Hook (A Hitman's Bait 2)

“Huh? What?” Liam jerked up his head, a horrified look crossing over his face. “No, no, that’s not what I’m saying at all. You and Sully work. Besides, you’re different, Kit. Being a prostitute didn’t change you, or if it did, it didn’t taint you—”

“Now who’s being shallow?” Kit climbed to his feet. “I’m going to change, and when I get back, I better hear an apology from you, Liam.”

Kit flounced out of the kitchen, carrying Cinnamon with him. The cat hissed as they passed Liam, as if she knew who had upset Kit.

Liam stepped back. I folded my arms and stared pointedly at him. I never had a problem with Kit’s past, and Liam’s remark pissed me off to no end.

“I’m not apologizing,” he said before I could speak. “I wasn’t insulting him, and you know what I mean, Sully. How many prostitutes have you met before Kit who you would’ve fucked?”

“Doesn’t matter what I think. You hurt his feelings, and if you care about him at all, you will apologize.”

“I said nothing wrong. Besides, since when has Kit become sensitive about selling his body before?”

“He might not hide what he used to do, but it doesn’t mean he needs to hear it over and over. That’s behind him. Let sleeping dogs lie.”

Jesus. Sometimes I felt like a mother hen supervising their activities and whatever came out of their mouths.

By the time Kit returned to the kitchen, wearing loose pink pants, I’d cleared the island and poured him a glass of milk. I caught myself staring at his groin. What kind of piercing had he gotten done on his dick?

“Liam.” He stopped next to Liam’s chair and hugged the other man from behind. “Sorry I got touchy. It’s fine, and you don’t have to apologize about feeling the way you do. It doesn’t matter anyway.” He smiled at me. “I know Sully doesn’t care, and that’s good enough for me.”

Liam groaned. “Now I feel like shit. You have nothing to apologize for, and I won’t bring it up again.”

“Thank you.” He released Liam and took a seat. “But if you say it again, I’ll put a hex on you to fall in love with a prostitute too.”

“Yeah, right.” Liam chuckled uneasily. “I don’t believe in hexes.”

Kit took a gulp of his milk. “Let’s hope you never have to find out if it’s real.”

“Aren’t you going to do something?” Liam glared at me.

“Do what?” I placed an arm around Kit’s shoulders. “You don’t believe in hexes, so problem solved. Now, can we focus on the reason we’re here right now?” I kissed the top of Kit’s head. “And as much as you’re the center of my world, we have other things to discuss than Liam’s faux pas.”

“I’m ready,” Kit said. “Who do we kill next?”

I groaned and shook my head. Kit sounded way too casual about this job, but it was better than him freaking out about the job details, like he’d done initially.

“The first is Connor McGinnis. Then we have Sly Palmer.”

“Euh.” Kit gave a mock shudder. “That last name sounds sleazy.”

“He’s worse.”