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Chapter Two
X
That overweight jerk in the leather cut just saved her life.
I wondered if she had any idea she should have been thanking him instead of threatening to stab him in the gut.
My muscles had seized from sitting in the same place for too long while I’d waited for her to appear, and as I’d risen from my crouch beside the industrial trashcans, my legs hadn’t worked as quickly as they should and my foot had scuffed the ground. I’d silently cursed myself, and seconds later she’d called out, ‘hello.’ I’d lifted the muzzle of my silenced weapon, about to put a bullet in her pretty little head, when the man walked out. I’d been told to keep this clean—absolutely no witnesses and no trail of dead bodies. I’d needed to make it look as though she’d just vanished while on her break. I had ways of making sure a body never showed up again.
I’d been about to take the shot, but then he’d exited the bar behind her, and so I’d lowered my weapon. Time, for the moment, was on my side, and I wasn’t going to make a stupid mistake just because I’d felt rushed.
It was only the appearance of the guy that had stopped me—at least, that was what I kept telling myself. I’d been about to fire the shot, but I had to admit the long, silky black hair she had pulled up into a ponytail, combined with the sleeve tattoo she had running down one slender arm, and the almond shaped dark eyes, may have caused me to pause. I’d seen photographs allowing me to identify her, but none of the photos had done justice to the woman I’d been watching sitting on the steps while she knocked back some kind of hard liquor. Then the guy had arrived, and I’d almost been happy about the interruption. I hadn’t left, though. I’d remained, watching her.
When she’d pulled the knife and told him she’d gut him like a pig, I’d smiled, actually smiled …
Well, my version of a smile. I wasn’t a smiley type of guy.
“Uh-uh, X,” I told myself. “Watch yourself, buddy.”
Something about this woman fascinated me.
It was a shame I’d have to put a bullet in her head.
When I was happy she’d gone back into the bar and wouldn’t be coming out any time soon, I left the alleyway to go to my car. I’d parked the vehicle several blocks away, as was my habit, so it wouldn’t be recognized and linked with anyone’s disappearance or death.
Dressed all in black, I moved quickly and almost silently through the streets of the small town. This wasn’t in my original plan, but I believed in being flexible. It was part of what made me good at my job, the ability to bend with whatever conditions landed unexpectedly in my path.
It was always disappointing when things didn’t go quite to plan, but in this case it didn’t matter that I hadn’t been able to complete my job at the bar.
I knew where she lived.
