Page 68 of The Mercenary's Guide to Mishaps and Romance

“Yeah? What’d they look like?”

“Tall, short hair, eyes. I’m pretty sure they had two of them.”

“Their name?”

“Alex.”

“Short for?”

“Alex, I believe.”

Yet why am I toying with him? Why am I playing with this temptation that I really don’t need? This man is definitely not someone to be tempted by.

“Oh, he wants us to come in,” Cassel says as he pushes the door open and heads inside. I’m following Tavish, so I don’t quite get to see what’s happening when Tavish goes, “Huh.”

“That’s a bit awkward,” Leland says.

What’s awkward? Do I even want to know?

“Close the door,” Cassel orders, and I shut it behind me before peeking around them all to see what is so “awkward” and “huh” worthy.

“Holy fuck,” I hiss as I stare at the absolutelydead mansitting in the chair behind the desk.

“Shhhh,” Tavish says as he cups a hand over my mouth.

A man, who I assume is Nate, is currently seated at his desk, lifeless eyes tearing right into me. He’s slumped in his chair, blood coating the front half of his shirt. No wonder he never showed up, the man was already dead! Did someone kill him last night and then, because he usually doesn’t come in until later, no one found him? It’s no surprise they thought he was still at home!

“We need to get out of here,” I hiss.

“No can do,” Cassel says.

“If we’re just chilling in here with the door closed, they’ll think we did it,” I protest.

The room smells of blood and it’s making my stomach turn over. I mean… I saw Tavish shoot people, but it was kind of like an “I’m sure a Band-Aid will fix that” kind of thing. Okay… maybe if I think hard enough about it, I’d be super aware that a Band-Aid would do no such thing… but this… this guy isdead,dead. Like there’s no way I could trick my mind into thinking otherwise.

Cassel simply hands Leland his bag. “Hold, please,” he says as he pulls out some gloves, which he pulls on, then looks at the bloody floor and takes some booties out like he was prepared for this to happen. And just like that, he heads right into the crime scene. He’s careful, of course, but I’m positive being like two miles from the crime is still not far enough.

“The keyboard is bloody as fuck and doesn’t seem to be working. Tavish, can you snatch me a keyboard from somewhere? I want to see what I can find on this computer.”

“You didn’t bring one in this bag that weighs twenty million pounds?” Leland asks.

“I took it out so I could fit my superior personality into it.”

Tavish announces, “I’m going. Come on, Ellis, you look like you’re either going to vomit or pass out, neither of which we need. You can go back to the meeting room and let us know if anyone comes. Tell them we went out for a cigarette break while waiting.”

“Y-Yeah,” I say as I quickly scurry out of the room as soon as he makes sure the coast is clear.

Tavish waves toward the hallway. “Go back to the meeting room there. I’m going to grab a keyboard for them, and then I’ll come sit with you.”

“Yeah… go to the keyboard. Got it.”

“No, go to the meeting room.”

“That’s what I said,” I say as I hurry that way. I feel like I can’t get the stench out of my nose. I’m going to see that jagged line on the man’s throat every time I close my eyes. All I can think about is the way someone must have slit his neck. The way his mouth was open. Was he trying to find a breath that would never come to him? Was he screaming?

Fuck…

I put my hand on the door to the meeting room when I glance up and see the back of someone heading down the hall.

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