Page 108 of Unravelling The Hitman: A BWWM Romance

Her eyes heated. The spark that had drawn me to her when we first met flared from her brown irises. “You did more than a ‘job’, Deacon. Rhia said you get close to the target. You gain their trust. You betray them and then you kill them.”

I hung my head. Assassination? Murder? I could snap a man’s neck with my eyes closed, but the pretense and the games got to me. It was one of the reasons I’d wearied of the organization.

“Why would you do all this? For money?”

“After I left the military, I had a hard time living as a civilian. The organization gave me a purpose. They needed the skills I had and they were willing to pay for it.”

“Why did you stop if it was so great then?”

“I had Reid.”

“What about Reid’s mother?”

I paused. “She was my handler. Over the course of a professional relationship, we developed feelings for each other.”

“Did she really die in childbirth?”

“Yes,” I said, taking her hand again and tending to her wounds.

“So the cigar shop was just a front?”

“No. It’s a legitimate business. I wanted something to invest my money in when I settled here in Belize.”

“Does Rasheed or Miguel know what you really do?”

“Not Rasheed.” I thought it over. “Miguel suspects.”

“If you’d stopped, why did you start working for Rhia again?”

“Because I missed it.”

She dug her fingernails into her palm. “You missed killing?”

“I missed having a purpose beyond the day-to-day of Reid’s care. I’d been sent out on missions for almost two-thirds of my life. I thought I could do it again without problems but… I couldn’t.”

“You’re saying you’ve changed,” she said firmly.

“Yes. That life isn’t what I want.” I paused and then decided to admit it. “You’re what I want, Angel.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Yes.”

She stood, yanking her hand away from me. “And all those things you said before… about loving me and wanting to protect me, did you mean them too?”

“Yes.” I faced her.

My heart was beating in her hands and I had no choice but to wait for my verdict. If Angel left the island, I would understand. But that didn’t mean it wouldn’t grieve me.

“I don’t trust you.”

Four little words. How could they have such a devastating impact?

My jaw twitched. “I know.”

“I can’t be with someone like you. Someone who values human life like it’s worth nothing more than a bag of money. You snuck around my back and you made it worse by deceiving me.”

“I know.” I stood stiffly and lifted my chin. Whatever she wanted, I’d give to her.

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