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.
“So, have you picked a design yet?” she asked, moving toward him.
“I was wondering if you could show me some of the cake sizes. I’m sorry, I really don’t get the whole size and look ratio thing. All of these cakes look really small, and I won’t do small.”
You’re a fucking liar.
If he got her to go to the back of the bakery, he was going to try to kill her. Avoiding the bakery would arouse his suspicions and right now, she just wanted to live through the next few minutes.
If I live through this I swear I’m going to stop stressing about the little things, and enjoy life. I’ll have sex more. I’ll do more of everything and less of the boring stuff. I’ll live my life to the fullest and never allow a dull moment to interrupt my awesomeness.
She thought about Shadow and how he’d made her feel in the few times they’d been together. Last night had been magical, and the thought of never seeing him again, filled her with pain.
“Sure. Two seconds. Let me just lock the door so no one comes in and tries to steal the stuff that I’ve got on offer.” Her heart raced as she flicked the lock into place. I can do this.
Smiling at the man, she walked into the back of her bakery.
He was close behind her, and within seconds he had a gun pressed against her skull. Reaching into her pocket, she felt the only thing that she knew how to use. Breathing in and out, she closed her eyes.
“You really shouldn’t have fallen into my lap so easily.” He spun her around, and she forced herself to look at him. To stare at the man who intended to kill her. “It’s a shame. You’re pretty for a fat girl. I’d have loved to fuck you, but I don’t have time. I’ve got to meet my boss. I can’t keep him waiting.” His gaze ran down her body, but she didn’t think. She stomped on his foot, and jarred her elbow into his stomach.
The shock of her attack put him in a vulnerable position, and after he’d pressed a gun to her temple, she wasn’t in a forgiving mood. She was pissed off. Without another thought to what she was doing, she plunged the blade into the bastard’s eye, pulling it out, and stabbing him in the throat. She acted on pure adrenaline, her only thought to survive, and she took the guy by surprise.
She gasped, and stepped away, holding the knife in her hand like it was a lifeline. The man gargled, screamed, and then fell to the floor, blood dripping from his eye and his neck. She had just killed a man, and she stared down at the floor where he’d collapsed into a heap, frozen in place.
“Well, I have to say I’m surprised.”
Riley spun around and saw Boss standing in the entryway. “But I locked the door.”
“Being the owner of Killer of Kings, you learn a few things. Like getting spare keys to the places of the women in your workers’ lives. Shadow has been interested in you for some time. I thought he’d have actually taken you by now, but he was always a bit of a dramatic bastard, and self-serving as well. The martyr.”
She pointed at the man on the floor. “He was going to kill me.”
“Yes. I don’t think he anticipated the knife, do you?” He laughed. “The name’s Boss, by the way.” He held his hand out for her, and she merely stared at it.
“Are you high?” Her hand was covered in blood, and she’d killed a man. All of the evidence was in her bakery, and she had nothing to tell the cops, and her life had just gone to shit. Everything was collapsing on her.
Suddenly Boss caught her arms, holding her up. “Don’t freak out on me.”
“I’m really kind of losing it right now. I don’t need to be dealing with this.”
“Take a deep breath.”
“Get your hands off her,” Shadow said, appearing behind Boss. “How the hell did you get here before me?”
Two other big men entered the bakery soon after Shadow. She still held the knife in her hand and she stared at Shadow, needing him more than anything, but Boss didn’t let her go.
“Apparently, she had it all under control.” Boss finally released her, and she began to shake. Boss leaned down, and checked the tattoo. He whistled. “Another body double. Shit, there’ll be a lot of these fuckers out of work now.”
“What the fuck is the meaning of this?” A guy with an accent spoke up, and she frowned. “That was supposed to be my mark.”
“You didn’t get the hit, El Diablo, Shadow did. I never doubted him.” Boss grabbed the knife from her hand, closing it up, and pocketing it. That was the knife that had gotten her through many scrapes and there was no way in hell that anyone was going to take that away from her.
“Give me back my knife.” Whatever shock or trance she’d been in faded at him stealing her knife.
Boss ignored her and faced the other men. He began to talk, but she wasn’t listening to him. Her mind buzzed, and she felt faint, but she was still determined to get what belonged to her.
“Give me back my damn knife.” Her temper began to increase, and she really, really needed her knife back. Her sanity slowly slipped away. When he didn’t give it to her, she took matters into her own hands, and shoved her hand in his pocket.
Boss caught her hand, holding her wrist, and applying a great deal of pressure. Before she realized what was happening, guns were pointed at all of them.
“I just want my knife back,” she whispered, her fire dwindling.
“It’s covered with blood,” Boss said. “You were clearly having a hard time dealing with it.”
“It’s not the first time it’s been covered with blood.” She stared at Boss. “Give it back. Please.”
He sighed, pulling the blade out of his pocket, placing it in her hands. She wrapped her fingers around it, ignoring the men as she went to her sink. All of the food she had was going to have to be tossed out. Everything. She couldn’t afford this kind of loss, not right now.
“Are you okay?” Shadow asked, coming toward her.
She glanced up at him, seeing the concern on his face.
“I’m fine.” Right now, she didn’t want to talk.
“We’ll take care of everything. A cleaning crew will be here and you won’t have to see any of it.”
Riley snorted. “I’ll be seeing this stuff in my nightmares tonight.” She cleaned the blade and winced as she cut herself. Her hands were shaking, and no matter what she did, she couldn’t get them to stop. Gritting her teeth, she dropped the blade into the sink, and Shadow took over. He grabbed her wrists, and tutted. He pulled her into the small bathroom, closing the door, hiding them away.
He cupped her face, tilting her head back. “I had no idea that asshole was coming here.”
“You were going to hit him, right?”
“I was going to do more than hit him, I was going to fucking kill him.”
“I saved you a job.”
“Yeah, and Boss is thinking of paying you.”
She tilted her head to the side. “What kind of money are we talking about here?”
“The kind of money that will stop you worrying for a while. You’d be able to invest in a new kitchen with all the latest gadgets.”
Riley smiled. “That would be nice. To not have to worry about money. Does Boss have a job opening?”
Shadow shook his head. “No, this life is not for you, and I won’t let you try this shit either. It’s dangerous, scary, and you don’t need to deal. You’re a baker. Not a killer.”
“I’m starting to think I should pick another profession.” She stared down at her hands, which were soaked with blood. Hers and that of the man that was going to kill her. Biting her lip, she felt tears spring to her eyes, and she moaned. “I killed someone today.”
“I know, baby.”
“He had a gun pressed against my head, and I realized I didn’t want to die.”
“You did the right thing. That man didn’t deserve to live, and he sure as hell didn’t deserve to take you from me.” He pressed a kiss against her lip. “You didn’t do a bad thing.”
“I killed a man. In no way is that normal. That is crazy and insane, and that makes me a monster.”
She began to hyperventilate.
This was all just too much. Between discovering that Shadow was a hitman, and that a murderer had tried to kill her, she couldn’t think.
“Baby, look at me.”
She hugged her chest, and she was trying to focus. The door to the bathroom slammed open. Boss and the two other men were there. She was starting to see spots, and everything was spinning.
“You’re going to have to shoot her up,” Boss said. “She’s going to hurt herself.”
There was screaming, and Riley was surprised to hear that it was her. She was losing her mind.
“Baby!” Shadow grabbed her, but it was no use. She couldn’t stop it. All of the occasions of her past, and everything else, it was just too much. Every single memory, every single pain, it was all there, blooming within her chest, and she couldn’t make it stop.
“I’m sorry,” Shadow said.
Something pinched her arm, and it wasn’t long before the world went blank.
****
Shadow caught Riley in his arms before she completely passed out. He wouldn’t let her fall, and he’d never seen a woman lose it so quickly. This wasn’t just about the man she’d just killed. He’d seen the horror in her eyes, and in that one action, all of the pain from her past had come through, trapping her. Lifting her up in his arms, he looked at Boss.
“Women really don’t know when to shut up,” Boss said.
“This shouldn’t have happened.”
“I know, but who would have known he’d take a hit out on a girl that stole his phone?” Boss shrugged. “Talk to Killian, Viper, even fucking Bain. Women in this industry are going to get hurt. There’s no way you can stop it.”
“I don’t want her hurt.”
“Yeah, well, you’re going to have to protect her now.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” asked Shadow.
“They know her. She’s made herself a target. We’ll get this place cleaned up, but she can’t come back here until we get everyone available in his little circle,” Boss said. He turned to look at El Diablo. “What about you? Are you willing to take a chance with the good guys?”
Shadow rolled his eyes.
“You’re not the good guys. No one is a good guy. Killing a man to save someone, still makes you a murderer,” El Diablo said, spitting on the floor.
“Yeah, I can do without the philosophy debate. Really not interested. I only care if you can kill and do the job quietly.” Boss handed him a card. “There’s a price tag for every kill related to that fucker.” He turned back to Shadow. “Hide her.”
“What do you know?” Shadow asked.
“I know that people like this bastard have a following. She’s going to be on their shit list, so be ready to start a mass kill. We’re going to need to take them all out.” Boss stared at her. “This wasn’t her first kill.”
Shadow didn’t say anything. He’d already figured that out.
“Protect her,” Boss said, stepping away.
He didn’t wait around to question Boss’s sudden protective nature. This was one of those moments where Boss confused him.
Taking her out to the car, he lowered her into the back seat, closing the door. Climbing inside, he took off, knowing there was only one place he could go. The injection he’d given her would have her out cold for a few hours, and he had time to get her settled.
Never had he been more terrified than seeing that fucker in the bakery where she worked. He’d raced to get there, but he’d been too late. He couldn’t bring himself to even think of life without her.
Damn it.
How had his neighbor gotten under his skin so fucking fast? He didn’t want to even think about it. Pulling up outside of the gym, he picked her up out of the car.
Ronny was outside having a smoke, which he tossed away the moment he saw Shadow.
“I didn’t know you were coming.”
“What have I told you about that shit? It’ll fucking kill you if you keep it up.” He nodded for Ronny to open the door, and he did. It wasn’t long before several of the guys were surrounding him. “Give me some space.”
They stepped back. “That’s the chick from the other night,” one of the boys said.
“I’m taking her back to the office. None of you have used it to fuck, have you?”
“No, sir,” they all said, making his head spin.
“If I find out you have, I’ll punish you all.” He stepped around the young men, and took Riley straight to the office.
There wasn’t anything out of place. He doubted they’d have broken his rules about using his office. Placing Riley on the sofa, he grabbed a blanket to place over her.
“She OD’d or something?” Ronny asked.
Shadow stroked the hair back from her face. The blood on her hands was still there. He had a small bathroom, and he stood shaking his head. “No, she hasn’t. I’ve given her something to help her sleep.”
He filled a small bowl with some soapy water, and a sponge. Picking up the first aid kit on the way out, he sat down beside her, and started to work on the hands, being careful not to damage the cut, which was still bleeding.
Once he had her hands clean, he went about cleaning out the cut. Ronny had left, only to return five minutes later. “I don’t know if you want any clean clothes. These have come back from the laundry. They don’t have blood on them or anything.”
“Thank you,” Shadow said.
Ronny came from a really bad life. His stepfather used him as a punching bag until Shadow showed him how to use his fists. All of the boys at the gym needed help, and Shadow had used his spare time to teach them all how to take care of themselves, the same way his mentor had with him. Of course, they were boys to him, but most were in their early twenties, some older teens.
It was his one good deed out of a lifetime of death. Rubbing at his temple, he closed his eyes, thinking about how he could have found Riley dead on the floor. The image drove him nuts.
“We had no idea this was your chick.”
“Don’t worry about it, Ronny. What happened, happened. Next time a woman comes into the gym, don’t try and scare her away with fear of rape. That shit’s not good. It’s never good.” Riley was a strong woman, but she needed taking care of.
“Sure, sir. It won’t ever happen again.”
He didn’t correct him this time. No matter how many times he told Ronny not to call him sir, the kid always did. “Make sure everyone else knows it as well.” He looked toward him. “Will you give me some privacy now?”
“Sure, sure.”
Ronny closed the door behind him, and Shadow was left alone with Riley. Pulling back the blanket he began to work her clothes off, taking care as he did. She may be out for the count but that didn’t mean she had to be pulled all over the place.
“I was just supposed to have some downtime in between hits. It wasn’t supposed to be spent getting to know everyone. All I wanted was the chance to fit in. I earn enough to be locked up in a palace or own an island. I didn’t want any of that. Just a nice place to pretend that I was normal, that killing people really didn’t bother me. What did I get? I got a nosy neighbor with the most haunted eyes I’ve ever seen. Not to mention the curviest butt that fits really nice against my dick. Let’s see, your tits are more than a handful, and I love holding them. Then of course, your laugh. I crave your laugh so damn much, and I think it’s because you don’t do it enough. You need to laugh all the time, Riley. Life’s too short to go around being miserable. You hear me?” He continued to talk to her as he changed her from the clothes she wore to the gym wear.
Afterward, he needed to clear his head. Leaving his office, he grabbed a coffee from the machine, and watched as a couple of boys practice moves in the ring. So long as they fought cleanly without risk of hurting anyone, he didn’t mind.
When he returned to the office, Riley was still out cold. Taking a seat behind his desk, he pulled up the footage at her bakery. He’d installed security for him to watch her every chance he got. Rewinding back to when the bastard had her looking through cakes and designs, he watched her serve a bunch of girls. She started talking with the guy, and then closed the door that locked her away with a murderer rather than running out into the busy plaza.
The cameras changed, and he watched her appear. Her eyes closed as the gun pressed against her temple. Death clearly in her sights. How quickly she moved shocked him. Standing on his foot, slamming her elbow against his stomach, and that knife making quick work ending his life. Luckily, he was a low-ranking newbie compared to some of the mark’s other men.
Riley’s actions were from someone used to defending herself.
Glancing over at her sleeping form, he knew from her files that she’d been in foster care, and also that she’d been working the streets for a long time.
The mask he put on for their world to see, she wore every single day as well. Time passed, and he sat, waiting for Riley to wake up, hoping Boss hadn’t given him too high of a dose for her.
He got the message from Boss that the bakery was clean, and everything had been replaced. The fucker was going to make sure she got rewarded for her hard work, not that Shadow had a problem with that.
After what felt like a lifetime, but only a few hours had passed, Riley began to stir. Getting up from his chair, he moved toward her side, taking hold of her hand as she groaned, opening her eyes.
She turned toward him. “What happened?”
He didn’t say a word, allowing her to get accustomed to the passing time, and everything else. She rubbed at her eyes, and began to sit up when she realized her clothes were different.
“You’re at the gym with me. One of the guys found some clothes that I could give you so that you wouldn’t be in the stuff you wore before.”
“The ones covered with blood?”
“You remember?” he asked.
“Yes.” She glanced around the room. “What’s happening? What’s going on?”
“Don’t stress about it, baby. You don’t need to worry, okay?” He placed a hand on her chest, keeping her down. He moved so that he sat on the edge of the sofa, keeping her in place. “Everything has been taken care of.”
“My bakery?”
“Is fine. Everything has been scrubbed and cleaned. All of your products replaced. Boss is very thorough. You could eat off the floors.”
She nodded her head, and slowly lay back down.
“He also wants to reward you.”
“Reward me?”
“You killed that man. You’re going to get paid. It will help you.”
Riley closed her eyes. “I should be thrown in jail.”
For several seconds Shadow didn’t say anything. He held her hand, wondering what to say. Kissing her knuckles, he stared into her eyes. “He wasn’t the first man you killed, was he?”
Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head. She didn’t try to deny it. “No.”
“Tell me, Riley.”
There was so much she kept bottled up, and he hated seeing her like this.
She closed her eyes, and sighed. “Sixteen. I was sixteen, and finally getting by. I had a, erm, a fake ID. I got to work, and everything was fine. You know? Nothing going wrong. I worked late one night, finishing at two in the morning. I hadn’t been to school in a long time, and I passed this same alley for weeks, months even. They say your life can change in an instant. I was pulled into that alley.” She wiped under her nose as the tears fell. “I don’t even know who the guy was, I just know that he’d been waiting for me. That’s what he said. He’d seen me. He’d been waiting, and I struggled. He slammed me up against the wall, and threw me to the ground, knocking the wind right out of me. I fought, but he was stronger. I screamed for help. I yelled and screamed and begged. Nothing. He didn’t stop. He shoved up my skirt, and tore at my panties, and he had his … thing out. I don’t know what happened next, but I had the knife in my hand, and I just kept stabbing and stabbing until there was so much blood that all I could see was red.” She looked toward him.
“Is that why you wouldn’t let Boss have the knife?”
She nodded. “It’s kept me safe ever since.”