Page 4 of The Wraith & Her Killer

Intended mark: O

Age: 23

Gender: Female

Payout: $30 million—half upon acceptance and remainder to be paid with POD

Reason for elimination: N/A

Instructions: I’ll be out of the house tonight and need Target eliminated ASAP. Payout will be doubled if eliminated before midnight.

N/A?I don’t fuck with that shit.

ButO?The initial sparks something uneasy in my chest. Those goddamned pesky alarm bells start sounding off in the back of my mind.

This contract is sketchy as fuck and I don’t trust a damn thing that isn’t backed up with facts or evidence. This has neither. The target doesn’t even have a last name listed. I’m about to delete the email when my phone chimes with a notification from my banking app.

NEW DEPOSIT REQUEST: encrypted direct dep. $15 million.

ACCEPT?

I click out of it and back into my emails, checking the next one. This one is a little more urgent.

I need her eliminated tonight. First half of payment has been sent. I will pay the second half immediately upon receiving POD.

“Fuck.” I swipe a hand through my hair, my erection rapidly deflating and my blood pressure rising.

“What is it?” Rune asks softly from across the room.

“Come look at this contract,” I say, pulling my boxers and jeans back up over my hips, knowing I won’t be getting what I need right now.

They each rise and walk over to where I stand, Rune wrapping a blanket around Calix’s shoulders. I hand him my phone.

“This person is willing to pay thirty mil to eliminate some girl before midnight.”

It’s the largest amount of money I’ve ever been offered for a contract.

“Did they say why?” Calix asks, looking over Rune’s shoulder.

“No.” And I don’t give two shades of shit about the money either. I’m more curious as towhysomeone is so desperate to get rid of this girl. I may be a killer, but I don’t target innocents. Like I said, cleanse the world of filth and all that.

Rune looks up at me and I take my phone back, pocketing it. “You going to take the contract?”

What Ireallywant if I can’t come when I need to, is to either stab somebody or go bed because I’m fucking tired. If I’m sleeping, I’m not stabbing. Win-win for society. But that contract keeps nagging at my brain.

“I’ll look into it. That’s a lot of money, which tells me that this person must be desperate not only to make one woman disappear, but he wants her made a spectacle of.”

I don’t usually abide by the alarm bells that start ringing in my head, but I have enough common sense to do some recon before I stab a random woman through the heart.

“Maybe she saw or heard something she wasn’t supposed to,” Rune ponders, absentmindedly stroking his own hard cock.I need to get the fuck out of here.

“You want any help?” Calix asks but I look at him, then glance down his body to the open blanket where his cock is still red and straining against the cage.

“No. But I think you do.” His face flushes and he looks to Rune expectantly. “I’ll see you two later,” I throw over my shoulder as I pull on my shirt and head toward the door.

“Adris,” Rune calls. I pause, keeping my back to them. “You good?”

“I’m not feeling extra stabbyright nowif that’s what you’re asking,” I answer. Not waiting for a rebuttal,I walk out the door and head to where my bike is parked in their circular driveway.

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