El Diablo (Killer of Kings 6)

“It’s my housekeeper.”

“Say that again,” said Bain.

“Why’d you bring your housekeeper to a firefight? She’s going to ruin our element of surprise and get herself killed.”

“Shit, she must have tailed me. I’m going in,” said Xavier, drawing his Glock and barreling forward. Bain put a palm to his chest to hold him back.

“A lot is at stake,” said Bain. “I don’t want an innocent woman to get hurt because of me.”

Should he confide in these men, tell them Alesha was his woman, tell them he was a lovesick fool? They were all married hitmen, so maybe they’d be able to understand the turbulent emotions boiling inside him right now.

Why did he have to mention this to Alesha? She thought she was Nancy Drew or some shit, not realizing all his assignments were life and death reality.

“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine,” said Killian. “We’ll deal with it.”

“How?”

“We’ve done this before. We improvise.” Killian paced in the confined space. “Maybe if I shoot her in the leg, it’ll get her to the ground before they start firing.”

“No, no, no. Back to the drawing board,” said Xavier.

“Maybe a distraction is a good idea. I can blow up one of the containers.” Bain pulled out an explosive device from his jacket.

Killian scowled. “Boss wants this off the radar. No explosions.”

“Two of us go in firing, the other shields the girl and gets her out safely. Does that work?” asked Bain.

“Okay. Let’s do it,” said Xavier.

Every minute waiting and stalling was taking a year off his life. She was up in that room alone with all those pigs. The human trafficking kingpins who wouldn’t think twice before hurting Alesha.

She had no clue what she was doing. Had she overheard his conversations last night with Boss and Killian? His little spitfire was going to get herself killed. If they got out of this alive, he’d give her the spanking of her life.

The three of them made their way closer to the building, keeping low, the colored containers as their shields. It was early, no ground crew around yet. The seagulls gathered by the water, their cawing filling the morning air. He held his breath, focusing, knowing he couldn’t lose Alesha.

The stairs were grated metal, and the windows in the tower gave a full view of everything from the yard and docks to the stairs they three of them were climbing. It was time for El Diablo to come out and play.

Chapter Ten

Ten hours later

“You actually told her to come help you?” Boss said.

Blood leaked out of Xavier’s side, but he didn’t care about that. He’d been through worse. It was the woman lying in the bed that matted to him most. Everything that could have gone wrong today, had. He’d never known such a clusterfuck.

He was so tired. Bain and Killian were at his back.

Everything had gone from bad to worse.

Alesha had followed him to his hit, and now she lay unconscious, her body hooked up to a bunch of machines.

“Obviously not. What do you think I am?” Xavier said. Not once had he ever regretted a decision. No mistake had ever been made on his watch because he knew what the fuck he was doing. He always knew what he was doing.

From the time he could remember, dealing with what happens when the shit hits the fan was his thing.

Pressing a hand to the glass, he saw lights and heard the machines beeping.

She’d gotten hurt, shot, and it was all his fault. If he hadn’t mentioned his assignment, she still be home safe and sound.