Chapter 14
Wraith
This is not good. Not at all. After the call at his place the other day, I suspected my target might be related to Bouche, and tonight confirmed it. Now I have to do the one thing I never fucking do. Reveal myself.
The walk to his door is dead quiet, and Bouche is thrumming with tension. I know exactly how to help him let that tension go, but I’m no longer allowed to touch this beautiful man.
He opens the door, walking ahead of me and tossing his keys and wallet down on a side table. I follow him to the living room, where he stands by the fireplace, his face a mask of anger.
“Well? Explain yourself.”
Where do I start? I drag my fingers through my hair. “Okay. Like I said, I’m a hired hit man, but it’s very targeted and specific. I don’t just go around killing people for no reason. I’m not a serial killer.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You sure about that? Have you killed more than three people?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, Wraith, I fucking don’t. Forgive me, but I’ve never met someone who fucking murders people for a living. Your attempt at justifying it isn’t working.”
“I wasn’t justifying it. I was explaining. I’ve never tried to act like what I do is normal or good. It’s just what I do.”
“Oh, well, how benevolent of you.” He folds his arms over his chest. “Why my brother?”
“Someone hired us to take him out for blackmail.”
“Someone? This fucking construction guy?”
“Only my boss knows that. I just get the job details. All we were told was that the target is related to a Magnets player and he shows up at home games. I didn’t know the name Boone, but I knew what he looked like. Why do you call him Boone?”
“None of your fucking business,” he growls, which is fair. “So you started coming to games to find my brother?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“But you didn’t find him?”
“He knew someone was following him. We had a brief interaction at one of the games, and it spooked him. He took off. He’s done a good job eluding me.”
“So Boone dies because he wants to stop a sex trafficker? How is that right?”
“It’s not. I didn’t know what or who he was blackmailing. I doubt my boss does. We don’t really get into the details. We have some limits of what kinds of jobs we’ll take, but usually we’re dealing with pretty bad people on both ends.”
“Boone isn’t bad.”
“I didn’t say he was. I wouldn’t have ever made a move on you if I knew. Obviously, it complicates things.”
“So you didn’t use me to get to him?”
“I didn’t know he was your fucking brother. You don’t share a last name and I’ve never heard of Boone. I wouldn’t have put it together until now.”
Bouche paces in front of the fireplace, wringing his hands. “Why did you help him tonight? It’s your job to find out where he is.”
Shaking my head, I plop down onto the couch. “He sounded so scared, and then I heard about the situation, and I…” I shrug. “I had to help. I had to understand what was really happening. Bouche, listen to me.”
He looks at me.
“This goes against every rule I have. We don’t expose ourselves. We don’t tell people what we do, and we sure as fuck don’t help our targets get away.” I twist my lips. “But this is different. This is… personal.”
“So you just risked my life by telling me? Is that it, Wraith? If that’s even your fucking name.”
“For fuck’s sake, Bouche, I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m trying to help.”
“Help?” He scoffs. “Or are you just waiting for Boone to call again so you can ‘take him out.’ Is that the right term? So you can murder my brother?”
“Stop, okay? Just fucking stop. If I was as ruthless as you want to make me out to be, don’t you think I would’ve handled this a lot differently?
” I open my coat to show him my weapon. “I could have this pressed to your temple while we drive to where your brother is right now. By morning, there could be two bodies to find in that hotel room. So don’t fucking get it twisted that I’m playing some kind of long game here.
I’m the one putting myself at risk right now. If my boss found out, he’d…”
My words trail off. I don’t know what Shadow would do. None of us have ever gone against our orders before.
Bouche tilts his head back for a second, revealing his prominent Adam’s apple. “What now, then?”
“If these guys hired my company, they’re serious about ending Boone. They won’t back off. I was put on the job because it’s not been easy to find him, and I’m good at uncovering what I need.”
“But you didn’t know he was my brother?”
“To be honest with you, I’ve been a little distracted. I haven’t put as much effort into it as I should have.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t want this to end.”
“This?”
“You and me. I figured once it was taken care of, I’d have no reason to keep going to your games. No reason to keep seeing you. I wanted to keep it a little longer.”
My answer seems to disarm him and his shoulders drop slightly. “This is so fucked up.”
“I know, but I haven’t harmed your brother.”
“You want to.”
“Not want. Until tonight, it was just a job.”
“Do I even want to know how a seemingly decent guy becomes a hired killer?”
I shrug. “Would it help?”
“I don’t fucking know.”
I stand and approach, moving slowly to give him time to react. He glares at me, but that hatred is tinged with heat. He still wants me.
“Bouche,” I whisper, sliding my hand around the back of his neck. His eyelids flutter closed as he crashes into me, our tongues tangling in a heated kiss.
I pull him close, twisting my fingers in his hair and soaking in the feeling of his hot mouth on mine, the minty taste of his tongue, the soft grunts he releases.
Then he shoves me backward until I hit the wall behind me, putting all his weight into me but maintaining the kiss. His hard cock nudges mine, and I slide my hand down his body to untuck his dress shirt.
“Want to fuck you,” he whispers. “But I hate you.”
“You don’t hate me, gorgeous.”
“I do.” He bites my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood and I hiss. “But I can’t get enough.”
“Then fuck me if it’ll make you feel better.”
He breaks away suddenly, panting, the glare returning. “How do I know I can trust you?”
“You tell me.”
His expression hardens and then he says, “Give me your gun.”
I didn’t expect that, but I should have. I pull it from its holster attached to my waistband, ensure the safety is still on, then hand it to him, muzzle pointed at the floor.
He snatches it from me, holding it out at me with a shaking hand. “I could shoot you.”
“You could. You won’t though.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re better than me. Besides, what would it do besides cause you a problem?”
“I could say you broke in. It was self-defense.”
“Sure, and I have eight brothers who would avenge me before the ink on the police report dried. Your call, Bouche.”
His jaw twitches, but he continues pointing the gun at me. “You don’t think I’m tough enough.”
“You’re obviously tough enough. I just don’t think you want to.”
After another tense minute, he puts the gun on the coffee table and slumps onto the sofa. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I do. I can help if you want me to. It would be better to let me help. If I walk away, I can’t promise nothing will happen to Boone.”
“How? It’s your job to kill him.”
It is, and the thoughts bouncing around my head right now go against everything I believe in.
I’ve never defied orders, never even considered it, but if Boone is telling the truth and he’s just trying to get away from a really bad dude, maybe I can work with that.
I need to know more before I go to Shadow and plead the case though.
“If what Boone is saying is true, I might be able to convince my boss to turn a blind eye. In my line of work, we come across a lot of victims, and we do our best to help get them to safety. He’d hate knowing we made it easier for scum like that to do what they do and hurt more people.”
He scoffs. “Oh, so you do have a moral compass?”
“Like I said, we have our limits. Kids, women usually, victims. We’re not completely heartless.”
When he doesn’t say anything, I continue.
“I need to talk to Boone. I need information about his former boss.” I sit next to Bouche, noting how he tenses when I rub his thigh.
He looks at me with sad eyes. No, not sad. Scared. “He’s all I have left, Wraith. I promised our mom…” He closes his eyes as his voice cracks. “He’s not a bad guy. He just makes really shitty choices.”
“I’m not judging him, but I am taking a chance and trying to help. I’m disobeying my orders, so believe when I tell you, you can trust me. My entire existence is on the line.”
“What would happen if your boss found out?”
“I don’t know. It’s never happened.”
Bouche nods, studying my hand on his thigh. “I don’t think I have a choice if I want to help Boone, but I’m not fucking happy about it.”
“Neither am I, Bouche. Trust me. All I wanted was to spend time with you. I never want to hurt you or anyone you care about.”
His teeth graze his bottom lip before he exhales slowly. “I have a lot of questions, and I think the least you can do is answer them.”
I should’ve expected that. “I’ll do my best.”