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He wasn’t a cold-blooded killer.

He did what he had to do to protect the innocent or defend himself and his fellow agents.

Maria issued death orders like handing out homework assignments. She expected the work to be done on time and with A-plus precision.

She smiled. Disturbingly, it was warm and affectionate. “You’re exactly what I need. I think we’re off to a very beneficial partnership.”

“Not if you don’t make me an equal partner on the jobs. And I want confirmation on the contract. I want to see exactly how much it’s worth. You fuck me over, you won’t see me coming.”

She stared at him so long he wasn’t sure she’d gofor it. Then, she went to the laptop on the desk, typed in a few things, then spun the computer toward him. He saw a simple order form.

Now he had the web URL and the log-in and password she’d used: he had a knack for being able to watch a person type and decipher what they wrote without seeing the screen. He had what he needed now to take her and the rest of them down.

“The buyer can only find this order link once they’ve made contact through the message board. They simply fill in their name, a phone number for contact, the meeting date, and the date of execution.”

He didn’t find it funny at all that she used it in the literal way to kill someone. “Then you call using a burner phone that can’t be traced, set up the meeting place, keeping that somewhere open to avoid witnesses and so you can see the cops coming. You only let the contact know where with enough time for them to get to the meet. The deal is struck and the money paid in person, right there on the spot. Theexecutionof it completed soon after that.”

She nodded, a look of pride in her eyes that he’d gotten it all so easily. “Simple. Clean. Only a few people know about it beforehand.”

“How do you know you’re not talking to a cop during the chat?”

“I do my research on the person, ask a lot of personal questions, and make sure it all adds up. If there’s something even a little off about it, I back out.”

“I can’t believe it’s this easy to hire a killer.”

She gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I’m more surprised by the reason people do it. It’s usually petty. Money, mostly. Divorce seems to bring out the worst in people.”

“You coming, or what?” Lobo yelled down the hallway.

Maria rolled her eyes. “I guess we better hurry up.” She cleared the computer screen and shut it down, then stuffed the gift bag with some cute tissue paper that had ducks and bunnies on it.

He went to turn for the door and accidentally knocked the gift off the chair. “Oh damn. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, klutz.” She bent to pick it up and fix what spilled out.

While she was distracted, he snatched the notebook out of her purse. “I’ll take that.” He held his hand out for the present. “You grab your stuff.”

She did, and he followed her out to the main part of the club. The other guys were already headed for the door.

His phone rang, since he’d texted a code to his brother to call him. “Hey, let me grab this and I’ll meet you outside.” He accepted the call. “Hey, man, can you believe it? Scratch and his wife had the baby. Lobo, Maria, Cueball, and a couple others are headed down to see them now. You should join.”

Nick knew exactly what he was saying. “On our way.”

Viper gave his brother all the players and where they were headed.

Before he walked out the door, he heard something out the window.

“I told you not to come here,” Maria’s sharp voice drew him over.

“What the fuck were you thinking, doing that to her?” Rick stood right up in Maria’s face.

Her, who? Viper wondered.

She quickly looked behind her at her brother andthe others getting into two cars. “I can’t talk now. I’ll meet you later.”

“I thought you were helping me. All you did was make her hate me. Now the cops are after me, too.”

Because of the hit-and-run?