Chapter 6
Gable
Rock, paper, scissors has finally turned in my favor.
Asher insisted on two out of three, but there’s no way I was taking that risk, not when I’d finally won. So, while Asher is cutting up Barnaby what’s-his-face, I wait in the lobby for the Chinese food I’ve ordered. A fair trade. Killing is fun, but disposing is not.
Besides, Asher has to make it up to me for landing us in this situation in the first place.
I didn’t even want to come to San Francisco.
I hate California, and even the offer of a hundred grand hadn’t been enough for me to want to.
Asher had begged me, insisting it sped up our retirement plan, and that’s true.
The sooner we hit that savings goal, the sooner we get the fuck out of this country and spend the rest of our lives doing whatever the fuck we want.
Killing on our own time. Taking jobs if we want, ignoring them if we don’t.
Eventually, I relented because I’ve always found it hard to say no to Asher. When we were kids, we’d often end up in trouble because of his ideas, but I could never turn him down, even though I’m two years older and soon to hit thirty-two.
So, we’re back in California after years of avoiding the state that barely raised us, and the plan is already going completely off fucking course. And all because of a brunette who is hot, but not that hot. She’s like … okay, yeah, she’s hot.
It’s damn typical of Asher to find a date during a job. All he’s ever told me is that work comes first while we’re on the clock, and here he is, wining and dining at a crime scene, despite the obvious precautions we promised to take.
Because this is not a straightforward job.
I’m sure that if we do get the drive, the people who hired us won’t trust we didn’t check it, too. There’s a good chance that once we get paid, we’ll have to dip pretty quickly. But I’ve watched enough movies to know that the last job of a hired contract killer never goes smoothly.
Exhibit A: The brunette storming through the lobby, her cop boyfriend on her heels.
“I won’t say it again,” she snaps. “Leave!”
“You’re overreacting,” Deacon says. “It was one mistake, Ella!”
Ella notices me and scowls, but I can stand in the damn lobby if I want to. And what I want right now is to watch a cop get dumped. Bonus.
“I am not going to list the reasons to end this. I don’t even need a reason,” she says. “I don’t want to be with you. That’s enough.”
Deacon skids to a stop in front of her. “It isn’t.”
Ella glowers at him. “It is for me. Get out.”
“Your dad—”
“My dad,” she interjects, “will take my side regardless. If you really think the fact that you wear a badge means anything to him, you’re wrong. He cares about what I care about; aka: not you.”
Nice.
“You’re being a real—” Deacon falters, and I grin. Oh, he’s gonna die.
“A real what?” she challenges, hands on her hips. “Go on, tough guy. Finish your sentence.”
“A real…ly unreasonable person.”
I snort. Deacon looks at me.
“Why are you here?” he demands.
“Free country,” I say. “Please, continue getting dumped.”
Deacon stalks toward me. “Maybe you should fuck off.”
“This is what I’m talking about!” Ella cries. “You only ever act tough if the situation doesn’t call for it! God, you’re such a … a bro.”
I bite back my laugh so hard that I have to look away. But I quickly look back when Deacon responds.
“I am not a bro!”
“You kinda are,” I say. “Bro.”
I shouldn’t piss off the guy who is probably going to get assigned Barnaby’s missing person case, but by that point, I’ll be out of the country, so fuck it.
“Deacon, face it, we’re over. You’re not going to change my mind. I am done,” Ella says. “Just leave.”
I take my phone out, fingers flying across the screen.
Me: You might want to find an excuse to visit your brunette. RoboCop just got monumentally dumped
The cop storms out, shoving open the glass doors to the building like they fucked up his relationship and not him. Ella stamps her foot in frustration.
“Ass!” she hisses to herself, then looks at me. “What are you doing here?”
I say nothing, my eyes back on my phone as I give her the finger.
She points at me. “Ass number two!”
I bite back another laugh, and she walks away.
Me: she’s getting in the elevator
Me: work your magic
Asher: I’m minimizing Barnaby
Me: and?
Asher: I’m covered in blood!
Me: shower then, ffs