Hard to Get (Killer of Kings 4)

She put the blade away, and took a step back. “Okay. Jump in.”

Riley was a mystery that was for damn sure. Climbing into the passenger seat of the car, he watched her drive. She didn’t try to make small talk, and for several minutes silence filled the car—besides her noisy muffler.

“My name’s Shadow,” he said, giving her the truth.

Riley snorted. “Really? That didn’t take long for me to earn that pesky trust. What did I do?”

“You caught me by surprise with the knife.”

“You can’t be too safe.”

“It’s not exactly a bad neighborhood,” he said.

“That’s why I like it—even if I don’t fit in. And I’ve lived beside you for a little while now, and if you’ve been trying to blend in, you’ve failed. You stick out as much as I do. I don’t mind either. It’s good to be a little different. At least I keep trying to convince myself it’s good.” She tucked some hair behind her ear, and it made him want to reach out, to wrap a curl around his finger. He didn’t.

“How do we stick out?”

“We don’t feel the need to join in. We’re not fakes. We don’t need to pretend to be something we’re not. I’m used to being on my own. I cleaned tables in a strip club when I was fourteen.” She laughed as she told him.

“How?” he asked.

“I convinced the guy that I was better and cheaper, proved it, too. Got paid a hundred bucks a week to clean up beer. It was easy money, and I didn’t have to turn tricks to get it.” She parked in her driveway, and turned toward him. “Half of the people in this neighborhood don’t get that. They’re ignorant of what happens in the real world.” She climbed out of the car, and he did the same.

“You’re not going to be following me tonight?” he asked. Not that he had any intention of going anywhere. His only date was with his computer to memorize everything he could about his latest mission. It wasn’t going to be easy, and he had a feeling this one was going to take more time than a simple find and eliminate.

“Nope. Tonight, I’m really tired. I want some food and relaxation. Besides, I got to know your name. Have a nice night, Shadow.” She waved her hand

, and left him alone.

Shadow didn’t linger, even though he found her voice soothing. Instead, he made his way inside his home, and found Boss already waiting for him.

“You took your time getting home,” Boss said. He was sitting in the corner, reading a magazine.

“I got waylaid.”

Boss nodded. “She going to be a problem?” He pointed behind him, clearly at Riley’s home.

“No. She’s not.” Talking with her had been the most fun he’d experienced in a long time. She was cute, different. He didn’t want Boss to kill her. “That file you got on her didn’t have everything that was important. You need to tell Maurice to do better.”

“He got everything that was legal.”

“What do you mean everything that was legal?” Shadow asked. He cared a little too much about this woman. What he needed to do was get his damn head back in the game and fast.

“Everyone has two different lives. There’s only so much you can find out online. Medical records, stuff like that. I give out the information that people ask for, and let them know that they should make their own judgments, and that includes you as well. The file only has half the truth about her. You’ve got to dig deeper to find the real shit.”

Shadow nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She’d gone from being a boring bakery owner with a rough past, to something a hell of a lot more interesting.

The fact she had the nerve to pull a blade on him made getting to know her worth his time. Of course, he’d never been in danger. But it was cute that she’d tried to threaten him. He loved this neighborhood, even all the fake assholes that lived around him. In between his work, he could see himself enjoying the distraction of unraveling Riley.

“Tell me again why you couldn’t give me this file in an email?” Shadow asked, pointing at the folder on Boss’s lap.

“This guy has been in hiding for years. No one has ever gotten a shot at him. The thing is, he likes to take on new identities, new faces, which is what makes it harder for him to be caught. He’s got a few body doubles on top of that. From what I’ve been told, he knows when someone is onto him, and it makes him scarper. I don’t want to risk that. Handle this one with extreme care. No mistakes, no big clean-ups. What I need from you is to be one hundred percent certain you know it’s the right guy. I don’t care how long it takes, but do it as if it was a hobby. Be certain, be thorough.”

“I get it. Take my time, no mess, no clean-ups. I get it, Boss.”

“Good.” Boss got up, and left without another word.

Shadow stared down at the file. This was his life. He was the one that kept to the shadows and found people who didn’t want to be found. Killian could handle the job, but he always came with a lot of noise. Shadow kept quiet, and he knew Boss appreciated that.