Jude’s body sprang to attention when he realized what was happening.Put the damn binoculars down.Sorcha isn’t there, and this girl isn’t your mark.But he didn’t put them down.Instead, he watched as she shrugged out of the dress, leaving her in only a pair of silk white panties and an equally white bra.She looked innocent, untouchable, and he could barely wrap his mind around it.
It took considerable willpower to lower the binoculars as she reached behind her to unhook her bra, but he wasn’t a goddamn peeping tom.Jude laughed softly.Sure, stand on your high moral horse.You fucking kill people for a living and you’re going to be honorable about watching some woman who you’ve met once undress.
There have to be lines.Even if they don’t always make sense.
Mystery past or not, that womanwasan innocent.It was…odd.These days, most of the people he associated with were people who made their living on the underbelly of society.They’d all seen things, same as him.They didn’t blink at the choices he’d made or the path that had brought him to them.
Jude didn’t spend much time around innocents.
He’d seen the way she looked at him this morning, though.Even across the distance between them, the hunger in her eyes had been readily recognizable.It made him hot just thinking about it.What would she do if he walked up to her front door right now and knocked?Would she answer in a robe?Would she submit if he closed the distance between them and kissed her?
Jude cursed long and hard, his cock so hard it was a wonder it didn’t burst out of his jeans.He had no business thinking shit like that, not while he was on the hunt he’d spent his entire life preparing for and sure as fuck not about a woman who had some kind of connection with his target.
An innocent.
He was half-surprised he could even recognize that trait in another person.He’d never been one.He hadn’t had a chance to be.That opportunity had been taken away the moment Colm Sheridan declared the death sentence on Jude’s father and brothers—the same death sentence he would have delivered to Jude’s mother if he’d known she was pregnant.
No, there was no room for innocence in his life.
There was only revenge.
Chapter Two
Sloan’s shoulders ached, and she was reasonably sure that her feet had signed off over an hour ago.Her most comfortable shoes couldn’t hold up to an eight-hour shift at the diner.She’d thought she’d been prepared, ready to face anything Marge and her customers could throw at her.She’d been wrong.
The very thought made her want to cry.
She stared at herself in the mirror of the tiny employee bathroom.One hour left.One hour and you can limp home and curl up with a blanket and cry yourself to sleep.Millions of people held down jobs like this one—harderthan this one.Sheshouldhave been able to manage this without bringing herself to the brink.Reality was nowhere near as positive.In reality, everything hurt and she was constantly terrified that she’d make a mistake that would have Marge showing her the door.
Splashing a little water on her face didn’t do a single thing to center her.But there was no hope for it.She had an hour left in her shift, and for a diner in a tiny town, this place saw an overwhelming amount of business.Apparently hiring the new girl in town was part of Marge’s business strategy because the entire population must have stopped by at one time or another.Most of them openly gawked at her, making her feel like a freak show.
Not too far from the truth.
She made an effort to keep her spine straight as she walked out of the bathroom and headed for the kitchen.A couple of fisherman had ordered fish and chips, and their meals should be ready by now.
Luke smiled when he saw her coming.It took her half the day to realize he was Marge’s husband and that they owned this place together.He was as tall as his wife, but built leaner, more like a blade than a blunt object.He was kinder, too, always offering an easy smile or an uplifting word.God help her, but Sloan couldn’t help waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Kindness for the sake of kindness wasn’t something in her realm of experience.
Luke plated the fish and chips and scooted the food toward her.“You’re doing great for your first day.”
“Thank you.”She caught herself hunching her shoulders and stopped.“I’ll just get these out.”
“Sloan.”
She froze in the middle of picking up the two plates, and turned to face Marge.Excuses bubbled up—I’m doing the best I can!—but she didn’t let them past her lips.She cleared her throat.“Yes?”
Marge surveyed her, the big woman’s hands on her hips.“Take the rest of your shift off.I can handle it from here.”
No.Oh God, don’t fire me.She kept her death grip on the plates.Show no fear.“Ma’am, I haven’t complained, haven’t dropped anything, and I haven’t messed up a single order.”
Marge raised her eyebrows.“I’m not blind, girl.I know.You did good today—you even helped me haul in those massive bags of flour without whining.But if you stand for another minute longer, you’re going to keel over and then you’re no good to anyone.Take the rest of the day off and be back at seven tomorrow.”
She blinked, hardly daring to believe it.“I did…good?”
“Don’t make me say it again.Git.”Marge took the plates out of her hands and strode through the doorway into the main dining area.
Luke chuckled.“That’s my girl—as subtle as a two-by-four to the side of the head.Don’t let her scare you.She’s got a soft spot a mile wide.”
