Hard to Get (Killer of Kings 4)

“I’m coming with you.” She went to grab a rocket launcher, but he stopped her, holding her arm.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He had to stop himself from laughing. “No, you’re not going to be in the line of fire. This isn’t your fight. This is mine, and you don’t need to be involved.” He cupped her cheek. “I won’t be able to focus on helping Boss if I’m worried about you.” He pressed his lips against hers. “Please, just this once, do as I ask, and stay safe.”

He had some hunting to do, and the only way he’d be able to focus was to know she was safe.

She nodded. “Yes.”

Shadow wasn’t convinced. Pulling her toward him, he saw the tranquilizer darts right behind her. Distracting her with his kiss, he grabbed one, plunging it into her arm. She gasped, but before she could do or say anything, she fell asleep in his arms.

“I’m sorry, babe. You’re all I have, and I won’t lose you.”

Shadow placed her on floor, securing her wrist to the radiator before grabbing his guns. If he was lucky, she’d be out for the count while he dealt with business.

Chapter Eleven

Shadow sped down the highway in his Mustang Shelby. In all the years he’d worked for Killer of Kings, Boss had always answered his cell phone, day or night. He didn’t like this at all. A light drizzle rained down on the darkened streets, distorting his view through the windshield.

He’d had a lot of scrapes in his early years as a hitman, and Boss was always ready to bail him out or send backup. He never left his men to fend for themselves, and this was Shadow’s chance to show the same loyalty.

His phone rang as he drove. He was so focused, it took a couple rings before he turned on the hands-free. “Yeah.”

“Maurice get a hold of you?” It was Bain. He’d only met him on a few brief occasions, and they’d never worked together. He was one of the newest to sign on with Killer of Kings.

“I’m on my way to Boss’s now,” Shadow said. “What the fuck’s going on?”

“They lured Killian away. He got a call just before everything went black. No one’s heard from Boss.”

“These fuckers think they’re smart. They’re going to beg me to kill them when I’m through.”

“I’ll be there with Viper in ten.”

He hung up and called Chains. Now he had to worry about Killian, too. He’d always been good at keeping his distance from everyone, never getting too close. Unfortunately, he’d formed a friendship with the Irish assassin, and his resolve to take down these assholes was even stronger.

“You hear about Boss?”

“No, what happened?” asked Chains.

“Maurice said there’s a code black. It’s not good. What are we dealing with, Chains? You were on the inside when I was doing intel.”

“The mark was a puppet master, a big player in the underground. Now that he’s gone, there’s a void to fill, and more than one ready to kill to fill it.”

“And Boss?”

“He’s a huge threat. Killer of Kings has an iron-clad reputation,” said Chains. “I just can’t believe anyone had the balls to take him on.”

“Where’s that piece of shit you were chauffeuring around?”

There was a brief silence. “El Diablo disappeared a couple days ago. I thought we could trust him, but in this game, money’s everything.”

Money wasn’t everything to Shadow. He’d trade it all for a normal life, a childhood he could look back on fondly. As an adult, he valued loyalty above the almighty dollar.

“I’ll be at Boss’s in a few minutes. Bain and Viper are on their way.”

He turned off his headlights as he approached the mansion, tall decorative iron gates surrounding the entire property. Accent lighting cut the blackness at regular intervals around the perimeter, but it was still a mix of shadows. All week he’d been losing sleep protecting Riley. Meanwhile, the threat planned to attack the head of the organization, ignoring the limbs. With Killian, Boss’s personal bodyguard, MIA, Boss would be alone against any number of trained killers.

He hoped they weren’t too late. The leader of Killer of Kings could be dead, already at another location, or currently being interrogated. Shadow wanted to rush in with guns blazing like Killian would, but he needed to come out of this alive. Needed to return to Riley.

He got out of his car and walked down the street with his gun at his side. The light rain annoyed him, moistening his hair and getting in his eyes.