Page 25 of Killer Confections (Syndicate Killers #1)

Atlas

It’s a beautiful fucking day. The sun is high; the breeze is flowing through the open balcony doors of the sixth story apartment, and the streets below are filled with people out doing their morning errands on this lovely Sunday.

I would enjoy it even more if I was back at my girl’s place, but this comes first. The rush of a kill isn’t even hitting as hard anymore. I would usually be buzzing, drunk on the blood-lust that comes with ending someone you hate. But I have something far better waiting for me when I leave here.

Connor found the gym that Loxley goes to. I’ve had a raging hard-on at the scene of me showing up while she’s focused, her mind only on her workout and that fucking body that could make a grown man weep, glistening with sweat.

I’m far too distracted to even focus half the energy I usually do during kills.

Not to mention the call she had with Addison earlier…

Fuck. Me .

She practically knows it’s me, and after hearing her admission that she wants me, I’ve been hard enough to pound nails.

She still wants to prove it’s me, and I’m going to give her all the time she needs. Once she does figure it out, I’m slapping that princess-cut diamond I got right after she moved back on that pretty finger.

She’s going to be a little angry with me, but that’s to be expected. There’s a long list of shit I’ve done that I haven’t keyed her in on—the biggest one being what I secured this morning before coming to this shitty apartment. So, anger will be natural.

I didn’t let her in on our little game, but she’s playing it so well. She definitely deserves a reward. One I fully intend to give her once this is over.

The bathroom door opens, heavy steam and the smell of some overly masculine body spray wafting into the room’s open layout.

Chance Miller stops, a hand gripping the loose towel that’s hung low on his hips as he nearly stumbles back into the bathroom. “What the fuck!”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Miller,” I wave a hand in front of my nose. “Trying to compensate for something? It’s a good thing I opened these.” I tilt my head to the balcony doors.

He’s clearly stunned. The safety of his sanctuary has been infiltrated, a stranger invading his home and destroying the comfortability and security these thin walls are supposed to provide.

His face is slack with fear, his mouth hanging open in disbelief at my presence. “How did you—”

I cut him off, placing my hands on my hips as I turn to face the balcony. “This is nice as fuck. How much does this place cost a month? Maybe a grand?”

He blinks, shaking his head before his lips pull thin. “Look, I said I didn’t want any trouble. I didn’t know Loxley was—”

“Aaaand I don’t give a fuck,” I interrupt. “You fucked with what’s mine.”

He scoffs, looking away. “Okay, so what? You wanted to break in to threaten me? You already totaled my car, man.”

I chuckle. “Yeah, I did that. Good times. But no threats. I don’t give second chances.

” My smile falls as my eyelids lower to a piercing, predatory gaze.

My lips thin as my jaw tightens. “I’ve seen the reports, Miller.

You think it’s okay to fuck with women. Unfortunately, you stumbled across the one person who doesn’t take lightly to assault. ”

The fucker takes a step back as if he can sense the shift in the air. His wide eyes flicker to the front door, the intent on running behind them. “It was one time! I was young—”

“And the other times are off the record because of the hush money your old man provided,” I sneer.

“You should have kept your fucking hands to yourself,” I stalk towards him.

He makes a break for the door, his towel nearly slipping from his waist as he reaches for the one thing separating him from freedom.

Using only a fraction of my strength, I wrap a thick arm around his neck before he can escape. The column of his throat is tucked snugly into my elbow as I tighten my grip, restricting his airway and dragging him back toward the balcony.

He thrashes, kicking and clawing away at my arm with his blunt nails. Chance isn’t a small man. He’s a few inches shorter than me, but he’s filled out and heavy as fuck.

If I weren’t trained and had a good sixty pounds on him, he could probably break free of me easily.

“Shit, you’re making this hard,” I laugh. “Goin’ out fighting, are we?”

“F-fuck… you!” He rasps, gasping for the air. He can’t seem to get past my hold.

I give a deep, throaty chuckle as we near the balcony’s guard rail. “Looks like you won’t be fucking anything ever again. I should peel your goddamn meat from your bones for touching my girl, but seeing your splattered remains on the fucking pavement will have to do.”

“Stop!” He rasps, kicking harder as I lug him to the edge. The wind whips, hitting my face as I lean Chance over the rail. He gets a good look at what waits below, pushing back on me to get away. He opens his mouth to scream and I slap a hand over it.

“ Shh ,” I hiss in his ear. “You don’t want to ruin the fun! Now, tell me what you did wrong and I’ll consider letting you go. ”

He whimpers, sounding pitiful as fuck. Tears well in his eyes, and I cover my snort with a well-placed cough.

“Come on, Chance,” I taunt. “Don’t you want to live?” He nods quickly and I pull my hand away from his mouth.

“I… I asked Loxley out on a date when she was taken.” He answers.

I sigh, sounding disappointed. “That’s not all. You got one more try.” To put emphasis on my words, I tilt him further over the ledge, rocking his body toward the cement below.

“Okay!” He shouts, gaining a few confused head turns, but no one bothers to stop and look up at us. “Okay,” he says quietly, and I bring him back down to his feet. “I-I touched what was yours and I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have done what I did to those women…”

“Bingo. And who belongs to me, Chance?” I grit out, my jaw ticking.

“Loxley! Loxley belongs to you,” he rushes. “Please, just let me go, man. I-I can give you anything you want. Do you want money? I have plenty! Just let me go!”

My head rolls back against my shoulders, his words washing over me.

The feeling of someone else acknowledging that Loxley belongs to me gives me a euphoria I never could have imagined.

It doesn’t dampen the rage I feel for him getting so close to her, but that’s easily solved. Can’t be mad at what doesn’t breathe.

I lean in close, jolting him. “I don’t want your money. I want to watch you fucking splatter. The women you’ve hurt deserve justice, and I’m going to give it to them.” Before he can protest, I force him over the ledge, listening to his receding scream and watching as his limbs flail uselessly.

I’m tucked away behind the railing, shielding myself from the onlookers below as people scream and scramble out of the way.

The sickening sound of his body hitting the pavement, a muffled squelch coming from his cracked skull, sends the streets into a flurry.

Disarray erupts and I smirk at my work, my eyes soaking in the crimson red that puddles below him before backing into the room and lifting my phone to my ear.

“Cleaning service,” Burt, a middle-aged man that’s been with the syndicate since before I could walk, answers.

“There’s an accident on fifth. Poor fucker fell from his apartment’s balcony.” I say.

I hear a gruff rumble from the man. “And that’s the story we’re sticking to? Was it a direct hit?”

“Nope.”

Burt sighs, “Alright. We’re on it. Reaching out to Connor and Alana now for surveillance clean up.”

“You’re the best,” I hang up, rolling my shoulders before whistling a tune as I stroll the empty hallway to the emergency exit.

I shoulder the back door, lighting a cigarette as I take in the alleyway. The sun is still high, and I let the day wash over me as I get a slight buzz from the nicotine.

Fuck, today would be even better if I were out with Loxley. I wonder how she feels about public play? I can imagine us at a picnic, her wearing one of those sun dresses she likes as she sits on my lap, the skirt of it hiding my cock buried deep inside of her as she rests back on my chest.

Damn, I need her to hurry and figure out my identity. The fucking fantasies are piling up. She’s everything I’ve been dreaming of and more.

In time .

The sweet sounds of my girl’s moans fill the alleyway, and I glance down at my phone.

Of course, the recording came in handy. I listened and watched our little movie on repeat all morning before reluctantly leaving her.

I couldn’t get enough, so I extracted the sound and made it my fucking ring tone.

She’s going to kill me when she finds out.

Dominic’s name scrolls across the screen, and I sigh before answering. “What?”

“Jane’s help arrived and sniffed out her remains. They’re on the move.” He says .

“They have any leads?” I ask.

“They can’t find Thalia’s new hide-out, but two of them were last tracked rolling through Kentucky.”

I purse my lips. “That’s to be expected. They know it’s us. Just depends on how long they take to find the compound.”

“I don’t think they’re going for the compound,” Dom says gruffly. “Jane’s old man, Kai Hayes, is the fucking leader of the South syndicate. Turns out, she had a much bigger hold than we originally thought.”

I give a humorless laugh. “Well, fuck me sideways. Send out a squad to intercept the two assassins traveling. Let’s put a stop to it before they reach Ohio. Does Rowan know?”

“Of course he knows,” Dom snaps. “Who the fuck do you think has me working on my day off? He’s going crazy trying to keep your sister safe out there.”

I cock a brow, “Then why are you calling me?”

“Because,” my friend says gravely, “we think they’re targeting close relations instead of the fuckers who took out Jane. Rowan had Alana pull data off their phones earlier and a picture of Loxley was in the mix.”

For the first time since my dad was alive, my heart sinks and that uneasy feeling grips me. My skin prickles with awareness as my entire world tilts.

I only remember feeling true fear as a child, but now it’s back with a vengeance.

My throat closes and I can hardly breathe before I snap myself out of it, my hand gripping the device with a chokehold.

“And they aren’t getting that far. I want these fuckers dead.

Send out the best. I’ll do security until this is squared away. ”

“Right,” Dom hangs up and I quickly gather what fucking emblem of sanity I have.

Loxley is in danger, and I can’t let anyone get close to her. The one woman I’ve loved since I was a teenager is being targeted. The only person who has ever seen beyond the mask I was forced to wear a long time ago. My very reason for fucking existing.

Our little game has changed now.

There is no more waiting.

This is fucking war.