behind her question and see the desire in her eyes.
I walk away without replying and catch up to Rox as she scans through a rail of matching bra and knicker sets, picking a few before moving on to nightwear.
When she picks a couple and heads to the changing room, I come up with some inventive ways to murder Maddox for this.
My suit trousers are suddenly feeling very fucking tight as she hands me the underwear to hold while she tries sexy as fuck negligees on behind a flimsy curtain.
While I wait, I take a look in the sex toys section. It does fuck all to ease the uncomfortable situation going on in my trousers, and when Rox sidles up beside me, taking back the underwear she handed me, and picks up a box containing a small three-pronged clitoral vibrator and a rose-gold bullet, I fucking growl.
“Did you just growl?” she asks, with a cocked brow and a smirk.
Stepping into her and leaning down, I whisper, “Fuck, yeah, I did, Rox. Are you trying to fucking kill me? I know you’re pissed with us, but this is plain torture.”
“A girl needs a little relief every now and again. This is only scraping the surface of what I had in my collection before my house burned to the ground, Zak.”
I push against her back, forcing her forward until she’s flat against the wall. “You know, I have my own collection.” I grind my hips, making sure she feels how turned on I am, then spin away from her, leaving her breathless.
I wait outside for her, sending a message to Maddox telling him what an arsehole he is. His reply consists of the middle finger emoji.
When she finally emerges, she looks flushed, and my mind conjures an image of her back in the changing room pleasuring herself. Fuck! I need to get my shit together. I’m certain Maddox didn’t have this in mind when he sent me after her. Or maybe he did as payback for the shit that went down between them last night.
With my hand at her back, I begin leading her away. “Is there anything else you need?” Before she can reply, a guy walking past knocks into her, causing her to drop her bags.
“Watch it, arsehole” I call after him, and he turns to face me, recognition flaring as he swipes a hand across his neck with a laugh before disappearing into the crowd. “Shit,” I mutter, bending to help Rox pick up her bags. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” I say, hurrying Rox back down the street to where her car is parked, and scanning the crowd as we go.
“Zak, hold up, I still need some things. What’s the rush?”
“Whatever else you need, I’ll get for you.”
“No, Zak—” she begins, but I cut her off, pulling on her arm and causing her to come to a stop.
“Look around you, Rox. What do you see?” I watch as she turns her eyes to the people passing by, the groups on the corners chatting to each other or on their phones, then I see the moment she spots them.
Nestled among the crowds are several members of Bonner’s crew, distinctive due to the blue bandannas hanging from their back left pockets. As if they know we are watching them, their gazes seek us out.
“What the hell are they doing here?” she asks, looking back to me.
“Let’s not hang around to find out.” I take half the bags from her hands, slipping my free hand into hers, and head for the car.
Back at the house, I set Rox up with my laptop so she can order whatever we didn’t manage to get in town, and I head to the office to call Maddox.
When he doesn’t answer, I decide to pay our other guest a visit. I check that Rox is busy before disappearing downstairs.