Page 21 of Fast Kill

“I know, and I’m sorry for scaring you.”

That he carried a weapon didn’t bother her as much as that he’d felt the need to draw it because someone had shown up at her door. If Dillon was that on edge, whoever was after him had to be close. “Are we both in danger right now?”

He frowned as though that was a crazy question. “No, of course not.”

She didn’t believe him. “You need to tell me the truth, Dillon.”

“Okay. Let’s go back upstairs and finish our beers, and we’ll talk.”

She should kick him out, but part of her was afraid it might enrage him. For all their shared history, she didn’t know him at all anymore. It chilled her to think what he might be capable of now. She also wanted to know the truth and find out what he was involved in. And it wasn’t pharmaceuticals. So if he was willing to talk, she would hear what he had to say.

“Fine. But you have to be honest with me.”

He looked away. “Come on,” he murmured, gesturing for her to follow him as he headed down the hall to the stairs that led to the loft.

Her mind raced as she followed him. She was pretty sure he wasn’t going to hurt her. If he’d wanted to, he would already have done it when her guard wasn’t up.

In the loft Dillon sank onto the couch opposite her while she lowered herself stiffly into the corner of the other. “So, what do you want to know?” he asked with a wry grin.

There was no way she could fake it and pretend she wasn’t upset, and he’d never buy it anyway. She’d always been completely honest with him, even when the truth hurt.

For her, his behavior downstairs had changed everything, and now she wished he’d never contacted her at all. She had to tread carefully here though. If he found out what she did for a living and that she’d seen him on the Baker video…

What if that’s why he’s here?“You’re not selling pharmaceuticals.”

His eyes locked with hers, and a grudging smile tugged at his mouth. “Wow, straight for the throat. Still telling it like it is, huh?”

“It’s a personality flaw. Now tell me what you’re doing.”Other than being a wanted man.God, she’d invited a wanted freaking criminal into her home.

He reached for his half-finished beer, not looking at her. “I think you already know the answer to that.”

Taylor clamped her back teeth together. Drugs. It was always drugs. He didn’t do them, only sold and distributed them. Unless that had changed too. And she guessed whatever he was into now was a hell of a lot more sophisticated than what he’d done when he’d been a teenager.

“You swore to me you’d given all that up.”

“Yeah, well, it’s kinda hard to get out once you’re in as deep as I am.”

She held back asking him flat out if he was working with theVenenosand thought about the turn his life had taken at age sixteen.

All he’d wanted back then was quick money, to improve their lives. Put food on the table when their foster father couldn’t be bothered to feed them. New shoes to replace the ones she’d repaired with duct tape to keep the soles from falling off, so the kids at school would stop bullying her. A warm coat to keep her from freezing in the winter, because the only one she had was three sizes too small and she couldn’t do up the zipper.

Little things at first. Then more expensive and extravagant ones. A TV for her room so she didn’t have to be around their foster dad when Dillon wasn’t there. A pre-paid calling card so she always had a way of contacting him, even when he disappeared for days at a time.

God, she’d been such a hypocrite. Taking the cash and all the things he bought with his dirty money because she’d been so desperate for a better life.

But it hadn’t been enough for Dillon. He’d wanted more, no matter the cost to the rest of his life or the people he cared about. It was why he’d had to run in the first place, because the choices he’d made had inevitably caught up with him, along with rivals and the police.

Why were you at Baker’s house that day?

She was dying to ask him, and couldn’t for fear of exposing herself.“You could have broken away from all that years ago and started over. You told me that’s what you wanted, that you hated having to look over your shoulder all the time.” Hence him carrying a weapon wherever he went.

His lips twisted into a bitter smile. “Sorry to see I’m still such a disappointment to you after all these years.”

His tone was dry, but his eyes were flat and it made her feel like her chest was full of concrete. “Yousworeto me last time we talked that you’d gone straight. Was that a lie too?” She was angrier about that than everything else. Angry that he’d lied to her and fallen back into that lifestyle when he could have done so much with his life.

“I did. For a while.” His gaze lingered on hers, almost as if he were gauging her reaction.

That look sent a warning shiver down her spine. Fuck.Fuck. She was beginning to worry that his visit had nothing to do with catching up at all, and everything to do with her job. Did he know who she worked for? “God, Dillon…”

---