Read Online Riley (The Kendall Family #3) by Randi Everheart - Free Book Online
Authors: Randi Everheart
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on the way down, Coby coming free and falling, too. Four bodies finally crashed to a stop at the bottom.
Pain shot across Riley’s back and one arm as he got to his knees, gritting teeth, eyes darting to the stun gun and his Nighthawk, both within reach. The goggles had fallen off in the tumble. Jordan was rising and Coby already stood, jaws agape as he lunged for one of the assassin’s hands. The other hand, the one with the knife, was under the killer’s body, which wasn’t moving.
“The handgun,” Riley commanded Jordan. He picked up the stun gun instead and put one hand on the assassin, who still hadn’t stirred. “Don’t move or it’s a bullet in the head.” No response came. As suspicion crept over him, the Marine flicked a look at Jordan. He nodded at a switch on the wall. “The light. Cody, down.”
The dog backed off as Jordan flipped the hall light. Riley put two fingers to the man’s jugular and detected no pulse. When he was sure the guy was dead, he slowly rolled the body over and saw what he expected. The man’s knife had gone into his own chest, to the hilt, dark red blood pooling on the floor.
Chapter 7 – Allies
Jordan lowered the gun, stepped forward, and yanked off the black mask covering the dead assassin’s head. A shaved black head greeted her, a nasty scar along one cheek ruining what was otherwise a handsome face. Tight-fitting black clothes covered a muscular frame that brought back more memories of his powerful embrace. But those arms would never hold anything ever again. The man was dead, the growing pool of dark red blood making that even more clear than the knife embedded in his chest.
“Fuck me,” she said, licking her lips. “It is Jake.” Her own knife had sliced the cut into that face years ago during an emotional—and violent—breakup. Jake, or Jacques, had never forgiven her, his vanity more wounded than his dark skin. Still, for all the fighting and turmoil that had followed, she’d never thought he’d try to kill her. Especially on Thomas’ orders. Someone had a lot of explaining to do before Jordan killed him.
“Who exactly is he?” Riley asked about the corpse.
“One of Thomas’s guys. He trained me.” She tried to keep the look of disgust off her face but wasn’t sure she’d succeeded, judging by Riley’s hard stare at her.
“We have a lot to discuss.”
Jordan nodded. “What now?”
He eyed the gun in her hand and held out his for it, face neutral. Wordlessly, she gave it to him. “I’m not collecting the hit on you,” she began, “if that’s what you’re wondering. I owe you my life. You might’ve saved me twice.”
Riley didn’t speak at first, just locked eyes with her as if assessing her sincerity. “Can I count on your help to track down Thomas?”
“Absolutely! Whatever you need.” She felt a surge of loyalty for the man who’d saved her life, not once, but twice, for if he hadn’t warned her that Jake was behind her just now, Jake would’ve shot her. No one had ever done something like that for her. A jumble of emotions made her unsure what to think about anyone, but the one thing she was certain of was that she could trust Riley with her life. She would take a bullet for him now. He deserved no less. But she didn’t know what he thought of any of that. Unable to read his expression, she asked, “Does this mean you’re giving me my freedom?”
He seemed to consider that before answering. “Yes. I’d rather you go with me. As you said, our objective is the same. We find out who put the hit on me and then kill Thomas. For both us.”
Jordan nodded, unsure what to say. No one did her favors, not to mention ones of such magnitude. Her first thought was to get out of sight so no one investigated her. “You’re calling the cops about him, I assume? You can’t leave a body here.”
“Yeah, that would cause trouble. I have no way to get rid of a body, so I’ll have to call police.”
“I think I have to be gone
Pain shot across Riley’s back and one arm as he got to his knees, gritting teeth, eyes darting to the stun gun and his Nighthawk, both within reach. The goggles had fallen off in the tumble. Jordan was rising and Coby already stood, jaws agape as he lunged for one of the assassin’s hands. The other hand, the one with the knife, was under the killer’s body, which wasn’t moving.
“The handgun,” Riley commanded Jordan. He picked up the stun gun instead and put one hand on the assassin, who still hadn’t stirred. “Don’t move or it’s a bullet in the head.” No response came. As suspicion crept over him, the Marine flicked a look at Jordan. He nodded at a switch on the wall. “The light. Cody, down.”
The dog backed off as Jordan flipped the hall light. Riley put two fingers to the man’s jugular and detected no pulse. When he was sure the guy was dead, he slowly rolled the body over and saw what he expected. The man’s knife had gone into his own chest, to the hilt, dark red blood pooling on the floor.
Chapter 7 – Allies
Jordan lowered the gun, stepped forward, and yanked off the black mask covering the dead assassin’s head. A shaved black head greeted her, a nasty scar along one cheek ruining what was otherwise a handsome face. Tight-fitting black clothes covered a muscular frame that brought back more memories of his powerful embrace. But those arms would never hold anything ever again. The man was dead, the growing pool of dark red blood making that even more clear than the knife embedded in his chest.
“Fuck me,” she said, licking her lips. “It is Jake.” Her own knife had sliced the cut into that face years ago during an emotional—and violent—breakup. Jake, or Jacques, had never forgiven her, his vanity more wounded than his dark skin. Still, for all the fighting and turmoil that had followed, she’d never thought he’d try to kill her. Especially on Thomas’ orders. Someone had a lot of explaining to do before Jordan killed him.
“Who exactly is he?” Riley asked about the corpse.
“One of Thomas’s guys. He trained me.” She tried to keep the look of disgust off her face but wasn’t sure she’d succeeded, judging by Riley’s hard stare at her.
“We have a lot to discuss.”
Jordan nodded. “What now?”
He eyed the gun in her hand and held out his for it, face neutral. Wordlessly, she gave it to him. “I’m not collecting the hit on you,” she began, “if that’s what you’re wondering. I owe you my life. You might’ve saved me twice.”
Riley didn’t speak at first, just locked eyes with her as if assessing her sincerity. “Can I count on your help to track down Thomas?”
“Absolutely! Whatever you need.” She felt a surge of loyalty for the man who’d saved her life, not once, but twice, for if he hadn’t warned her that Jake was behind her just now, Jake would’ve shot her. No one had ever done something like that for her. A jumble of emotions made her unsure what to think about anyone, but the one thing she was certain of was that she could trust Riley with her life. She would take a bullet for him now. He deserved no less. But she didn’t know what he thought of any of that. Unable to read his expression, she asked, “Does this mean you’re giving me my freedom?”
He seemed to consider that before answering. “Yes. I’d rather you go with me. As you said, our objective is the same. We find out who put the hit on me and then kill Thomas. For both us.”
Jordan nodded, unsure what to say. No one did her favors, not to mention ones of such magnitude. Her first thought was to get out of sight so no one investigated her. “You’re calling the cops about him, I assume? You can’t leave a body here.”
“Yeah, that would cause trouble. I have no way to get rid of a body, so I’ll have to call police.”
“I think I have to be gone
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