Hard to Get (Killer of Kings Book 4)(28)
The tattoo.
The infinity symbol Maurice had shown him.
Thanks to Riley’s lip reading, he knew his mark was on to him, so all the doubles probably had the tattoo by now. Shadow felt lightheaded, his heart hammering in his chest. That same feeling of helplessness he’d known too well as a child, infused into his blood. It was a twenty-minute drive back to the plaza. The mark was dead, but he must have already sent a hit out on Riley. One of his fucking body doubles was at the bakery.
He called Riley as he rushed back to his car. She didn’t answer. Shit!
Shadow sped down the side streets to get to the highway. His only mission was getting to his woman. Everything else could wait. As he drove, his cell rang. He used his hands-free system as he wove in and out of traffic.
“I see your intel panned out,” said Boss. “Good work.”
“Not now. There’s a hitman at the bakery. Why the fuck didn’t you have Chains bury these fuckers weeks ago?”
“Killer of Kings runs like a choreographed dance. It’s a thing of beauty,” said Boss, his voice carrying the usual calming timbre. “And for God’s sake, Shadow, we’re not primitive. Everyone working for me has a unique skillset, far beyond these so-called hitmen for hire. Sometimes I like to challenge my men, sometimes I teach them lessons.”
“Look, I get it, but this isn’t a fucking game! Riley’s life is in danger.” He remembered how Boss had taught Killian a lesson about killing women. Shadow wasn’t some new recruit. He’d been killing all his life, and besides a few hiccups, he did his job well.
“How far will you go to save her, Shadow?”
Chapter Eight
This guy didn’t want to book or arrange a cake. Riley played along though. She didn’t exactly have much choice. When the guy put his hand on her shoulder, she wanted to vomit, but again, like every other time she was faced with a hard decision, she kept her cool.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she saw several girls enter the shop.
“You keep looking while I serve.” She smiled up at him, and went behind the counter to serve the young girls. She didn’t alert them to the fact there was a monster in their midst. They didn’t need to know that kind of shit.
The man in question was staring at her, and she didn’t really have time to get Shadow on the phone. This was one of the men from the restaurant. She didn’t like this one bit. Why would this guy suddenly want anything to do with her? It was a set-up. Growing up on the streets, in between foster homes, she’d come to realize at a young age when danger lurked.
Releasing a breath, she looked around, and saw that no one was around.
“So, have you picked a design yet?” she asked, moving toward him.
“I was wondering if you could show me some of the cake sizes. I’m sorry, I really don’t get the whole size and look ratio thing. All of these cakes look really small, and I won’t do small.”
You’re a fucking liar.
If he got her to go to the back of the bakery, he was going to try to kill her. Avoiding the bakery would arouse his suspicions and right now, she just wanted to live through the next few minutes.
If I live through this I swear I’m going to stop stressing about the little things, and enjoy life. I’ll have sex more. I’ll do more of everything and less of the boring stuff. I’ll live my life to the fullest and never allow a dull moment to interrupt my awesomeness.
She thought about Shadow and how he’d made her feel in the few times they’d been together. Last night had been magical, and the thought of never seeing him again, filled her with pain.
“Sure. Two seconds. Let me just lock the door so no one comes in and tries to steal the stuff that I’ve got on offer.” Her heart raced as she flicked the lock into place. I can do this.
Smiling at the man, she walked into the back of her bakery.
He was close behind her, and within seconds he had a gun pressed against her skull. Reaching into her pocket, she felt the only thing that she knew how to use. Breathing in and out, she closed her eyes.
“You really shouldn’t have fallen into my lap so easily.” He spun her around, and she forced herself to look at him. To stare at the man who intended to kill her. “It’s a shame. You’re pretty for a fat girl. I’d have loved to fuck you, but I don’t have time. I’ve got to meet my boss. I can’t keep him waiting.” His gaze ran down her body, but she didn’t think. She stomped on his foot, and jarred her elbow into his stomach.
The shock of her attack put him in a vulnerable position, and after he’d pressed a gun to her temple, she wasn’t in a forgiving mood. She was pissed off. Without another thought to what she was doing, she plunged the blade into the bastard’s eye, pulling it out, and stabbing him in the throat. She acted on pure adrenaline, her only thought to survive, and she took the guy by surprise.
She gasped, and stepped away, holding the knife in her hand like it was a lifeline. The man gargled, screamed, and then fell to the floor, blood dripping from his eye and his neck. She had just killed a man, and she stared down at the floor where he’d collapsed into a heap, frozen in place.
“Well, I have to say I’m surprised.”
Riley spun around and saw Boss standing in the entryway. “But I locked the door.”
“Being the owner of Killer of Kings, you learn a few things. Like getting spare keys to the places of the women in your workers’ lives. Shadow has been interested in you for some time. I thought he’d have actually taken you by now, but he was always a bit of a dramatic bastard, and self-serving as well. The martyr.”