AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I reached for my goblet of orange juice and grunted. “Left it there on purpose.”
“A participation trophy.” He sighed, cutting into a piece of sausage and bringing it to his mouth. “How nice.”
How this man became my boss—I didn’t really even have words. He was younger than me. Arrogant. Ruthless. And yet, he owned a cat.
A fluffy tabby cat in a sweater was currently purring around my feet like I wasn’t seconds away from shooting it dead. I’d officially seen it all.
Andrei turned the page of the paper like he was domesticated as hell and then started to hum.
Just kidding,nowI’d seen it all.
“Tell me, are you annoying me on purpose?” I couldn’t see his arrogant face anymore. My juice was gone. The bacon tasted like paper in my mouth, and I was anxious about Katya, about all of the bosses having hits out on them, about last night and the ramifications after we shot three of the men dead, leaving two alive to run off to their bosses and let them know what went down.
The most annoying part was how easy that was to manipulate and control, while the one thing I couldn’t was Katya. She surprised me, and I hated surprises. I was calculating, and she acted one way for one minute and then differently the next, like a puzzle that I really needed to stay away from if I wanted to stay alive. I figured picking up one piece would just force me to pick up two, and I was an all-or-nothing sort of person.
I’d finish that puzzle and pound the pieces into the board so hard I’d be bruised, and then I’d be killed for it.
Her fault for being difficult, for showing her emotions on her sleeve again and again and making me want to tell her it was going to be okay when I wasn’t even sure I would be okay.
I’d killed people the night before. Tortured others.
And yet it was her face that haunted me as if she was worried I was going to snap and then snap her in two as if I was the monster when I was literally sitting across from the real monster.
“So.” Andrei sat the paper down, folding his hands over it, his smile cruel. “How did last night go? By the blood still on your body from both Phoenix and whoever you encountered, I imagine it went well?”
Business. Business I could talk about. I’d already reported to Tex with Chase, but Andrei had gone to bed with his wife. “Our hunting went very well. I took down two dirty Abandonato associates, who decided they wanted to talk, and instead of letting them have a say, I ripped their voice boxes from their throats before sending them on a hot journey downward.” I shrugged. “What they deserve for taking money rather than protecting blood, and well, Chase took care of the rest as I’m sure he always does.”
“Interesting.” How the hell did his blond hair have the perfect wave across his forehead as if he just walked off a magazine shoot when I knew his hands were even bloodier than mine?
Which was truly saying something for a Sinacore Assassin.
“Yes. Riveting.” I deadpanned. “If that’s all—”
“Stay.” His eyes moved over my head as if he was watching someone, and then they softened in a way that had me instantly on high alert. “How’d you sleep?”
“Horribly,” the soft voice said.
The same voice that haunted me.
The same person who had seen me naked because I had zero fucks to give after all the killing I’d done.
She’d questioned me.
So I’d taunted her.
Apparently, that was how far I’d fallen—from killer to complete tease of a girl I had no business even looking at, let alone protecting—saving.
Andrei’s hand flexed against his coffee cup like he was thinking about standing and doing something emotional, possibly giving her a hug or a pat on the back.
I shot him a smirk, earning a middle finger against his coffee cup.
It didn’t wipe the grin off my face as Katya made her way to a seat as far away from us as possible.
Smart girl.
She looked so small sitting at the dining room table as if she was a long-lost princess who’d just been rescued by the king.
Too bad this fairy tale was more rescued by the villain, breakfasting with the monster.
