Page 5

Michael

As I sit in my vehicle outside the location where my mark will arrive, I can’t stop thinking of how peaceful Ella’s sleeping face was when I left.

I didn’t want to go, and at first I thought it was her anxiety getting to me, but then I realized that letting her out of my sight made my stomach turn. Unfortunately, I have a job to do.

Thankfully, I hacked into Ella’s cameras while she was grabbing me that glass of water earlier.

At least if I can’t be there, I can keep an eye on her.

Plus, this job shouldn’t take too long. The man I’ve been hired to take care of comes to the same remote spot every day to drink a pint of vodka before walking back home to harass his wife.

She’s the one that hired me for the hit, paying me through cryptocurrency. Her alibi for tonight is solid. Once I take care of him, she’ll both benefit from his life insurance policy and be free of his abuse.

After checking the clock, I pull up the cameras to check on Ella.

She’s still sleeping soundly, holding onto the pillow that I slipped into her arms when I left.

I’m content to sit and watch her, but then a text from Blackwood Falls’s sheriff comes through – attached is the report Ella filed about her stalker.

I read through the report, incrementally looking up from the document to make sure I don’t miss the abusive son of a bitch that’s going to be here.

As soon as I have a name – Tyler Harris – I proceed to gather as much information as I can on him.

Ella’s never going to have to worry about him again, not after I’m done with him.

As I’m reading through his information, I keep checking the cameras to make sure my girl is still safe.

Knowing that he’s in a city two hours away should be enough to quell that worry, but there’s a sinking feeling in my gut – and my gut is never wrong.

I’ve never felt this way about a woman before, though.

The intensity of my desire for her might be throwing my judgment off.

I also can’t help but wonder if I’m no better than this guy. He was obsessed with my girl to the point of tracking all of her movements. I can’t say that I don’t have the same desires.

I’m different from him, though. He pushed Ella, made her feel unsafe in her own home.

In the statement that she gave to police, she reported that he attempted to kidnap her, waiting down the block from her apartment to ambush her when she left to go out with some friends.

If it weren’t for a good samaritan jumping in, he’d have taken her away.

My fingers tighten around my phone when I imagine what this bastard might have done to her if he was successful in taking her.

Regardless of my growing obsession with Ella, I’d never do anything like that.

My only goal is to keep her safe; I’d never put her in harm's way or do anything that would hurt her.

I’m different than Tyler Harris. I might not be perfect, but Ella feels safe with me, and I have the skills to keep it that way. It’s my job to shield her from all the evil in the world, and I take everything I do very seriously.

Still… I can’t deny that I do get a sick thrill when I look at the cameras and see Ella’s peacefully sleeping form.

Blood shoots to my cock every time I check in on her.

If I’m not careful, if I don’t exercise a little more self-control, I’m going to have to murk this guy with a hard on.

While it wouldn’t be my finest moment, it’s not like the motherfucker will have time to notice.

Tearing my attention away from the camera feed, I go back to my search. I know all the basic information about this guy – everything but his address. It shouldn’t be too hard to find, though. Hell, in this day and age, kids on the internet find people’s home addresses for fun.

Sure enough, it only takes me another couple minutes of searching before I find it.

I allow myself a private smile when I see that he lives alone in a standalone house about fifteen minutes outside the city.

Taking care of him will be easy. The only thing I have left to do is plan this operation out.

That’ll have to wait for later, though. My mark’s car pulls up with the lights off, and I scoff to myself – there’s no one out here but me. Who’s he hiding from?

I reach over, grabbing my silenced pistol from the glove compartment of my car.

Then, I wait for him to get out. My client told me that he has a tendency to start drinking in the cab of his vehicle before getting out to take a piss.

It’s a ritual they once partook in together when they were teens, and while she grew out of it, he never did.

Ten minutes later, the drunkard stumbles out of his car. I snarl at him, watching the way he sways. This bastard was probably drunk on the drive over, putting anyone who was on the road at risk, too. This job is a service to the community, regardless of what the law says.

I don’t bother getting out of my car quietly. This guy is too gone to realize I’m here. While his back is turned, I approach him, lifting my weapon and aiming for his head. Then, with one squeeze of the trigger, I blow his brains out.

His body falls to the ground with a dull thud. I walk over to the sorry bastard. Taking lives shouldn’t be so easy, but this guy deserved it. The drunk driving aside, this guy beat his wife, the woman that he’s supposed to protect. He’s trash, and I’m glad that I took him out.

With one last sneer in his direction, I pull out my phone to check the time. His wife is still out with her friends. Her alibi is solid. The last thing she has to do to get her money is report him missing. Unless someone else finds the body first.

As I walk back to my car, I roll my shoulders back and clear my head. I’m about to go back to Ella, and I don’t want to carry any of this bullshit with me. Besides, it’s just a job.