Page 31 of Seducer

“Yes, I’ll admit to that.”

I’d called a man who’d done some work for me prior to climbing into my car, giving him explicit instructions not only to meet me here, but to handle learning more about Jerry as well. He was a freelancer, a man with no traceable past and no family. I’d used him throughout the years for more complicated business issues.

I’d never said I handled everything on the up and up. That wasn’t possible in the gaming world. I also couldn’t care less about walking the fine line as if I was a decent man. That just wasn’t the case. I was born and bred of evil, just like my brothers. Perhaps we didn’t know the full extent of our dark cravings or the reason behind our desire for bloodshed, but it existed. That had been proven on more than one occasion.

Killing Jerry would have satisfied me for tonight, but only for tonight. I liked to plan how to handle the worthless people who deserved to face my wrath. With the jerk, my instinct had been to snap his neck and I could have with one hand. He was lucky. I only hoped he never approached her again or his luck would run out.

“Did Jerry say something to scare you in the parking lot?” I pushed.

“Not really. He was being a jerk, acting like we were going to share a night together.”

“Mmm…” I was positive she wasn’t telling me the entire truth. What was she so afraid of?

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my useful buddy had pulled in. He’d been instructed to remain in his vehicle. As soon as I looked out the window, Wild Kitty was once again on edge.

“Who is that?”

“Remember the friend I mentioned? He owns a mechanic’s garage and I’ve known him for years.”

“Oh.” She didn’t relax and I could tell she was processing whether what I was telling her was the truth. Her stare out the window was long and hard, her eyes never blinking.

When I touched her hand, brushing the tips of my fingers across her skin, we both felt the extreme chemical reaction. She gasped, instantly pulling her hand away and curling her fingers. She was none too happy with my touch.

“Can I have your keys? I assure you that if you have valuables anywhere in your car, they will not be touched. If they are, I’ll kill him.”

My words were truthful and frank. And just what she needed to break out of the ugly spell she’d allowed herself to be caught in. She burst into laughter this time, the small snort I’d heard before coming twice.

She slapped her hand across her mouth as if embarrassed, but her eyes were still dancing. Fuck me if I didn’t crave tossing her over the edge of the table, fucking her just like I’d envisioned only moments before.

At least my truth allowed her to grab her keys, doing her best not to touch my skin when she handed them to me. I rose to my full height and she followed my action, her chest rising and falling from more labored breathing.

“I’ll be right back. If the food arrives, please don’t wait. Eat it while it’s hot.”

“Okay.” She threw another glance toward the window and offered a nod. Did she really think she was allowing me to exit?

The thought kept me fully amused as I headed for the door, annoyed from the sound of the bell indicating someone was entering or exiting. I almost ripped it off… I didn’t. I’d finally learned self-control over the years. It was best to use it at this point in my life.

I didn’t need to hide my actions from anyone. I was only providing instructions and nothing more. As I headed to Walker’s truck, I was keenly aware of my surroundings. There was a chance the attack had been more about my enemies versus anyone in Wild Kitty’s life. Whatever the case, I remained pissed she’d been caught in the storm.

Walker had his window rolled down, his engine idling. “Zach. I was surprised to get your call.”

“You shouldn’t be. You owe me.”

He nodded several times. “Yeah, I know. What do you need?”

“First of all, I need you to determine how my companion’s car was disabled and fix it. If there’s any evidence of the culprit, I need to know. I also need you to perform some surveillance for me.”

He flitted his eyes toward the bank of windows across the diner’s front, immediately realizing the woman I was talking about. “She’s important to you?”

I thought about his question. We weren’t friends, at least not in the traditional sense. I’d used him for cleanup situations when I’d needed a body dumped, all evidence disposed of. I’d also utilized his security and military style surveillance tactics through the years, relying on information he’d provided.

For that, I’d eliminated two difficult people who’d stood in the way of his success. Plus, I paid him well for his services.

He would owe me for the rest of his life.

“She’s important.” That placed the operation on the upper tier of my command.

“Then I’ll handle this carefully.”

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