Killing her would be the end of him.
38
Sydney
Tonoone’ssurprise,Fink was a nonfiction guy.He was super serious.Sydney should’ve already figured that out about him, but this… well, this was unexpected.
Logical, but not anticipated.
As were most things with Fink.
Nestling into the comfort of the couch, she flipped through the pages of the text.Awe welled in her chest.It mingled with curiosity.Skimming through the content, she got a better idea of who Fink was and what interested him.
Robert Ben Rhoades, a serial killer.Sydney had never heard of the guy.Perhaps because he was before her time.She was barely an infant at the end of his reign of terror.However, if a guy like this were roaming the streets today, she’d imagine there’d be more media fanfare about him.
Thunk.
Startled by the loud noise, she jumped out of her seat and threw the book toward the door in an attempt at self-defense—of self-preservation.She’d never know the intent of her instincts.
With wide eyes and her heart in her throat, she stared at Fink, who held a gun in hand and pointed it at her.
She wasn’t sure whether she should be shocked or relieved.
Fink had barged in on her, but she was safe in his home, which wasn’t surprising, but why the hell did he aim a weapon at her?
Probably because she snooped.This guy valued his privacy.She went and violated his trust by exploring his house without permission.She should’ve gone to the kitchen.He’d done that at her apartment.
Then again, he’d poked around while at her place too.He ran a fucking background check on her.All she’d done was open a door and pick up a book.
Feelings of betrayal aside, she bit her bottom lip.At this moment, she was the one in the wrong.Not him.
“I-I’m sorry,” she stammered.She glanced around the room and picked at her thumbnail.“My sleep schedule is a little screwed up.”
Returning her focus to him, she frowned.He kept the gun trained on her.Did he really think she was a threat?
Since when?
“I didn’t want to wake you by tossing and turning,” she admitted.“I shouldn’t have done it.”She lowered her gaze and let out a sigh.“I have no business being in here.I’m sorry.”
Was this his final straw?Would he kill her?Or worse?
Send her away?
The ideas bounced in her brain as her gut knotted.The scenarios made her sick to her stomach.If she wanted to get into contract killing, like he was, sheneededhim.Not only to teach her but maybe to hook her up with customers or clients or whatever.Maybe in other ways, but that wasn’t the point.
She was too new at this.She didn’t have a clue where to start.He’d barely taught herwhatto do, let alonehowto get it done.He couldn’t abandon her yet.
Slowly, he lowered the gun.
Closing her eyes, she let out a breath of relief.
“What are you doing?”
Hadn’t she told him that?
He crossed the room in long, quick strides.The distance between them shrank to inches.The height advantage he had became glaringly obvious when she looked up at him.
Her heart threatened to burst from her chest, hit his, and plop on the ground at their feet.He was mad at her.That made things a thousand times worse.
