Page 27 of The Ghost Assassin

“He’s right,” Kane agrees dryly. “He’d kill everyone.”

“I’ll help him,” I reply, licking chocolate off my fingers. “Doesn’t that solve at least something?” I don’t wait for a reply. “Speaking of killing people, can you reach Ghost? I think he and I need to have a conversation.

“Already working on it,” Kane replies, “but all I can do is put the word out. You know, he has to decide to come to us, and under the circumstances, he may decide it’s too hot to risk exposure.”

Kit’s cellphone buzzes with a message, and he eyes the screen and then me. “Jack’s at the lobby desk, asking to come up.”

“He’s too stupid for his own good and mine. It’s like he wants to become a martyr and be the next victim. But he did give me this.” I reach for my bag where it sits on the stool next to me and pull out the list of names he gave me. “Do you know how to reach any of these guys?” I slide the paper in front of him. “Apparently, the dark web has them as the top suspects in Murphy’s assassination.”

Kane snaps up the paper and stuffs it into his pocket. “I’ll see what I can do, but let me do it, Lilah. When you start asking for these guys by name, it has to be done right, or they get trigger-happy.”

“That’s how I feel most mornings.”

My phone buzzes with a text message, and I finish my donut before I grab it. The message is from DD: Thanks for loaning me Jay and for believing in me, though I have to say I’m not sorry Homeland pulled me off the case.

I grimace at this news, irritated times ten. Homeland wants me on the case but has now stripped away anyone I trust. I do believe I owe Ellis a call, but right now we have to talk about the elephant in the room. “We still have no plan. What are we doing about your father?”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Kane replies but says no more, which is starting to feel like intentional avoidance.

“And?” I urge.

“I need to keep thinking.”

I rotate to face him. “What are you doing about your father, Kane?”

“I’m thinking, Lilah.”

“Kane—”

“Lilah.”

“What aren’t you saying?”

Kit’s phone rings and I’m aware of him answering, even as Kane replies with, “Go do what you do. We’ll talk later.”

“Lilah,” Kit says, and I swear I want to hit him and Kane now.

“What?” I demand, but my gaze is locked on Kane.

“There’s someone named Rich on the phone for you.”

Chapter Eighteen

Kane’s expression is unchanging, unreadable, but his energy is nothing short of fury.

He hates Rich. He threatened to kill him at one point, which was just one of the reasons I didn’t believe I could be with him. But damn it, right now I want to kill Rich, too. As for how he got Kit’s number, that would be Tic Tac, which means I’m going to have to kill him as well. Why is Rich calling Kit instead of me when my phone is right here with me?

“You want me to tell him you’ll call him back?” Kit asks.

“No,” I say, still holding Kane’s stare. “He’s guarding Tic Tac, who’s incapable of protecting himself.” I eye Kit and motion him onward with my fingers. “Give me the phone.” He slides it across the counter.

I grab it and do the only thing I can do in this situation. I answer on speaker. “What the hell, Rich? Why are you calling Kit?”

“When you use me and abuse me, Lilah, you need to pay the price. Everyone in your life needs to know you came to me. Kane needs to know.”

Kane’s jaw tics and his eyes narrow in a barely perceptible, but oh-so-lethal way. “And here I thought you did this to help Tic Tac,” I reply.

“I’m helping him, Lilah, but I find it very interesting you called me. I think Kane will, too.”

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