CHAPTER 14
Wraith
This is not good.Not at all. After the call at his place the other day, I suspected my target might be related to Bouche, and tonight confirmed it. Now I have to do the one thing I never fucking do. Reveal myself.
The walk to his door is dead quiet, and Bouche is thrumming with tension. I know exactly how to help him let that tension go, but I’m no longer allowed to touch this beautiful man.
He opens the door, walking ahead of me and tossing his keys and wallet down on a side table. I follow him to the living room, where he stands by the fireplace, his face a mask of anger.
“Well? Explain yourself.”
Where do I start? I drag my fingers through my hair. “Okay. Like I said, I’m a hired hit man, but it’s very targeted and specific. I don’t just go around killing people for no reason. I’m not a serial killer.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You sure about that? Have you killed more than three people?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, Wraith, I fucking don’t. Forgive me, but I’ve never met someone who fuckingmurderspeople for a living. Your attempt at justifying it isn’t working.”
“I wasn’t justifying it. I was explaining. I’ve never tried to act like what I do is normal or good. It’s just what I do.”
“Oh, well, how benevolent of you.” He folds his arms over his chest. “Why my brother?”
“Someone hired us to take him out for blackmail.”
“Someone? This fucking construction guy?”
“Only my boss knows that. I just get the job details. All we were told was that the target is related to a Magnets player and he shows up at home games. I didn’t know the name Boone, but I knew what he looked like. Why do you call him Boone?”
“None of your fucking business,” he growls, which is fair. “So you started coming to games to find my brother?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“But you didn’t find him?”
“He knew someone was following him. We had a brief interaction at one of the games, and it spooked him. He took off. He’s done a good job eluding me.”
“So Boone dies because he wants to stop a sex trafficker? How is that right?”
“It’s not. I didn’t know what or who he was blackmailing. I doubt my boss does. We don’t really get into the details. We have some limits of what kinds of jobs we’ll take, but usually we’re dealing with pretty bad people on both ends.”
“Boone isn’t bad.”
“I didn’t say he was. I wouldn’t have ever made a move on you if I knew. Obviously, it complicates things.”
“So you didn’t use me to get to him?”
“I didn’t know he was your fucking brother. You don’t share a last name and I’ve never heard of Boone. I wouldn’t have put it together until now.”
Bouche paces in front of the fireplace, wringing his hands. “Why did you help him tonight? It’s your job to find out where he is.”
Shaking my head, I plop down onto the couch. “He sounded so scared, and then I heard about the situation, and I…” I shrug. “Ihad to help. I had to understand what was really happening. Bouche, listen to me.”
He looks at me.
“This goes against every rule I have. We don’t expose ourselves. We don’t tell people what we do, and we sure as fuck don’t help our targets get away.” I twist my lips. “But this is different. This is… personal.”
“So you just risked my life by telling me? Is that it, Wraith? If that’s even your fucking name.”
