“What do you want?”
Anthony shrugged, but glanced to the other end of the foyer. “I’m guessing the same as you.”
“Then we have nothing else to say, do we?” said Shadow.
Anthony stayed quiet for a shocking ten seconds. “Boss doesn’t own the city.”
“And Renzo Carpollo does? Keep telling yourself that, DeVino. Usa la testa, vai a casa.” If he had to take out Anthony to fulfill this contract, he wouldn’t think twice. Killer of Kings considered him a scavenger, always ready to pick up the scraps left by real hitmen.
Shadow headed to the main entrance, each step punctuated on the stone floor. He waited on the stairs outside, hoping to get a good look at the mystery man as he left. He couldn’t stop thinking about Riley’s lip-reading skill. If he could understand what they were saying across the foyer, it could be a game changer. It would save him a lot of time and recon. He liked to work solo, and didn’t want to drag around one of Boss’s hired lip-readers to every lead. If he needed one, he knew exactly who he’d use—Riley. He enjoyed watching her, and being around her, even if at times she was a bit prickly.
He paced along the wide stairs, occasionally checking his watch. When he heard voices approaching, he left a wide berth of space at the entrance. Two bodyguards came out first, followed by the blond and the three other guards. Shadow moved in closer, pretending to absently talk on his phone.
They moved too fast for him to see the guy’s hand. The odds of seeing the small tattoo was slim to none to start with. Normally, he’d follow and kill them anyway. If it was the wrong guy, he’d keep hunting. Since Boss wanted this hit to be perfect, with nothing done to alert the target, he had to bide his time.
****
Shadow had been MIA for almost two weeks. It drove her crazy. Not because she hadn’t seen him, but because she couldn’t stop obsessing over him. Riley prided herself on keeping her heart locked up tight. It was better that way.
Shadow complicated everything.
She refused to knock on his door and look desperate. If he wanted to see her, he knew where she lived and worked. It would have been easier to put him out of her head if she hadn’t believed there’d been something building between them. Had she been completely wrong? Maybe he was just a nice guy, a neighbor looking out for her. Maybe she’d imagined everything else—the intimacy, the possessiveness, the way he looked at her. God, she wanted to believe a man like Shadow could fall for her. But like the rest of her life, it looked like it would end in more disappointment.
After work, she locked up her bakery and headed to her car. She noticed that ever since the “incident”, the area near her bakery was unusually clear of parked cars. It was odd. Of course, she couldn’t get that day out of her head. Not because Shadow killed a man, but because he’d done it for her. He literally killed for her. And now he was gone.
She started up her car, and then rolled down the windows. Even the evenings were humid at this time of year.
“No more broken windows?”
Riley gasped. Shadow’s hand was on the roof of her car, his face distractingly close. “Um, no. Everything’s been good.”
He nodded. “I’m glad.”
The only place opened at this hour was the variety store and the bar. She hoped he’d been there to see her, but wasn’t going to hold her breath. “I hope you weren’t here for baked goods. I closed shop a while ago.”
“I’m here for you.”
Her heart melted, but she kept up a collected front. “Oh?”
“I want to take you out to dinner, Riley.”
Her name on his lips sent butterflies rushing to her womb. This was the last thing she expected from Mr. MIA. She became tongue-tied, part of her expecting him to be playing a cruel trick on her. Riley played along. “When?”
“Tonight. I’ll pick you up in an hour.” He stared at her with those dark, haunted eyes. The man was completely confident. Why shouldn’t he be?
She chuckled. “Are you being serious?”
He winked. “Wear something nice. It’s fine dining.”
Then he stood straight and walked off.
What the actual fuck?
She tried to wrap her mind around what just happened. Shadow wanted to take her to dinner? Fine dining? Riley didn’t even think she owned a nice dress. She had an hour to get showered and dressed, so she made haste getting out of the plaza.
It was nearly eight o’clock by the time she was ready. Clothes littered her bedroom floor. She’d tried on just about her whole wardrobe, but guessed she couldn’t go wrong with a little black dress. After doing her hair and makeup, she dug out her heels from the back of the closet. Riley wasn’t a high maintenance girl. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d worn heels or lipstick.
She did a twirl in front of the hall mirror, trying to envision what Shadow would see when he showed up at her door. Riley smiled. It was fun getting dressed up, and she was happy with the final outcome.