Page 95 of Killer Kiss

A couple of weeks ago I’d been sure I would. Sure I couldn’t stop killing even if I wanted to.

But something about the sweetness inside Augie made me want to try. Want to be more like him.

He’d probably find it hilarious if I told him. He couldn’t see the good in himself. Only his mistakes and the people he’d hurt.

He wasn’t the man he thought he was.

My heart squeezed at the thought of losing him when he realized who I truly was.

Because I would.

There was no possibility where I told him the truth and he let it slide.

Regular people didn’t just accept killers.

Your brother’s partners did, my brain argued.

But a second later, my mother’s voice in my head fired back with the pure, honest truth.

Vincent was lovable. Scythe was special.

I wasn’t either of those things.

Augie wasn’t in love with me. I wasn’t going to spill my secrets while he took me into his arms the way I wanted.

“Ophelia, wait,” the man making his way across the parking lot said through heavy breaths from the exertion of running.

I snapped my attention back to Zane, giving myself a mental shake for being so fucking stupid and getting distracted. Zane could have pulled a gun or a knife, and that temporary distraction could have cost me my life.

Or Augie his.

My stomach swirled at the thought.

Jesus, what the fuck was I going to do? Riddick would kill Augie if he found out we were together at a strip club. If I didn’t kill Augie, Riddick would take over my job and do it anyway. That fire at Willa’s very well could have been him trying.

I wanted to get in the car with Augie and drive until I didn’t know the way back.

But I couldn’t do that either because Zane’s fucking brother had Fawn.

“What, Zane?” I snapped. “You’re fucking useless to me if you know nothing about my sister.”

He glanced over his shoulder and cringed at his friends leaving the club. They both stared at him intently.

He turned back to me. “Give me your phone.”

“What? Why? You mug people now? I’m not giving you my phone.”

Augie resembled a pit bull ready to attack, emerging from the interior of the car.

Zane stopped him with one sentence. “If you want to know anything about Fawn, then one of you give me a damn phone subtly enough they don’t see.”

I glanced at Augie, but I was already taking out my phone and handing it over.

Zane tapped his fingers across the screen. “They think I’m delivering a warning, so look fucking scared or something, would you?”

“Not exactly in my wheelhouse,” I told him, dragging my defenses back up after a night of letting them down.

Zane raised an eyebrow. “You seemed pretty fucking scared when Sim mentioned Riddick. Channel that.”

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