Page 70 of Unravelling The Hitman: A BWWM Romance

I lowered my arm.

Her deranged smile returned. “Yes, well, perhaps I am a little too cold for baby-making. You made the right choice.”

I watched her, helpless to do anything but listen.

Rhia knew my weakness. At any moment, she could send someone to dispose of my son.

Dispose.

It sounded so clean and bloodless.

“I’m sorry, Deacon. I didn’t want to meet again, after so many years, under these circumstances. But the truth is,” she sat on the edge of the mattress, “the organization has been compromised.”

I sucked in a stunned breath. “What?”

“It was bound to happen. The organization was too big to go unnoticed. We made too many mistakes. Law and order is drawn to chaos. If I had my way, I would have jumped ship before it all fell apart.”

“Is this true?”

“The wall came crumbling down.” Her hands dove and flopped. “All the way from the top.”

“Then why…?”

“Why did I send you on jobs?” She stood. “Because you do not belong to the organization.”

My eyebrows wrinkled.

Rhia smiled, dark eyes sparking with life for the first time. “Seems your previous handler wiped you from the database before she died. You are nothing to us. To the police. To your enemies. You are a ghost to everyone but me. I see you, Deacon.” She surged forward. “And together, we can be great.”

“Together?”

“Yes.”

Understanding hit me. “You want a long-term operative.”

“As long as there is life and hate and darkness, we will thrive. I’ve still got contacts and you’ve got the skills and the anonymity. We can build something bigger than the world has ever seen.”

“Are you asking or ordering?”

“You are not a member of the organization, remember? I am here to convince you that there is no better option. That you still have purpose.”

My gaze landed on the floor and I admitted, “Tonight was hard.”

“Understandable. You’ve been out of the game for many years.”

“No, Rhia.” I took in her alabaster skin that had been pricked and prodded so many times she couldn’t laugh properly. “Before I took the shot, I hesitated.”

“You can be retrained. The block is only in your mind. Think of all the money—”

“I have more than enough money.”

“If you had so many doubts, why take the jobs in the first place?” she snapped.

“Because I needed to confirm.”

“Confirm what?”

I shook my head and gestured with the gun. “I left this life behind for a reason. Continuing the legacy of the organization is your dream. Not mine.”

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