by Sam Crescent
“Go with him,” Boss said, pointing to one of the scary looking guys.
They put their guns away, and Bain was suddenly leading her out of the house. The moment they passed Boss, Bain pulled her around to the front so that she was completely covered at all times.
“Bain, what’s going on?” she asked.
“I’m going to have a nice long chat with these assholes, and then we’re going to go back home where I’m going to spend the rest of our day fucking.” They got to his car, and he leaned forward, opening the door. “I want you to drive fast and far away from here.”
“No.”
“You’ve got nothing to be afraid of. I’ll find you when I’m done.”
“I’m not running. I’m not going to go somewhere and risk never seeing you again. If you die today, and you don’t come out of that house, then I don’t go either, and I’m dead.”
“Everyone who could hurt you is gone,” said Bain. “I want you to be happy.”
He was so sweet. It was the strangest thought and feeling in the world to have about a killer. He wasn’t evil to her. Bain was many things, but she was falling in love with him. He was hard and yet not. He inspired so many emotions inside her, and she couldn’t walk away, or leave him.
“I’m going to handle this.” He handed her a gun. “For me, if I don’t come out of that house first, I want you to live. You have to do that for me. You have to live.”
Tears filled her eyes, falling down her cheeks. “No. I don’t want to live without you. Don’t make me do this.”
He cupped her cheeks and once again pulled her in for a kiss. “Do as I say.”
“He killed Lisa,” she whispered.
“I’m going to deal with this, baby. Trust me, okay.”
With that, he turned and ordered the other man to follow him. She climbed into the car and watched as he entered the house. Staring down at the gun in her hand, it would be so easy to end her miserable life, but what if Bain came out of that house? Today had gone from being one of the best days of her life to suddenly one of the worst. There was no way she could live without Bain, not now, not after falling in love. She would rather die than be without him.
Staring at the gun, she made her decision. If Bain didn’t walk out that door, she was going to end her own life.
****
Bain was pissed off and frustrated. This hadn’t gone the way he wanted it to go. He’d wanted Scarlett to find some kind of solace or closure. At the very least he wanted her to face her demons like he had done all of those years ago. Instead of helping the situation, all he did was make it worse, and now he felt even shittier about it.
Staring at Viper as he entered Michael’s home, he saw his somewhat-friend was worried. Bain never really knew where to place Viper in his life. When they were younger Viper had given him hope when he’d been short on faith. After breaking out, they had been partners, joined together in riding the world. Over the years they’d found their way back to each other at random points. The last time, Viper had found the love of his life and left Killer of Kings. Bain had been his replacement.
Staring at Boss, he wanted to kill the man but knew he couldn’t. Something in his gut told him that whoever killed Boss would end up with a massive hit on their head. It would only be a matter of time before they were dead. “You want to tell me why the fuck you’re tailing me?” Bain asked.
“I already told you. I’m cleaning up after your mess, and, Bain, you’re making a lot of fucking mess,” Boss said. The owner of Killer of Kings looked down over Michael. “He’s not a fucking kill. Why is he dead? Why isn’t that bitch outside dead? Why wasn’t that other woman dead? I thought you were going to handle it. You haven’t done one single thing that I asked you to do. Killer of Kings is a reliable service. We have guarantees in place, which is why people pay a fucking fortune for the right to use us, and not some back-alley piece of shit.”
Bain glared at the other man. “Everything was handled. I kill who needs to be killed. That is all I do. This was something I was dealing with for Scarlett. She’s not your problem. She’s mine.”
“She’s a loose end. One you need to learn to cut the fuck off.”
Bain didn’t think about what he did next, he simply reacted. Grabbing Boss around the neck, he had him pressed against the nearest wall with a gun at his temple. “You do not get to tell me what I fucking do. Do you understand me? You will leave Scarlett out of this. She was not your concern. She will never be your concern.”
“You’re part of Killer of Kings, asshole. Everything you do is my concern. Whether you breathe, piss, fuck, take a shit, it’s all relevant to me. You gave everything up to be on my books, and that is how it’ll fucking stay.” Boss had no fear. He was calm, his confidence off the fucking charts. Bain supposed he had the muscle and skill to back it up, but right now he didn’t care.
“Bain, let him go,” Viper said.
“No. I should fucking kill him right now. End this.”
“You kill him, it will only start a war you can never win. Boss is number one. Always has been, always will be.”
“You can’t tell me that you’ve not thought about ending him. Taking him out,” Bain said.
“More times than I could count, but it’s not worth it. He’s not worth this.”
“Now you two are just breaking my fucking heart,” Boss said.
Bain stared at the devil himself. Boss could joke and make everyone think he was a sane best friend. He saw the truth. Boss was a monster. It was how he’d been able to stay on top for so long. Boss did the job no one else could.
Removing his weapon, Bain backed up, but he didn’t go far. “You will leave Scarlett alone.”
“Why is she so important to you?” Boss asked.
“Because she’s my woman. She belongs to me.”
“There are a million women out there, all with the same kind of pussy. Fuck them. Don’t fuck the woman who watched you murder those men.”
“She’s mine!” Bain yelled the word, and Viper stepped between them.
“Get them out of here,” Viper said.
Boss ordered the three men out, and Bain had no choice but to stop them. “Go out the back door. I told my woman to take off if she sees anyone else but me leave the house.”
“For fuck’s sake. Pussy whipped the lot of you. Go out the damn back,” Boss said.
Within seconds they were alone.
“What’s going on here?” Boss asked. “You’re giving me a headache.”
“I want Scarlett. I’m not negotiating that.”
“Are you telling me you’re coming out of the life?”
“No. I can’t stop what I do,” said Bain. “I need to kill.”
“And you’re not going to give her up?” Boss asked.
“I can’t.”
“She’s just a piece of pussy.”
“To everyone else but not to me,” Bain said. “I need her. She’s mine, and you can’t take her away from me.”
“This is why I wanted the others gone,” Viper said. “When we were kids, you know what we went through. Don’t pretend you didn’t. You fucking knew everything. We had nothing. Every time we tried to find some shred of love or anything, they tore it from us and made us either destroy it, or watch it die. We have never had anything in our lives to call our own. The homes. The material shit. They mean nothing. They are nothing to us. He wants Scarlett. Let him have her. You have nothing to lose.”
Bain kept his mouth shut. He wasn’t interested in playing nice right now. Every time Boss spoke, he wanted to kill him.
The only thing that kept him at bay was the woman outside waiting for him, and the future he planned for the two of them. A real family.
Boss groaned. “Fine. You know what, have the woman, but if this little obsession fades away, you will deal with her, understood?”
“Yes,” said Bain.
“You will also stay on at Killer of Kings. I’m not going to have you quit on me. However, you have the
rest of the month off until this honeymoon period is over.”
“You’re not going to take a hit out on me?” Bain asked.
“No. I’m not. I see your value yet. But you’ll do as I say, and there’ll be a price for this little gift you gave me.” He touched the bleeding wound on his shoulder.
“What about Lisa? Scarlett talked to her, and she handled everything. All that woman knew was that Scarlett had a boyfriend and had been with me for the past week.”
“She’s dead, Bain. Obviously. I told you I tied up loose ends, and she was one of them.”
“She didn’t have to die.”
Boss chuckled. “This is why none of you will ever best me. You can never do the job that needs to be done. She was innocent until she had the potential to incriminate us. Now, she’s dead. Poor thing killed herself in the bathtub.” He stepped up close. “Next time I tell you to clean up your shit, you will do it, as otherwise, I’ll make sure you’re the loose end. Get the fuck out, and I’ll clean up this mess.”
Bain wanted to pound the fucker’s face. Instead, he walked out with Viper close behind him. He looked toward the car and saw Scarlett’s relief. He smiled and gave her a wave.
“You love her?” Viper asked.
“Yes.”
“Is she worth having Boss pissed off with you?”
“Was Pepper worth it?” Bain asked, not looking away from Scarlett. She had rested her head back and looked like she was smiling. Part of him had expected her to be long gone by now. She hadn’t left him, and that just made him happy.
“You know she was. I was on my way to kill her. Things changed,” Viper said.
“Scarlett gives me peace, and when I’m with her, the past ceases to exist for me. I can’t let her go, and I won’t.” Finally, he turned to look at his friend. “You didn’t have to come today. I was fine.”
Viper shrugged. “I have my ways of keeping an eye on you. Boss can be a big asshole, and I knew you didn’t deserve to die.”
“You don’t have to keep an eye on me. I can take care of myself, and I’ve been doing it for a long time.”
“I guess it’s hard to just let you go after all this time,” Viper said.
They shared a bond. It was a strange one and not one he liked thinking about all that much. “I promised her I would keep her safe. We shared blood, which I think grossed her out a little.” He smiled.
“That’s a big step with you.”
“She’s going to be upset though,” said Bain.
“Why?”
“Her friend Lisa’s dead, and I promised her I wouldn’t lay a hand on her.”
“You didn’t. Boss did. A little piece of advice, when he says he’s going to do something, he will. No questions asked. He owes you for shooting him, so watch your back,” he said. “I’ve got to be heading home. Pepper didn’t want me to come, but I couldn’t let you face this alone.”
“Bye, Viper.” Bain made his way toward the car and climbed behind the wheel. He didn’t linger and pulled away from the curb, heading home.
They were alive, safe, and together.
“I didn’t anticipate what went down in there,” said Bain.
“Which part?”
“All of it. I expected Michael to see your strength, your beauty. He was an asshole. You never have to worry about him again.”
“And Lisa?”
He sighed. His heart ached for his woman’s pain. This was the last thing he wanted her to go through. Her tears meant more to him than anything else. The moment she cried, it was like he’d failed at keeping her happy. “I’m sorry.”
“That man is a monster. Why didn’t you just kill him?” she asked.
He chuckled. “I was going to, but Boss is the top boss because he makes sure everyone else is in hell. I pull that trigger, and Boss dies at my hand, and it will be a matter of days if not hours before I join him. I’d be hunted to the ends of the earth.”
“You’re kidding, right? There’s no way that would happen. He’d be dead.”
Bain took her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Killer of Kings would live on. That’s why he’s the strongest and most powerful. There is no limit to what Boss will do.”
It was why he needed to keep Scarlett far away from Boss, just in case the fucker had a change of heart.
Chapter Nine
When Scarlett saw Bain’s house come into view, she felt an instant sense of ease. If only the whole world could disappear, leaving just the two of them in this little piece of paradise. Bain might be used to his unorthodox lifestyle, but she was still in shock. How could she ever feel comfortable with constant death and danger?
They pulled onto the long gravel drive to the old farmhouse. It was a simple brick two-storey with unkempt lawn, but it was homey and inviting. When he turned off the ignition, silence settled in. She realized neither of them had spoken the entire drive home. Her thoughts were scattered in so many directions.
“What will happen to Michael?” she asked.
“Boss will handle everything. It’s what he does.”
She nodded. It was hard to get the vision of her ex’s dead body out of her mind, even though she felt a newfound peace knowing he was gone. The only way for her to stay sane was to convince herself Michael deserved his fate—he’d killed the innocent baby growing inside her.
“You shot your boss. Why didn’t he shoot back? There were four of them.”
“I have to remind myself that fucker is even human. Maybe he doesn’t feel pain,” said Bain, his hands squeezing the steering wheel. “I don’t like how he let me off so easy.”
“He must see your value.”
Bain took a deep breath and got out of the car. She chased after him as he entered the house.
“Who were all those men? Did you know them?” she asked. Scarlett had a feeling Bain didn’t want to talk about this, but she couldn’t just pretend nothing happened. It helped her to talk things out. She had so many questions.
“Viper was the one I told you about, the one I grew up with. He’s the only person I’d have to think twice about before killing. He wanted to make sure I didn’t do anything stupid because he was the one to put a good word in for me at Killer of Kings. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that he showed up. When it comes to you, I seem to jump the gun.”
“He loves you. I could see it in his eyes.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he said. “But out of the five of them, he’d be the least likely to pull the trigger.”
“What about the others?”
“I know Boss and his new right-hand man, Killian. I haven’t seen the other two before, but I’ve only met a fraction of the people working for Killer of Kings.”
He braced both hands on the kitchen counter, his back to her. She put one hand over his. “Will everything be okay?” she asked.
His mood seemed to shift, as if he realized how distant he’d become. Bain smiled as he turned around. “I’m sorry, baby.” He held her head against his chest, his other arm keeping her close. “This must be scary for you. I keep forgetting you’re not used to any of this shit.”
“I just want to be happy. I’m tired of getting the short stick in life.”
Bain tilted her chin up. “Things will be different now. You’re mine, and everyone knows it. Boss gave me the rest of the month off, so I’m all yours.”
“Really?”
“Do whatever you want to me.” He winked.
God, he had such a ruggedly handsome face. She could stare at him all day. And his body … just envisioning his ripped body made her think very X-rated thoughts.
“You said we’d spend the rest of the day … you know.”
He scooped her up into his arms without warning. She wasn’t light, but he carried her upstairs as if she weighed a hundred pounds. Bain brought her to a bathroom in the upstairs hallway. It had been renovated with a walk-in shower. He set her down and started the water.
“After every job, I like to come in here and take a
long shower. It’s cleansing, you just imagine the water washing away the shit in your head.” He pulled her shirt up and off, her hair fanning down on her back. “You do the same thing, okay, Scarlett? Forget what you saw today. Let it all wash away.”
“It’s okay, Bain. You don’t have to protect me.” She slipped out of her capris until she was standing in her bra and panties. “And I don’t blame you for anything. I’m glad you did what you did.”
He cupped her cheeks and gave her one soft kiss. “I can’t stand the thought of you being a part of my world. You’re too good for this, and I don’t want to poison you.”
“I’m more broken than you think,” she said. “Maybe two halves can make a whole?”
She saw the emotion in his eyes because it reflected her own. He was nothing like the man she’d first seen at Semenov’s.
Bain groaned as he tugged off his shirt. “Tonight, we’re going to forget about everything. There’s nothing else. It’s just you and me.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
Once they were both undressed, Bain slid open the large glass door so they could step inside. The warm water flowed down from the rainfall shower heads. He was right. There was something healing about the water tracing down her hair and face, the old being washed away, replaced with hope and new beginnings.
Bain’s large frame towered over her. He braced one hand on the shower wall, the other settling on the small of her back. He brought her close until there was only a breath between them. “You’re beautiful, Scarlett. More than I deserve.”
“Don’t say that,” she said. “You’re a good man.”
He chuckled. “You won’t think so after tonight.” Bain kissed her on the mouth, the water rushing down around them. Her need that had been put on the back burner returned with a vengeance. His hard, tattooed body kept coming closer until she was pressed to the tiled wall. She could feel his desire, his masculine energy surrounding her. Scarlett rested a hand on each of Bain’s biceps, savoring the feel of his muscles flexing. She closed her eyes as he kissed her neck, his tongue tracing patterns along her erogenous zones.