“I’ll take care of everything.” Kissing her cheeks next, I try to enjoy what could possibly be my last kiss. Warden curses under his breath, urging me to hurry up.
Impatient bastard. But he’s got a point.
Just as I move to pull away, her fingers slide against my cheeks.
“Be careful. I need you to come back. Help Paulie. My help hasn’t been enough.” Her eyes shine. “If you do, I’ll give you what you want. So don’t die.”
I smirk. “You know there’s only one thing I want, sweetheart.”
It’s supposed to be a joke, something to dry her tears—but she nods.
She’s offering me her virginity.
“Ripper.” Hammer jerks his chin. “Let’s go.”
Cursing, I nod. “Here I was, ready with a last speech. Guess I’ll save it if I can’t die.”
I won’t die. Not just because I want to take her cherry. No, I’m after something bigger.
I’ll claim her heart instead.
9
Ripper
“You two stay together. Watch each other’s back. We’ll meet up once we find what we’re looking for.” Jerking my chin, I motion them to go one way while I explore the other.
With the sun gone, the darkness left behind is my best friend. I’m easily able to cling to the shadows, creeping against buildings. It only takes a few minutes before I come across my first target.
There’s a guy smoking a cigarette, staring out toward a few of the boats docked. Imagining one of his own, if I have to guess.
He’s wearing the cut of the enemy, a red flaming motorcycle, and that’s enough to push me toward taking his life.
Unholstering my blade, I grip it tight as my light steps come heavy. Before he can take in another lungful of smoke, my blade is sliding across his throat.
It’s the sputtered gasp that leaves his lips, the gurgle of blood, that reminds me that I should’ve asked about her brother before killing him. Whoops.
Moving on, I skim through a few buildings, sadly not finding a single soul to interview. Growing increasingly annoyed by the minute, I’m relieved to see a building with a few windows lit up. Someone inside has to know where Paulie is.
Stopping at the door, every muscle in my body recoils at the black orb planted only a few inches from the handle. A spider of all things? Seriously?
God, Ihatespiders. People get pissed when I kill them, but this one is in my damn way.
“Can’t you get lost for a second?” Whispering softly, I unholster my pistol, waving it in hopes of scaring it away.
Fuck, what if it jumps?
Just as I’m flicking my wrist, the spider moves, but not with its legs. The door opens with little warning. My savior is a thug with ink under his eye and a ring planted in his nose. He’s got more ink against his throat, but there isn’t a single date. Damn. Not Paulie. Just another piece of scum.
Pulling the trigger twice has the warmth of blood hitting me before he can ask me who I am. The smell of copper is welcoming, but I’m unable to enjoy it. Not when three other men inside the room want to get defensive when seeing one of their brothers die.
The world detonates into noise and motion.
A muzzle flash blossoms in the gloom of the room. I don’t think, I just move. My body is a coiled spring, released and launching me sideways. I crash behind a heavy oak desk, my shoulder taking the impact with a jarring thud.
The air above my head immediately turns thick and deadly. Bullets fly, tearing into the other side of my wooden shield. Chunks of wood splinter before me, peppering my face withsharp, stinging shards. The sound is deafening, a relentlessthwack-thwack-thwackthat vibrates through the floor and into my bones.
I press myself lower, forced into a burrow. The desk won’t hold forever. I can feel it disintegrating piece by piece. Then, a searing line of fire traces across my ribs. I gasp, the pain is delicious; the adrenaline it brings is far more addictive than any drug.
