Page 21 of Primo DeLuca

I squeezed the trigger, and the head of the one sitting on the right and nearest to the alleyway exploded. I watched his body tumble off of his bike and drop to the ground like an empty suit falling from a hanger. The dark swallowed his body and hid the gory details of his final portrait from passersby.

His friend jumped from his motorcycle to take cover, scrambling on his hands and knees. He peeked in every direction, unaware that he remained in my kill zone. A fucking shame. The hitman community was turning to shit. Was I the last of a dying breed?

I slowed my trek through the first floor living room at the sight of the one who’d gotten impaled by the harpoon I’d rigged to go off when he opened the door to the hall leading to the bedrooms. His partner was in the basement, well-done. None of the men had made it any further than my living rooms.

It was time to call for house cleaning. I snatched up the keys to my bike, not wanting to leave in the same vehicle or go in the same direction I had arrived.

“Hello,” came the calming voice on the other end of the line after I dialed.

“I have a big job for you. The scene is still hot so wait until it cools off.”

“Understood,” was all my cleaner said before hanging up.

The remains in the basement were smoldering when I passed them on my way to the underground passage that would lead me to the other side of the building. A quick check of the monitors didn’t show any immediate threats.

My bike’s engine hummed in anticipation of being revved when I drove along the driveway on the opposite side of the building. I was a nightmare waiting to happen, carrying an impressive array of weapons strapped on various parts of my body.

The drive to the safe house was a peaceful one, allowing me time to think about Nevah and how my life impacted hers. I was a wanted man and always would be, which meant she would inherit my danger.

Knowing I was no good for her, why the hell was I thinking of ways to incorporate her into my life and not making plans to send her back to hers? Sending her back to her life would inevitably happen, and I’d do it, but right now, I rejected the idea of never seeing her again.

The short time that I was in her presence, we had hardly exchanged words, but it didn’t stop a sense of knowing from taking up residence in my psyche. All I wanted to do was protect her. Now that I was on the verge of seeing her again, I would get the opportunity to figure out if our connection was a one-time fluke or if there was something more to us.

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