Dressed in ripped jeans, black T-shirt, and black leather jacket, Grey blended in with the rest of the early afternoon crowd. The gray skies and icy-cold temperatures reflected his somber mood. He wasn’t here for a pleasure trip. He was here to hunt down the elusive Irelyn Raine.

He knew Paris well. He and Irelyn had lived here for several years before moving to America. Since both of them spoke fluent French, the transition had been an easy one. Grey had been able to earn enough money to keep them relatively well fed. Irelyn had stayed at their apartment most days. She had finally stopped running away from him by then, but her reversal had been almost as bad as her fleeing. She had become so dependent on him, terrified that he would leave her alone. Looking back on that time now, it was almost impossible to equate the fragile, terrified young girl that Irelyn had once been with the incredibly strong and self-confident woman she was today.

He still remembered Irelyn’s first show of independence. It’d almost gotten both of them killed. They’d been running low on funds, and Irelyn, behind his back, had tried to earn money the only way she knew how. She had tried to con a guy out of a couple thousand euros. The man had realized her game and had almost killed her. Grey had arrived in time to save her, but it hadn’t been easy. They’d both been battered but had managed to escape. The man, they’d learned later, was some local thug’s muscle. Irelyn had chosen her target poorly.

Showing just how much grit and determination she had left inside her, she hadn’t let that stop her from trying again. She had learned a valuable lesson when it came to picking the right target. Since Hill Reed had always chosen her target for her, she’d had little experience in discerning who would fall for her act and who would see through her. It wasn’t the most ethical way to earn a living, but at that time, survival had been their most important goal.

Grey had fond memories of those days. Times had been tough, but they’d been fighting for a better future for both of them. Irelyn had eventually gotten a position as a shopkeeper’s assistant and stopped her con games. Grey had worked two jobs and, in between those, studied his ass off to find a way to make more money.

By the time they’d left Paris, both he and Irelyn had been much more mature. They’d both been in their twenties by then and had seen so much of life, experiencing things most people never would in a lifetime. Their relationship had morphed from a wary dependency to full-fledged partnership. Shared goals and thirst for a better, more meaningful life had created an unbreakable bond. They’d found what they’d been looking for in America.

Leaving Europe had been the best thing for both of them. Getting as far away from their dark pasts as possible was the only way either of them would have survived.

“Pardon me, sir. Do you have the time of day?”

The man standing beside him was tall and lean, with a head full of silver hair and a twinkle in his golden eyes.

“Andre. Good to see you.”

“And you. You look well. Except for that dangerous glint in your eyes.”

“The glint is not for you, old friend.”

“Ah yes, the lovely Irelyn has gone off the straight and narrow once again.”

“No. Those days are long over. I’m concerned for another reason.”

“Revenge, then?”

“Possibly.”

“Why now?”

“That’s something I don’t know. I had hoped you’d heard something.”

“Only that she’s been trying to get back into the game. Odd way of doing so, as she’s made herself a target. But our girl was ever the unpredictable one.”

“No truer words. Any idea where she is?”

“Not a clue.”

“I believe she’s here, in Paris.”

“If she is, she’s keeping a lower profile than normal. I can ask around.”

No. She would hear and be gone in a flash. She didn’t want to be found, but he was determined to do just that and find out just what the hell she was up to.

“That’s all right. I have a few more places to check.”

“Irelyn has never been easy, has she?”

He smiled at the idea of anything with Irelyn being easy. “Never.”

“But worth it?”

“Most definitely.”

Andre held out his hand. “It was good to see you, my friend. If I hear anything, I will alert you in the usual method.”

Grey nodded. “Merci, mon ami.”

In a way Grey had always admired, Andre disappeared into the crowd as if made of smoke. A magician by trade and thief by choice, Andre had learned to trick the eye at an early age. Andre was one of the first people Grey had met when they had first arrived in Paris. He was also one of the few from his old life who had never betrayed him.

Grey stood at a street corner and let his eyes roam. This beautiful, fascinating city held so many good memories. Irelyn had hated leaving. She’d made some friends here. Grey had hoped that if he couldn’t find her, he could find at least one of her friends who might have seen or heard from her. Andre was the fifth and last of those friends. None of them had had contact with her in months.

She’d had an apartment here, where they used to live. He’d gone there yesterday and learned she no longer owned it. He’d been struck by how the area had improved since they’d lived there. Their rat-infested apartment building had been torn down and replaced with an elegant apartment complex and a small, upscale shopping center.

For a woman who claimed to have no sentimental attachment to anything, Irelyn was charmingly sentimental. The fact that she had given up the apartment bothered him. Was she cutting every tie she had with everything and everyone or just with him? Either way, that deep pit of dread inside his gut caved open a little more.

The light changed. He stepped off the curb and, along with dozens of other pedestrians, crossed the street. His eyes continued to roam as his mind searched for another way to find her. If he didn’t locate her soon, he’d have to dig deeper. Whether Irelyn wanted it or not, she needed his help. Damned if he would let her down again.

He was about to cross over to another street when he spotted her. She was standing on a corner, looking directly at him. She wore a long-sleeved dark emerald sweater dress and three-inch heels. Her hair was pulled back into a chignon, highlighting her beauty. A small purse, large enough for her cellphone and possibly a small handgun, was wrapped around her shoulder. It took only a second to take in her appearance, but it was the expression in her eyes that held him mesmerized and unmoving. They gleamed with both fury and need.

His legs finally moved, and he went toward her. She remained at a standstill, waiting. When he was only inches away, he murmured softly, “It’s about damn time.”

“Why are you here, Grey?”

“You really need to ask?”

“You told me you wouldn’t follow me. That you wouldn’t look for me.”

He glanced around. Having this conversation surrounded by strangers was one thing. They both knew how to convey a message without raising their voices. However, standing out in public when there were enemies about was another matter. Making it easy for a killer to strike was just damn stupid. Spotting a darkened alcove next to a gift shop, Grey took her arm and pushed her forward. Thankfully, she didn’t seem inclined to protest.

When they were out of sight and had some semblance of privacy, he answered her question with one of his own. “What are you working on, Irelyn?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re cutting ties, saying goodbye. What the hell’s going on?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Grey.”

“Your apartment here in Paris. You let it go.”

“How did you know I even had…” She shook her head. “Never mind. That was a stupid question. You know everything.”

“Not everything. Why did you tell Kennedy about our past?”

“It seemed the right thing to do.”

“Why now?”

“She’s my friend. She has a right to know.”

“Know what, Irelyn? That you were once an assassin, or that you’ve become one again?”

Her smile was slightly twisted. “Apparently, you’ve heard the news.”

“Hell yes, I heard. Did you think I wouldn’t? What are you doing? Why would you even go near that place again? What are you—”

She took a quick step back, away from him. “This third degree is ridiculous, Justice. What I do and don’t do is my business. Not yours. We’ve severed our ties. They need to stay that way.”

“Like hell we have.” Pushing her farther into the darkness, against a wall, he pressed his body against her and slammed his mouth onto hers.

His taste. Oh, sweet mercy, she could never forget the taste of Grey. Sometimes, late at night, she would remember and she would yearn. It was weak of her, but she couldn’t allow this opportunity to go by. Opening her mouth, she took him deep, gentling him and at the same time giving herself incredible pleasure. No one could kiss quite like Grey.

She heard a deep growl, and then he pulled her closer and gave her everything she needed. Grey was a generous lover—her pleasure was always his number one concern. The kiss was tender and passionate at once, stirring her desire and reminding her of the heat and the pleasure that were hers for the asking. She could have him anywhere at any time. Grey was that giving.

A warning alarm blared in her brain. No…just no. She could not do this. She had an agenda, and it could not include Grey. This moment of weakness had to end.

She pushed his shoulders hard. He didn’t have to let her go. Grey was strong enough to keep her penned against the wall, but that was not his style.

His breath ragged, he leaned his forehead against hers. “Come home with me. Whatever you’ve got going, we can work on it together.”

“No.” Inwardly wincing at the weak, breathless refusal, she put more strength into her next words. “It’s over, Grey. Stop following me. Stop digging into my life. Our relationship is over.”

He took a step back, glared down at her. “So that’s it, huh? I can just go about my business. Find another woman, marry, have children. We’re through forever.”

She refused to give voice to the screaming inside her at his words. Grey with another woman? Another woman’s children? No. No. No. For as long as they’d been together, she had not once been concerned that he would stray. They had been many things to each other, hurt each other to the point of brutality, but never had she questioned his devotion or fidelity.

But she had ended it, hadn’t she? Then she needed to live with the consequences, as painful as they were.

“Yes. Find a woman, marry her. Have children. Be happy. You deserve that.”

He stared hard at her then. It took a massive amount of willpower to hold that fiery blue gaze without flinching. Without giving away the fact that she was bleeding inside.

Finally, he said in a gruff, thick tone, “And you, Irelyn? You will find another man? Or have you already? Is that what this is about?”

She could make him believe her. If she told him she’d found someone else, he would likely let her go without another word. And while that was exactly what she needed him to do, there was no way in hell she would hurt him like that.

“No. There is no other man, Grey. But there needs to be. Don’t you see? We need to get on with our lives.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. We’ve been through too much together.”

“It’s not bullshit.” She backed away slowly. “Goodbye, Grey. Have a good life. You deserve it.”

“Walk away, Irelyn, and this is it. I won’t try to find you again. I’m tired of chasing you.”

“Good. That’s the way I—” A lump was developing in her chest, threatening to envelop her throat and stop both her ability to breathe or to speak. She had to get this done and over with. Quickly.

“Have a good life, Grey. You are the best man I’ve ever known. You deserve every good thing.” Unable to stop herself, she grabbed hold of his jacket, rose on her toes, and ground her mouth against his again. If she could have nothing more of him, then she would take his taste with her.

Before he could respond, she backed away completely and walked into the light, back into the milling crowd of strangers where she could be completely anonymous and alone. Grey didn’t follow her. She knew he wouldn’t. He had told the truth. He wouldn’t chase her again. Wouldn’t try to find her. This time, they were done for good.

Wrapping her arms around herself, Irelyn walked away for the last time.