Because he respected her choice to handle the problem on her own, Leyton nodded, offering her the lead. “And I’ll be here if you need me.”

“I will need you,” Ashlynn said, her eyes glittering, only this time there was something other than annoyance reflected there, but he pretended not to notice. “Leo and Teddy are outside. They’ve been instructed to bring Tony in. Alone.”

Leyton nodded to Sal, a silent instruction for him to join the others. When Tony arrived, if whoever he brought with him felt the need to follow him in, it would be Sal’s call on how to handle it.

“Then I’ll be in the room with you,” Leyton informed Ashlynn.

“I’d appreciate that.”

Less than a minute later, another car arrived, but no one came in immediately. When the door did finally open, Tony was being manhandled by Sal.

“He alone?” Leyton asked Sal.

The other man shook his head. “They’re bein’ dealt with.”

“Goddammit!” Tony exclaimed as Sal forcefully frisked him. “I came willingly, didn’t I?”

The much shorter man reminded Leyton of Danny DeVito. And next to Sal—six feet tall and built like a brick shit house—Tony looked that much shorter. And rounder.

“You should,” Ashlynn noted, turning to face Tony. “You owe me that much.”

“Ms. Adorite.” Tony looked surprised to see her.

“We need to have a chat,” she told Tony, then turned and walked toward the back of the warehouse.

Leyton didn’t want to admire her, but he couldn’t help himself. She was wearing a black, knee-length skirt, a red silk blouse that accentuated her impressive breasts, and a pair of red pumps. The woman knew how to draw a man’s eyes; there was no disputing that.

Jase was behind her, walking backward as he guarded Ashlynn with his body, keeping himself between her and everyone else. Leyton knew that when he’d told Jase he was forsaking her safety for his sexual proclivities, he’d been talking out his ass, just as Jase had accused him of doing. Without a doubt, Jase would lay down his own life for hers, as would anyone else who worked for the Adorites. But Leyton got the feeling Jase’s need to take care of her came more from his feelings for her rather than simple loyalty to the organization.

Sal forced Tony forward, propelling him toward the small ten-by-ten room at the back of the building that held a metal table and a metal chair. Along the wall were chains and other “tools” that Snarly preferred for his interrogations, and in the center of the room, a drain in the floor explained how Snarly handled cleanup.

“Have a seat, Tony,” Ashlynn instructed, then turned to Jase. “Please wait outside. I’ll be fine. Leyton’s here.”

Jase nodded, then walked past Leyton, not making eye contact.

Leyton hadn’t seen Jase since last night at the penthouse. After the kiss they’d shared last weekend, he hadn’t been able to look at the man without thinking about their conversation. It had made things significantly more difficult for Leyton, and last night’s incident hadn’t helped one fucking bit, either. Ignoring his attraction to the pair was becoming damn near impossible.

Thankfully, Jase was a professional. Leyton had noticed that whenever they were handling something as critical as this, Jase never broke protocol. He was fierce in his need to protect Ashlynn, and it was clear he wasn’t going to allow anything—not emotions, not lust—to interfere.

Leyton appreciated that.

The door closed behind Jase, leaving Ashlynn and Leyton alone with Tony. Before the echo from the door latching faded, Ashlynn lifted her skirt, showing some creamy leg as she retrieved her trusty knife from the red holster that ringed her thigh. Tony’s eyes bulged as he ogled her.

Oh, hell.

If Tony thought Ashlynn was merely being a tease, the bastard had another think coming. That knife she gripped in her dainty hand was something Ashlynn Adorite was infamous for, mainly because when her knife appeared, at least one finger was going to disappear. It was a guarantee.

Apparently Tony knew where this was headed. His eyes widened as he swallowed hard, balling his hands into fists.

Like that would save him.

“That’s not necessary,” Tony sputtered.

“That’s for me to decide.” Ashlynn’s heels clicked on the concrete as she circled the table.

Leyton took a step forward, intending to lunge for Tony should he be stupid enough to put his hands on Ashlynn.

Ashlynn came back around and then stopped beside Leyton. She offered him a small smile, then turned her head to look at their guest. “Where’s my shipment, Tony?”

“I … I…”

Ashlynn faced Tony directly, her eyes narrowed. “We can get this over with and be on our way if you’ll just tell me what I need to know. You know me, Tony. I don’t play games.”

“Is Max coming?” Tony asked, his gaze sliding to Leyton.

Taking a step back so that Tony knew he was merely there as backup, Leyton kept his expression masked.

“My brother’s not gonna save you today.” Ashlynn said that as though Max might’ve been lenient on the guy if he had been there. More than likely, Tony would’ve already been strung up by a chain, dangling from the ceiling. By his thick neck. “I’m only gonna ask once more. Where’s my shipment, Tony?”

“I don’t know,” he blurted. “It never arrived.”

“It never arrived?” Ashlynn placed the sharp blade flat against her palm as she glanced down at Tony’s fingers. “Who’d you tell about it?”

“No one, I swear.”

Ashlynn’s head cocked to the side. “A little birdy told me you’ve been talkin’ to the Moroso family. That true?”

That was the first Leyton had heard of that, and he didn’t like the idea of Tony working with the second most powerful crime family in the state. As it was, they’d been on the verge of a war with them for the past few years because the Moroso family was attempting to encroach on the Adorites’ territory. When it came to guns and drugs, the Adorites maintained a large portion of the state. He’d thought things had simmered down after Samuel’s death, but apparently he’d been wrong.

“Of course not.” Tony’s denial wasn’t as genuine as he likely thought it was. The guy really was a shitty liar. Oddly, his sad excuse for a poker face was one of the reasons Max had continued their business relationship, because it was easy to tell if Tony was telling the truth or not.

Ashlynn sighed but didn’t say anything.

“I’ll find it,” Tony continued, his words rushed. “I just need until the end of the day tomorrow. After I procure the next shipment, I can focus on finding the last one.”

“So you do know where it is?” Ashlynn took a step closer.

“No! But I’ll find it! I just need more time.”

Ashlynn tossed a look at Leyton over her shoulder. He tapped on the door, and a second later, Snarly opened the door and stepped inside, his beady black eyes trained on Tony.

“No!” Tony yelped, launching up from his chair. He didn’t get far before Snarly was behind him, holding him in the chair with one beefy hand. Leyton had moved closer to Ashlynn, once again intending to insert himself between them should the need arise.

“From where I stand,” Ashlynn said, her raspy voice smooth as velvet, “we can do this one of two ways. You tell me what I need to know and you leave with one less finger.” With Snarly holding a squirming Tony in place, Ashlynn placed the blade over Tony’s pinky finger, dragging it slowly until blood oozed from the shallow gash.

“What’s the second option?” Tony squealed.

“The last person you get to see in this life is my good friend Snarly. Your pick. But you’ve got three seconds to decide.” Her tone was curt and to the point. It was clear she wasn’t interested in playing any more of Tony’s games.

Tony turned a rather unpleasant shade of green as sweat trickled down his temples. His eyes were wide as saucers, his hands trembling, but he didn’t answer.