Never Kiss a Bad Boy (5 page)

My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. “Now we know we don't have to worry about any immediate family.”

“I get why she wants revenge,” Kite said softly. Shaking himself, he turned away from the screen. “It says this happened sixteen years ago. She had to have been a child. To hold a grudge this long... Frank Montego, he was really involved in this?”

“If what she said was true, yes. Him, and this mystery man she wants to have the honor of killing.”

Kite rubbed the bridge of his nose furiously. “Ugh. That's the part that won't work. If we
did
take this on, I think we could find her guy eventually. If he worked with someone to kill the Fidels, someone else has to know. There's a trail the cops didn't find—or chose not to. We get his name, then killing the bastard ourselves would be a cinch.”

Kite was always so confident. I could see the gears in his head turning, the familiarity and intoxicating lure of planning and executing a hit. I didn't want him getting ideas. “It doesn't matter. What we need is time so we can fix everything.”

“Fix it how?” He lifted himself onto the desk, perching there. “I can't believe her. I thought she was some sweet, eager little thing ready to have a good time.”

My smile was crooked. “You still think she's into you?”

His eyes flashed. “Doesn't matter how into me she is or isn't. I don't like being blackmailed. And I don't like that you got dragged into this.”

It didn't matter what he said. I knew he wanted Marina. How could I blame him? She was gorgeous, and she had a softness to her I was also eager to explore.

Clapping my hand onto his shoulder, I chuckled. “I was in this from the start.”

My friend—my Blood Brother—gave my fingers a quick squeeze. “Our oath, I know. We're supposed to protect each other. So how do we protect ourselves from this mess?”

“First, we'll do what I said. We'll take her money.” Standing, I towered over him. “If we stay close to Marina, we can find out where she hid the letter, or who might know about it. Hopefully, no one else. Once we get it, we won't have to worry about her anymore.”

Crossing his ankles, Kite peered up at me thoughtfully. “You want us to entertain her for as long as we need to... then we just kill her?”

I lifted my pistol free and checked the safety. “Yes. And then we kill her.”

Protecting our future was what mattered.

Marina Fidel had no idea who she was dealing with.

****

S
he was reclining in a booth when we walked in. Her back was arched, forcing her chest high—drawing my eye to her curves helplessly. If I was a weaker man, I would have frozen on the spot.

But I'm better than that.

Sitting up sharply, Marina smoothed her skirt and crossed to meet us. “What did you decide?” she asked excitedly.

Reaching out, I opened my palm. “We're compassionate people. Fifteen grand, and we'll help you find this man.”

Marina peeked over my shoulder. I knew she was eyeing Kite. “No. That's not enough.”

“Not enough?” Kite stammered.

My fingers remained open in front of Marina. “What else do you think your money should buy?”

Gently, like my hand was a bear-trap, she put the envelope in it. She didn't let go. “I need lessons. I need you guys to show me how to kill. Otherwise, I'll never get close enough to get my revenge.”

Waiting for her to release the money, I let myself smile. “Fine. We also have stipulations, for our own safety.”

Conceding the exchange, her small hands drifted to her hips. “Safety? What are you worried about?”

This second part had been Kite's plan, and I thought it rather ingenious.

“Listen,” he said. “We don't do things this way. It's always been a faceless transaction. You know you've got a little extra something up your sleeve keeping us in check.” The dark-haired woman said nothing. “Even if you aren't wired, we have no proof you aren't secretly some cop trying to catch us in the act, or planning to kill
us
for some crazy reason.”

That made her mouth pop open.

I said, “Until this is over, we need to keep you under surveillance. You'll be moving in with us.”

The noise she made was like a dying cat. “
Excuse me?
I can't just move out of my place and into yours!” She paused, then added, “I'm surprised you guys live together.”

Her implication had us exchanging a look. It wasn't the first time someone had insinuated that Kite and I had a romantic relationship. They were wrong, of course. “We live in the same complex,” I explained. “But my place is above his. It's two different apartments.”

She narrowed her eyes, mouth tightening.

I said, “Look at it from our point of view.” Tucking the envelope under my arm, I adjusted the front of my dress shirt. “You barged in here, threatening us. You want us to risk our peaceful, happy lives for you. This is the only way to guarantee we can trust you, Marina.”

Crossing her arms, the motion made her breasts plump up. I was reminded that, under an hour ago, she'd been a potential hookup. “And what if I say no?”

“Then you can go at this alone,” Kite said.

It was a bold lie; we couldn't let her walk away, not with everything she knew about us.

A hint of something sinister touched her scowl. “You're so worried you can't trust me. How would you react if I used the letter to get my way? If I said help me, under
my
stipulations, or I go to the cops?”

Tension flowed between us. I was debating my answer, but Kite spoke first.

He squinted down at Marina with a smirk so sharp it could cut bone. “I think you want this man dead more than you care about where you sleep at night. If you stay with us, we can prepare you to kill him much faster, much smoother. Isn't that better? Isn't it your real goal?” Reaching down, he lifted her hands, thumbs brushing over the blue veins on the backs.

I knew this side of Kite, too.

It was as dangerous as giving him a gun.

“Marina,” he hushed softly. “We don't know when we'll find this guy. Work with us, and this way, we can ensure that you're ready to execute him flawlessly.”

She'd stopped breathing. Kite was seducing her, and much too slowly, she realized it. Flushing, she yanked her arms away and scrubbed her left elbow. “I—fine. But I get my own room, and you respect my space. You'll have to pay the rent I'll owe for ending my lease early, too. I paid you all the money I had.”

“Done and done,” I said. “Personally, I think you'll like our homes.”

Kite motioned with his chin at the exit. “Question. Does your place have security cameras?”

She pulled the corner of her mouth between her teeth. “No. A few weeks back, someone had their scooter stolen. Guy was pissed, but the apartment manager couldn't do a thing. People want cameras, for safety, but...” Shrugging, she laughed emotionlessly. “The building looks like a motel, people come and go.”

He's making sure there'll be no record of us there,
I realized.
Smart move.

Nodding, Kite opened the doors. “We'll head there right now. Grab a few things you need, we can make another trip later for the rest.”

“This is happening sort of fast.” Marina's tone was low. It made me wonder if reality was settling in and leaving her in shock. If so, she wouldn't handle what we had in store for her very well.

Seeing her like that, the confident woman appeared suddenly frail. Call me insane for reaching out, trying to comfort a woman I had every intention of murdering, but—I couldn't help myself.

Her sweater was soft, I secretly wished it had been her bare shoulder. “Marina, I know you're overwhelmed. You've walked into a situation I'm not sure you were ready for.”

“No,” she said firmly. “I'm ready for all of this.” Looking me in the face, her intensity flourished. “I know exactly what I'm doing. Coming here wasn't an accident.”

I was forced to reevaluate this odd creature. She was cunning, and if her nerves showed at times, who could blame her? She was still more collected than I thought she had any right to be.

The news headline flowed in my skull, reminding me about what this woman had been through. I didn't know the gritty details, but it had clearly left a mark on her.

Tragedy, of any kind, would do that.

“Come on,” Kite said, stopping me from probing further. “Jacob, can I borrow your car? I took the subway here.”

Handing him my keys, I pointed down the hall towards the alley exit. “Go out that way. I'm parked right there.”

Marina ducked under my arm, clutching her purse. Kite waited for her, but his attention was on me. Wordlessly, we said a farewell and good luck with just our eyes.

Standing in the hall, bar noise to my left and the silent alley exit to my right, I was poised in the middle of two worlds.

A peaceful life we'd done everything to achieve...

And the grim past that demanded we dive back in if we ever hoped to really escape.

Marina

I
f my heart was any lighter, it would float out of my smiling mouth.

I did it. I actually did it.

I was sitting next to a killer, and I wasn't afraid. There was too much hope biting in my blood. Since my family had been murdered, I'd been drifting. Lost.

But not any longer.

I was going to get my revenge.

In the dark car, Kite's face was lit up on the edges from the electric blue of the CD player. It was a nice sound system. Actually, the whole car was the most expensive thing I'd ever ridden in.

I watched him, counted how long he kept from blinking. I'd never been so close to someone like him. I wanted to understand what made him tick and try to steal it for myself.

Seeking him out in the bar had shown me a side of him I didn't understand. Kite had eaten me up with those ink-blot eyes of his. I'd
felt
the way he wanted me, even through my haze of determination.

I'd definitely felt his hand curling around my waist.

Sitting in the car, I touched my hip and shivered. It was too easy to recall the ghost of his touch, and how it had filled me with surprising heat.

Kite was a man scared of nothing. He wanted to kiss me, thrill me... it would have been easy, in another time or place, to just go along with his intentions.

So easy to see what else he could do to me.

He was ready to murder me back there,
I reminded myself.
Don't think of him as some kind of man-candy.

Even if he
was
delicious looking.

Kite thought I was dangerous, to him and his friend. And maybe I was—but I didn't feel like it. They were the ones with weapons and a trait that let them end lives.

By the end of this, will I have that trait?
It was what I needed. If I was going to kill the gap-toothed man from my memory, I knew it would take a certain mindset.

I'd hesitated on killing Frank and had missed my chance.

I wouldn't let that happen again.

“Which street?” Kite asked, shattering the silence.

Sitting up on the plush seat, I pointed. “Take a left here.”

As if that was all he ever needed to say again, he went silent. Watching him covertly, I tried to sense his... what, killer's presence? There had to be a word for it. And if not, I'd make one up.

Demon Aura,
I mused.
Too cheesy. Maybe something to do with predators or...

“Why are you staring at me?” On the steering wheel, his tattooed knuckles shined.

Swallowing loudly, I looked out the passenger window.
Shit, I thought I was being sneaky.
“Sorry,” I said quickly. “Guess I was just trying to figure out what to say.”

“About what?”

Glancing over, I caught his hard frown. “About... all of this. Talking might get rid of this awkward air.”

“No thanks.” The car slowed at a red light. “I think silence suits me just fine.”

Carefully, I made myself face him. “If you like silence, why spend so much time in a busy bar?”

The glow of the radio illuminated his glare. Then, he was back to watching the road. “You really were stalking me, huh?”

“I had to,” I said defensively. “Besides, it was good practice. An assassin needs to observe their target, right? To figure out their schedule so the kill goes smoothly?”

Kite's face contorted with his disbelief. “You're not an assassin. You don't know a fucking thing about being one.”

Warmth spread up my neck. Ignoring it, I snatched up the opportunity to learn more. “Then tell me about it.”

“How about I don't, and we just go get your things?” He took the corner too fast, rocking me against the window.

We weren't far from my apartment, but I had no plans to sit quietly. “You said you'd help train me. That was part of the agreement, right?” Crushing my purse, I reminded myself of the money that Jacob now had. “I'll need to know about everything. You said yourself, I'm staying with you guys so I can learn quickly. Refusing to talk to me is counterproductive.”

“Counterproductive,” he chuckled. His fingers tapped on the wheel, a tiny song with no rhythm. “Fine. You want me to talk? Then let me tell you a little story that I think you'll enjoy.”

Kite started smiling, but it didn't come through his voice. I didn't care. I was eager to fill my head with anything he would offer. “You're the pro, tell me what I need to know.”

“You need to know what can go wrong.” His head moved back, skull grinding into the cushion like he was getting comfortable. “You're a newbie, mistakes are common.”

My ears strained until they rang. I hung on his every word.

“I was lucky,” he said softly. “I didn't have a real mistake until my second year. It was our fifth contract, a guy named Culver. Real strong, not that you'd know by looking at him. He wore baggy clothes all the damn time. I don't know where he got all his muscle.”

My arm hairs were prickling. “How old were you?”

Kite blinked, the spell broken when he stared at me. The stern, empty man had melted as he recounted the past. It was only for a second, but I saw it. “This was about three years ago. Guess I was twenty-two.”