Page 71 of How To Catch A Killer … And Date His Best Friend

“Good boy,” I murmur, pleased that between us, at least the dog is capable of making responsible decisions.

And with that, Hunter reaches for the keys of his Challenger, and we stride out the door with purpose, knowing that tonight, we will finally even the scoreboard, and this time, we won’t be coming back empty-handed.

20

HUNTER

Maddox rides shotgun in my Challenger as I drive thirty minutes outside the city until I’m pulling up on the outskirts of a gated compound.

Antonio DeLuca.

He’s a heavy hitter in the cartel and one of the largest heroin manufacturers in the country, which naturally means he has no shortage of enemies willing to pay obscene amounts of money to see him disappear. He’s also a certified piece of shit, and the scars stretched across my back are proof of that.

It was only a matter of time before Antonio ended up on my radar again.

The last time Maddox and I went after him, we both nearly lost our lives. We underestimated him. We were young, reckless, and far too arrogant for our own good. Back then, we thought having guns and confidence made us dangerous, but Antonio didn’t hesitate to teach us a valuable lesson.

We escaped. Barely. But tonight, we settle the score.

Things have changed since then.

We’re not inexperienced idiots charging headfirst into situations we don’t understand. We’re professionals now. Smarter. Better equipped and infinitely more dangerous. We’re fucking lethal now, and nothing is going to stop me from putting that bastard in the ground where he belongs. This isn’t just a hit anymore, this is personal.

Antonio may be ruthless, and he may have hundreds of men willing to die for him, but he isn’t as ruthless as Maddox. He isn’t as brazen as I am, and he sure as fuck won’t see either of us coming.

As the compound comes into view, I kill the headlights and roll the car to a stop beneath a cluster of trees overlooking the property.

“Home sweet home,” Maddox mutters, a darkness swimming in his tone.

I snort. I’ve never heard truer words, especially considering that we were prisoners here for a few weeks before one of Antonio’s men made a mistake that cost him his life. Valuable lessons were learned during our last little dungeon vacation.

Using thermal optics and a drone small enough to avoid detection, we begin surveying the compound from a distance. Six security patrols and not a single blind spot on the cameras. We watch for almost an hour, taking note of the guard rotations and both entry and exit routes, something we more than rushed years ago. Tonight, we’ll take our time and do it right, because I don’t intend on turning this particular trip into another three week long stay while wrapped in chains.

We sit in silence, waiting for the right time, when Maddox glances toward me. “Do you think she’s ever going to forgive me?”

My lips press into a hard line, and I glance at Maddox, unsure how to approach this with him. I want to be honest, but every word that comes out of my mouth is only going to send him further into her arms, despite the fact he blew up her apartment.

Damn it.

I let out a sigh, knowing deep down I can’t lie to him, even if it means sabotaging everything I want. “Yeah, man,” I tell him. “The fact that she agreed to come and stay at your place says it all. She just needs some time to cool off, and then I promise, she’ll go right back to hanging off your dick while hating on mine.”

He smirks. “She really does enjoy busting your balls, huh?”

“Yeah, but the minute she stops, that’ll be the minute she’s done with me.”

Maddox lets out a heavy sigh, sinking into the seat and staring out at the compound ahead. “I don’t know what we’re supposed to do here,” he says in a gruff tone, slowly shaking his head. “No matter how much she claims to hate you, there’s no denying she wants us both, and despite already being that asshole, I don’t want to force her to choose.”

I nod, knowing exactly where he’s coming from. “You’re falling for her, aren’t you?”

He looks back at me, and I see the answer in his eyes before a single word sails out of his mouth. “I’m not just falling, man. I’m already flat on the ground, hopelessly obsessed with this woman. There’s no turning back for me now. I’m in it until she tells me otherwise.”

“Shit, that’s what I was worried about.”

“You?”

I shrug. “To be completely honest with you, I have no fucking idea. I’ve never been in love with someone before. I don’t know how that’s supposed to feel, but I know I’ve never felt like this before.”

“Like what?”