Chapter 7 - A Shadow in the Rain
"He isn't just preparing a strike," Penelope said, her voice steady despite the terrifying reality of the data. "He’s already brokered a distribution treaty with the Santos cartel. The funding begins clearing tomorrow at midnight. If those funds finalize, his faction will have more firepower than your personal security detail."
Larkin stared at the screen, then looked down at Penelope. Her dark eyes reflected the blue light of the monitors. She was surrounded by danger that would make hardened soldiers flee, yet she sat there, analyzing the battlefield like a seasoned general.
"You should have run," Larkin said softly, reaching out. His knuckles gently grazed her cheekbone, a gesture so unexpectedly tender that Penelope's breath caught in her throat. "The moment you saw this, you should have taken your savings and disappeared to another country."
"I don't run from people who make bad investments," Penelope replied, her voice trembling slightly under his touch. "And Thomas is a very bad investment."
Larkin leaned in closer, his thumb tracing the curve of her lower lip. "Why did you stay, Penelope? For the salary?"
"At first," she whispered, her heart hammering against her chest. "Then I realized that without me, you’d let wolves like Thomas eat you alive from the inside out."
A dark, intoxicating smile touched Larkin’s lips. "Is that concern, Miss Woods?"
"It's risk management, Mr. Steves."
Larkin couldn't stop himself. He closed the remaining distance and captured her lips with a fierce, possessive hunger that had been building for weeks. Penelope let out a soft gasp against his mouth, her hands gripping the lapels of his shirt, pulling him closer.
The kiss was raw, dangerous, and electric. Outside, rain hammered against the glass facade of the skyscraper, but inside the office, the world narrowed down to the heat between their bodies.
When Larkin finally pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, his eyes were blazing. "Tomorrow night, we shut down Pier 9. But you are going home under 24-hour guard."
May you like
"No," Penelope said firmly, catching his wrist. "Thomas uses a multi-layered biometric financial protocol. You need me on-site with the bypass codes, or the servers will auto-wipe and you'll have no legal or physical proof of his treason. I am coming with you."
Larkin looked at her, seeing the unwavering steel in her gaze. He knew he couldn't stop her. "Then you stay behind me at all times."
