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“Where’d you get the clothes?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Michelle stopped by. She had some extra stuff,” she said, tugging adorably at her shirt. I liked that she’d chosen to wear something I’d gotten her, even though it was plain and dumpy and she was pretty much a goddess.
“We can get you some stuff. Go shopping.”
Her eyes lit up, and I cursed, realizing I was offering to spend time with her.
“I can’t let you spend more money on me. I can never repay you.”
A dirty joke sprang immediately to mind. I could think of a thousand ways she could repay me. Just letting me lay my hands on her would be a good place to start.
That is fucking disgusting, Shane. Creeper.
“Don’t be stupid.”
Her eyes widened, and I cursed.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean that I have plenty of fucking money and I will spend it however the fuck I want.”
She blinked, and I blundered on, knowing I was being a total jackass. Again.
I was making a habit of it around her.
“I’ll ask the girls to take you. Better if we aren’t seen together in public.”
Was it just me, or did she look disappointed?
“Why?”
I finished my drink.
“Because a very bad man wants to kill me and anyone I care about.”
“Oh,” her cheeks turned pink. I stared at her hard, realizing I’d admitted I cared about her. I was really sucking at the whole ‘keeping my distance’ thing so far.
But I wasn’t done talking to her yet. I had to know. I poured us each some more whiskey and we drank in silence.
She scooted onto the kitchen table, her legs swinging. God, she was so young. But not a child. She was of age.
Put it out of your fucking mind, you pervert.
Parker looked around the kitchen while I stared at her. I convinced myself I could somehow memorize her and keep her safe inside me instead of out here in the world where dangerous men would try and hurt her. Including me.
Especially me.
“Are you ready to tell me?”
Her head snapped up, and she stared at me, those megawatt eyes of her searching mine.
“What?”
“What happened to you. Why you ran.”
It was like a shutter slammed shut. Her sweet face closed down, making her look as emotionless as a statue. A beautiful statue, but cold stone. Marble. I could see the tightness in her shoulders. Her breath was shallow.
Motherfucker. I need to hurt something. Right fucking now.
I wished I could snatch the words back. I wanted to pull her into my arms and soothe her, rub her shoulders until she melted against me. But I couldn’t. Because it wouldn’t stop there.
I knew that if I touched her, I’d end up kissing her so long and deep we would both be out of breath by the time I lifted my head again.
I slammed the drink down and headed for the door.
“Shane!”
I stopped in the doorway, afraid to look back at her. Afraid of what I might do.
“What?”
“Where are you going?”
“Out.”
She didn’t say anything else. I stood there for a couple of heartbeats. Long enough to feel my body wanting to betray me. To go to her. I almost started to turn.
But if I did, I knew I would hurt her. Not on purpose. But it was inevitable. I would take what I wanted and she would end up alone. I knew that when I went after the killer, I could end up dead myself. Or worse. I was a murderer now too, on top of a thousand other laws I’d broken since I’d left behind my old life.
You’re not exactly an upstanding citizen.
I couldn’t forget my purpose. I had a man to kill. Even Parker’s beautiful blue eyes couldn’t stop me.
Chapter Fifteen
Killer
Something was up with pretty boy.
He was going home more than usual. I wasn’t sure why yet. But today he didn’t stay long. I watched from the woods as he stormed out as if the hounds of hell were after him.
I smiled and rubbed the cherry of my cigar against my palm, relishing the burn. The hounds of hell were after him. He just didn’t know it yet.
I’d seen him. Watched him. I knew him.
Shane was not half the leader Dante was. He lacked the viciousness. His heart was not in it.
And he was living a lie.
He might be fast and reckless on the road. He might take risks and throw down in a fight with the best of them. But if you watched him long enough, you would see that Shane was soft. He was kind to children and animals.
Dante would have kicked a puppy in the teeth without a moment’s hesitation. I was the one who’d taught him it was even more fun to take your time with a kill. To really peel back the layers of pain until you got to the true heart of your victim.
