“Shadow!” Riley called out.
He smirked. It would have been fun to have Killian by his side about now. It would be a good time regardless. Shadow squatted, turned and brought his knife up into the man’s throat, blood spraying out in every direction. When the man’s gun dropped, Shadow kicked it away.
Then he saw the asshole with the beard holding Riley in front of him, his arm across her neck. “I’ll kill her,” he shouted. “Drop your knife.”
Shadow stood up straight, slowly, methodically.
He tossed his knife on the pavement and began walking forward.
When the old bastard thought he’d won, Shadow pulled his Glock from his shoulder holster, aimed, and nailed him right between the eyes. Riley screamed, backing away from the body as it dropped in a heap. It only took seconds for him to curse his decision. Riley had just gone from neighbor to witness, and Boss wouldn’t like it.
What was he thinking? He could have handled this without a body count. Fuck, he shouldn’t even be here. Riley made him act completely out of character.
“Come here,” he said, holding out his hand.
Riley ran over to him, her face blanched. She held his hand, and he made his way inside the bar. The music still played, most of the patrons taking cover after witnessing the gun show outside. Once in the middle of the bar, he called out, “Who owns this place?”
A couple people pointed out one man sitting at the end of the bar. Shadow approached him.
“One of your customers broke a window at the bakery. You aware of that shit?”
The man shook his head.
“You’ll be paying for the damage?”
He nodded.
“If it happens again, I mean anything, I’ll come after you, your family, and your pocketbook. Understand?”
When he nodded again, Shadow repeated himself more loudly. “Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Shadow wanted to do a hell of a lot more, but he restrained his urge to bring a firestorm of hurt on the asshole.
As they walked out of the bar, heading back to the bakery, Riley hadn’t said a word. She was tough, but not many were used to Shadow’s world of blood and carnage. Maybe a bit of humor would help. “If you went through insurance, your rates would go up,” he said. “It’s better this way.”
Chapter Four
Riley couldn’t believe that she’d just witnessed a bloodbath, and she wasn’t running away screaming. She cleaned up debris on her bakery floor as Shadow pinned up some boards to cover her smashed window.
He hadn’t said a word, and neither had she.
They worked in silence.
What was even scarier than this mess? What had gone down at the bar wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever seen. Being on the streets, she’d seen men completely torture others and then leave them for the rats. One thing she’d learned, never ask too many questions. And no one really wanted to know the answers.
“You’re full of surprises,” Shadow said.
“Huh?”
“Usually I’m the one hoping someone else will shut the fuck up, but right now I’m hoping you’ll talk.” He stared at her with his arms folded. Shadow wore dark gray joggers and a white wife-beater under his jacket. His body was rock hard, and she had to remember not to stare too long. It was nearly time for her to get things ready for work. Her day started before dawn. The life of a baker never stopped. “Talk, Riley.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“You saw me shoot a man, and even though there was a scream from you, you’re not telling the police?”
She nibbled her lip. “Police are no good. They tend to cause more trouble than they fix. I don’t trust them.”