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Prologue—The Hitman

A yacht Myline frounwale My foot braces on the ivory gunwale, but of course, the gap between boat and dock widens and I e for it Water laps the sides and it is by far the least graceful boarding I’ve made

Scra to my feet, I hunker down and peer back at the dock where a line of boats in varyingstars stretched overhead, yet the Canary Islands were alive with tourists and locals—hter carried over the water, still, everyone was too busy to notice or care what I’

“Let’s see where you are,” I mumble as I check my phone for o, so I need to hustle Locked in onthe key and sit back as the engine catches up This isn’t my first hit and odds are it won’t be ets easier But, when the royals give an order…

The engine roars to life and I jet across the lapping water, disturbing whatever lies in wait below the surface While nobody appears to sound any alarer fills my core I look around in each direction—the dock is still quiet, the island still raucous with party goers Probably too busy stuffing their faces with paella and wine, which is what I want to be doing again

Once I cauard at the bow—tossing hiht—I even have a bloodstained and bullet ski my last

Standing over my dead mark, I pull out an old flip-phone and take a quick picture as proof the job is done—then ring my buddy

“Yep,” Larz says on the other line

“It’s done Your father’s little problem is handled I just sent over the proof,” I say, still catching my breath from the tumble I just took

“Good You knohat to do”

I hang up the burner phone and s up the pieces, I toss them overboard and make my way back to the stolen boat that I must also dispose of

By the ti, but I was still pissed about it This is my favorite shirt, dammit I dumped the boat but not until I had raided it and found a Hawaiian-style button down of all things It did not go with the rest of my clothes but it also didn’t have a blood stained hole on the arm, so there was that

My phone beeped, alerting ht to LA—and Ruthless Corp headquarters where all hit start—so it was time for that paella and wine

Chapter One—Larz

Rain pelts my windshield as I look on at the stone structure beforelow above the stone structure and I shook my head at how perfect the weather accented the mood

“Father’s release dayit should be sunny,” I mutter to no one but myself News plays over the radio, but the rain and hts drown it out I’d already heard what I needed to anyway—three dead at sea and no leads on suspects or motives It was a clean job as always, save for the bonus requested by our little hired “help” after he received a small flesh wound Not that money was an issue I would have paid more if he’d asked

I stretch with a yawn and look back at the entrance, then the clock Ten raced king of Denhteen-hness to have spent locked up—plenty of time for his who screwed hihten on the steering wheel that I didn’t even realize I’d taken ahold of again I release the them one at a ti i at the tie, I thought I shake ainst retaliation Just breathe

It’s hard to talk e—especially since my father had offered to pay the debt in full, but those bastards were out for blood, willing to take down oat, took one for the team