“I didn’t kill your family!” Liam argued. “Just take my money and go.”
“Does the name Jasper Cassidy ring a bell?” Blade asked. “Or what about Hawthorne? Are you really so drunk that you can’t remember murdering the people who gave you a job? The people who worked with you and called you a friend?”
Despite the darkness, Blade could see Liam pale as realization dawned on him.
“Who are you?” Liam asked, looking between the two of them.
“Slade Cassidy,” Blade stated proudly.
“And Dakota Hawthorne,” Dakota added.
Liam shook his head. “You were supposed to be dead.” He was looking straight at Blade, his voice trembling as he spoke the words.
“Well, I’m not.” Blade positioned his pistol to aim at Liam’s head. “But soon you will be.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Liam pleaded. “I’m sorry. I’ll do anything you want.”
“It’s too late for that. Besides, I’ve been looking forward to this.” Blade pulled the trigger and watched as Liam stumbled back and crumpled to the ground.
The bullet had hit him right between the eyes. There was no way for him to survive, but Blade watched for a few seconds anyway, just to be sure.
“We should go,” Dakota whispered, her voice trembling.
She was right. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 12
Austin got dressed in a dark-blue suit, combed his hair back, and glanced in the mirror. He looked the part and played it well. Even his wife, Angela, believed that he worked for the bank. In a way, he did, but not in the conventional sense. The owner, Mr. Tyler Conway, was a very good friend and business partner of Austin’s. Tyler didn’t know the ins and outs of what Austin did to get his money and never asked. They had a simple agreement: Austin helped to fund the bank when it wasn’t doing well, and in return, Tyler helped Austin with all his banking needs and gave him a job that offered a title but required no actual work.
Spending his days reading newspapers, going on so-called work trips, and visiting special friends wasn’t a bad way to live. He should have been happy, but the nagging feeling that something was missing never left. Feeling frustrated, Austin made his way out of their bedroom and to the kitchen, where he knew he would find Angela. She was a beautiful woman—young, vibrant, and willing to do anything to make him happy. Securing a bride wasn’t difficult once he decided he wanted one, and since he was the wealthiest man in town, the women were practically lining up.
Austin never thought he would get married after losing Eleanor to Jasper, but as much as he enjoyed being a bachelor, living alone had its downsides. He hated cooking, cleaning, and doing any other chores; now Angela took care of those things.
“There you are,” she said with a wide smile as soon as he entered the kitchen.
“Indeed, here I am,” Austin responded with much less enthusiasm. “But I’d better be on my way. Don’t want to be late for work.”
Angela shook her head playfully and laughed at him. “We both know that you don’t exactly have working hours.”
“Still, I have a lot to do.” Austin walked over to his wife and gave her a quick kiss. He really didn’t have to be in a hurry, but he didn’t feel like continuing their discussion from the previous night. He had almost lost his temper, and he had a reputation to uphold. During the two years that they had been married, Angela had never asked for anything. Austin made sure she had everything she needed and more, but lately she had been asking for the one thing he refused to give her.
Angela wanted a child, and Austin had no interest in having children. There had been a time when he had dreamed about marrying Eleanor and starting a family with her, but he had no such intentions when it came to Angela. There was no love between them, at least not from his side, and he didn’t care much about having an heir. At the end of the day, she hadno say in it, but he was trying to come up with a nice way to reject her request once and for all.
“Will you be home for dinner?” she asked as she followed him to the door.
Austin shook his head. “Not today, but if you make a roast meal, I’ll make sure I’m home for supper.”
That brought a smile to her face. “Anything for you, my love,” she agreed.
Austin liked the sound of that. Women were there to take care of men’s wants and needs, after all. “Good, and I don’t want to hear a word about what we spoke about last night.”
Angela’s face fell. “Austin . . .”
“We’ll talk about it another time,” he assured her. “When I’ve had more time to think about it. For now, just focus on taking care of our house.”
“Of course,” Angela agreed. “Have a nice day.”
She didn’t look happy, but Austin didn’t care. She would simply have to accept it and move on. He was giving her a good life, after all, and she should be grateful.
