Page 2 of Shark Bait

She speaks with a Southern American accent.

Three questions:

What in the world is a five-foot-three, pregnant American woman doing on a yacht in the middle of the Euxine Sea?

How the fuck did she remain undetected during my search of the vessel?

And most importantly, she thinks I missed?

I clarify the most pressing issue. “I didn’t miss.”

She shrugs. “Looks that way to me. Unless you wanna try again? But make sure you hit this time.”

I walk over and stand in front of her. She cranes her neck to look up at my six-three height. The moment our eyes meet, the hopelessness in her green ones tells me all I need to know about why she’s so nonchalant about facing a stranger with a gun. Not to mention the passive way she asked me to end her misery.

The woman’s empty stare tells me someone broke her spirit. I recognize this look, but the difference between her stare and mine is that during the time that people were breaking me, I hid my spirit deep inside myself, not allowing them access to it. Clearly, she didn’t do the same.

Knowing what I know about the men she sailed with, she never stood a chance.

(Yes, I gathered all this insight about her from a single interaction. It’s why Alessio pays me the big bucks.)

“You’re kind of hot.” She grabs the white stick of my lollipop and tugs.

I release the lollipop from my mouth.

She parts her lips, and the candy touches her tongue before she starts to suck on it.

Since she’s barefoot and wearing a tight gray dress that falls just past her knees, I can tell she’s unarmed. And if there’s a weapon on her, it’s going to be under the dress, in which case, she’ll need time to retrieve it. I’m faster.

Having assessed her, I tuck my Walther back into the holster on my hip. “I told you I didn’t miss.”

“Sure looked that way to me, Daddy.”

“Don’t call me that.”

She shrugs. “Fine. So you got rid of all of them?”

“Which them?”

“The ones you got rid of.”

“You saw me get rid of someone?” I grit my teeth.Say you didn’t. Say you didn’t.

---