Page 25 of Butcher

“Yeah? Who are they?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know exactly.”

“Then how do you know they’re powerful?”

Isla glared at me. “This isn’t a game, Butcher,” she snapped. “They’ve already stepped up their efforts to kill you. It’s only a matter of time before someone...” She broke off, gritting her teeth together.

“Upped their efforts how?”

“By hiring me.” Her eyes were filled with fury as she looked up at me. “I’m one of the best,oneof, meaning there’s more like me. Only they won’t get…distracted.” She said this last bit as her eyes slowly roamed down my body. “As the compensation gets higher, more and more people are going to come after you.Competent people.”

I already knew she was better than most of the assassins who came before her. It was there in her confidence. Plus, I had Riptide looking into her. Though he was getting stonewalled at almost every turn. It was hard to research a person who made it her career to be unnoticeable. She was too damn beautiful to be able to completely blend in. The long blonde hair, the light gray eyes, her height, her build, she was made to stand out. I wasn’t sure how she’d gone so long and managed to stay single. A thought occurred to me. My eyes narrowed on her. “You’re not married or anything, right?”

“No,” she said, sounding confused at the shift in topic.

“Kids?”

“No.”

Thank fuck.

I really didn’t know much about her yet, but that would have been a real boner killer if she had a husband hidden away somewhere. It was one of my few lines that couldn’t be crossed. Get revenge on yourhusband with someone else. If you’re mad at your dad, I’m good with that. But husbands are a no go. My morals were admittedly twisted, but Toxic had assured me that was a good one to have. He was the one I’d learned it from.

“Are you listening to me?” she snapped, forcing me to focus back on her. “You have to stop going after Randal. After his employers.” She swallowed. “They’ll kill you.”

“They’re already trying to kill me,” I told her, grasping her chin and tilting her head up a bit more so I could fit my lips to hers.

She melted into the kiss and it just reaffirmed what my gut had told me on day one of meeting her, she wasn’t going to kill me. She wasn’t a threat to anyone here. I’d asked the others staying behind to help the women, and be on call, in case they needed anything while taking care of Isla, but if the worst case scenario happened, she wouldn’t harm any of my family. The fact that I was still alive and that she made no real effort to escape was all the proof I needed. The kiss was extra.

A pounding on my door made me groan. “I have to go.”

“Butcher-”

I cut her off with another kiss. When I pulled back, I grinned at her. “They told you about me, right? Since I’m your target? That’s how it works?”

“Something like that,” she muttered, eyes darting away.

“Did they tell you what I did for the Army?”

“Yes.”

“The CIA taskforce?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re still worried?”

She met my eyes again. “Yes.”

I held my smile, but internally I frowned. Shit. If she was that worried, and I could see it shining there in her eyes, then I would take it seriously. For my family’s sake. “I’ll be careful,” I promised.

That didn’t seem to pacify her, but it was all I could give. I wasn’t waiting around for these assholes to track me down and get a luckyshot. Someone would eventually. Then the rest of my former team would be in deep shit. And it was likely they wouldn’t stop there. They’d wipe out anyone who knew me. I wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

Pulling her out of bed, I picked up her noncompliant body and set her in the chair, quickly tying the rope around her chest and stomach. I was careful to go under her tits, making a show of it, and groping them as I did so. She gave me an unamused look, but I noticed her nipples perk up as I did. It was fucking killing me that I couldn’t hole up in here with her, getting to know her and fucking her until she couldn’t remember why she’d come after me to begin with.

I used the knuckle on my pointer finger to tip her chin upward. Those defiant eyes met mine. “See you later. Try not to terrorize anyone while I’m gone.” I cocked my head.Terrorize. Hmmm.That was perfect for her. She was my Little Terror. I grinned and shook my head as I left my room, knowing her gaze tracked me until I was out of sight.

“This has to be it,”Lock said, eyes sweeping around as we entered the rail yard.

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