Page 52 of Tainted Deception

“I’ll see you later,” I said gruffly. “They’re waiting for you.”

“They’re waiting for us,” she corrected.

“I’ll text Ellie. I need to do something first.”

“Who’s in the car?”

“An old friend,” I lied, hoping I was wrong about who was following us.

“I can wait for you,” she said, curiosity flaring in her eyes.

“Go,” I ordered more sharply than I intended. With a sigh, I ran a hand down my face. “I’ll see you later.”

She hesitated for a few seconds before climbing out and heading toward the white SUV. I turned my attention back to the mirror, not seeing anyone get out of the car, which only further heightened my guess that this was about me. I waited for the SUV to pull away, and then I put the car back into gear and headed toward the street of stores. No way in hell was I having this conversation in private.

After a few minutes, I saw a busy park where families were spread out while kids played soccer on the makeshift fields. I pulled into the parking lot and parked before slipping a knife into my jeans pocket. I was already going to stand out when I stepped out of the car. I wasn’t going to chance having a gun on me. I doubted whoever was following me was stupid enough to do anything with this many witnesses.

My stomach was twisting as I got out and strode toward the first empty table I saw. I sat on the cement bench, resting my forearms on the table in front of me as I watched a man push an ice cream cart through the park. Laughing came from the playground area as kids played and ran around. But unlike all the families surrounding me, my thoughts were far from happy, especially when someone dropped onto the bench across from me.

I flicked my gaze toward the guy, keeping my face expressionless as I peered at him. He wasn’t familiar to me, but from the cold smirk on his lips, he knew exactly who I was. His black hair hung in his eyes, and his nose was crooked from being broken. His eyes were sharp and calculating, making my guard rise as I straightened up.

“Who are you?” I asked stiffly, keeping my voice low as people walked past the table.

He chuckled. “Come on. You know why I’m here.”

Dread climbed through me as I stayed still, realizing I was fucked. This was what I got for putting my face out there when I got to Little Haven. Ellie had warned me to stay in the shadows, but instead I did the opposite.

“I didn’t ask why you were here,” I snapped. “Who the fuck are you?”

“You can call me King,” he drawled, pulling out a cigarette, earning a glare from a couple that was strolling past us. “I work for—”

“I know who you work for,” I cut him off. “The question is why did they send some fucking nobody to talk to me when they could have come themselves?”

His eyes grew stormy as a muscle in his jaw flexed, and I shot him a leering grin. He had a temper, meaning I could get under his skin. He lit the cigarette, his glare not leaving me as he took a long drag.

Blowing out the smoke, he leaned forward. “I got paid a lot of money to make this visit, which is the only reason I’m in this damn state. So let me lay out what you’re going to do.”

I ground my teeth, bristling at his tone. “They want me to come back.”

“Nope. You’re staying right in Little Haven.”

Shock and suspicion flooded me as I tensed. “Why?”

“We know that you’re working with someone to take over Little Haven,” he explained before sucking in another lungful of smoke. “They want it.”

My heart thudded against my chest as I attempted not to react. “I was under the impression they were staying away from the West Coast.”

“Mm,” he hummed out. “I see you’ve been keeping up on what’s been happening the last couple of years. Makes sense why you thought you’d be safe from them there.”

“Why do they want Little Haven?”

He didn’t answer my question, instead asking one of his own. “Why didn’t you try to run when you realized I was following you?”

“I’m not fucking scared of you,” I retorted. “And I’m not doing what they want. You can’t do shit here with everyone watching. And by the time you find me again, I’ll be long gone.”

“Who was in the car with you?” he murmured, threat lurking in his voice. “What’s her name? Rynn, isn’t it?”

My blood ran cold, and it took everything not to bury my blade in his throat. His eyes glittered with smugness as I reined myself back in and crossed my arms.

---