“When he was in his twenties, the kingpin of the largest drug cartel sought him out, wanted to hire him for protection. Long story short, he gained the kingpin’s trust, then cut out his heart. He’s a savage bastard.”
“And he wants my paycheck. That doesn’t sit well with me.”
“They call him El Diablo,” said Chains.
“Boss want you to take him out?”
Chains shook his head. “That’s a last resort. Boss wants me to recruit him.”
“Shit,” said Shadow. “That would be a problem for me.”
“Just worry about your contract. I’ll keep him busy.”
Shadow adjusted his harness, and checked the clip in his Glock. “If he gets in my way, I will kill him.”
“Fair enough.”
He moved in closer, slipping in and out of the paths between containers, unseen as he neared the location. His mark from the restaurant stood in between his men, adjusting the collar of his jacket. That smug prick thought he was invincible, but he never expected Killer of Kings.
Never expected Shadow.
He pulled out the sniper rifle he had strapped to his back, bent down on one knee and adjusted his sights, taking his time. This was what he lived for, what he was trained to do. He took out his target with one clean shot. A rush ran though his body, making his cock hard, when the mark collapsed to the ground. Shadow dropped the rifle and stood up, shooting the scrambling men one by one until only the caw of seagulls and waves slashing the dock filled the air.
He took a deep breath of the salty air, and noticed El Diablo packing up from his distant position on the metal container.
His intuition nagged him to check up on Riley. That asshole and his entourage had seen her last night. Shadow hated entangling Riley into his world, but all he could do now was work hard to keep her safe. He pulled out his cell phone and logged into the security system he set up in the bakery. There were a few customers in the store, settling his nerves slightly. He zoomed in when he saw a man looking through a cake book with Riley, his hand on her shoulder. That’s when he saw it.
The tattoo.
The infinity symbol Maurice had shown him.
Thanks to Riley’s lip reading, he knew his mark was on to him, so all the doubles probably had the tattoo by now. Shadow felt lightheaded, his heart hammering in his chest. That same feeling of helplessness he’d known too well as a child, infused into his blood. It was a twenty-minute drive back to the plaza. The mark was dead, but he must have already sent a hit out on Riley. One of his fucking body doubles was at the bakery.
He called Riley as he rushed back to his car. She didn’t answer. Shit!
Shadow sped down the side streets to get to the highway. His only mission was getting to his woman. Everything else could wait. As he drove, his cell rang. He used his hands-free system as he wove in and out of traffic.
“I see your intel panned out,” said Boss. “Good work.”
“Not now. There’s a hitman at the bakery. Why the fuck didn’t you have Chains bury these fuckers weeks ago?”
“Killer of Kings runs like a choreographed dance. It’s a thing of beauty,” said Boss, his voice carrying the usual calming timbre. “And for God’s sake, Shadow, we’re not primitive. Everyone working for me has a unique skillset, far beyond these so-called hitmen for hire. Sometimes I like to challenge my men, sometimes I teach them lessons.”
“Look, I get it, but this isn’t a fucking game! Riley’s life is in danger.” He remembered how Boss had taught Killian a lesson about killing women. Shadow wasn’t some new recruit. He’d been killing all his life, and besides a few hiccups, he did his job well.
“How far will you go to save her, Shadow?”
Chapter Eight
This guy didn’t want to book or arrange a cake. Riley played along though. She didn’t exactly have much choice. When the guy put his hand on her shoulder, she wanted to vomit, but again, like every other time she was faced with a hard decision, she kept her cool.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she saw several girls enter the shop.
“You keep looking while I serve.” She smiled up at him, and went behind the counter to serve the young girls. She didn’t alert them to the fact there was a monster in their midst. They didn’t need to know that kind of shit.
The man in question was staring at her, and she didn’t really have time to get Shadow on the phone. This was one of the men from the restaurant. She didn’t like this one bit. Why would this guy suddenly want anything to do with her? It was a set-up. Growing up on the streets, in between foster homes, she’d come to realize at a young age when danger lurked.
Releasing a breath, she looked around, and saw that no one was around.