Chapter One
Knox Smith was exceedinglydisappointed.
When he went to look for the man intent on hurting his beautiful personal assistant, he at least expected to find someone worth wanting.Instead, in less than ten minutes of being strapped to a chair and shown some rather lovely torture knives, he’d pissed himself.Begged for mercy and pleaded, offering anything he thought might be worth some value.
The man, known as Pete Carmichael, had a rather dubious reputation.There were a lot of complaints made by children that had been placed in his care, although none of the complaints were taken seriously.However, when Knox had read the report from his PA, Ava Martin, he knew he had to deal with this son of a bitch effectively.
He was a known bully, a piece of shit who liked to beat up, torture, and traumatize the kids in his care.It didn’t take long for him to find the names of the kids who had lodged complaints.Some of them were still alive, and thankfully, living their lives to the fullest.Others had taken their own lives.As for Ava, he knew her past had a lot to do with how she was now.
Knox was a killer.He was contracted to take lives and he worked for the highest bidder.He didn’t even have to work anymore, but he liked what he did.Most of the time, he killed bad guys.There were a few questionable kills and some he refused to do.
This kill, right now, was for pleasure.No one had asked him, he wanted to do it.After all, he had made it his mission to rid the world of anyone who had hurt his PA, and so far, it had been a pleasure to do exactly that.
The begging echoed around the room, and Knox knelt down so he was at eye level with Pete.
“Isn’t this what you did to all those kids in the barn?”Knox asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.This is not me.Please, please, please let me go.I’ll do anything.Is it money you want?I’ll give you money.Stop, just stop.”
Knox tutted.“But they all begged, didn’t they, and what did you do?”He got to his feet and landed a blow to the stomach.The man grunted.
“You wouldn’t stop.Not until you were ready, because you’re the big man.You’re the one in charge.”He tutted.“Tell me, Pete, do you remember a young girl.Ava Martin?”
He crouched so he was at eye level once again, and looked Pete in the eye.He saw the moment the name hit recognition within him.
“You do, don’t you?”
“She’s a liar.She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
Knox got to his feet and removed his belt.“So, you didn’t hang her upside down, exactly like this, remove your belt, and whip her until she bled?”
Wrapping the leather around his fist, he hit out, striking the man’s flesh.He didn’t stop, not caring where he hit, only that he got flesh.
The screams filled the air, but Knox was bored.This man had tortured Ava for an entire day.It had gotten so bad, he ended up having a doctor come out, because her wounds had gotten infected.The same doctor who had already met his fate, as he lied on the reports, stating it wasn’t due to a beating.He didn’t report all the bruises and cuts.Everything had been a lie, and now the truth was known.The good doctor, to clear his own conscience, had two sets of files—the ones he was paid to write, and the other set displayed the truth.Knox had read the reports.He’d read Ava’s, along with a few other kids’.
Pete was well-respected, but by the time he was finished with him, there would be nothing there.All too soon, Knox was bored, and Pete was all but dead, so he set the course for the shed he had taken him to, to burn.
Stepping outside, he lit the match, tossed it on the ground where the gasoline was left, and watched as the flame caught.It was like a match made in heaven.Gasoline and a match.Caught together.Making one of the world’s deadliest weapons—fire.
He watched the shed burn and didn’t turn his back until it was fully incinerated, then he left his position, making his way back to the car.His cell phone started to ring on the way back, and he glanced down to see it was none other than his stunning PA, Ava Martin.The temptation to cancel the call was strong, because he knew it pissed her off, but he answered.
This latest mission had taken him away from her the past week, leaving her to deal with a few of his clients.
“Hello,” he said.
“Knox, your phone has been ringing off the hook.Blondie One said she has changed her mind and doesn’t want you to kill her husband.She will not stop calling and wants to see you immediately.The second, Blondie’s husband, said he would like to see you when he gets back.Am I okay to give him the steak and potatoes?”Ava asked.
Knox smirked.She refused to say his clients’ names.It was one of her rules.
Blondie One was Patricia Lease, the greedy, gold-digging wife of Marshal.Marshal was Blondie’s husband, currently living at Knox’s home, being waited on by Ava and watched over by himself.Marshal had caught wind of his deceptive wife’s plans, and paid him twice as much to keep him alive.
This had been going on for nearly two months.Patricia kept trying to get him to reconsider.Marshal refused to put a hit out on his wife, so it had been a vicious circle.He was also aware that Ava had to kill a hit man who attempted to land on his property to complete the job.Ava didn’t seem to mind, but Knox was pissed off.
He and Ava had met in strange circumstances.It had been at a Halloween party, three years ago.Knox had been asked by one of his local cop friends to play the hero and help bring down a rapist and serial killer.To make a long story short, Ava would have been the latest victim of the rapist/serial killer.Instead, Knox killed him and took Ava for himself.He found her chained to a human-sized dartboard, where some had already been thrown at her.One had gone into her stomach and another into her shoulder.From then, a rare friendship had bloomed.She had taken the role as his PA in all things, and he kept her close.
Now, he couldn’t imagine his life without her, and he didn’t want to.Which was why he was looking forward to heading home.
****
