Page 56 of Fast Fury

“You want revenge?” When she stared at him in defiance, he continued. “The guy with Hani was his cousin. He’s a DEA agent.”

She drew in a deep breath, squeezed her hands into fists. “And?”

“Guess you haven’t heard, but there’s a bounty on his head.”

Bounty? Diane nearly laughed. What did she care about money? Her life was over, and soon enough she’d be going to jail for the rest of her days.

“You take him out, and I’ll give you ten percent of the money.”

“I’m not interested.”

“No?” He cocked his head. “Then what if I told you I could get you off this island without being detected? They’d never find you.” He watched her like she was a pinned insect. “No jail time. Just a fresh start in Mexico, and a shitload of money to live on.”

Diane blinked as she considered it. Bailey had loved Mexico. They’d vacationed there twice together at different resorts. Such a happy time in their lives, lots of great laughs and memories. She could have that instead of constant pain every time she drew a breath of Maui air? But she didn’t for one second think she could trust him. “And why would you do that?”

“Because then we both get what we want.”

She eyed him. “If you saw it, why didn’t you do it yourself and get the bounty? You were right there.”

“Because I have people like you to do it for me.”

Asshole. There was every chance this man was connected to the very cartel that manufactured and supplied the drugs that had killed her daughter. If so, she should kill him right here and now. And yet he’d just offered her a way out. Heronlyway out that she could see. An option she hadn’t believed existed.

“You’re either in or you’re out,” he said flatly. “If you’re in, I’ll hold up my end of the bargain once the job is done. If you’re out, I’ll make an anonymous tip and you’ll be in jail before midnight. Your choice.”

It wasn’t much of a choice. Except by going along with his offer, she might still be able to kill the last two people on her list. She might even get away with it.

“I’ve got eyes all over this island. Over all the islands,” he told her, a smug gleam in his eyes. “I’ve got some on you right now, and will until this is finished, one way or the other. My way is the only way out for you.”

Diane drew in an unsteady breath, stood up taller. “Fine. I’ll do it.” She wanted the agent dead anyway, and she’d agree to anything if it bought her more time to kill the others too.

He nodded once. “That’s good to hear,señora.That’s very good. For you.” He turned away and started walking. “I’ll be in touch with instructions soon.”

What? “How?” He didn’t even have her number, and there was no way in hell she was staying the night here, low cash supply or not.

“Don’t you worry about that,” he said over his shoulder just as a silver Lexus pulled up. He climbed into the back passenger seat. The dome light was disabled, but enough light from the streetlamp showed two big men in the front seats for a moment before the car drove off.

Shaken, Diane hurried straight back to her rental car and drove off in the opposite direction the Lexus had gone. No place was safe anymore.

The clock was ticking even faster now. She had no idea where the hell to go from here, only a gut-deep certainty that she’d just sold her already damned soul to the devil.

Chapter Sixteen

Kai stood in the shower until the water turned cold, letting it pound over his head and shoulders, against his back. It ran clear now, not the faint pink that it had at first when he’d washed the residual blood from his hands and forearms. He scrubbed at his nail beds one last time to make sure they were clean, his stomach rolling at the thought of Hani’s blood being trapped on his skin for a moment longer.

Abby showing up had lifted the weight he’d been carrying on his shoulders. He was amazed that she’d done that for him, had somehow found her way here without the address. She’d bought groceries, was in the kitchen right now making his favorite meal. God, he was crazy about her. She was so good to him, for him. No wonder he was falling for her.

It had been building for a while now. He’d already cared about her way more than as a mere friend before he’d kissed her the first time. Tonight, she’d been the first person he’d wanted to call after what had happened. That said so much about his trust in her. And when she’d shown up on his doorstep with her arms full of food because she cared and wanted to be here for him, his already battered heart had split wide open.

He shut off the water, dried himself. It was impossible to grasp that his cousin was gone. Would take a while for that to sink in. Even longer for him to be able to forget the look on Hani’s face tonight, the things he’d said with his dying breaths.

Abby was on the couch in the living room when he came out dressed in clean jeans and a fresh shirt. She gave him an uncertain smile, her legs tucked beneath her, bare feet poking out, her toes polished with bright pink. “Lasagna will be ready in just over half an hour.”

“Smells amazing.” He still wasn’t hungry. Right now, all he wanted was to be close to her.

Lowering himself next to her on the sofa, he curled an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest. Abby wrapped herself around him, laid her head over his heart.

And Kai pulled in the first full breath he’d taken in the past four hours. Along with Hani’s murder, the bounty was still heavy on his mind. He’d spoken to his commander about it, and the local cops were having someone come out to watch histutu’shouse soon, just in case there was a threat against her. Otherwise Kai wouldn’t be here, and wouldn’t have let Abby stay either.

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