by Sam Crescent
I couldn’t breathe. My throat had closed up.
I jerked awake. My hand went to my neck as I sat up in a bed. I didn’t recognize the bed or any of the décor around me. Rubbing at my eyes, I tried to make sense of what I could see, but there was nothing there.
Throwing my blankets off me, I stared down at my hands.
Blood.
There was no blood.
I fell off the bed, landing in a heap on the ground.
The bedroom door flew open and Ashley’s arms were around me. At first, I fought against her touch, but then she held on to me, rocking gently.
“It’s okay. It’s fine. I’m here. I’m with you. You’re okay.”
This wasn’t fucking okay. This couldn’t be real.
I knew what I saw. I knew what had happened, and yet here I was, alive. The blade had pressed against my neck. He’d been strangling me, and then everything went dark.
The bastard had knocked me clean out.
Ashley helped me to the edge of the bed. I’d lost so much control, I’d started to cry. “Where are we? What the hell is going on?”
“They told me you’d been out and you would be a little out of it.”
“Who? They? You mean Vadik, Caleb, River, and Gael?”
Ashley nodded.
“What’s going on?”
“They er, they … they asked me to give you this.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter. “I’ve got to sit with you while you read it.”
“A letter?”
“Yes.”
I took the letter from her hands. Mine shook.
Weakness. I was tired of feeling weak and I wasn’t going to allow myself to feel that way anymore.
Opening the letter, I saw Caleb’s writing.
I swiped the tears off my cheek, took a breath, and started to read.
Dear Emily,
You’re alive. I know you came here expecting to die, but we couldn’t let that happen. We had to know you would live. That you would get to have some semblance of a life. No matter what.
I stopped reading as I just knew this wasn’t going to end well.
“Did you read it?” Ashley asked.
“Not yet.” I went back in.
Your father’s deceit was more than we could even begin to think about. His desire to be number one is what got him killed, and nearly you. None of us want you to die. As you’re reading this, you will know Ashley is with you. That is because this letter will be the last correspondence you will ever get. As far as the world is concerned, you died, as did Ashley. Neither of you exists. She has your new passports and identity. You’ve also got enough money to start over.
You cannot come back.
If you do, you’ll die.
We love you, Emily, so much, but we can’t let you die.
This is all of us letting you go. None of us want this. We wanted to have a life with you.
I couldn’t read anymore. Without going to the bottom, I tore up the letter and let the bits of paper rain down on the bed.
Broken.
They loved me.
They let me go.
“Em?” Ashley asked.
I shook my head. They got to say goodbye and I got nothing. Tears filled my eyes and I tried to control myself. I tried not to be sad, but I couldn’t stop.
I was dying inside.
They had let me go so easily. I had to be nothing to them.
“I don’t like this. They didn’t want you to be upset.”
I covered my face with my hands and finally let go. I cried so hard. Ashley’s arms wrapped around me, holding me close. This was worse than dying.
“I never got to tell them I loved them,” I said.
“I’m sure they knew.”
“Do you even know what’s going on?” I asked, pulling away.
Ashley turned away and nodded. “Yes. They told me who your father was. I had no idea, Emily, I promise. I … my mom.”
Then I realized Ashley was crying.
“Your mom?”
“She’s dead.” Ashley’s tears made a lot of sense now. She’d lost someone. Unlike me, Ashley had loved her mom.
Wrapping my arms around her, I knew I had to be strong. I was never going to see my guys again. They had done much worse than their fathers ever could.
Dean Parson had offered me a clean death. Fast, quick, swift. I hadn’t wanted to die, but what Caleb, River, Gael, and Vadik had done, they had offered me only a half-life. They had gotten under my skin, broken into my heart, and they had smashed it into a million pieces. There was no repairing the damage they’d caused.
They had killed me.
I was in love with four men and they had completely broken my heart. I didn’t know how I was going to live, but I had to, to make use of this.
Ashley pulled away, wiping at her tears. “Ice cream?”
I nodded. She took my hand, leading me out into the sitting room.
“Where are we?”
She nibbled on her lip and I was even more shocked by what she said next. Not only had they kept me alive, but they had moved me to a different country.
My new name and new life were now in England.
Yay.
To Be Concluded
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BONUS SAMPLE CHAPTER
BOSS
Killer of Kings, 7
Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino
Copyright © 2020
Sample Chapter
“I’ve been hit! Officer down. I repeat, officer down!”
“SWAT … we need SWAT!”
Boss set his coffee down on the corner of his desk and rolled out his shoulders. He flicked on another monitor. He’d been following the drama for almost an hour. Normally, he wouldn’t pay attention to the police scanners or live stream if it didn’t involve one of his contracts, but the shootout was only two blocks away. It was past sunset and, with the streetlights out, the cops were night blind.
Although the police still had no clue what they were dealing with, he knew there were five shooters in different garages and backyards. Boss always had his finger on the pulse of the city. All five had serious firepower and were hell-bent on taking out as many cops as they could. Boss wasn’t sure what was up their asses, and he couldn’t care less. He stood up and strapped on a bulletproof vest and shoulder holster. He didn’t plan on using a gun tonight, but he always carried.
Everyone called Boss a monster, and they were right.
Tonight, he was feeling generous.
As he readied himself in his rear gunroom, he opened the door and mobilized one of his drones, complete with heat and motion sensors. Its gentle buzzing faded into nothing once he released it into the night sky. He’d keep control with his night-vision headset. Everything he owned was state-of-the-art technology. He used his hackers to do his dirty work, but Boss was a god behind the keyboard. He never ordered a man to do anything he wasn’t capable of doing himself—and that was part of Killer of Kings’ success.
Lately, he’d been slacking, rarely getting his hands dirty for any of his contracts. He missed the blood, the adrenaline, the thrill of the hunt. His hitmen were the best in the world—well-trained and extremely capable—but he wanted to handle a couple of hits himself this month. Hacking, research, and surveillance didn’t satisfy him on the same level as killing.
He was probably pushing fifty, but who the fuck knew. Becoming feeble and dependent on others was a deep-seated fear he rarely entertained. He’d
rather eat a bullet than give up his power. So, he killed it in the gym five days a week and practiced technique and accuracy in his custom shooting range on a daily basis. No way was he going to let himself go or lose his skillset. But even the killer of kings couldn’t live forever.
He took a deep breath of the cool night air once outside. Boss made his way to the shootout, keeping to the shadows. He wore all black and had a lifetime of elite training behind him. Countless lights from the police flashers colored the sky as he neared the hot zone, and intermittent rounds of gunfire cut the eerie silence. SWAT couldn’t contain the scene. Numerous cops were already down, and it wasn’t safe for paramedics to move in for transport.
Minutes after reaching the site, he had all his targets accounted for. It was time to pick them off, one by one. It wouldn’t even be worth a phone call to get one of his hitmen to end this bullshit. Better for him to handle it himself before his coffee got cold.
He came up behind his first victim, wrapping a thick arm around the asshole’s neck. Within seconds, he secured his wrist, turning his own gun on himself. Boss leaned back just enough. One head shot, and it was a suicide. With the amount of media this shitfest would inevitably get this week, he didn’t want his stamp on any of it.
Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to use his own weapons tonight.
The pungent scent of sulfur in the air irritated his senses. A negotiator’s static voice sounded on the megaphone, asking the shooters to stand down. It only served to piss them off more. There were two in the next garage. Boss borrowed the gun he’d just used and struck the first guy right in the jugular. The second went in a frenzy, spraying the garage with lead, shrapnel pinging in every direction. He’d get him last because he pissed him off. After returning the gun to his first victim, he ducked down and crossed the street.
“They’re firing from everywhere. Does anyone have a visible?”
Boss continued to listen in on the police communication as he handled their shit.
The next two were shooting from behind some hedges. Anything that moved was a target. They had enough ammo to keep the party going on all night long.
What was the point of this bloodbath?
Boss’s curiosity was piqued when he saw the state of his next target. He looked like shit, his heat signature off the charts. He grabbed a metal rake leaning against the side of the house, breaking off the end of the handle with his boot. As soon as the shooter stopped to reload, he moved in and punched him straight in the neck. He immediately dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. Boss dragged him by the collar and rammed his head down over the sharp end of the rake, impaling him in the neck with the jagged wood. Blood gurgled from the wound and he collapsed to the side. Another unfortunate accident. Nice and simple for the police reports.
He picked up the automatic rifle from the grass, giving it a once over before stalking the second man on this side of the street. As soon as he found him taking aim at the SWAT members running between patrol cars, Boss cleared his throat to get his attention.
“Don’t shoot,” he said when he saw Boss standing over him.
Boss shook his head. “I don’t take orders.” He pulled the trigger, spraying the man with a quick barrage of bullets. He tossed the gun and went back to handle the last punk.
The shooter was still in the same garage. The heavy darkness shrouded Boss as he moved closer. He crouched down and picked up a rock, tossing it to the opposite end of the garage. Gunfire followed the path as the guy began to panic again. Boss rushed over and knocked his feet out from under him, snatching away his weapon. With a boot on the fucker’s chest, his own weapon pointing at his face, Boss chuckled.
“Last man standing. Not so cocky now, are you?” asked Boss.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“I’ll ask the questions. What I want to know is why the showdown with the cops?”
The man coughed. “They’re trying to kill us. All of us.”
“Who?”
“The cops. The government. I don’t fucking know.”
Boss jabbed him in the ribs to keep him in line. “The guy across the street was sick. You know anything about that?”
“We’re all dying off. That’s their plan…” He motioned to his backpack a few feet away. “It’s the drugs. That’s the answer.” The man cleared his throat after another coughing fit. “But they’re in for a surprise. They’re not just going to clean up the ghetto. Everyone fucking uses.”
SWAT was moving in close. Boss ordered the drone to return to home base, then put two quick bullets in the shooter’s head, dropping the gun beside the body.
Before he left, he grabbed the backpack, slinging it over one shoulder.
Fifteen minutes later, he was in the shower back home, washing away the blood and dust. It was late. His coffee was cold. He’d get some sleep and choose a challenging contract in the morning. Along with looking into what he’d discovered today. He’d never been able to let things go, not once his interest was piqued.
He washed his body, his soapy hands trailing over scar after scar. Some told stories, others were mysteries. His tattoos hid a lot of the past, but he could feel every single imperfection, his body the battlefield of a fucked-up life. Most of his history was blacked out, including his name and date of birth. According to every database, he shouldn’t exist. Even he couldn’t find his roots, no matter how much digging he did. The things he could remember were enough to give any man nightmares. Things were different now. He was on top and didn’t make mistakes.
Boss pulled his damp hair into a low ponytail and headed to his gun room where he’d left the backpack.
His cell phone rang. “Yeah.”
“Widow Maker strikes again,” said Maurice.
Boss had one of his hackers track El Diablo’s little sister since she’d shown up in their city. She’d proven to be a royal pain in the ass. Instead of working for him, she kept sabotaging or stealing his contracts. He should have killed her a long time ago. Her days were numbered.
“Details.”
“She took Bain’s latest mark, Robert Hayleigh, to a hotel. They just went in.”
His jaw tightened. That asshole was as good as dead. He’d have to have a chat with Bain tomorrow. It was embarrassing having a freelancer outwit one of his hitmen. Killer of Kings had a reputation to uphold.
“I want to know exactly where she goes once she leaves the hotel.”
“Will do,” said Maurice.
Boss tucked his phone away.
Tomorrow was Friday.
He’d made a habit of taking a new bitch to bed most weeks. He didn’t do relationships and usually tired of the same girl once she started getting fantasies of taming him. This weekend he was going to focus on a contract, so he wouldn’t have time to entertain.
Unlike his men, he had better control of his cock. Boss had been dealing with romance drama for fucking years thanks to Killer of Kings. He swore he must be cursed as one after another, his hitmen fell hard for a woman. Even the most hardcore bastards … pussy-whipped and off the market. He couldn’t understand the appeal of settling down with one woman. He liked things his way, and it was a fact that emotions and loved ones were weaknesses in the underworld of contract killing.
Boss preferred everything in his life to be clean, accurate, and well-coordinated. He couldn’t control what happened in his past, but Killer of Kings was a well-oiled machine with an impeccable reputation for getting the job done. He’d become the perfect assassin because he lacked empathy for his victims. Pity and second-guessing only got men killed.
He lugged the backpack onto the butcherblock counter and zipped it open. There was a large baggy of white powder among the ammunition. The shooter had ranted about drugs and being killed by a higher power. One of the men had a high fever. In addition to tailing El Diablo’s sister so she didn’t fuck up any more of his plans and starting a new contract tomorrow, he needed to know everything about what went down tonight.
Boss called
up one of his inside men. “I need you to bring your lab and test something for me. It looks like coke, but I have a feeling there’s more to it.”
“I’ll bring the van by. How urgent?”
“Be here within the hour. I need some fucking sleep.”
****
“Please, baby, don’t do it. Put it down. Let’s talk about this, okay?”
Graciella set her 9mm on the glass side table with a soft clink and poured herself a glass of wine. She swirled the liquid in lazy circles, watching it cling to the sides of the crystal glass. “You like expensive things,” she said, taking a sip.
“Why are you doing this?”
Robert Hayleigh’s hands were handcuffed above him on the elaborate headboard. He was naked and pathetic, begging for his life. Fortunately, he was an easy mark so she wouldn’t have to fuck him. Men made her sick.
She leaned back in the leather chair and continued to enjoy the wine.
He kept pleading, his fear slowing, morphing to bursts of anger. “What do you want from me, you stupid bitch? Just take my cash and fuck off.”
That got her attention. Graciella stood up, her heels clicking on the marble floors of the hotel room. “Is that what you think, Mr. Hayleigh? I’m a call girl trying to rip you off?”
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” he said.
She ignored his now constant ranting. Graciella walked around the spacious luxury suite, admiring the custom woodwork. There were still fifteen minutes until her take-out order was ready at La Cocina, so she took her time. She parted the curtains and looked down at the street below, an array of lights from traffic and animated billboards illuminating the darkness. This city was her home for now. She had no intention of returning to Colombia. When she was ready, she returned to the glass table, picked her gun up, and began to twist on a silencer.