Page 18 of The Ghost Assassin

Relief washes over me followed by supreme agitation. I rotate to face him. “Are you threatening me? Because you should know I consider people who threaten me my enemies.”

“As you should.” He holds up his well-manicured hands. “I’m not threatening you.” He reaches for his coffee, which he offered none of to me and adds, “I’m showing you how many resources we have and can make yours. Kane wants what we want. The Society gone. I’ll offer him full immunity and protection.”

This is dangerous territory. “He doesn’t need protection. He has an oil empire. He’s not his father.”

“Then why is he in Mexico?”

“To stop people from doing bad things. That’s what Kane does. The right thing.”

His lips curve. “How well do you know your husband?”

“That won’t work on me. I’m not one of the idiots you manipulate. Good luck staying alive, Director Ellis. Hopefully this assassin isn’t after people with titles that make their names seem important instead of boring.” With that, I turn and leave but halt, this time with a thought.

I whirl around. “What office do you work out of?”

“Washington.”

“How did you get here before the body got cold?”

“He called me last night and told me he was onto something big. He said he had to tell me in person. I arrived right after the body was found.”

“Interesting,” I say. “I’m sure the camera footage will confirm. I had it pulled. I’ll let you know.”

This time when I turn, I exit the red fucking room and leave Ellis to what I believe to be fifty shades of deceit.

Chapter Eleven

I find Kit standing with his arms crossed a few feet from the door, his jaw clenched, and his energy pure agitation. Jack is talking “at” one of the Homeland guys. “It’s interesting that you would push out the local forensics team when that causes delays in processing.”

The man gives him a deadpan stare.

It’s exactly how I reply to Jack, therefore, thanks to Jack, I now have something in common with at least one member of Homeland Security.

“Where is the vehicle?” I ask, stopping in front of Kit.

He motions right, and we start walking. Jack keeps pace. “Now what?”

“Go home, Jack,” I say as Kit clicks the locks on our black SUV. The entire street is blocked off and thank fuck for it.

“I can help. You need all hands on deck.”

I reach for the passenger door and turn to look at him. “There’s an assassin who could be targeting our team. I don’t need someone else to babysit.”

“I want to catch killers like I helped you on the last case. You might be dead if not for me.

I get in the SUV and Kit joins me, claiming the driver’s seat. The rear door opens, and Jack climbs inside. The problem with Jack right now, besides him being a pain in my freaking ass, is that he doesn’t know about the Society. He doesn’t need to know either, and despite wanting to kill him myself most of the time, I don’t want him dead.

“Jack, you have ten seconds after I stop talking to get out of the vehicle, or Kit here, is going to shoot you and bury your body. And since everyone is freaked the fuck out about Murphy, they won’t even notice.”

“Lilah—”

“Eight seconds, Jack.” I eye Kit. “Maybe you should stab him. It’s less bloody.”

“You really do like knives a little too much, Lilah,” Kit replies. “And it’s always bloody if you’re the one holding the knife.”

“Good thing I won’t be holding it, and based on recent incidents, there are worse addictions in my line of work.”

Jack gets out of the vehicle and slams the door.

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