“Wait, how do you know I have that?”
“Because Marcus told me. He knows the kind of gun you’ve been using, and he’s connecting the dots as we speak. You have to be careful,” Adrian said, and she understood his urgency to speak to her.
“I’m not going to stop, if that’s what you’re thinking. If Marcus is figuring stuff out, then let him have his moment of glory. It won’t last.” Riley could see the flash of fear in Adrian’s eyes.
“Please don’t tell me he’s going to be your next target. It’s one thing to go after Julius’s men, but a cop is something completely different.”
“If he figures me out, I don’t think I’ll have another choice.”
“There are other ways!” Adrian argued.
“Really? Like what?”
Adrian looked to the ground and shuffled his feet, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. “I might’ve given you an alibi for the time of the attacks.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I told Marcus you were with me, the whole time, from sundown to sunup,” Adrian said.
Riley smacked his arm. “What the hell? Adrian!”
“I’m sorry. It was the only thing I could think of. I mean, it’s better than having him chasing you every five seconds, right?”
“He’s gonna do it anyway! But what the hell were you thinking? I don’t want you involved in this more than you already are. Now you’ve lied to a cop!”
“Well, like it or not, your problems are now my problems. I couldn’t just let Marcus–”
“God! If he finds out everything is a lie, you’re done! You know that, right?”
“That’s why we have to make this as believable as possible. I’m sure what I said won’t stop Marcus for long. That’s why we have to really make him believe there’s something going on between us. Let me walk you home, and I’ll stay over. If he’s watching you, it might make him believe what I told him.”
Riley put her hands to her face, rubbing her forehead. “You think it’s that simple? I have stuff to do, Adrian. I’m gonna have to leave the house if Julius sends his men out again. I told you, I’m not gonna stop just because Marcus is after me.”
“I know. And you can have a normal life, you’ll just be adding a fake boyfriend into the mix,” Adrian said. “Think about it, if Marcus sees us together he’ll know there’s no way in hell you could be the guy, or that you’re involved in anything strange. I mean I’m a cop, how could I not see what my girlfriend is doing, right?”
“This is crazy,” Riley said, slowly shaking her head.
“No, this is brilliant. You do your thing, and I’ll be your alibi. Simple.”
“You do understand what my goal is, right? I’m gonna end with your brother, no matter what happens, no matter what you say. And the same goes for his men.”
“Yeah, I get it, but he’s a dick, and I figure sooner or later he had it coming.”
Riley stared at him with a bit of doubt. How could he be even thinking about risking his life, his career, to help a criminal like her? “Fuck,” she whispered.
Adrian smirked. “I’ll take that as a yes, then?”
“I guess it’s my best chance, especially if he already thinks we’re sleeping together.”
“So, I’ll pick you up after work, like a good boyfriend should then?”
“No. I have to go to Julius’s house tonight. He has a party, and I need to see when he’s gonna send his men out again.”
Adrian suddenly understood why she was working there. What better way of knowing what your enemy was doing than to work for him. “All right then, so I’ll see you tomorrow, when I will indeed pick you up and take you home.”
With a nod, Riley turned to leave when Adrian grabbed her hand one last time.
“Do consider using another gun, if you have any. Marcus will probably run another ballistics test, just to prove a point.” Riley nodded again and disappeared behind the glass door.
Adrian stood outside in awe of his own words, astounded that he, a cop, was giving advice to a criminal.
Chapter Forty-One
When Riley began the walk home from work, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She intentionally dropped her purse, its contents spilling on the sidewalk and allowing her to look at her surroundings.
Adrian was right: Marcus was following her.
As she stood again, someone stopped in front of her, making her curse and drop her purse a second time. It was Adrian, with a bag of take-out in hand.
“What are you doing here? I told you I had to work,” Riley said.
“Yes, I know. But Marcus is watching us right now and it would make me a terrible boyfriend if I don’t pick up some food for you after an exhausting day,” Adrian replied.
“Goddammit,” Riley said. Adrian flashed a grin and then moved a few steps toward her. She instinctively moved backwards, putting a bit of space between them but he stopped her when his hand came to her lower back “What are you doing?”
“He’s watching us. Play along,” Adrian whispered, still very close to her.
“Don’t play with me, Adrian. This isn’t a game,” Riley whispered back. He smiled again and moved even closer. Riley felt trapped but not as uncomfortable as she thought she would, especially since Adrian smelled so incredibly good.
“Shh. Just let me do this,” Adrian said.
The kiss was brief, but intense. Adrian’s lips felt warm against her own, and even though she had been initially against it all, when he held her so close and tenderly she forgot about her doubts of ever feeling passion again.
When the kiss intensified, it was Riley’s cue to pull away, slowly and gradually. She breathed out, and Adrian did the same, their bodies still pressed into one another.
“I think we should get home,” Adrian said, his eyes fixated on Riley’s lips.
Feeling exposed, Riley hurried to step back and nodded, a smile still on her face. “Yeah, I think we should.”
If Marcus wasn’t
