Page 12 of Out of the Darkness

Once he realized there was no threat to be found, his tension eased, and he set the knife back down on the table before leaning back in his chair. He smiled at the beautiful redhead before responding. “What are you doing here, Isa?”

After the death of his parents, Isabelle’s father had taken him in, and the two of them had been raised in a life that was surrounded by violence and murderers. Like him, Isabelle had become a lethal weapon herself, and they had teamed up more than a few times over the years. Through those years, they had become close before he had up and left that life behind him.

She was still as beautiful as he remembered too. Bright red hair, pale skin, piercing hazel eyes, and a killer body to boot. However, she didn’t hold a candle to Madelyn’s beauty, he realized now.

Isabelle’s lips quirked up slightly. “What, I can’t just drop in and check on you from time to time?”

“That would require you to have an iota of empathy, which we both know you do not possess.”

She rolled her eyes in response. “Alright, fine,” she grumbled, reaching forward and taking a fry off of his plate. To anyone else, they would appear to be just two old friends enjoying some lunch together. The other patrons in the bistro had no idea that they were in the presence of two of the most merciless killers in the world.

“My father sent me. Wanted me to let you know that Colby marked you and plans on taking you out,” she added once she finished chewing.

Xavier chuckled and shook his head. Colby was his self-proclaimed nemesis. The guy was jealous of him and the fact that he had always been favored by Rodrigo.

Rodrigo was the one who found him and saved him from himself. Xavier had just killed his father for murdering his mother, leading him to become a rogue shifter at just eleven years old. He had become self-destructive, volatile, and had wanted to die. He had just been too much of a coward to do it himself.

Rodrigo gave him a purpose, an outlet for the insatiable blood-lust that came with being a rogue. He had raised him and given him the family he never had. Because of that, Xavier busted his ass to become one of the best. He always did what he was told and always took the more complicated jobs, which allowed him to climb the ranks within the family quickly. He couldn’t count the number of times he had been chosen for a job over Colby, and he had always known the guy held a grudge. He just didn’t know that he would go so far as to mark him as a target, especially since he was out now and no longer a threat.

Marking was how Rodrigo dealt with discord in the family. They were able to mark one of their own that they had a problem with, essentially challenging them to fight to the death. However, if they didn’t follow through and kill their mark, then they forfeited their own lives instead, as payment for wasting the family’s time. It was harsh, brutal, but that was why marking was not taken lightly.

“I’m not worried about Colby,” he replied easily. “The guy has never been able to best me.”

“I don’t know, Xavier,” Isabelle retorted. “He’s gotten stronger and more volatile since you left. He’s downright psychotic now.”

“Well, then. I bet that makes you happy. You little freak,” he teased her.

Isabelle was one of the select few in the ‘family’ who knew what he was and hadn’t been afraid of him. In fact, seeing him shift and kill had been a major turn-on for her as she had ended up in his bed more than a few times after missions. She had told him that there was something about watching him lose control and rip a man to pieces that did it for her. The way he went feral and completely lost it, especially when he had been covered in blood. There were no feelings behind it, of course. It was just sex for the sake of getting off, and he had enjoyed it for a time. But that time had long since passed.

Isabelle scoffed. “Please. I wouldn’t touch that diseased pencil dick if my life depended on it.” She leaned forward in her chair after a glance behind her and lowered her voice. “Look, just don’t underestimate him, okay? He plays dirty and breaks the rules more often than not anymore. The only reason my dad keeps him around is because he knows too much. Besides, I was able to approach you all too easily when I wasn’t even trying to be inconspicuous.”

He shrugged again as if he were brushing off her critique, but she was right. He had been distracted as of late, but that was what happened when a shifter found their mate. Their mate changed them, and he had already felt himself changing over the last few days. Madelyn made him want to be a better man, a man who deserved her. While he didn’t think that was entirely possible, he owed it to her to at least try.

The fact that he was so distracted and the fact that he had changed since Isabelle had known him wasn’t going to change. He was still going to pursue Madelyn until she agreed to be his. He was just going to have to make sure he kept his guard up at all times.

“I appreciate the heads up, Isa,” he told her honestly.

“Of course.”

Xavier expected her to get up and leave now that she had done what she came here to do as she wasn’t usually one for idle chit-chat. However, she remained in her seat, staring out of the window. He had seen that look on her face more than a few times, and he knew what it meant. There was something else she needed to tell him.

“What is it?” he pressed.

She looked back at him and folded her arms across her chest. “We want you to come back, Xavier. My father wants you to come home.”

“He’s the one that granted my freedom in the first place,” he reminded her.

“I know, but he regrets it. You were like a son to him. Besides, if you came back and rejoined the family, Colby wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“He doesn’t stand a chance now,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m enjoying my freedom, Isabelle. You can tell Rodrigo that I appreciate the offer, but I’m not coming back.”

Even if he had wanted to, he couldn’t see himself rejoining that life. Not now that he had Madelyn. There was no way she would approve of that lifestyle, and she deserved better than a life of violence and murder.

He was lucky Rodrigo had let him go in the first place as that was usually unheard of. Once someone was a part of the family, they had to get permission to leave, and that rarely ever happened due to the sensitivity of what they did.

“Then do it for me!” Isabelle suddenly blurted, causing him to blink in surprise.

He sighed and leaned toward her over the table. “Isabelle—” he began.

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