Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“What?”
“You didn’t kill me or Jake.”
Kai sighed. “And that’s what makes me not bad? Sparing your life?”
“No. I guess I just assumed that you’ve got a code of honor like Justin and Gabriel. They take out only the drug dealers and the mob bosses and the abusive spouses. I assumed you had a code.”
The man beside him was silent for so long Dev had begun to wonder if he was now simply choosing to ignore him. It wasn’t like he was obligated to tell Dev anything about his job or his life. Dev would eat up anything he could learn about Kai, but it wasn’t like he could force him to say something.
“No kids. No innocent people,” Kai said so softly Dev was almost afraid he’d imagined the words.
“Is that why you decided to not kill me?”
Kai nodded. “When the contract came across, I was using a different handler at the time. He didn’t investigate the contract, get the proper details on who you were and your life. He simply looked at the payday and pushed enough info to get me to agree to it.”
“What details?”
“That you’d killed your husband and his family was demanding justice now that you’d escaped the law.”
“Fuck,” Dev swore softly under his breath.
Kai nodded. “I had no idea Jake existed until Gabriel told me that night. I had no idea that the charge of murder was a lie. If Gabriel and Justin hadn’t been there…” His voice drifted off and he shook his head. His fingers tightened on the wheel, his knuckles turning nearly white.
He didn’t need to say it. Devlin knew with a sickening certainty that he would have been dead. God only knew what would have happened to Jake. Kai would never have harmed a hair on his head, but he would have been alone in that cabin with his dead father. He—no, he couldn’t think about that. He was alive and safe. He would always be there for his son.
Dev forced out a strangled laugh, trying to break some of the tension. “I’m hoping you’ve gotten a new handler since then.”
“Yes, I have.”
His grin widened. “Is it the same one that Gabriel and Justin use? I heard she’s the reason they came after me in the first place.”
Kai groaned a little and rolled his eyes, but the tension had left his hands completely. “Yes, it is.” A burst of laughter broke from Dev and Kai merely shook his head. “While she takes a slightly larger cut than my last handler, she is proving to be well worth the money.”
“I’m glad that you have someone watching out for you. Someone who understands your ethical requirements.”
Kai smirked, looking somewhat amused by Dev’s description. “But you said Jake doesn’t know what Gabriel and Justin do, right? He doesn’t know—”
“Oh, God no!” Dev interrupted on a gasp. “He thinks they’re private investigators. At least, that’s what I told him. If he’s figured out the truth, he hasn’t given me any hint of it.”
“And when he gets older?”
Dev sighed heavily. It was something he’d avoided thinking about. He was just happy they’d made it through this past year with nothing insane or remotely dangerous happening. Things had been so quiet, Dev had been seriously thinking about giving in to Jake’s requests for a dog. Maybe it was a good thing he’d put that decision off for a while.
“I have no idea. I’m just going to chalk that up to Future Dev’s problem and not mine. I’ve got to get that boy through high school first. Driving.” Dev closed his eyes and shuddered. “Dating.”
“You don’t want him dating?”
Dev opened his mouth to answer, but he was distracted by Kai getting off the expressway well ahead of the airport in what looked to be a very tiny town. He’d assumed that they’d be catching another flight that night to Washington.
“I want him to date when he’s old enough. I’m just dreading the inevitable questions and drama that go along with dating. Romance and relationships were always Adam’s thing. He understood that stuff. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
He glanced out his window, watching as they passed a little gas station, a couple of stores, and a pizza parlor that must have been pretty good judging by the crowd of cars parked in front of it.
“What’s the plan? It’s still early. I figured we’d catch an evening flight to Seattle.”
Kai shook his head and hit the signal. They slowed to allow an approaching car to pass them as Kai turned left into the parking lot of a tiny motel with rustic wood accents and giant pine trees that half hid the place.
“We need to make one stop before going to Washington. A lead I need to chase down in person rather than over the phone.” Kai slid the rental sedan into an open spot near the office and put the vehicle into park. With his hands still on the gearshift and wheel, he looked over at Dev and frowned. “I’m sorry, but I have to take you with me.”