Dead Drop (The Guild #2)

Evidently, I didn’t need to finish that question. He pulled out of my pussy, spun me back around and shoved me to my knees. Before I could even form the whole question in my mind, I was choking on his huge cock.

He fisted my hair, holding my head still as he thrust deeper, blocking my airway. For a moment, a long moment, he stayed there and our eyes remained locked. But I knew how long I could survive without air, so this was laughable. To prove my point, I swallowed around his length, taking him deeper and teasing the underside of his shaft with my tongue.

“Fuck,” he grunted a moment later, pulling back just long enough for me to gasp a breath. Then he went to work, fucking my mouth with an edge of anger and frustration that I knew was from my denials.

When he came, I didn’t swallow immediately. I let him pull out, then extended my tongue to show him the slick mess in my mouth. He stared transfixed as I rolled my tongue, then swallowed deliberately, licking my lips.

I grinned when he didn’t move, seemingly at a loss for words, just gazing down at me. “We need to wash up and pack. The cleaning crew will be here in no time.”

He blinked slowly, then nodded and gently lifted me to my feet. Without a word, he tugged me back under the water spray and kissed me while he cleaned me up with soap and his hand. He only stopped kissing me when the water started turning cool, and I nudged him to get out.

“Do we have somewhere safe to go now?” he asked in a rough voice as we dried off and dressed. Kai didn’t have a change of clothes, so had to squeeze out his wet garments before putting them back on.

It was a question I’d been mulling over, myself, but I had an idea when the Hestia girl asked if I needed somewhere new.

“Yeah, I’m going to call in a favor from an acquaintance,” I murmured, dragging a brush through my wet hair. “Feel like coming back to Shadow Grove with me?” I winked and he gave a husky laugh.

“Siren, I’d follow you straight into the depths of Hell, and you damn well know it.”

That was half the problem with us. I did know it, I just didn’t know how to handle it.





26





Despite how preposterous Sabine had made it sound, dropping in on Jude at the library where she worked was exactly what I had in mind. After all, it made no sense to warn her in advance; she would just conjure up lies—if she had anything to lie about.

So that was how I found myself casually wandering the stacks of one of Europe’s oldest privately-owned libraries, hunting for a librarian rather than a book.

Jude was on the schedule for today; she should be here somewhere. But the longer I searched, the more suspicious I became. The young woman I’d spoken to at the customer service desk had said she was here, though. So where?

Perhaps she was down in the archives. The library had several subterranean floors of Guild-specific resources. Mainly journals and ledgers from the pre-digital era of the mercenary guild, but all valuable and precious. For such a secretive organization, we were also meticulous with documentation, and prior to computers being invented, it was all recorded by hand.

The main library floors were open to the public, but the Guild archives below ground needed a passcode. Not everyone in the Guild was given access; it was too dangerous. The sensitive information and history stored within those basement levels was far too important to allow any moron access, but luckily I had high-level clearance.

I tapped my foot impatiently as the small elevator descended to the lowest level, and the door rolled open excruciatingly slowly. But the lights were on, so that was a positive sign that someone was here.

Silently, I made my way further into the musty-smelling stacks of old books. I wasn’t the type of dipshit who called out to announce my presence, I much preferred to quietly sneak up on people and observe them a moment or two before alerting them to my arrival. So Jude never heard me when I found her.

Of course, she was a little busy. She was on her knees, sucking her boss’s wrinkly old penis and moaning like it was made of candy. I didn’t interrupt, sliding into the shadows and waiting until they were done. Because who knew what kind of leverage that might give me later? Knowledge was power and all that. Something I was sure a librarian could appreciate.

I remained invisible—as close to it as humanly possible—while they finished up. It didn’t take long. Then the old guy strutted past me without ever seeing me lurking there. Understandable, I guess, having just blown his load in the mouth of a woman young enough to be his daughter. It must have dulled his senses somewhat.

Filing that gossip away in my brain, I gave Jude a few moments more to pull her shit together—maybe grab a breath mint—then I strolled around the corner as though I’d just arrived.

“Leon!” she squeaked when I almost walked into her. She smoothed her hand—her one not clutching her walking cane—over her mussed hair, but there wasn’t much to be done for her smeared lipstick. Sweet little Judith Mackenzie looked like a dirty little whore. “Wh-what are you doing here? Did something happen to Danny?” Her eyes widened in fear, and I weighed the sincerity of it.

“She’s fine,” I replied after a beat. “You haven’t heard from her?”

Jude shook her head, her brow creased with worry. “No, not since she was in London. She’s reading my messages but not responding. Do you know something?”

I tipped my head to the side. “Of course I do.” But I wasn’t in the mood to share. “You must be due for a lunch break soon, Judith. Can I buy you a coffee?”

Her eyes widened and a nervous look crossed her face. “Um… yeah. Sure. I just need to check with Franklin if he’s okay with me going now.”

She started back toward the elevator, and I followed closely behind. Close enough that she shot me a couple of narrow-eyed glances.

“Franklin,” I repeated. “That’s your boss?”

She jerked a nod, keying in her own code to call the elevator. “Yeah, he’s a real douchebag too. Always making me work overtime and not paying me properly for it. Danny hates him.”

I could imagine. Yet Jude didn’t seem to hate him anywhere near as much as she was making out. Nothing about that little encounter I’d witnessed looked forced. Then again, maybe I was wrong. I’d have to take a better look into it when I’d dealt with the Blanchet problem and cleared my DeLuna’s name in our Guild. She deserved accolades for her exceptional work, not persecution for whatever the fuck Blanchet was accusing her of.

Giving her no response, I climbed into the elevator behind her and watched from the corner of my eye as she checked her appearance in the mirrored wall. Flushing pink, she discreetly wiped at her lip to try and fix her lipstick, and I bit back a grin.

Back on the main floor, she scurried over to the old guy who’d just been fucking her mouth, exchanging a few words with him. He shot a glare over at me, his eyes narrow with suspicion behind his glasses, and I just gave him a benign smile and finger wave.

Franklin the fucking pervert didn’t seem to appreciate that, and based on his body language, he was strongly suggesting Jude not go to lunch with me. Tough shit for him, though. I could tell Jude was beyond curious to know why I’d come to see her, so she wouldn’t be dissuaded that easily.

It took a few more moments, then she returned to where I waited and pasted a tight smile on her face. “Okay, I’m good for half an hour. Let’s head across the street.”

Extending a hand, I indicated for her to lead the way. She leaned heavily on her cane as she walked, but it didn’t seem to really bother her. I could imagine after ten years using it, she barely noticed. Or rather, it was just a part of her normal.

She chose an outdoor table, and I waited for her to sit before pulling out my own chair.

A waitress came over almost immediately, and Judith quickly chose from the menu, citing her short lunch break for the rush. I didn’t argue, only ordering a coffee for myself.

“So, Danny is okay?” she reiterated when the waitress was gone.

I inclined my head. “She was well when I spoke to her yesterday. Very well.” That video chat had been filed straight into my mental spank bank, and I had every intention of calling her again tonight from my hotel room. It wasn’t as good as being with her in person, but it was still pretty great. Not to mention how surprisingly enjoyable it’d been to just talk with her. I hadn’t expected that.

Jude frowned. “Okay, so… why are you here?”

I lifted one brow, studying her facial cues. “Sabine didn’t mention I paid her a visit?”

Her lips parted in shock. “What? No!”

Amusement tugged at my lips. “How curious. Here I was thinking that best friends never kept secrets from one another.”