Leaving Wyoming was harder than I thought it would be. I left knowing it was a day early from the eight-week time frame. A part of me feels guilty because deep down I know Colin’s going to show up on Amelie’s doorstep looking for me. There’s no way he’ll be able to track me down with us moving around from city to city. If he does, I’ll be impressed. I’ve thought about opening my mind and letting something slip, just to see if the connection is there, but I decide against it.
We arrived in Cincinnati by two o’clock, and by six o’clock, we already have our eyes on the first target. His name is Robert Trapp, a twenty-six-year-old rapist who comes from a wealthy family. His father paid off the judge and the victims to keep their mouths shut. The whole thing makes me sick. One of the victims fell into a deep depression and committed suicide a few months after her attack. After I read his file, it took everything I had to control my anger. Tia had to distract Sawyer so he wouldn’t see my wolf eyes.
Taking a deep breath, I glance at myself in the mirror. Tia curled my hair, and I have on a skintight black dress and black heels. It’s not how I wanted to go on duty tonight, but Robert decided to head out to one of the college bars he likes to frequent often. It’s also one of the places he finds his victims. I had hoped he’d stay home so we could finish the job there. What I don’t want is for him to find an innocent victim to terrorize tonight. We could always wait another day when he’s at home, but something in my gut tells me to follow through with our plans. I’ve always been told to trust my instincts.
An incoming text comes through my government cell.
Sawyer: He just arrived at the bar. I’m going inside.
I type out a quick reply.
Me: Be there soon.
I plan to blend in with the other college girls and see if Robert tries to coax any of them to his place. He’s been known to roofie them. If he doesn’t, it’s good for us. We’ll finish our job as soon as he gets back to his house. One way or another, his life ends tonight.
“Are you nervous?” Tia asks, appearing in the doorway.
I touch up my lipstick and meet her eyes in the mirror. “Not in the least. All we’re doing is watching him to make sure he doesn’t make a move on anyone. Then, when he leaves, we’ll finish it.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Are you too proud to ask for my help? I could make this so much easier on you with my magic.”
I turn around to face her. “This is my job, Tia. It’d be like cheating if I used your magic. I need to do this on my own.”
She nods. “I understand. You just seem to be a little on edge since we left Wyoming. You’re thinking about Colin, aren’t you?”
“No,” I say, knowing very well she can hear the lie in my voice.
Lips pulling back slightly, she holds up her phone. “Amelie called a few minutes ago. Colin came by to see you today.”
My heart rate spikes. If I’d stayed a little longer, he would’ve caught me. There’s a part of me that wishes I would’ve stayed. “What did Amelie say to him?”
She shrugs. “Not much. She told him you finished training early and that you’re out on a mission. It looks like he’s determined to find you since he came a day early. Guess he couldn’t wait any longer.”
We didn’t tell Amelie the exact places we were staying, but we did tell her Ohio. There’s no way he can search the whole state to find me. The burn to see him grows more significant by the day, and I hate he has that effect on me. My body is drained to the point I can barely drink the tea to keep from having my dreams. I can put on a strong front with Tia and Sawyer, but inside, I’m struggling. If the Great Luna wants Colin as my mate, it’s going to be when I’m ready. Seeing him now will only mess with my head. I have to concentrate on my job.
“Once we get done in Ohio, I’ll call him,” I say.
Her eyes narrow. “Why do I not believe that?”
I snatch the small black purse off the bed with my Glock inside of it. “I promise. But right now, I have to go. Sawyer’s waiting on me.”
I walk toward her, but she stands in my way. “You’re tired, Kami. You might think I don’t see your struggle, but I do. Pretending with me doesn’t work. Colin is your mate and running from him isn’t helping anyone. I’ve kept quiet about this way too long.” My jaw clenches, but she doesn’t back down. “You can be angry with me all you want. I get it; you wanted to choose your mate. Have you ever thought that subconsciously you had? Colin’s amazingly sexy, a powerful shifter, and he cares about you. I think you two fit perfectly.” There are too many what ifs with Colin. What if he doesn’t approve of me being an assassin? I can’t give up on this part of my life. Tia blows out a sigh and moves out of my way. “I love you, Kami. You’re like a sister to me. All I want is for you to be happy.” She sighs again. “I know you have to go. Be careful tonight.”
I step past her and head straight for the hotel room door. “I will.”
I hate it when she’s right, especially when I don’t have anything to argue against her. When I get to the elevator, I take it down to the lobby. I’d already called for a cab, and it’s waiting for me outside on the busy downtown Cincinnati street. I hop in, and the man meets my eyes in the rearview mirror.
“Where to, young lady?”
“Bar 360, please,” I say.
He pulls off, and we head further into downtown. There are people everywhere from all walks of life. Big cities are exciting, but there’s no way in hell I could handle the smells for an extended period. Guess it’s one of the downfalls of having heightened senses.
It only takes a few minutes to get to the bar, and the cab driver stops at the entrance. Reaching into my purse, I pull out my money and hand it to him. “Thanks for the ride.”
There’s a small line of people waiting to get in, and it doesn’t take long for the bouncer to check everyone’s ID. I pull out the one I have for Kami Parker and slip right on in. When I get inside, I pick up on Sawyer’s scent and find him in the corner, sitting at a small table with a beer. He nods at me and glances over at the bar where Robert is laughing and talking to three other guys who look to be in their mid-twenties. He’s talking to them, but his eyes are on two women, both young and beautiful, who are drunk, sitting at a high-top table. From where I stand, I can hear their slurred words as they speak about how hard their classes were for the day. Another guy, not associated with Robert, reaches them first, and he holds out a hand to the brown-haired girl. She smiles, and they walk off to the dance floor, leaving the blonde alone.
Robert finishes his glass of whiskey and stalks toward her table. My instinct is to stop him, but I want to see what he does. When he gets to her, he flashes his evil yet charming smile. I can smell the lust pouring off of him as his eyes drift to the blonde’s breasts. Robert talks to her for a few minutes and then points to something across the room. She turns her head, and even though he’s quick, he wasn’t fast enough to keep me from seeing the pill he dropped into her drink.
“Fuck me,” I hiss under my breath.
Robert sits down across from the girl, grinning and carrying on a conversation with her. Pulling my phone out of my purse, I text Sawyer.
Me: The son of a bitch spiked her drink. I’m going in.
I don’t even wait for his reply; there’s no time to waste. The girl picks up her glass, and I hate what I’m about to do. Before she can take a sip, I close the distance and bump into her back, making her drink spill out over the table and down her dress.
She shrieks in annoyance, and I gasp. “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry.”
She jumps up out of her chair and stares daggers at me. “Look what you did to my dress? It’s ruined.”
Robert stands back and just watches the exchange. In his eyes, I can tell he ponders his next move. It’d be much easier if he leaves the bar so we can finish the job.
The bar counter is close by, so I hurry over and grab a handful of napkins. “I’ll buy you another drink,” I say apologetically. If she knew I’d just saved her life, she’d be thanking and not cursing me. Still, I need her as far away from Robert as she can get.
The blonde huffs. “Don’t bother. I can’t deal with this right now.” She storms off to the dance floor and grabs her friend’s hand, pulling her away from the guy she’s dancing with and toward the door.
I look at Robert and shrug. “I told her I’d buy her another drink.” Being so close to him makes my stomach churn, so I turn away and walk up to the bar. There’s an empty seat beside a woman and her date, so I sit down, not even turning around to look at Robert. I can feel his presence behind me.
The bartender, a young man with spiky brown hair and brown eyes, comes up to me and smiles. “What’ll it be?”
“Blue Lagoon, please,” I say, feeling the weight of my Glock as I place my purse on my lap.
Robert slides in between me and the woman, his body facing me. “I’ll take one too, bartender.”
The bartender nods and fixes our drinks. I have a strange feeling mine’s going to be tampered with soon. I look up at Robert and smile, but I don’t even pretend to be interested. I don’t want him touching me or breathing anywhere near me.
“What’s your name?” he asks.
The bartender sets my drink down, and I grab the slice of orange on the rim so I can squeeze the juice into my glass. “Kami,” I reply.
He leans in closer. “That’s a pretty name. I’m Robert.”
Please just leave so I can put a bullet in your head and be done. Is it wrong to think that way? Not in his case, it’s not.
“Are you waiting for someone?” he wonders.
I nod. “Yep. I have a girlfriend meeting me here. She should be here soon.” Turning in my chair, I glance at the windows as if I’m searching for my friend. Sawyer walks outside and disappears around the side of the building.
Robert clears his throat. “Do you go to college at the university?”
I look into his eyes, and there’s only darkness. The man who murdered Samantha Teller had the same soulless eyes. Robert is a serial rapist, but it’s probably only a matter of time before he upgrades to killing someone. “I do,” I lie. “I’ll finish up in the spring.”
He averts his gaze to the door. “Is that your friend?”
When I look behind me at the door, a young woman walks in, and I know he’s seized his chance at my drink. With my shifter hearing, I can hear the pill sizzle and disintegrate—sick bastard.
“No, that’s not her,” I say, turning back to him.
He grabs his drink and clanks it against my glass. “More time for us then.”
Drugs don’t affect us like they would humans, but I still don’t want to ingest the shit he put in my drink. Grabbing my glass, I set some money on the bar and smile at him. “I think I’m going to finish my drink and look out for my friend. It was great meeting you.”
Robert doesn’t seem like the type of man to get turned down by many women. The look of shock on his face is proof of that. Holding my drink, I move away from him and toward the windows where there are several potted plants. I quickly pour out the drink with my back to him and bring the glass to my lips, making it look like I drank it. I know he’s watching my every move. If what he used is Rohypnol, I’ve read it can take thirty minutes up to two hours for it to take effect.
There’s a table behind me with other empty glasses, so I set mine down and pull out my phone. I can tell Robert is staring at me from across the room, but I don’t acknowledge him.
Me: The fucker spiked my drink. I poured it out. Heading outside.
Sawyer: Ready.
When I get out the door, I pick up on Sawyer’s scent and follow the sidewalk toward a not so lit part of downtown. I know I’m not alone, but I don’t turn around. The alleys I pass smell like urine and feces mixed with garbage and rotting food. Robert tries to make his footsteps light, but I hear them as if he’s pounding them against the pavement. When I thought about tonight and how it would go, I never pictured myself being his target. If we were in the woods, I’d rip him to shreds, starting with his penis. I can smell his excitement at the chase.
When I get to the alley Sawyer’s in, I stumble on my feet, making it appear like I’m falling under the drug’s influence. Slowly, I move further into the alley, steadying myself against the brick wall of the building. Once I’m far enough away from the street, I stop and hunch over with my arms across my stomach.
“Is someone lost?” Robert’s voice makes my blood boil. He moves closer, and I can hear him unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants. “Don’t worry. This won’t take long.”
“You’re right. It won’t,” I growl. I spin around and slam Robert against the wall, knocking the breath out of his lungs.
His eyes widen, and he grabs my arm, using all his strength to pull me off, but I don’t budge. “What the fuck is this?” he snarls. Grabbing his neck, I hurl him further into the alley, and he tumbles to the ground, tripping over his pants. He jumps up and lifts his pants, his hands shaking as he tries to zip them. Sawyer comes up behind him, but Robert doesn’t know he’s there.
“You’re a disgusting piece of shit,” I hiss. “You should’ve been ended a long time ago. Now your victims will finally get the justice they deserve.”
Sawyer holds the gun to Robert’s head, and his eyes widen. “Please,” he begs. “I won’t do it again.”
Even though it’s dark, I can see right into his eyes to see the lie in them. “You’re right. You won’t.”
Sawyer pulls the trigger, and the only sound comes from Robert’s lifeless body hitting the ground with a thud. Sawyer holsters his gun and nods toward the street. “Let’s go.” We walk out of the alley as if we’re just regular friends strolling down the road. I take out my cell phone and press the other important phone number Reed gave us.
A man answers and says, “Name, target, and location.”
“Special agent Grayson, Robert Trapp, Cleveland, Ohio,” I reply.
He types away for a few seconds. “Copy that. I have your location. You’re all set.”
“Thank you.”
The line disconnects, and I look over at Sawyer. “Guess that’s it.”
His eyes search mine as we walk toward the busy part of downtown. “One down and many more to go. You okay with this?”
Averting my gaze, I take a deep breath. “I’ve never felt better.”