The Damaged (The Insiders Trilogy #2) - Tijan by Tijan

The girls had both stopped their ministrations, their eyes glued to Kash, and their jaws slackened.

His gaze paused where the girls’ hands were under the table before he growled, “With Bailey here? You serious?”

Tony jerked, slamming into the back of our booth, jostling the rest of us.

The girl’s hand jumped back up to the top of the table. She was blinking, looking dazed, but color was coming to her face. Her gaze moved to mine before she lowered her head, her hair falling forward to cover her face.

“She stayed. It’s not our problem.”

Tony was an idiot. He was talking back to Kash, so he was more than an idiot. He was a moron.

Guy’s grin lessened. Then a chuckle came from him as he, too, seemed shocked at what Tony said.

Kash’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t move. He didn’t lean over the table. His face didn’t show anything, but when he spoke, Tony knew, I knew, everyone knew. Tony had just made a very, very stupid decision.

“I had a meeting with your father today.”

Those words were whispered from Kash, but everyone at the table heard. And everyone took notice, because Kash was reminding Tony in a very simple way that he was connected to him in a way Tony couldn’t touch. He was connected to his family’s money.

He was above Tony’s family—way, way above.

There was a reason Kash had remained hidden as long as he did. When he came out of the shadows, the entire world took note. They took note of his connections, his wealth, and he was catapulted into being even more powerful than my father—and that said a lot.

Anyone who had ties to Calhoun Bastian should instinctively be feared.

Kash made this point. “His company is going to go bankrupt. He wants me to come in, pour money into the company and save it.” Now he moved, stepping closer to the table, his eyes never moving from Tony’s.

Tony seemed to suck in his breath.

Kash leaned forward, placing his hands on the table so he was in Tony’s space, invading it and pushing him down. “I’ve not made my decision if I want to save your father or not. Keep being you and you’ll help me make that decision.”

Keep being a dick. Keep being a douche. Keep just being Tony and Kash wouldn’t save his father’s company.

Tony’s jaw clenched. His hand was still in a fist, but he swallowed. His Adam’s apple moved up and down, and air hissed from him as he forced his hand to relax on the table, right between where Kash had put his hands.

I knew that’d all been intentional.

Move in. Force your presence on them. Remind them you control them. Remind them they are not as dangerous as you are. These were all moves that Kash was doing. He was reminding Tony of that fact right now.

Tony was the small guy here, and Tony hated it.

“Sorry, man.”

Tony backed down, but it was visibly costing him.

“Good.”

Simple, precise, and a killer shot. Kash switched his gaze to me.

He reached down and grabbed my hand. A thrill went through me, sliding down my spine in the best way and he pulled me behind him. The path remained open, but then I saw there were guards lining the way. Kash and I swept past them, heading for the door. As we passed by the last staff desk, someone stepped back quickly. I looked up, thinking it was Torie, or someone maybe I wouldn’t know.

Hoda stared back at me, her eyes wide. She was holding a drink tray in front of her, turned vertically as if to shield her, and as we both startled at seeing the other, she recovered quicker.

Her eyes moved past surprise to hostility, and then they slid down to my hand in Kash’s and they turned cold.

I didn’t have time to say anything. Kash was out the door. Three steps and we were both sliding into the back of the waiting SUV. Once inside, the door was shut behind us and I turned toward Kash to greet him. He greeted me first.

His mouth was on mine.





FIVE



Kash


I needed Bailey.

My body needed her. My soul needed her.

I wanted to hold her.

I wanted to be reassured by her, comforted by her. I wanted her to make the world go away, because right now all I could think was how hard the world was, but there was a need more primitive than the others.

I gave in to that need.

My body was primed, stark desperation strumming in my veins for her, because this day had sucked.

So when I got her in the SUV, I didn’t waste time.

The privacy divider was up.

She moaned into my mouth, pressing against me, and I pushed a hand up her shirt. My hand closed over her tit and I pulled. She gasped, her mouth opening, and I surged in there, too.

God. This woman.

She knocked me on my ass the first time I saw her, and her power had only grown. She knocked everyone on their ass, but it was different with me.

I was tuned to her.

When she ached for me, I knew.

When she moaned, it was my high.

When she was moving beneath me, her legs wound around me, her hips trying to pull everything from me she could get, I was addicted. That addiction hadn’t lessened. A snap of her fingers, a certain look, a certain sound from her and I’d vanquish anyone or anything I needed to make her ache with pleasure back for me.

I ran my hand down her back, enjoying how she trembled in my wake, and I pushed into her jeans, moving around to her front and undoing her buttons.

“God, Kash.”