Hard to Get (Killer of Kings Book 4)(14)

Running a finger along his lip, he watched as she leaned across her bed to grab the far book. It was one for frostings, and had so many notes scrawled over the pages. She had notes everywhere, which were all about baking.

All day he’d watched and listened as she worked. Her passion was her shop. It was her one place in the world that no one could take away from her.

The insurance company was a dodgy one. He didn’t like it. The owner of the plaza was even worse, charging rents that were through the roof, and Riley didn’t have any protection from any of that shit. He didn’t like it when the big men took advantage of others. She just wanted to make a life for herself.

He got up from the basement, and grabbed a couple of beers from his fridge. Not caring that it was a little after eleven, he jumped the fence into her backyard, grabbed a stone, and threw it at her window.

Shadow was an expert marksman, and if he wanted to, he’d have totally smashed the glass. He wanted her attention, not to cause her more trouble.

Seconds passed, and when he threw a second stone, she finally came to the window.

“What the hell are you doing?” she asked, leaning outside. The negligee she wore was a cotton one with a cute little duck on the front. It was totally the opposite of what he expected her to wear, and yet it suited her.

“Want to share a beer?” he asked, holding up the bottles.

“Really?”

“Don’t you want to know more about me?”

He wasn’t about to tell her a damn thing. Still, he wanted a beer, and he liked her company. She wasn’t like most women who demanded attention. Riley didn’t ask him if she looked good, and didn’t constantly check her appearance. What he really wanted was to take his dual lifestyle to the next level. He wanted to come home after a day of killing to the love of a good woman. But that wasn’t possible.

Boss had already called him and torn him a new asshole, or tried to for causing a stir at the bar. He didn’t give a shit about what Boss thought. All that mattered was the message that got across loud and clear—he had to leave Riley, and her bakery, alone. The cleanup crew had handled the aftermath in less than an hour. It was like the incident never happened, but Boss wouldn’t forget so easily.

She opened the back door, and now she was wearing some kind of long cardigan that covered up way too much.

Taking a seat on one of her deck chairs, he waited for her to take the bottle from him.

“This is new,” she said, a soft smile on her lips.

“What is?”

“You coming to pay a visit.”

Shadow didn’t consider himself the possessive or protective type, and yet he’d completely dominated Riley’s world. If she moved, he knew about it. Her privacy was completely gone, she simply didn’t know it yet.

Not that she’d ever know it.

This was a big mistake. Asking her for a beer. Taking care of her, getting to know her. It left a trail of evidence to who he was. Even as he knew it was a mistake and should be doing everything to leave, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

She made him … want. He wanted the fantasy, wanted Riley. How was it possible to go so long without realizing he was missing something?

“I’m sorry,” she said, startling him.

“Sorry?”

“You know, for today. I was a total bitch to you. I shouldn’t have been. You were helping me, and I wasn’t exactly the nicest person to be around,” she said. “You could have been hurt.”

“You watched me kill someone, and I don’t know if I’m happy that you’re not freaking out,” he said.

She chuckled, actually chuckled. He couldn’t believe it.

“You said it wasn’t the worst thing you’d seen.”

“We’ve gone over this,” she said. “You know I was on the streets between foster care. I don’t want to talk about that time. I don’t even think about it.”

“The cops, they were never on your side?”

“Some of them were okay. Others liked to give protection for a price. You can imagine what that price would be.”

Sex. It was the same old shit. He didn’t like it.

She smiled, and he found it to be such a sad one. He wanted to make her smile and for it to be real. Riley didn’t realize just how familiar he was with her sadness.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“It wasn’t so bad. I got street smart real fast. Others weren’t so lucky. They thought putting out would give them a better life. I was able to get by on my own.” She took a sip of her beer, and he couldn’t look away.

This woman was a fighter. She was strong, fierce, and determined. There was so much to admire about her, and of course, she was attracted to him, which was kind of funny.

“The gym you caught me going to,” he said. He may as well give her a little truth. “I work out there. A lot, actually. It’s got its fair share of broken kids. I’m trying to … mentor a few of them. To show them there’s another way. Violence isn’t always the answer.”

“Maybe it is.”

He looked at her, and she stared intently back at him. Her eyes were so green, even in the dim backyard lighting. “It shouldn’t have to be.”

“Just because we don’t want it to be, doesn’t mean it’s not. Some of the guys were determined to hurt me, to make me afraid. They used violence to try and control me. I used violence to show them I’m not to be messed with.” She looked down at her bottle. “Don’t take this personally, but violence seems to be part of your life. I’m pretty sure the guys around here couldn’t handle a knife or a gun the way you did. Why are you living in the suburbs?”