Hard to Get (Killer of Kings Book 4)(17)
He discreetly pressed a tracker to the rear of both vehicles before walking toward the bank. Shadow blended into the surroundings. Today, he’d dressed the part, wearing the tailored Brioni suit he saved for knocking off upscale bastards. The five men flanking his target were on alert, so he couldn’t get close. With the security cameras and armed guards, he wouldn’t be pulling out his guns inside the bank. He just needed to verify he had the right man, and then he’d follow the piece of shit outside of the city and take out all six of them.
Shadow had complete faith in his ability to get the job done, no matter how many fuckers he had to take down. Boss had taught him well. Firsthand experience at Killer of Kings over the last twenty years had put him at the top of his game.
The foyer of the historic bank was massive, the vaulting ceilings reminiscent of the museums in Rome. The marble floors shined with a mirror finish. Shadow had traveled the world on assignments, and spoke several languages. Italy had been one of his favorites.
He took out his phone, keeping tabs on the group while trying to look occupied. Shadow discreetly took pics of the men in the entourage. His mark had dirty-blond hair and looked to be in his mid-thirties. He’d expected someone much older considering how far his criminal enterprise reached. Didn’t matter. It was either him or a double, and Shadow was getting fucking sick of recon.
Maybe shaking things up would bring the real man to the surface … or send him deeper into hiding. He had to do this one right, just as Boss instructed. He liked assignments that were cut and dry—find and eliminate the mark without all this bullshit. Maybe Boss was punishing him for his last fuck-up.
“You clean up well.” The voice came from directly behind him. As much as he’d love to whirl around and shove his Glock in the asshole’s face, he kept still.
“Don’t get excited. I’m not into dudes,” said Shadow before he turned partly to the side.
He frowned when he saw Anthony DeVino, one of the mob’s low-ranking hitmen. Shadow should have expected competition with such a high payout.
“What? Not happy to see me?”
“You reek of cold cuts and cigars, not exactly a pleasant combination.” Shadow put his phone away, occasionally keeping tabs on his mark as he crossed his arms. “Give me some space.”
“You’re breakin’ my heart here, Shadow.”
“What do you want?”
Anthony shrugged, but glanced to the other end of the foyer. “I’m guessing the same as you.”
“Then we have nothing else to say, do we?” said Shadow.
Anthony stayed quiet for a shocking ten seconds. “Boss doesn’t own the city.”
“And Renzo Carpollo does? Keep telling yourself that, DeVino. Usa la testa, vai a casa.” If he had to take out Anthony to fulfill this contract, he wouldn’t think twice. Killer of Kings considered him a scavenger, always ready to pick up the scraps left by real hitmen.
Shadow headed to the main entrance, each step punctuated on the stone floor. He waited on the stairs outside, hoping to get a good look at the mystery man as he left. He couldn’t stop thinking about Riley’s lip-reading skill. If he could understand what they were saying across the foyer, it could be a game changer. It would save him a lot of time and recon. He liked to work solo, and didn’t want to drag around one of Boss’s hired lip-readers to every lead. If he needed one, he knew exactly who he’d use—Riley. He enjoyed watching her, and being around her, even if at times she was a bit prickly.
He paced along the wide stairs, occasionally checking his watch. When he heard voices approaching, he left a wide berth of space at the entrance. Two bodyguards came out first, followed by the blond and the three other guards. Shadow moved in closer, pretending to absently talk on his phone.
They moved too fast for him to see the guy’s hand. The odds of seeing the small tattoo was slim to none to start with. Normally, he’d follow and kill them anyway. If it was the wrong guy, he’d keep hunting. Since Boss wanted this hit to be perfect, with nothing done to alert the target, he had to bide his time.
****
Shadow had been MIA for almost two weeks. It drove her crazy. Not because she hadn’t seen him, but because she couldn’t stop obsessing over him. Riley prided herself on keeping her heart locked up tight. It was better that way.
Shadow complicated everything.
She refused to knock on his door and look desperate. If he wanted to see her, he knew where she lived and worked. It would have been easier to put him out of her head if she hadn’t believed there’d been something building between them. Had she been completely wrong? Maybe he was just a nice guy, a neighbor looking out for her. Maybe she’d imagined everything else—the intimacy, the possessiveness, the way he looked at her. God, she wanted to believe a man like Shadow could fall for her. But like the rest of her life, it looked like it would end in more disappointment.
After work, she locked up her bakery and headed to her car. She noticed that ever since the “incident”, the area near her bakery was unusually clear of parked cars. It was odd. Of course, she couldn’t get that day out of her head. Not because Shadow killed a man, but because he’d done it for her. He literally killed for her. And now he was gone.
She started up her car, and then rolled down the windows. Even the evenings were humid at this time of year.
“No more broken windows?”