Page 70 of Claimed By the Villain

Still, I’m not the kind of guy who wastes opportunities, and when it came up, I took the shot.

Now I’ll have to get rid of myloose end, Lakeisha, the bitch I sent to try and fool her with those fake pictures.

But who’s gonna miss her? She’s just one of my many lovers.

“That bitch is smart,” the fool says as she jumps into the car, having no idea she’s living her last few minutes.

I pull out in silence.

On that point, she’s right. Jackie is smart. I underestimated her.

“Tell me what happened.”

She explains that she thought she was convincing Jackie with her lie, which I doubt, and then, out of nowhere, Jackie shoved her and bolted, shouting,“You might’ve fooled me, but you picked the wrong lie. He would never abandon a child.”

Poor, stupid Jackie. She thinks she knows him. I can’t wait to see that dumb look on her face when I tell her the whole truth, right before I kill them both.

Chapter 37

Minutes Earlier

“I don’t kill women,”Tur says from a number he sent me so I could contact him.

I’ve been following Beau’s idea to the letter, rounding up every available contract killer, or at least the best ones, though Tur had already been my first choice. What he’s just said doesn’t surprise me. I know that before he stepped into my line of work, he was head of security for a Turkish billionaire, specifically protecting the guy’s girlfriend. But I never take anything for granted. Jackie’s safety will always be my top priority.

“I also didn’t take the contract to kill you.”

“What?”

“Before you hired me, I was approached by some anonymous client on the dark web. He offered me a lot for your head.”

“And why didn’t you take it?”

“I wasn’t interested. I’ve reached the point where I can choose my jobs.”

“That’s not the only reason.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then why?”

“Because, like me, you don’t kill women or children. You focus on the filth of the world, sending them on an express trip to hell. There aren’t many in our profession who actually make a difference.”

I don’t know what to say to getting a pat on the back from another monster like me, so I change the subject.

“And what about my enemy?”

“I’m on his trail. I tried to trace back the path he used to contact me, but I hit a dead end. Tracking a server on the dark web is damn near impossible.”

“Tur?”

“Yeah?”

“My priority is always her. If we ever end up in a situation where it’s the two of us, save her.”

I hang up and glance at the clock, wondering why the hell Jackie still hasn’t gotten back.

I came home early today, even though I had a few things to discuss with the lawyers about acquiring Hazard’s chain. I can’t exactly explain my worldwide earnings to the IRS, and the lawyers who work for me will have to weave an intricate web of offshore accounts scattered across tax havens to make the transaction look legit.