by Sam Crescent
He paced along the wide stairs, occasionally checking his watch. When he heard voices approaching, he left a wide berth of space at the entrance. Two bodyguards came out first, followed by the blond and the three other guards. Shadow moved in closer, pretending to absently talk on his phone.
They moved too fast for him to see the guy’s hand. The odds of seeing the small tattoo was slim to none to start with. Normally, he’d follow and kill them anyway. If it was the wrong guy, he’d keep hunting. Since Boss wanted this hit to be perfect, with nothing done to alert the target, he had to bide his time.
****
Shadow had been MIA for almost two weeks. It drove her crazy. Not because she hadn’t seen him, but because she couldn’t stop obsessing over him. Riley prided herself on keeping her heart locked up tight. It was better that way.
Shadow complicated everything.
She refused to knock on his door and look desperate. If he wanted to see her, he knew where she lived and worked. It would have been easier to put him out of her head if she hadn’t believed there’d been something building between them. Had she been completely wrong? Maybe he was just a nice guy, a neighbor looking out for her. Maybe she’d imagined everything else—the intimacy, the possessiveness, the way he looked at her. God, she wanted to believe a man like Shadow could fall for her. But like the rest of her life, it looked like it would end in more disappointment.
After work, she locked up her bakery and headed to her car. She noticed that ever since the “incident”, the area near her bakery was unusually clear of parked cars. It was odd. Of course, she couldn’t get that day out of her head. Not because Shadow killed a man, but because he’d done it for her. He literally killed for her. And now he was gone.
She started up her car, and then rolled down the windows. Even the evenings were humid at this time of year.
“No more broken windows?”
Riley gasped. Shadow’s hand was on the roof of her car, his face distractingly close. “Um, no. Everything’s been good.”
He nodded. “I’m glad.”
The only place opened at this hour was the variety store and the bar. She hoped he’d been there to see her, but wasn’t going to hold her breath. “I hope you weren’t here for baked goods. I closed shop a while ago.”
“I’m here for you.”
Her heart melted, but she kept up a collected front. “Oh?”
“I want to take you out to dinner, Riley.”
Her name on his lips sent butterflies rushing to her womb. This was the last thing she expected from Mr. MIA. She became tongue-tied, part of her expecting him to be playing a cruel trick on her. Riley played along. “When?”
“Tonight. I’ll pick you up in an hour.” He stared at her with those dark, haunted eyes. The man was completely confident. Why shouldn’t he be?
She chuckled. “Are you being serious?”
He winked. “Wear something nice. It’s fine dining.”
Then he stood straight and walked off.
What the actual fuck?
She tried to wrap her mind around what just happened. Shadow wanted to take her to dinner? Fine dining? Riley didn’t even think she owned a nice dress. She had an hour to get showered and dressed, so she made haste getting out of the plaza.
It was nearly eight o’clock by the time she was ready. Clothes littered her bedroom floor. She’d tried on just about her whole wardrobe, but guessed she couldn’t go wrong with a little black dress. After doing her hair and makeup, she dug out her heels from the back of the closet. Riley wasn’t a high maintenance girl. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d worn heels or lipstick.
She did a twirl in front of the hall mirror, trying to envision what Shadow would see when he showed up at her door. Riley smiled. It was fun getting dressed up, and she was happy with the final outcome.
When a loud, hollow knocking echoed in her little bungalow, Riley froze in place. She’d half expected him to be a no-show.
She opened the door and stared at Shadow. He wore a full suit, his dark hair slicked back. The man looked good enough to eat.
“You look stunning,” he said, his voice rough and smooth at the same time.
“Thank you,” she said. “I don’t have many fancy dresses.”
He wet his thick lips, and she couldn’t look away. “You’re perfect.” The way he said the words left no room for argument. He reached out his hand and she took it.
Soon after locking up, they were in his car, the soft leather caressing her thighs.
“I never see you drive this car,” she said.
“It’s for special occasions.”
She breathed in his subtle cologne, a mix of musk and sandalwood. His hands on the steering wheel were big and strong, his fingers long with neatly trimmed nails. She noticed little details about people, and the oddest things seemed to turn her on.
“I haven’t seen you around for weeks,” she said, being nosy. He hadn’t even put out his garbage.
The hum of the engine picked up as he sped down the highway. “I’ve been working a lot. My current assignment has been a challenge.”
“Investments, right?”
“Right.”
She bit her lip, wanting to know more about Shadow, but not wanting to pry. He’d asked her to dinner, so her previous assumption that they had a connection must have been right. Sooner or later, he had to open up.
“I haven’t had any more trouble at the plaza,” she said. “I was scared they’d try and retaliate or get the police involved.” Riley still couldn’t understand how murder could be swept under the rug.
He flicked his wrist to adjust his watch, his eyes on the road. “I dealt with them. It won’t be a problem.”
What did that mean? Was that why no one from the bar dared park near her bakery? The mere thought that Shadow had that much weight gave her a little rush. It definitely turned her on to be with such a capable man. He made her feel safe, and that was something she’d lacked most of her life.
The inside of the car was too quiet. She shifted and watched the darkened scenery rush by, and her thoughts drifted. Riley remembered the day she’d been taken into police protective custody, the beginning of her foster care nightmare. The cops had given her a yellow knitted monkey, a small consolation for what was to come.
That wasn’t the day she’d lost her sense of safety, though. That had ended before she could remember. Being born to an addict was a special kind of hell. The nauseating rollercoaster ride ended when her mother tried to sell her for one night of fucking to an undercover agent in exchange for drugs. She’d been twelve. Although she’d been spared that trauma, her childhood innocence had been lost amongst layers of dysfunction she desperately wanted to wipe from memory.
Even as an adult, she never looked up her mother. Why would she? Riley only had herself to rely on, and that’s how she liked it.
“We’re here.” Shadow’s voice snapped her out of her reverie.
She looked around, the lights and glitter of a massive archway now catching her attention. It was fine dining to the tenth degree. A valet opened her door, and she stepped out, feeling awkward with such luxuries.
A long line-up of people stood behind a red velvet rope, a bouncer keeping them back, but Shadow appeared and led her up the steps ahead of everyone. She felt like Cinderella, in more ways than one.
“This is way too fancy,” she whispered.
Shadow led her inside where he followed the hostess to their table. “This is the one I requested?” he asked.
“It is, sir.”
He held out her chair, and she sat down, watching the flames of the candle flicker when her foot nudged the table leg. To her right, she heard live piano and violin.
Shadow sat across from her. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“I was just surprised since you disappeared after that night in my backyard.”
“My work is complicated, but I promise I’d rather be with you,” he said.
“I have no reason to lie.” His eyes were deep pools she could get lost in, and she craved to know every secret.
“Then tell me something about yourself. Everything about you is a mystery. I want to know the real you.”
“You don’t want to know him.”
Riley tilted her head. “Of course I do,” she said. She thought of something to ask. “How did you get the name Shadow?”
He paused, then slowly bit his lower lip. “It’s just a name.”
“Did your mother give it to you?” Why was he so afraid to open up to her? It seemed she finally met someone more secretive than she was.
The waitress came with water. Shadow immediately grabbed his glass and took a drink. “My boss gave it to me. A long time ago.”
“It suits you.” She didn’t pry further on the subject, but she wasn’t done with him. “Have you been married before?”
This question didn’t seem to upset him like the other. In fact, he smirked, a deliciously sexy tilt of the lips. “No, I haven’t been married.”
“Children?”
He shook his head, then looked at his menu. She decided to look at hers, only to find it was in French. When she glanced over at him, he had the same devilish smirk.
“Need help?” he asked.
“Maybe a little. I’m not interested in eating snails or duck liver.”
The waitress returned to see if they needed help with their order. Shadow spoke in fluent French, which surprised her. “Did you want a glass of wine?” he asked her.
“Sure. Whatever you’re having.”
When the waitress left, she leaned over the table. “Are you French?”
“Just a language I picked up. I travel a lot for work.”
“I’ve never been out of this state.”
“Never traveled?”
Riley shook her head. Now that she thought of it, there weren’t many boxes checked off on her bucket list, but at least she had her bakery, and that was a big one. She didn’t need bright lights and luxury vacations.
“There are so many places I’d love to show you,” he said. “Maybe I will one day.”
All she’d ever wanted was a simple life. She’d expected to live it alone, but now she craved so much more … thanks to the man sitting across from her. Riley was terrified to get her hopes up, only to have them dashed. “Girls like me learn to let go of dreams. There’s no disappointment that way.”
“Don’t say that,” he said. He reached his arm across the table and held her wrist, and she held his. “Have big dreams. You deserve them.” With his free hand, he ran the backs of his fingers along her cheek. She closed her eyes, savoring this new level of intimacy.
When he abruptly pulled away, she swallowed hard and adjusted her dress. She’d completely fallen under his spell for those few minutes.
Shadow stared at another table, completely focused on the people being seated. “Riley, can you do me a favor?”
“Okay…” She supposed she owned him a lot of favors after the glass repair.
“Don’t look now, but I need you to read the lips at that table.”
Chapter Six
Shadow didn’t like using Riley, but at least he had an excuse to take her out to dinner. She looked so beautiful, and she had literally taken his breath away. For a split second he’d felt a little guilty that he was using her for his own means.
He believed the man currently having a business meal was his target, but he wanted to be one hundred percent sure.
Reading lips wasn’t his skill, but he knew without a doubt that it was Riley’s. She was an expert at it.
She glanced over at the table, and he stared at her neck. How would she react if he was to press his lips to her pulse? Would she shiver, and beg for more? Maybe kick him in the balls and tell him to fuck off? Or would she turn toward him and kiss him back?
He couldn’t get her out of his mind, and it was driving him crazy.
With the security cameras he had in her home, he knew what she looked like naked, and he liked what he saw. Nice big juicy tits, full ass and thighs. There was not a thing he didn’t like about her or her body.
She was intrigued by him, and damn nosy, but did that extend to physical attraction? Riley played her cards against her chest, and he didn’t have a clue where he stood. He wasn’t the typical playboy women flocked to. Most kept their distance.
“Why?” she asked.
“What?”
She frowned. “Why do you want me to read their lips?”
“Because I’m curious.”
“Does this have to do with your job?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She pursed her lips, and glanced back over at the table. “What do I get out of this?” she asked.
He sat back and stared at her. “You want something from me?”
“You want something from me, so I think it’ll be good to get something in return.”
Now he was intrigued. “What would you like, Riley?” If it was too much he’d turn it down. He could think of a lot of things he’d like to give her.
“An actual date where you don’t want me for my mad skills,” she said.
“This is a real date. It’s classy.”
“And I’m only here because you can’t see what they’re saying. Don’t try to pretend that this is something else. I know it’s not, and I’m not stupid.” She pushed some of her hair back that had fallen over her eyes. “What’s it going to be?”
Riley’s request made him smile. She could have asked him for anything, and yet all she wished for was an actual date. What was is about this woman that managed to melt his cold exterior?
“Fine. I’ll take you out for a date. A real date. Now tell me what they’re saying,” he said. Shadow didn’t want to fuck up this intel. If this was his man, he needed to know.
She took a sip of her wine, and he watched as she rested her head on her hand to glance over. To any onlooker, she was simply observing the table.
He stared at her. He couldn’t help himself, and when she glanced over, she snorted. “You could help me along and pretend to be an awful date.”
Shadow was confused.
Riley rolled her eyes. “Are you for real? You want to know what they’re saying, and clearly you don’t want them to know what I’m doing. Look at your phone. Pretend to be a bad date that is more interested in other details than me.”
“Oh, right, of course.” He was totally fucking this up.
The fact of the matter was, he liked watching her. Riley intrigued him, and now she was ruining his renowned attention to detail.
Grabbing his cell phone, he began to text Maurice, and then Boss. It was useless shit. A date, time, and even some emojis, which was just funny. He even texted Viper while he was at it.
“Okay, they’re talking about a date. He’s got to head out of the city. Someone’s following him. He knows they’re getting close.” There was a pause. “They’re talking about a hit. They know there’s a hit out and he’s being advised on going under the knife again.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her tense up.
“What else?” he asked.
“Something about a distinguishing mark. A tattoo that he needs to get rid of.” She looked toward him for a second, and he didn’t like how focused she was. “A hit. Okay, I know my movies and a hit in the movies means a kill, right? Murder? He’s part of your job, but you said you deal with investments. Are you really a hitman?”
Shadow stared at her.
Time ticked by, and still he couldn’t find words.
“That’s it, isn’t it? That’s your big secret. You’re a hitman, and you’re on assignment. This is just another clue. Not to mention that nasty looking guy you were talking with the other week. Then of course your skills with a knife and a gun. You’ve got something about you that screams you’re a man who can take care of
himself.”
He folded his arms, and waited for the freak out. Getting close to a civilian was a fucked-up idea, and he knew better.
Riley grabbed her wine, and took another sip. “Well? What is it going to be? The truth or another lie.”
Silence fell between them.
Shadow had never dealt with a situation like this, and he didn’t know what the hell to do. Gritting his teeth, he looked around the restaurant, wishing he could find the right words.
“You know what, deal with this shit on your own.” She threw down her napkin, and glared at him.
He watched her stomp off, and he waved the waiter over. Shadow rushed through paying just as Riley tripped, falling into the man that he was investigating.
Fuck!
He tensed up as Chains entered the restaurant. There was no way for him to help Riley. He also didn’t want to risk Chains seeing him.
Killer of Kings wasn’t an exclusive company, and any of the members could do whatever the hell they wanted, including taking other contracts. Chains was not obliged to stick it out with Boss.
Shadow had no choice but to use the bathroom, and to actually find an exit that didn’t put him into contact with anyone. Within ten minutes he was out on the street, checking left and right as his car was brought around.
After paying the valet, he climbed behind the wheel, and began driving away, keeping his gaze on the streets. He didn’t like Riley being alone, even if she was in a public place.
Their date hadn’t gone well at all. A love life just wasn’t in the cards for a man like him. Allowing himself to hope for more was like chasing the wind.
Pulling around the first sharp bend, just ahead, he saw Riley resting against the wall, her arms folded.