El Diablo (Killer of Kings 6)

“Easy for you to say.”

****

Alesha had showered and gone to bed hours ago. The events of the day had worn on her nerves. Xavier swore she’d fracture into a thousand pieces the way she carried on. He had to remind himself she’d never been subjected to the horrors he’d lived through, and murder wasn’t a part of her daily routine.

He sat behind his desk in the study, waiting for Maurice to get back on the line. He’d done his time in his gym, venting his frustrations. His feelings for his cleaner were messing with his head. That little part of his brain he so easily turned on and off to avoid feeling emotions was useless when it came to Alesha.

Xavier may have told Alesha everything had gone according to plan, but that was a little white lie. Dixon had found out who Alesha was, which meant others knew. He didn’t want her in danger or to be used against him. All the hitmen at Killer of Kings with women had that extra liability hanging over their heads. He didn’t want that responsibility. This lifestyle was his choice, and he didn’t want to drag an innocent woman down the same path.

He also couldn’t cut her loose, which led him back to his original predicament—he wanted something he couldn’t have.

“Facial recognition software,” said Maurice. “She applied to be bonded a few years ago for a cleaning job. Once her information’s on file, it’s easy to hack. They’d just need her picture or fingerprint to pull up the information.”

“Okay, we know how they got it. I want to know what they plan to do with it.”

“It’s anyone’s guess,” said Maurice. “The information could have died with Dixon. Or they could try to get their hands on Alesha to get back at you for killing their boss.”

“Yeah.” He rubbed his temple. “This is exactly why I believe hitmen should be bachelors for life.”

“Did you break your rules?”

He exhaled. “Maybe. It’s complicated.” Maurice wasn’t exactly his friend, but they did communicate frequently for information exchange. He usually had good advice, but there was only so much Xavier was willing to share because he knew the hacker was loyal to Boss first and foremost. “Did you find out anything on the recording of that woman?”

“She’s not in any of my databases.”

“Alesha said she had Dixon at her mercy. What the fuck does that mean?”

“There are females in this business, Xavier. You know that. She could have been a hired gun.”

“Then why not kill him when she had the chance?”

“Maybe she was there for you.”

Xavier scoffed. “If she was any kind of professional, she’d know Alesha was my date and would have used her against me.”

“You’re right,” said Maurice. “Probably just a jilted lover he forgot about. She wanted her piece of revenge and got it.”

“If you hear anything else, give me a call.”

He put the phone away, and Xavier leaned back in his leather chair, his arms behind his head. Boss didn’t let on that he knew anything, but Xavier was certain his boss knew better. When he’d called to give him an update after leaving the yacht, Boss had congratulated him for completing the mission. Xavier had single-handedly taken out Dixon and his closest men. It was what he loved doing most—working with his hands. It beat recon any day.

But the mission wasn’t over yet. The trafficking ring went deeper, and Boss had a client willing to pay top dollar to root out the kingpin. Xavier had to team up with Killian and Bain tomorrow. Intel had their target at a factory by the city pier for a meeting in the morning. It was the perfect chance to take them all out. When the entire cell was gone, Alesha wouldn’t be in danger.

“You’re still up?”

He jolted to an upright position, looking towards his office door. Alesha stood there in a pink robe, hugging herself. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I know I’m not supposed to be in this part of the house, especially your office, but I figured things were different now. No need for secrets.”

Xavier stood up, forgetting he’d only slipped on a pair of black workout shorts after his shower. Her gaze traveled down the length of his body. The way she looked at him made his cock hard. Why did she have so much control over that appendage?

“This isn’t what I want, Alesha. Involving you was a mistake. We should try to go back to the way things were.”

“Easy for you to say,” she said. “The things I’ve seen aren’t things a person easily forgets.”

He st

alked closer, hoping to instill a bit of healthy fear into her. “What you saw today was nothing. The things I’ve done with these hands, you have no fucking idea.” He held up his hands to punctuate his warning. “If you could see the things I’ve seen, you wouldn’t be so eager for more.”