Page 53 of Wraith (Deviant Assassin #1)

I need to make a call, and though I know it’s childish, I shove past the fuckface who wants my wife.

We head off in opposite directions, skirting around the old stone walls of the safe house.

The ground is uneven, scattered with crushed leaves and twigs, still damp enough to cling to my boots.

I find a spot where the trees thicken, casting me in the early morning shadow, and pull out my phone, dialing.

A hollow ring reverberates in my ear, each pulse like a hammer to my heart, until it clicks.

“Shadow,” he says, voice barely audible. But I hear it, and a chill runs down my spine with my fear for Kiera. I need this fucker to believe Wraith is dead.

“Asshole,” I reply. “I have?—”

The dirty agent cuts me off. “Wraith is dead. You’ve completed your job. No need to report to Esther. I’ve already taken care of it.”

Okay, not what I expected. Also, not how Umber would normally handle me, but they’ve also never had me work with the law before. No, I’m going to have to talk to Esther before this is all over. And it will be once I get rid of the problem currently walking off his anger.

A nearby train horn bellows, long and grating, cutting through the early morning silence. I tense, almost missing the echo of it on the other end of the call. But it’s there, and realization hits me…

I pull myself out of hiding and jog back through the trees, urgency making my heart pound.

When I reach the bottom of the porch steps, Wild is already at the front door, breathing hard through what must be significant pain after running back to the cabin. He turns, his eyes meet mine, calculating and hard.

Blood pulsing thick in my veins, the cold hard truth settles over me.

Wilder is a dirty FBI agent I’ve been working with. And though he thinks I’m Wraith… he tried to protect me from… myself.

The irony of our situation is not lost on me.

“You’re not Wraith,” Wild says to me as Kiera steps out on the porch with us.

Her eyes go wide at his declaration. And I take a step toward her to stifle her when she gives me an apologetic look.

“No, Wild, he isn’t. I’m Wraith.”