Page 54 of Ride with the Devil

“You find something, kid?”

I did. Nestled on top of the spare, I found two somethings.

“A bird figurine, boss,” I tell him. And it looks just like the one Cross showed me a couple of weeks ago. It’s blue instead of that motley mix of purples and pinks, but I know what this is. “In the seam of the trunk, I found a hummingbird.”

And a knife.

Before I drugged her and tipped her into the trunk, she was carrying a hummingbird figurine and a knife. Somehow, she hid them with the spare so we wouldn’t find them on her, but they couldn't belong to anyone else but Kylie.

But the Hummingbird.

Fuck.

I’m not a good liar.

The only way I was able to trick Winter was by telling him the damn truth. I went in as Luca St. James. I wasn’t lying when I said I had history in Hamilton, and though it had been three years since I left Kane’s crew, it didn’t take much asking around to verify my story.

If I’d been there for more than the couple of days it took to break Cross and Genevieve out, Winter would’ve realized something was off. Luckily, that didn’t happen. We made it out, and no one had heard anything about the leader of the Snowflakes… until one of the Dragonflies caught on to the fact that Vice Mayor Collins was working with Winter and told Damien.

Devil took Collins out as soon as he found out that the vice mayor was working with one of our enemies. These last two weeks, I believed it was one big coincidence that Kylie was on Skid Row when we were.

Now I know that it wasn’t a coincidence. Or maybe it was. I don’t fucking know. She could’ve gotten lucky, or she might’ve been following the town car, trying to get close to Devil.

Because he was the assassin’s target.

Because Johnny Winter hiredKylieto kill him.

If I was a good liar, I’d figure out a way to trick her into revealing her alter ego. If I didn’t give a shit about my captive, her deception wouldn’t hurt so damn bad.

But I’m not, and I do, and before I can even think about what I’m going to do, I leave the knife in the trunk,out of her reach, fist the hummingbird figurine, and march into the cabin.

“You’re a hitman,” I burst out, startling enough that she rises up from the couch as I slam the door shut behind me. “A hired hitman. A fucking contract killer, Kylie.” I show her the figurine I found in the car. “Lose something… Hummingbird?”

“I didn’t lose it. I knew exactly where I put it. Trunk, right?” Walking toward me without a care in the world, she holds outher palm. Wordlessly, I drop the bluish figurine into her waiting hand. “And I prefer the term hitwoman. Girls can be homicidal killers, too, you know.”

My mouth falls open. “You’re not going to deny it?”

“What’s the point? The way you came storming in here like that? You obviously know. I like you, ace. I’m not going to insult your intelligence by denying it just so you can call me a liar. I’m tired of having to hide who I am from you.” She pouts. “It wasn’t fun anymore.”

“So you are a hitman?—”

“Hitwoman, and yes. I was. Until some mafia driver got between me and my target.”

Devil.

“So that’s true, too? The contract you took… you were hired to kill Devil? My boss?”

“I wanted a high profile hit,” she says, as though that excuses it. “The last time I was in Springfield, the target survived.”

Target…

Cross.

“You tried to kill my friend,” I grit out through clenched teeth.

“Relax, Luca. It wasn’t personal.”

Wasn’t personal? If Cross hadn’t escaped the fire, we would’ve found him among the ashes. “Thou shall not kill.”

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