Shadowed: A Hitman Mafia Romance (Team Zero Book 4)

by Rina Kent

  He does, and the deep ache and anger in his metallic gaze takes me back by surprise. Biting words come out of his lips. “What the fuck were you doing there alone, Zoe?”

  I resist the urge to flinch. Being out alone for Johnny to single me out is my fault, and I should take responsibility. “I’m sorry. I went to dig Dad’s capsule… wait. Where is it?”

  He motions at the corner of the room where the metallic box rests on the table. “Elle and I could’ve gone with you.”

  “I wasn’t thinking clearly. If I knew I would be attacked, I wouldn’t have done it.”

  A harsh breath leaves his lips. “I thought something happened to you. I thought you wanted to fucking die, Zoe.”

  I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in his hard chest. He smells of cloves and scotch and safety. I never felt so whole as much as I do with Shadow.

  He’s a killer but his arms are the safest place to be.

  “I don’t want to die, Shadow. I was living for the wrong reasons before but now I’m not.”

  He searches my face with his inquisitive, piercing gaze. “Sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “You know I’m crazy enough to follow you to hell and torment you there, right?”

  I laugh and nuzzle my nose along his neck. “I sure do.”

  “I mean it. I hold a grudge, beautiful.”

  My tongue darts out and I lick the pulse point in his throat before I bite hard until his muscles tense. I whisper against his ear, “Then what are you going to do about this?”

  He grunts and closes his eyes for the briefest second as if summoning control. “Don’t fucking push me. You’re injured.”

  I nibble along his neck with slow kisses and gentle bites. My fingers roam underneath his T-shirt until I’m stroking his hard skin.

  Touching him has become a need like breathing air. After the attack, all I care about is to be with Shadow. I need his warmth. His intensity. All of it.

  I latch on his belt and pull down his trousers and boxer briefs until his erection springs free. With a deep breath, I drop to my knees in front of him. The scrapes burn, but I pay them no attention.

  “Zoe…” Shadow trails off then sucks in a breath when I curl my hands around his hard, pulsing cock in my hands. “Fuck, beautiful.”

  “You’re the only person I’ll get on my knees for.” I lick my lips and take him in my mouth.

  He grunts as I cup his balls and continue licking and sucking him. His fingers thread in my hair, far from my injury. I work him harder and faster. My arousal matches the lusty look on his face, but I don’t attempt to touch myself.

  This is about him.

  More than the physical connection, I want to show him I’m grateful for having him in my life. For the gift he left inside my womb. For saving us today.

  I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if he didn’t find us.

  Shadow’s fingers thread in my hair harsher, then he drops it, probably remembering the injury. Instead, he thrust his hips forward.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful.” He grunts as he fucks my mouth and hits the back of my throat, and my gag reflex shoots. My eyes fill with tears and I cease breathing. He pulls back, giving me some control before he’s at it again.

  When I feel him close, I fasten my pace. However, Shadow slides out from my mouth.

  “What…?” I pant for breath as I lick my lips, chasing the remains of his taste.

  “I love your mouth, beautiful, but I want to come inside you.” He pulls me up by the arm and places me on the bed. I gasp when he yanks my robe up and rips my undies off.

  I cry out when he slams inside me in one long thrust. I’m already wet so I don’t even need time to adjust. I thought he was on the edge, but it turns out I am the one who’s craving.

  “You’re not leaving without telling me again,” he announces as he pounds harder.

  “Shadow…” He bites my pebbled nipple through the cloth. “Oh, God.”

  “Do you know how fucking worried I was?” The harsh but caring expression on his face undoes me.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper against his mouth then press my lips to his and slide my tongue up and down until he opens up. He fucks my mouth as hard as he fucks me.

  The orgasm is so overwhelming that I almost black out.

  He spills inside me with a violence that nearly drives me over the edge again.

  I’m well and truly spent when he carries me in his arms and into the bathroom. He holds me against him while he checks the water’s temperature and runs a bath.

  “How did you find me?” I ask, my eyes already drooping.

  “The necklace has GPS.” Shadow doesn’t sound or look the least bit apologetic that he attached a tracker on me without my knowledge.

  When I remain silent, he says, “Do you have a problem with it?”

  I probably should, but if he didn’t have the tracker, he might not have found us in time. I’m thankful for that tracker so I shake my head.

  “Good, because I’m never losing sight of you after the stunt you pulled when you ran away.”

  He doesn’t trust me. Or at least he doesn’t trust that I’ll stay with him. If only he knew how much I’m craving more and how much I need a full life with him.

  The bathtub is big so he sits up and I snuggle between his legs, my head leaning back against his chest.

  The cool water doesn’t sting my injuries much. Aaron must’ve applied waterproof plasters.

  A heavy sigh leaves me and I start drifting. It’s dangerous to sleep in a bathtub, but I have no doubt that Shadow will keep me safe.

  It’s crazy that I used to think he’s a monster and ran as fast as I could. Now I realise I’ve been running away from myself.

  Shadow is a dangerous man, it’d be naive to think otherwise, but he’s not dangerous to me. When I gave him a chance, he treated me like a queen.

  There’ll always be the rough side like during sex, but I dig that about him.

  Once I wake up, I’ll think of the best way to tell him about the baby.

  “I’m leaving for a while.” His quiet voice brings me back from sleep.

  Alarm grips me like suffocating smoke and it takes effort to speak in a semi-normal tone. “Where?”

  He strokes the top of my hair in a lazy caress. “Somewhere.”

  My lips tremble as I crane to stare up at him. “The Pit?”

  He raises an eyebrow. “How did you know about that?”

  “Elle told me. I thought Ghost was going…” I trail off. “You’re leaving instead of him, aren’t you?”

  He grins. “Not that selfish, huh?”

  “Continue being selfish.” Pressure builds behind my eyes. “Why must you be unselfish?”

  He massages my scalp in slow, rhythmic movements. I close my lids and lean into his touch. Shadow plants a kiss on my lid. “I’m technically being selfish. I’m doing this to fix a duel with a Team Zero mate.”

  I shake my head in his chest. “Don’t go.”

  “I promise to return. I can’t let you go, now can I?” His voice holds an edge of amusement. “I have to live up to my monster reputation.”

  He will go. Once Shadow is determined about something, he’ll do it.

  I won’t let him.

  It’s time to meet my grandfather.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  “Psst!”

  Natalie turns around from her usual hideout in the storeroom. It’s daytime, but as usual, she’s always organising boxes.

  It’s been three days since the attack, and this is the first opening I had to get out of the room without Shadow and Elle breathing down my neck. They didn’t even buy my excuse to meet Liam. Elle wanted to come along, and Shadow didn’t like the idea in the first place.

  I picked this time on purpose. Elle is working out with Ghost as they do every day. Shadow had to go to the factory with Lachlan. Half an hour is all I get before he returns.

  I told him I’d be medi
tating with Scar, and I was since he made sure to check on me. As soon as he was gone, I snuck out of Scar’s room and came here. She’s in her strange zone whenever meditating so I don’t think she even noticed me leaving.

  “Zoe?” Natalie’s big doe eyes widen.

  “Hey, Nat.” I smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t keep in touch and if all of this is too sudden, but can you help me?”

  She wipes her hands on the front of her yellow dress. “With what?”

  “I need to get out of here. You brought your car, right?”

  She appears spooked. “W-why?”

  “I just need to meet someone. Please?”

  “I… S-Shadow will kill me.”

  “If you don’t tell him, I won’t.”

  She fidgets, her mocha skin paling.

  I hold her hand. “Please, Nat. You’re my only hope.”

  She reaches a trembling hand into her bra and retrieves a key. “Meet me outside. I’ll follow you after a few.”

  “You’re the best, Nat!” I hug her and take the keys.

  Thankfully, there aren’t many people in Le Salon during the day. The car park is even more deserted. I sneak along the walls until I reach Natalie’s small car. I should be worried about security cameras, but I hope to return before anything is reported back to Shadow.

  Natalie follows after five minutes and we hit the road. I ask her to drop me near my old neighbourhood. I don’t want her involved in case it backfires.

  “Thank you, Nat.” I hug her again.

  She stiffens and gives an awkward smile.

  Once she disappears down the road, I quicken my pace to President’s Joe’s ‘district’. He owns a club downtown that’s similar to Le Salon. It’s right above the fighting ring where I first met Shadow.

  It feels like forever since that day. Who knew that the arrogant fighter will become an undivided part of my life? My chest squeezes into itself about doing this behind his back, but he didn’t leave me a choice. He won’t listen to reason or to my pleas to stay, so this is the only option I have left.

  He says he’ll be fine, but Elle’s stories about how Team Zero’s members are tortured in The Pit make me want to vomit. There’s no way I’m letting Shadow go back to that.

  Not if I can stop it.

  The club sits on a large piece of land near a back alley. A few drunk men stagger by. I blend with the walls to not get into their way. Now and then, the smell of alcohol and disgusting musk hits me, and I swallow the nausea down.

  A guard stops me at the entrance of the club. He’s bald and tall and his shoulders fill the doorway. He can probably snap me in halves if I breathe wrong.

  “What do you want?” He barks.

  “I want to meet President Joe.”

  He guffaws as if I uttered the funniest joke. The laughter stops as abruptly. “Go home, little girl. No one meets the boss.”

  “He’ll change his mind when you tell him who I am.” I hold my ground, voice confident. “I’m his —”

  My words halt when the guard straightens like a snapped cord. A black Mercedes stops in front of the club and President Joe steps out from the car. The three-piece suit hangs on to his slightly chubby frame. His bald head shines under the daylight.

  I’ve seen him countless times before, but now, I put him under a different light. He’s not the one I need to exact revenge on. He’s my grandfather who can help in saving my future with Shadow.

  The moment he sees me, he stops in his tracks. Wide shock almost drops his jaw to the ground. “Renee?”

  Right. I was always a carbon copy of her. To my dismay, I didn’t inherit any physical features from Dad. Not the dark blond hair or the grey eyes. At least, the similarities between Mum and I will help my grandfather in admitting our familial ties.

  I couldn’t be more wrong.

  Hot rage fills President Joe’s voice as he motions to the guard standing in front of me. “Kill her.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  If there’s something I didn’t expect to see in my lifetime, then it’s Ghost smiling.

  He never does that.

  Now, he’s grinning like a fucking idiot while sparring with Elle.

  One thing for certain, he’s not going back to The Pit. Not even if I sell my soul to the devil.

  Wait. I already did that. Does the devil resell souls?

  I sigh as I lean against the gym’s doorframe. I should be upstairs with Zoe, but I need to talk to Ghost first. Since he seems to be enjoying himself, I didn’t want to interrupt.

  I’m becoming a fucking softie. A few months ago, I would’ve dragged him out and to hell with ruining his fun.

  We need to discuss his negotiations with President Joe. The last thing I want is to upset Zoe and return to The Pit. She’s been begging me non-stop and holding onto me with all her might as if afraid I’ll disappear in the middle of the night.

  “I’ll go.” A firm voice murmurs from beside me.

  Mist.

  She’s dressed in a black tracksuit. Her fire hair is tied in a tight bun. Her light eyes rake over the sparring match at the other end of the gym. “He never looked so happy while boxing.”

  “That’s because he’s a bore.” I pause. “What do you mean by ‘you’ll go’?”

  “The Pit.”

  “Hawk also volunteered to return.”

  Her lips tighten. “My decision has nothing to do with him.”

  “Could’ve fucking fooled me all these decades.” I tilt my head, not missing how she doesn’t even say his name. “Are we ever going to find out why both of you agreed on this love-hate game? The suspense is killing me.”

  “It’s not a game. I couldn’t care less about him.” She taps her fingers against her arm maniacally. “Do you have an alternative aside from me or Ghost returning?”

  “We can always drug Scar and Flame and send them on an express to Hades’ door.”

  “Ghost wouldn’t want that.”

  “Yeah, and those two psychos will murder us in our sleep. I’m not a fan of the idea.” I pause and scratch the back of my head. I never thought I’d say these words to Mist but they tumble of my mouth anyway, “Can I ask you a favour?”

  Her tapping halts and she raises an eyebrow. “What has Zoe done to reshape you?”

  “The favour, old hag.”

  “What do you want?” she snaps. “And for the record, when asking favours, you should be nice, arsehole.”

  “I’m being nice right now.” I lower my tone. “If I’m gone – when I’m gone – can you keep an eye on Zoe? For a phantom reason, she likes you. If she needs anything, I want you to be there for her.” I clear my throat. “I would do anything in my power in return.”

  She cocks an eyebrow. “You actually have a heart?”

  “For her, I do.”

  Something similar to sadness flashes behind her usually-tight features. The change disappears as fast as it came. “You don’t need to ask. Zoe is already under my care.”

  I nod. Mist would do anything for her girls. I can at least trust that side of her.

  No idea if Ghost is completely blind to his surroundings or he simply doesn’t give a fuck, but he pulls Elle against his body and kisses her like a dying man.

  Mist stares with a sheen of nostalgia before she turns and leaves.

  I, on the other hand, am done playing nice, so I clap my hands. “How about a room? Large? Small? With a view?”

  They pull away or more like Elle pushes back and gives an awkward smile.

  Ghost keeps both hands on her hips as he scowls at me. “How about you scarce?”

  “Can’t. We need to talk.”

  “A bit busy,” he says.

  “It’s okay.” Elle wiggles free despite Ghost’s protests. “I have to join Zoe and Scar for meditation, anyway.”

  She tiptoes and plants a kiss on his cheek before brushing past me.

  Ghost drapes a towel around his neck and wipes his face. “This better be damn important.”

 
“I’m hurt. Doesn’t my mere existence hold enough importance?”

  He shoots me a deadly glare.

  “Hey. I didn’t ask to be born this way. Don’t hate the player, hate the world.”

  “The saying is Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” He shakes his head and takes a swig from a bottle of water.

  “Same bloody thing.” I smile, but it soon withers away. “Hey, mate.”

  He clasps the bottle. “What?”

  “In The Pit, there’ll be Omega and withdrawal all over again.”

  He tightens his fist around the bottle until it bends. “Don’t you think I fucking know that? There’s nothing that scares me more than forgetting what it feels like to be with Elle.”

  “Me, too,” I whisper then follow up with. “Zoe, not Elle.”

  There’s a high chance I’ll be that hollow monster she hates so much.

  “I’ll go back,” I say.

  “No, you won’t. Stay here and stop Mist from following me.”

  “I said I’m going, mate. I have unfinished business with Ink.”

  “Take care of it once he’s out.”

  “It has to be done.”

  “No –”

  “I killed your mother.”

  Silence falls in the gym like a dark, gloomy halo. Ghost stares at me with an unreadable expression. No idea if he’s thinking about slaughtering me or skinning me alive. Maybe skin me alive then slaughter me.

  When he says nothing, I blurt the secret I held on for decades. “She came back after a year of abandoning you when we were living in the streets. She had two buff men with her and was shaking with bloodshot eyes, obviously on some drug withdrawal. I heard her tell the men she’ll offer her son as collateral and was asking the homeless men about Julian while giving your description. She stepped out in the streets, a truck was coming and I… pushed her. She was already swaying so no one even suspected me. Everyone thought a drug addict died in a car accident.”

  Harsh breaths leave my lips, and I feel a huge weight lift off my chest. I held on to this secret for years – no, decades. And now, it’s finally out.

  Ghost remains motionless, and I’m about to start fidgeting like the Rubbish Boy I was. I prefer he punches me to death instead of the silence.