Lure (A Hitman's Bait 1)

“It’s…all in my head. Over the last few days, a lot has happened.”

My boyfriend—and he’d better agree with me that what he was—hadn’t returned home in two days like he said, and I was worried. How I would have liked to spill everything, but I couldn’t get Tack involved. Sully and I hadn’t discussed it, but I already sensed it was a hard no to talk about what he did with anyone.

“Want to talk about it? We can go somewhere else. There’s a coffee shop a block away.”

I shook my head and smiled. “You were having fun. Go back in. I’ll just call a cab and go home. It’s not you, I promise. I’m just feeling really shitty right now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Then order a cab. I’ll wait out here with you.”

I called an Uber, and we watched the people lined up, waiting for their turn to get inside the club.

“Everything okay with you and Sullivan?” Tack asked.

“Yeah, he’s been gone on a business trip and hasn’t gotten back at the time he said he would.”

“Do you think…”

“Do I think what?”

“No, nothing. Never mind.”

He turned away, but I placed a hand on his arm. “No, tell me. What were you going to say?”

“I don’t want you to feel worse, Kit.”

“Oh my god, you were you going to ask me if I thought he was cheating on me. That’s it, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”

But he had a valid point. I hadn’t even thought that might be the reason Sully was gone this long. He had a brooding, dangerous personality, and the way he dressed screamed money. He didn’t have to go looking for someone. Women and men would fall in his lap just from him sitting.

What did I have to offer a man like Sully? Maybe he was regretting ever sleeping with a man.

My stomach clenched, and I gasped. I’d never put my heart on the line for anybody before. It was the one thing I had left of my own that I hadn’t given away.

“Kit, I’m sure I’m wrong,” Tack said softly. “This guy seems to care about you a lot. Look at all he’s given you.”

I laughed bitterly and kicked at some loose gravel. “You and I know those things don’t matter. Here today and gone tomorrow.”

But true love lasted forever.

“Please don’t let me ruin your night.”

I gave him my best smile. “You haven’t. I’m tired. I need to go home and cuddle with my cat.” Sully’s cat.

“Maybe we can have a playdate tomorrow,” he suggested.

“I don’t know yet. Let me see how I’m feeling tomorrow, and then I’ll call you.”

His face fell, and he took a step back as if giving me space. “Okay.”

We waited in silence until my Uber arrived. He insisted on opening my door and waved me good night. I slumped into the back seat of the car and scrolled through the messages between Sully and me. They were curt, always checking up on me, but there was something distant about them, like his head hadn’t been in it.

I typed several messages and deleted them all, then settled on