Charming Asshole (Killer of Kings 3)

There was an all-day breakfast diner close by, so they went in and took a table by the window, facing each other so they could watch each other’s back. Some things were unconscious in their line of work.

“Can I get you boys something?” asked the waitress, pulling a pen from behind her ear, poising it over her worn pad of paper. The place was a dive, a greasy-spoon if ever he saw one. Killian was used to the best. Ever since getting hired on at Killer of Kings when he’d moved over from Ireland, he’d enjoyed the high life. But he wasn’t an asshole, and remembered where he came from every day of his life.

“Give us a minute, sweetheart,” said Killian, still busy scanning the interior. He hated this town, and not just because of all the bullshit since he showed up, but because it reminded him of losing June and finding out he’d missed out on so many years of his son’s life. When this was all over, he wanted to stay as far away as possible, start fresh with the woman he loved.

“Cop,” said Shadow.

Killian looked over his shoulder and watched the lone cop walking the beat along the sidewalk. It didn’t surprise him to see an extra police presence. There was nothing out of the ordinary, until the cop stopped dead in his tracks looking Killian straight in the eyes.

Shadow cleared his throat. None of them liked cops. They didn’t meld with their lifestyle.

“Relax,” Killian whispered.

The cop entered the diner, the bells clanging against the glass. Why was he staring at him? Killian played with the saltshaker, twirling it one way then the other, not taking his eyes off the cop.

“Killian, right?”

The officer pulled an empty chair from another table, the legs scraping along the tile, and sat down at the side of their two-person table. As soon as Killian heard his name, his hackles rose.

“I don’t remember ever seeing you before,” he answered.

“Well, I’d recognize you anywhere. You’re the spitting image of your kid.”

He braced himself to stand up, but Shadow kicked him from under the table. Killian ground his teeth together and sat back down.

“You know my son?”

“I think the whole police department does,” he said before chuckling. Killian wanted to punch him right in the face. “But then again, I’m more concerned about you.”

“Yeah?”

“A few days ago I picked up your ex from the town hall. She was worried about you, thought you were in trouble again.”

“Again?” asked Killian.

So this was the bastard who had his eyes on June, and wanted his son out of the way. He gave the other man the once over, not feeling emasculated in the least. Killian would be able to take him down bare-handed in ten seconds flat. What he didn’t like was a history he wasn’t sure of since he wasn’t around. Had anything happened between the cop and June?

The cop had a cocky smirk that Killian wanted to wipe off. “She’s been single for a reason, right?”

He couldn’t bite his tongue another minute, even though he knew he should. They were in town for a reason, and this asshole was just a distraction he should avoid.

“You know nothing about our relationship, so I’m really not sure why we’re having this conversation.”

“What relationship? You don’t think she’d take you back after all these years, do you?”

“Already happened, Huckleberry Finn,” said Killian. “In fact, I was busy fucking her all night long.”

“Oh shit,” Shadow muttered, leaning back in his chair.

Killian was never one to follow rules or respect authority. There’d only been a couple times in the past twenty years that he’d been hauled into jail, but he’d always been out within the hour thanks to Boss. No charges. Besides, this cop was way out of line.

“You wouldn’t know anything about the shooting last night, would you?”

“What shooting?” asked Killian.

The cop nodded, his eyes narrowed. Did he want to fuck June? She was Killian’s, and he didn’t plan on handing her over.

“June’s not at her apartment.”