Lure (A Hitman's Bait 1)

“Don’t be ridiculous. What would I want with marriage?”

He grunted. “Until Kit wants a wedding that costs you half a mil.”

I placed Cinnamon on a chair. “We don’t even know how long this will last.”

“Seriously, you’re not bothered that he’s a prostitute?”

“It only bothers me that you keep mentioning it.”

“And what are you going to do about what we hired him to do? Are we going to hire someone else?”

“Obviously. I don’t want Kit sleeping with anyone for money. Or for any reason, for that matter.”

“Just checking. And this new contract that came in? What do you want to do about that?”

“What contract?”

Liam frowned. “I sent it to you earlier. Didn’t you read the briefing?”

I fished my phone out of my pocket and opened the email inbox I used for business contracts. The one that couldn’t be traced back to me if it was discovered. It took a couple of minutes to scan the contract—a hit on a guy named Seth Taggart from out of town.

“I can tell the buyer he needs to find someone else,” Liam said.

The challenge in his voice came through loud and clear. He obviously thought things would change because of the way I felt about Kit.

“Tell them to wire the deposit. I’ll have it done in forty-eight hours.” With the information we had on this Taggart guy, it should be an easy task.

“Are you sure?”

I glowered at him. “When have I never been sure?”

“And what about Cinnamon? I’m no expert on keeping a cat, Sullivan.”

I chucked Cinnamon under the chin. “They’re low maintenance, but Kit has already agreed to watch her when I’m out of town.”

“Glad that’s settled, then. Was there something else you wanted, or can I go confirm that contract now?”

“That’s it.” I looked at my watch and swore. “I’m going to be late picking up Kit.”

Liam shook his head and grinned as he walked out of the kitchen. “Boy, am I glad I’m not in your shoes right now.”

I wouldn’t change a single thing about the way I felt about Kit, though. Would it have been easier if we hadn’t met? Sure. But easy didn’t always mean the best, and I was absolutely positive Kit was the best thing for me right now. When was the last time anything made me feel the way he did? I’d been on this path of killing and enforcing rules for so many years that I’d become a slave to money and sin.

But all that was changing.

Forty-five minutes later, Cinnamon and I stood at Kit’s door, waiting for him to answer the doorbell. I hadn’t told him about the hit I’d accepted earlier when I’d called to let him know I was leaving home to pick him up, but hopefully, he would understand when he saw the cat. I could have refused the hit. Our relationship—if it could be called that—was still fresh and vulnerable right now, but it was better for us to get into the routine of what things would be like should we ever get serious.

Kit had to get used to the idea of me being around as well as me being gone. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to handle it, but at least he would find that out right away rather than for feelings to get too involved.

The door opened, and Kit’s smile transformed into a grin when he saw the cat carrier.

“Cinnamon roll!” He took the carrier from me and disappeared inside the house.

“If I knew getting that cat meant immediately being demoted to second best, I would’ve left her at the cat café.” I closed the door behind me and trailed after Kit.

“Of course you’re not second best.” He opened the carrier and scooped the cat out. Straightening, he brandished the cat for me to see. “But look at that cute face. I still can’t believe you adopted her.”

“I still can’t believe you made me adopt her.” I placed a hand around Kit’s waist and pulled him to me, leaving enough space not to crush the cat, who was comfortable being petted. “She’s already becoming spoiled, but you’re right. She’s teaching me so much about what a kitty needs.”