by Sam Crescent
Boss whistled toward him, and if they lived through this, Viper was going to make him pay for calling him over like a dog.
“You fucking shot her.”
“I’m getting us out of this shit-fest. You’re fucking welcome.” Boss held his gun out, and started walking. Picking Pepper up, Viper wanted to care for her leg, but decided against it. His heart was racing, and he carried her toward Bain, ignoring the man he’d asked to keep an eye on her. He should have known never to ask these fuckers.
Cradling Pepper in his arms, he vowed to take care of her, to make sure she lived, and had an amazing life, filled with love and laughter. She would be a wonderful mother, and as he walked behind Boss, following Bain, he made plans, and started to see a possible future with her. He imagined Pepper standing at the kitchen, pulling freshly baked cookies from the oven. There were two children around her feet, a boy with his dark hair, and a girl with long blonde hair like her mother.
As the image played out, Viper didn’t allow himself to cut it off. He held onto his woman, knowing that he would do everything in his power to make sure that it came true. When he was a boy being hurt for not killing puppies or a multitude of other horrors, there had come a point when he simply stopped dreaming. At first, most of his time was spent thinking about getting out, of having someone save him. It had been a childish feeling. No one had come for him. The days had blended into weeks, and then into months, and before he knew it, it was years, and there was nothing in him to fight what was being done. Instead of fighting his captors, he’d trained. He’d fought every single battle, taken every single scar with the knowledge that there would be a time he was stronger than they were, and he could take them out.
It wasn’t long before his extra hours of training attracted Bain. The other kid who had fought as deadly as he was. They were the only two to survive, at least that was all he knew had made it out.
Right before the killing had started, Bain had come to him, sitting and watching.
“What the fuck you doin’?”
“I’m training.”
“There’s no way you’ll ever win. They’re going to kill you, you know. They kill everyone who tries.”
“Which is why I’m not going to try. I’m going to succeed.” Viper bent down, picking up the weight, lifting it above his head, holding it there, then lowering it. “If you want to spend the rest of your life being their little bitch, be my guest. I’m not. I’m getting out.”
“You won’t be good for shit. I’ve heard others talkin’. They don’t want killers out there.”
“There will always be a place for me.”
Pulling out of the memory, he stepped onto the elevator, holding Pepper in his arms.
“Are you sure you can carry her?” Bain asked. “She looks fat.”
“Shut your fucking mouth,” Viper said.
“Ah, so you’re upset.”
“He didn’t think I’d kill his girl,” Boss said. “She was a nuisance, and I want to get paid.”
“It’s always the bottom line with you, Boss.” Bain stared up at the numbers on the elevator passing.
“I’ve got a question for you, Bain,” Viper said.
“What is it?”
“Do you like this Sutherland? Is that why you’re being a loyal lapdog?” he asked.
Bain chuckled, and glanced back. “You learned to read yet?”
Viper paused, and stared at the man before him. Bain gave nothing away, and the elevator doors pinged open, revealing a man behind a rather large desk.
“Well I have to say this is a surprise,” Pepper’s stepfather said, coming out from behind the desk.
Viper wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard, only he was waiting for Bain. Did Boss even know what those words meant?
“So you’re the man that’s got men tailing me and mine like fucking dogs,” Boss said, stepping up.
Out of the corner of his eye Viper saw five men all with guns poised at them.
“I’ve learned that when you want something done, you’ve got to learn to do it yourself. Ah, here she is.” Sutherland moved toward him, and Viper watched him, knowing that he’d be the one to smash his pretty little face in.
He tutted.
The bastard fucking tutted. “She’s injured. I’m afraid that means it’s going to be a lot less. Put her on the sofa. She must weigh a ton.”
Viper was going to beat the shit out of this man, no question about that.
“Now, about payment,” Sutherland said.
Viper already had a gun in his hand, and aimed it at the first man. The doors that came from the stairs opened, and more men came out. What the fuck was this bastard’s deal? How did he manage to manipulate so many people?
He shot as many of them as he could, and when he ran out of bullets, or he couldn’t fire fast enough, he started to fight hand to hand.
****
Everything hurt, and especially her thigh. Whatever had been given to her had knocked her the fuck out. There was so much noise, and it was a struggle to move her hands. Pepper fought to open her eyes.
Gunshots rang out, and it was like a haze was drifting down her body, and minute by minute, she was waking up.
Opening her eyes, she would have jerked if she could. Around her men were fighting, including her stepfather. Just the sight of him had her sick to her stomach. She became more aware with every passing second. She was on the sofa in her father’s old office. The bastard was in her father’s office, in her family’s company. Beside her was a coffee table, and on that was a gun and a handful of loose bullets. She couldn’t believe a gun had been left right in front of her. Who had done that?
Viper was fighting with two men, and there was a slightly larger man who she believed was Bain who grabbed one of the men, and snapped his neck. Was Bain on their team?
Had she missed so much? Was it the same day? The same night?
She lifted her hand, and no one paid any attention to her. They were all focused on their own killing. Slowly, she used her arms to crawl over toward the table, dropping on the floor as she did. Picking up the gun, she loaded it as she’d seen Viper do, and stared right at Sutherland.
Her stepfather had murdered her mother, sent her on the run, hired people to kill her, put a worldwide hit out on her, and she was done with him. He was a piece of scum, and she didn’t want to see him again. Not ever.
She aimed the barrel at his head, focusing on the front sights. This man was a monster, and without blinking an eye, or hesitating, she fired off one single shot.
That one shot had everyone pausing.
Pepper watched as Sutherland dropped to the floor from a single bullet hole between his eyes. She collapsed down, screaming as the pain radiated through her leg. Being shot fucking hurt!
Who the hell shot her?
Chapter Twelve
Everyone froze once Sutherland dropped to the ground. Time stood still. Only the grandfather clock ticking in the corner could be heard. A trail of blood poured down from the fatal gunshot wound. It was surreal. Viper had planned this murder a hundred times in his head with vibrant detail. He had fucking looked forward to it. Even when Boss said he’d deliver the killing shot, Viper knew he’d be the one to do it. Never had he expected this turn of events.
After the initial shock settled, the stepfather’s hired muscle bolted out the door like little pussies. Boss, Bain, and Viper all stood in a large circle with their weapons in hand.
“Well, I suppose this changes things,” said Boss, as if discussing the weather. One of his men, the bastard from last night, peered in the doorway and cursed when he saw the scene.
“You were supposed to watch her for me!” Viper said as soon as he saw the piece of shit.
He disappeared outside again.
“I guess I’m not getting paid after all.” Bain scratched his forehead with the muzzle of his gun.
Viper had wanted to kill everyone, including Boss. Now that Sutherland was dead, a huge weight had lifted off hi
s shoulders. But he still wanted his revenge.
He pulled a paper from his jacket pocket and waved it once in the air. “You know what this is?” he asked. “It’s my marriage certificate. Thanks for that, by the way.” He winked at Boss. “Now that this asshole is dead, it means you’re all standing in my office. And right now, I really want all of you to fuck off.”
He knew hitting Boss in the pocketbook would be worse than any physical damage he could inflict on him. And Bain wouldn’t see a penny now that his paycheck was pushing daisies.
“See you around, old friend.” Bain holstered his gun and stepped over the body on his way out. Viper wondered if he’d ever see Bain again. Part of him wanted to stop him, and the other part was still pissed off he’d sold out. He knew there was still something good inside him or he wouldn’t have helped kill Sutherland’s men. But you couldn’t change a stone-cold assassin like Bain overnight.
“Just you and me, Viper. Things didn’t go exactly according to plan, but hey, everything worked out just fine.”
“You shot my fucking girl,” he shouted.
“I wouldn’t have killed her. It was part of the plan. The plan you were supposed to follow.”
“And now what?” asked Viper, his arms out to the sides, a gun in each hand. He wanted to end Boss right now, but knew it would only make his life more complicated. Killer of Kings had a fucking army of loyal men, and he didn’t want more targets on his back.
“New deal.”
He narrowed his eyes. Boss was in no position to give ultimatums. “Really. You think you hold the fucking cards here?”
“Always.” Boss chuckled. “You’re going to give me that ten mil bonus Pepper promised you for keeping her alive. Besides a little flesh wound, she looks alive and well to me. Actually, make it twenty.”
“Are you insane? I ain’t giving you shit.” Viper couldn’t believe the size of this guy’s balls.
“Wrong, Viper. You’ll do it because I’m the man who’s going to handle this cleanup. You think your little killing princess wants to deal with police, court dates, detectives at the hospital, and possible jail time? Never mind how this will play out on the company’s stocks. Shareholders tend to shy away from murder and mayhem.” He strolled around the office, observing the book collection in the floor to ceiling shelves. “Then, of course, there’s the Bianchi family. If you want that contract on your head to magically disappear, I’m the only one who can make that happen.”
“How do you plan on doing that?”
“A hit for a hit. As long as I get paid, it’ll be taken care of. You know the game. Bottom line, we walk away from this on equal terms, no hard feelings.”
Viper couldn’t let this go, but he also knew there would be no peace for him and Pepper if that hit stayed on his head. His vengeance could cost him everything, so he had to consider his next words wisely. He remembered his training. He was raised to push away all emotion, not just love, but hatred as well. The best killers were numb, cold, and focused.
“Send one of your docs here for Pepper. I want him here yesterday.”
“Done.” Boss made a quick phone call as he continued to stroll around the room. “Sorry about the injury, darling, but desperate times and all that shit.” He winked at Pepper. Then he was gone.
It took everything in Viper not to shoot him in the back. In fact, he envisioned it with perfect clarity. But Boss wasn’t out of character. He’d done what he’d set out to do, and Pepper was alive to see another day. Viper was the one who’d changed.
Once they were alone in the office, he dropped his guns on the coffee table and fell to his knees beside the sofa.
“Are you okay, babe?” he asked.
“I’ve been shot,” she said. “I’ve actually been shot. It hurts so bad.”
His precious girl looked like she’d been hit by a truck, her eyes glazed over, skin pale, and blood dripping from her leg. Just remembering those assholes insulting what he considered perfection made him see red. Now that he had her beside him, he felt a sense of peace because he could protect her from anything.
“The doctor’s on his way. Boss only uses the very best, and it’ll all be off the books.” He positioned the decorative pillows on one end of the sofa and eased Pepper to her back. Viper took off his jacket, tossed it aside, and carefully positioned her.
When she whined, he felt her pain like it was his own.
“Be brave for me. I need to get these pants off.” Viper managed to get her partially undressed so he could assess the damage. It was a clean hit, and as much as he didn’t want to believe it, Boss knew what he was doing when he took the shot. Viper still didn’t approve. He balled up the pants and pressed them to the wound, adding pressure.
Pepper looked him in the eyes once they were on the same level. He hadn’t realized he’d been avoiding her, but he had. Was it guilt that he hadn’t protected her? Was he afraid of her disappointment? He wasn’t sure, but the moment he looked into those big, blue eyes everything became better. She pushed back his demons and managed to bring out the best in him.
“I shouldn’t have left you alone,” he said. The fact had eaten him up ever since he’d gotten that call from Boss. Not being able to save her had killed him inside. “I never should have trusted anyone with your safety but myself.”
Fuck, he definitely should have known better. His entire life, he’d learned that the only person he could count on was himself.
“You were trying to save me, to make things right. I know that.”
“But look how that went,” he said. “I fucked up.”
“No, you did it because you love me. I can never hate you for that.” She held his hand, squeezing tight. Poor thing. Viper couldn’t stop replaying the moment in his head when Boss had shot her. The act had torn through him like a hot knife through butter, creating a physical pain. His own thoughts scared him because he wanted to kill everyone for hurting Pepper, fuck the consequences. Luckily, he’d kept in control or things would have ended up a lot different.
“When I saw you unconscious, for a minute I thought you were dead.” He exhaled and kissed the top of her hand. “I can’t lose you. Not ever.”
She smiled, that sweet smile that he’d never tire of. Pepper was his own personal sunshine. “But it’s over now, right? I did it. I killed him.”
Viper chuckled. “Yeah, you did. And right between the fucking eyes. You’re in the wrong line of work.”
“It’s karma,” Pepper said. “He murdered my mother, took everything away from me. I wanted to kill him, wanted to see him die for what he did.”
“Don’t talk like that, it doesn’t suit you. You’re my sweet girl, and I don’t want you filled with darkness like me. I wish you didn’t have to go through any of this, baby. You don’t deserve any of this shit.” Her innocence was tainted. She had to live the rest of her life mourning her mother, and had a kill on her hands. He didn’t like it. God, he was a fool in love.
“We can’t change the past, but one good thing came out of my stepfather.”
“What’s that?”
“He hired Killer of Kings, and they sent you. If it wasn’t for his greed, I never would have met you, never would have fallen in love.”
Viper leaned in to kiss her when a loud bang stole his attention. He was about to reach for his gun but stopped when he couldn’t find a threat.
It was the cleaning crew pushing their way in through the doorway with their supplies. Mr. Sutherland was going to disappear permanently, and Boss would make it look legit if the media got involved. The doctor slipped in behind them with his medical bag.
“Who are all these people?” asked Pepper.
“Cleaning crew and your doctor.”
Pepper tried to lift her head to see. “Is that woman with them? The one that likes you?”
He smiled. “No, Lola’s not on this crew, but even if she was, you wouldn’t have to worry. I’m yours, Pepper. All yours. There’ll never be another woman for me.”
&nb
sp; Even with all the commotion in the room, Viper didn’t care. He closed the distance between them and took that kiss.
****
Almost two weeks had passed since that crazy day at her stepfather’s office. She’d been drugged, kidnapped, and shot in less than twenty-four hours. And the man who took her mother away from her was out of her life forever. No more looking over her shoulder or fighting for what was rightfully hers. After the life she’d live recently, it felt almost unnatural to have peace and justice. She kept expecting something terrible to happen at any minute.
They’d stayed at a hotel the past couple weeks because Pepper didn’t want to return home. It wasn’t really home. Home was a feeling of unconditional love and belonging. It was wherever Viper was. Still, the nomad lifestyle was slowly getting to her. She’d been on the run for so long before this that she craved roots, safety, and security. One thing was for sure—Viper never left her out of his sight for long.
The doctor said she’d be recovering for months, but he couldn’t believe how clean the gunshot had been, missing anything important, only passing through the side of her thick thigh. It could have been so much worse.
“Where are we going?” she repeated.
“I told you it was a surprise. Just relax and enjoy the view.” Viper had been driving for hours. She didn’t mind the scenery, fields dotted with cattle and rolling hills of wildflowers, but curiosity was driving her crazy.
“Fine.”
They finally started to slow down, so she sat up straight and took notice. The surroundings looked vaguely familiar. She could hear sounds of the ocean from the open sunroof, gulls cawing and children laughing. Maybe they were going to spend a day at the beach. Pepper started to feel excited, like a kid at Christmas, because being near the water made her happiest. God knows she needed a break from reality about now. In addition to her recovery, she’d been dealing with lawyers and accountants as her parents’ fortune legally transferred over to her. According to the media, her stepfather had run off with a stripper, living off the grid in Sacramento.
Viper came to a stop after driving down a long, winding driveway lined with cedar hedges.