The event was finally winding down. For the last two hours, his smile had felt as wooden as the uncomfortable chair where his ass had gone to sleep. Being seen was often a drawback to being a high-profile personality. Most times, he dealt with it as just part of the job. Another one of the many things he missed about Irelyn. When she was by his side, he could always count on her for a droll comment or an amusing observation.

Dinner and the drawn-out speeches were now over. He’d delivered his short speech at the beginning of the night, but since he wasn’t the only one receiving an award, others had spoken, too. Many of those had had much more to say than he had.

While most everyone else shuffled into the main ballroom where the orchestra was already playing a medley of popular hits, Grey headed toward the opposite end. He had been as sociable as he could force himself tonight. He was thankful he hadn’t taken up Molly’s suggestion that he bring a date. Idle chitchat was difficult enough. The need to be charming and pleasant to a date would have gone well beyond his capabilities tonight. There was only one woman he wanted at his side. And though Irelyn had made it more than clear that she didn’t want to be with him, that didn’t stop him from wanting.

As if fate had decided to torture him for his thoughts, he heard a soft voice call out to him, “Grey! Wait.”

His heart double-timing, he whirled around and then huffed out an exasperated grunt. When had he become so desperate to hear her voice that he could mistake Lacey Slater’s soft Texas drawl for Irelyn’s lilting Irish accent?

His smile genuine, he held out his hand to Lacey, who looked lovely in a chocolate-brown, lace-covered gown that highlighted the golden tone of her skin and made her dark eyes sparkle. “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.” His eyes roamed the crowd, looking for a familiar face. “Are you alone?”

She scrunched her nose up in a grimace. “Yes and no. My date decided that groping was acceptable first-date behavior. I was more than happy to send him on his way with only a few bruises.”

“He hurt you?”

She laughed softly. “You know me better than that, Grey. He’s the one with the bruises.”

Yes, he did know she could take care of herself, but he had a particular soft spot for the youngest Slater. Not only was she one of the Grey Justice Group’s best handlers, she was as genuine and upfront as anyone he’d ever met. She was also loyal to a fault.

“You need a ride home?”

“You read my mind.”

“I was on my way out. Did you want to stay longer?”

“Not in the least. These kinds of events are so boring.” Her eyes glinted with laughter. “Guess I shouldn’t admit that since you were being honored tonight.”

His hand on her shoulder to steer her toward the exit, he laughed. “I happen to agree with you.”

Several groups of people stopped them along the way. Some offered congratulations, a couple tried to engage him in conversation, and one sought financial advice. He handled each encounter as quickly and smoothly as possible. Much to the dismay of several, he never stopped moving.

There were more than a few speculative glances at Lacey at his side. Tomorrow’s tabloid blogs would be rife with innuendoes and suppositions about their relationship. He couldn’t care less about his own reputation, but exposing Lacey to more publicity wasn’t something he wanted.

“There’s going to be all sorts of speculation if we leave together. Sure you don’t want me to find you another ride?”

“Don’t be silly. After all the Slaters have been through, being in Grey Justice’s company can only help my reputation.”

“I’m not sure Eli and Jonah would agree.”

“Ha. My brothers trust you much more than they trust me.”

“They worry about you.”

“They need to stop. Accepting that I’m a grown woman is taking them longer than it should.”

Grey shook his head. “I think you made that point clear when you were Gabriella’s handler. They saw you in a different light.”

“Yeah, well, that light has dimmed in the last few months.”

He handed the valet his ticket and walked with her over to a secluded corner. “What’s going on?”

She grimaced. “It’s nothing for you to be concerned about, really. They just won’t stay out of my business.”

“You mean your love life.”

Lacey snorted. “What love life?”

“Kingston?”

The brief flash of pain in her eyes confirmed his thoughts. Wyatt Kingston was one of the most valuable and skilled freelance operatives Grey had ever worked with, but when it came to bullheadedness, he was on a whole different plane altogether.

“Want me to kick his ass for you?”

“Thanks. If kicking his ass could solve the problem, I would have done it long ago. It’s his heart I’m having trouble with.”

Lacey was wrong about that. Wyatt Kingston’s heart was already taken. He was just too damned stubborn to do anything about it.

“He’ll come around.”

She shot him a curious look. “Not every woman will wait forever, Grey.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just what I said.”

Before he could delve deeper into her comment, a large, bony hand grabbed hold of his forearm. “Justice, we need to talk.”

Instead of answering, he stared pointedly at the hand. His silence spoke volumes.

The hand was swiftly removed, and the man took a step back as if he feared physical retaliation. That wouldn’t happen.

“We’ve said all we need to say, Morrissey.”

“I know what you did. I know it was you.”

“You think I’m going to deny it? I’m not.”

“I’m losing everything because of you.”

“Because of me?” Grey arched a brow, his look so arrogant, Caesar himself would’ve been impressed. “I don’t believe I’m the one who stole millions of dollars from my employees’ pension fund. You’ll pay for your crimes, Morrissey, as you should.”

“You think you’re so above it all, don’t you, Justice? I’ll have you know—” He went to grab Grey’s arm again.

“Don’t even think about it.”

The man quickly dropped his arm and backed away again.

“I suggest you find a ride home and sober up, Morrissey.”

The man sent a self-conscious glance around the room, as if suddenly realizing he was attracting the wrong kind of attention.

“Is there a problem here?” One of the many security people had heard their exchange. He had a trained military look about him that said he could handle anything that came his way.

“No, there’s no problem.” Grey looked over at the angry man in front of him. “Is there, Morrissey?”

“No, no problem,” he answered quickly.

The man nodded but didn’t budge. Morrissey swallowed hard, glared at Grey, and then took another step back.

“Mr. Justice, sorry it took so long, sir.” The valet ran toward him. “Your car is ready now.”

Giving a nod of thanks to the young man, along with a hefty tip, Grey ushered Lacey out the door. Morrissey’s burning stare as Grey exited made no impression. The man had bilked millions of dollars from his employees and had been caught. Justice wasn’t always slow.

In a matter of moments, he and Lacey were settled in his BMW and headed out of the parking lot.

“That was intense back there,” Lacey said.

“He’s a sad sack.” Grey shrugged. There was not much more he could say about the man. “Still living in the apartment on Tracer Avenue?”

“Yes.”

Instead of turning right out of the convention center, which would have taken him back to his apartment, he went left to head toward Lacey’s place a few miles from the city. He made a mental note to keep an eye on Morrissey. That much anger inside a bitter man had a tendency to erupt in unexpected ways.

* * *

The shooter quickly and efficiently set up the tripod and rifle at the new location. When the call had come that his target would be taking a different route home, he hadn’t been that concerned. Even though his job required careful planning, he wouldn’t be very good at it if he didn’t allow for last-minute changes or variances. In his estimation, if a man was willing to pay a million dollars for a job, he had a right to make a few changes. This one had required that he hightail it across town. He had been assured the target would be delayed, giving him the extra setup time. It had worked out well.

Setting up at night on a busy overpass with vehicles zipping up and down the road wasn’t optimal, but he’d had worse conditions. Being seen was the biggest concern, but he was good at hiding in plain sight. Besides, people were usually so busy with their cellphones and their own issues, he was invisible to most of them. For the one or two who might notice him, he would improvise. His teacher had trained him to lie, manipulate, and, if all else failed, kill without remorse. He had been an excellent student.

This particular subject had been targeted several times in the past. All attempts had failed. This was the first time he’d been given the opportunity, and he wasn’t going to fail. Grey Justice had finally pissed off the wrong person, and that person knew the organization to call to get the job done. The fact that he didn’t know the identity of the moneyman worried him not at all. Receiving the agreed-upon amount when the job was done was his only concern.

Setup complete, he used the rest of the time to adjust the sight. A moving target was more challenging than a still one. With his last assignment a month ago, he was at twenty-three kills, and more than half of them had been moving targets. He prided himself on achieving his goals even when obstacles appeared. Targeting a black vehicle at night in dim lighting could be difficult, but he had made arrangements, ensuring his success. He’d have no problems spotting the BMW.

The passenger in the vehicle was of no concern. If anything, she added a bit more excitement to the mix. Her family had been targeted before, and there would be speculation that she was the target and not her companion. The thought of people scratching their heads, trying to determine who had been the real target was amusing. Not that it really mattered. Either way, they’d both be dead in the next five minutes.

* * *

They’d talked about everything from who should have been in the NBA playoffs to the new hairstyle Lacey’s mother, Eleanor, was now sporting. He hadn’t asked what she’d meant by her comment earlier, and it bothered him that he hadn’t. Had she been talking about Irelyn when she said that not every woman would wait forever? What did that even mean?

He was known for his confrontations and blunt talk, so why the hell didn’t he find out if she’d been talking about Irelyn?

“Has Irelyn been in touch with you?”

“Why would Irelyn contact me?”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Is this an inquisition?”

“Of course not. I just—”

The car in front of him abruptly switched lanes. Grey braked and swerved to avoid clipping its bumper. Bam! Fire and smoke exploded from under the hood. Grey slammed on his brakes, but the car didn’t slow. He tried to steer toward the side of the road. Nothing.

“What’s going on?” Lacey asked.

“I think someone took a shot at us. Brakes and steering are gone. I’m going to try—”

The concrete wall of the overpass loomed before them. Thrusting his arm out to protect Lacey as much as possible, Grey shouted, “Hold on!”

A split second later, the car slid sideways and slammed into the wall.

* * *

Knowing he could be seen by curious passersby stopping to gawk at the wreckage, he swiftly and efficiently packed up his gear. He’d missed his target. That was a first for him, and he was irritated. The small opaque sticker he’d placed on the windshield was invisible to the human eye until it came into direct contact with light. Headlights from surrounding vehicles had done their job, and he had spotted the sticker without any trouble. The headshot would have been perfect if Justice’s car had not swerved.

He consoled himself that Justice and the Slater girl were likely dead from the crash. The money had been earned. But he prided himself on getting the job done in the specified manner. Instead, the bullet had penetrated something beneath the vehicle. He liked preciseness and predictability when it came to his job. This one hadn’t pleased him at all.

Disappointment would be too strong of an emotion, but he was as close as he’d ever been to feeling it. He neither enjoyed nor hated his work. It was who he was, what he was created for. Nevertheless, as he headed toward the car he’d parked a half mile away, he acknowledged that the satisfaction of a job well done would not be his tonight.