Protection hadn’t even occurred to me last night until I was spilling my seed inside her. In an instant, I pictured her naked with a round, adorably freckled, swollen belly. The image was so fucking hot that I’d almost given in to the desire to take her again right at that moment. And I’d known there was no chance in hell I would ever fuck her with something between us. There was no going back after I’d felt Audrey’s hot, tight pussy wrapped around my bare cock.
My cell phone buzzed on the nightstand, and I quickly stretched my arm out to snatch it up and shut it off so that the noise wouldn't wake Audrey.
Slowly, I forced myself to let her go and rolled out of bed. I glanced at the screen on my phone to see a missed call from Rogue. There was also an email from him.
I dragged on a pair of jeans and made my way downstairs to my office. Once I’d taken a seat in front of my desk, I opened the email. In it was a dossier for a new target. Fuck.
I’d just brought Audrey home. I couldn't go running off on an assignment until I was sure she would be here when I got back.
Scooting my chair up to my desk, I set my phone down and turned on my computer. I tapped into Ruthless Corp's criminal database and found Jack Carlson’s record. After scanning his rap sheet, I could understand why someone had paid to take him out. He was definitely scum of the earth.
Apparently, he was in the San Diego area, which would normally make it a quick trip. In, kill, out. I briefly considered taking Audrey with me, then threw that thought out immediately. I wouldn't expose her to the darker side of my life. She was my sunshine, and I didn't want to risk dimming her light.
But turning down the job wasn’t an option either. There’s no saying no to Rogue or you’re out.
Out.
As my mind spun with options, I was surprised to find the idea of retirement among them.
It wasn't that I felt guilty over what I did. Given the kind of people I took out, I was making the world safer for other people’s Audreys. But I wouldn't want my child exposed to this life.
When I came inside Audrey without protection, it irrevocably altered the course of my life.
She was my number one priority now. I wouldn't want to be out on a job, out of communication with my wife, and have her go into labor or any other emergency that I couldn't help with because I’d gone dark.
There would've been similar circumstances if I had stayed in the Navy, but Ruthless Corp didn’t have the same rules. It didn't matter where you were or what you were doing. When Rogue assigned you a mission, you did it. Without question.
I could request a break—assassins needed vacations too—but there was no guarantee that he would honor it if he felt like I was the best or only one for a job. And once I was back on duty, I was still left with the same problem.
Before Audrey, I thought I’d buried my heart down so deep it would never resurface. Retirement had never been a consideration.
I wasn't even sure if Rogue would let me out of the company. I hated the idea of having to go on the run with Audrey, but I would if I had to. She was the only thing in my life that mattered now.
Frustrated with the whole situation, I shoved my chair back and stood. I’d deal with this shit later because I didn’t want Audrey to wake up alone. After shutting down my computer, I left the office and locked the door behind me. Then I jogged up the stairs and walked swiftly back to the bedroom. I’d only been a floor away, but the longer Audrey was out of my sight, the more anxious I became.
A crooked smile curled my lips when I thought about the guys in my former unit. They would be having a field day with the way I was acting. They’d call me a pussy, but I didn’t give a shit. I was whipped by a beautiful little kitten with a sweet pussy and a smart mouth. And I wasn’t the least bit ashamed.
How Audrey had reached the age of twenty without being snatched up by another man was baffling to me. Although, I was grateful because I doubted I would have been able to walk away from her. And keeping a secret like killing her boyfriend would probably have put a strain on our relationship.
My girl was still asleep when I padded into the room, but she stirred before I could slip back into bed with her. So I sat next to her and brushed some of her wayward hair out of her face as she blinked at me sleepily. She held the sheet against her chest and rose to a sitting position, her expression dazed and confused.