Boss - Killer of Kings

“I’ve got the doctor running a full tox screen,” Boss said.

“We need the scientist. Only he would know how to treat it.”

“There’s no guarantee of that though, is there?” Scarlett asked, her voice shaking. “This was designed to kill. You said so yourself. Why create an antidote?”

Graciella looked at Boss. “Because if this is the same scientist I used, he once told me that no one would create something where there was a risk of it coming back and biting them. For every dosage, there would be an antidote. In fact, we argued because he took longer than I wanted. He wouldn’t give me the drugs until he was sure he had an antidote. I don’t have any. I had no intention of taking the stuff, so I didn’t bother to get some. If I did, I’d have given it to you.”

“How can we trust you?” Killian asked. “All you have done is cause us trouble. We’re cleaning up your mess.”

“You think I’m not trying to clean this up? Why do you think I’ve moved as much as I have? Why I happen to appear when the cases of the crazed druggies are rife? I’m following it. I’m trying to trace it, and this is all I’ve got.” She held up the mints. “This is the biggest clue.”

Her hands shook.

“We need to talk,” Boss said. He put a hand to her back and started to walk her out of the room but Xavier stood in front of the door.

The pain in her brother’s eyes was clear to see. This was torture to her. He was the only family she had left. It was one of the many reasons why she tried to ignore him. Seeing him now, it was hard to stay cool and aloof.

“I hope one day you can forgive me,” he said.

“Xavier,” she said.

“Now is not the time,” Boss interrupted and nudged her forward.

“There’s nothing to be forgiven for,” she said.

Opening the door, she let Boss take the lead, guiding her to where he wanted her.

Boss came to a stop at an office. They stepped inside and she looked around. There were no cameras and there were several machines where doctors used x-rays.

Hands on her hips, she looked at him. “I didn’t want this to happen. I hope you believe that. I’m not a monster.”

“Why won’t you kill me?” he asked.

“Really, you want to know that?”

“I don’t need to know it today, but it’s a question you’re going to have to answer. For now, tell me all that you know about Viko.”

“You think he’s distributing the drug?” she asked.

“I know Viko and he’s the kind of guy who would mask drugs as something else. It helps get them through shipping into the country and doesn’t require backyard dealings.”

“Viko didn’t do this.”

“You sound confident. How do you know?”

She took a deep breath. “Because … the debt to him, it goes deeper than his protection of me.”

“What do you mean?”

She didn’t want to reveal another man’s business. She took a deep breath. The only way to finally combat these drugs was to work together. “Viko’s tracing the drugs as well. He has been for a couple of years. What you don’t know is he once had a daughter. I won’t get into the details, but she had a boyfriend and … well, he got her into drugs. These things got to her, and she died. Viko, for all of his faults, is on your side. He wants the scientists and the people behind them.”

Chapter Seven

Boss didn’t have time to play around. Not with Bain’s life in the balance. The possibility of losing him was indigestible—but his man was strong, and if anyone could survive this, it would be Bain.

He lay on his stomach on the roof of the seven-story building. Business never stopped at Killer of Kings. He’d wanted to take his time with this contract, savor it. But at this point, he just needed it done. The heat was getting to him, but he didn’t flinch. He was a statue, his eyes on the doorway of the building across the busy street. Maurice had tracked his movements, and Mr. Black always worked out at this gym, same time, same day. Never smart for a man working on the shady side of the law to have a predictable schedule.

As soon as he had Tyson Black in his sights, he pulled the trigger. It only took one shot. Boss never missed.

Immediately, he rolled into a sitting position and packed up his sniper rifle. Clean and quick. There was only one more to take care of—Edward Seer. He’d wanted to do this himself, but finding the scientist was now his top priority.

He pulled out his cell as he jogged down the staircase to the street below. “Chains, I have a find and eliminate I need you to handle. The client’s family was threatened.”