Hard to Get (Killer of Kings Book 4)(21)

Shadow was so pissed. Not only could she have gotten hurt, she’d fucked up days of grueling intel.

“You didn’t want to have dinner with me. All you wanted was to find out what that guy was all about.”

He heard the disappointment in her voice, and it hit him like a punch to the gut. Shadow wasn’t used to caring. Damn it, he shouldn’t feel bad about using her.

Driving for a couple of minutes, he tried to think of what to say. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I am. Don’t even bother trying to tell me what I’m thinking and not thinking. I wanted to have dinner with you. You’re wrong about me. I enjoyed our time together.”

He glanced over at her, and saw her watching him. She had big, expressive eyes, a sweet innocent air about her. He was falling down the fucking rabbit hole and couldn’t get out now if he tried.

“So … you don’t want this?”

Shadow saw she held a cell phone in her hands.

“Your cell phone?”

She chuckled. “This isn’t mine. This is your guy’s phone. When I tripped, I took it from him. Take it.”

He reached out, and took hold of the phone. Even as he drove, he flicked it open, and saw there was a code to get inside.

It wouldn’t be hard to break, but it would take time. Pocketing the cell phone, the rest of the drive was in silence.

She was completely weird. There was no other word for it.

After her question about him being a hitman, he’d thought she’d run from him, but she didn’t. Instead, she’d gone and gotten him the cell phone that would tell him if this was his guy. He’d known it was after the lip reading, and it wouldn’t be long now until his mission was done.

He parked onto his driveway, and as he turned off the ignition, Riley was already out of the car, and inside her own home.

Shadow didn’t stop her. He exhaled in defeat, and got out of the car.

Tonight had been a total fuck up, and there was no getting back from it.

Entering his home, he already knew that Boss was there waiting for him. Shadow closed his door, and went straight to his kitchen, grabbing a beer.

“Do you have any idea how much danger she was in tonight?” Boss asked.

Shadow twisted off the cap, and took a long swig. He didn’t want to deal with this man tonight.

His neighbor was the only person on his mind. She had gotten under his skin even though he’d tried to stop it. Even arguing with her entertained him. There was something inexplicable about that hot little number.

Grabbing the cell phone out of his pocket, he slapped it on the counter, and slid it over to Boss. “There you go. Get it to Maurice and tell me if I’m onto the right guy.”

“This is your job.”

Finally, Shadow turned to look at Boss. His eyes were black, like a cobra’s, impossible to read. “You’re not here to take the job from me?”

“No. Actually, I came to tell you that Viper, Bain, and Killian have been able to have a life that fits with them at Killer of Kings, even with their families.”

He narrowed his eyes. Boss didn’t do nice. “Are you trying to tell me to have a relationship?” Shadow asked.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Boss winked.

“She knows what I am.”

“And yet she didn’t run away from you screaming. I think you’ve got to think about that. She sounds like a good fit.” Boss tapped the cell phone. “Use your head, Shadow.”

He watched as Boss left his home leaving him with more questions than answers.

Grabbing the cell phone, he headed downstairs toward the computers.

It wouldn’t take long for his hit to realize that his cell phone was gone. From then it would lead back to Riley.

She didn’t even realize that she’d put her life at risk to help him. And he’d been a fool to involve her. She knew a lot, and Boss didn’t like any kind of exposure for the organization.

Firing up the computers, he watched Riley remove the dress she’d worn. Her hair cascaded down her back, and the black lingerie looked so damn tempting.

She sat on the end of the bed with her head in her hands.

Seeing her like that, almost as if she was giving up, he didn’t like that. Not at all.

There was a fire inside of Riley, and he’d ruined that. He’d made her feel disposable.

No, he couldn’t let that happen.

Shadow rushed from his house, and he used the spare key that he’d made for himself, and let himself through her front door.

He’d broken so many rules with Riley, letting her know his name, and a lot of other personal things about him, but he wasn’t about to change that, he couldn’t.

Locking her door, he walked up her stairs, and then paused.

What the hell was he doing?

She didn’t want to see him right now.

Give her the truth.

She’d seen him kill a man and didn’t freak out. Surely, she’d be able to handle whatever he could say.

Shadow opened her bedroom door and leaned against the doorframe, folding his arms.

“Do I even want to know why you’re here? Or how you got in?”

His first thought was to lie. To tell her she left the door open, but he was tired of all the lies and half-truths. “I have a key.” He lifted it up and showed it to her.