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“Wow, I cannot fucking believe this,” I sneered. “Is this how low you’ll go? You must want those trucking inventories real bad, eh?”

Chalmers sighed, completely serious as she replied. “You’re paid to do a job, Eli. And you’re not doing what we’ve asked you to.”

I slammed my palm on the table and shot up. People in the surrounding booths took notice. There were too many people in the diner to do anything else to draw attention, but I was so fucking tempted.

Jones’ grin faltered as I reared over them both. I leaned forward, snatching the envelope from his hand, enjoying how he flinched.

“We’re done here,” I said, my tone flat and cold. “If you ever try to use my daughter to get information out of me again I’ll make sure you don’t see another sunrise. Understood?” I glared at them both, tucking the envelope in my jacket as I stepped out of the booth.

I sighed, disappointed we even needed to have that conversation.

“Don’t forget, I’m the reason you have this job,” I said, adjusting my jacket as I turned my back on them and walked off.

We were meant to be civil to each other in public in case any Donelli’s were watching, but they crossed a fucking line. They could collect their own intel this month, see how well they do without my help. Then maybe they’d pay me some respect and I’d lose the urge to slit Jones’ throat.

I’d made sure to park around the side of the diner so I was hidden from the main road. I straddled my bike, lighting a cigarette, opening my jacket and swapping my lighter out for the envelope and taking a deep drag.

Even in the shade, the dry heat scraped against my throat and dust spiralled around the parking lot from trucks coming in and out. Their squeaky-clean Bureau-assigned BMW stuck out like a beacon among all the second-hand pick ups.

I craned my neck, gazing at the cloudless bright blue sky that seemed to grow bigger with every passing day. Hopefully, I’d be whisked away after I was done.

Though, I was kidding myself if I ever thought I was going any other direction but down.

I looked at the envelope, sighing before I took another drag of my cigarette.

Even if it was just a brown rectangle of paper, it was the potential it held. The pictures made everything worse. The happier Lacey was, the more determined I was to make life safe for her. Her smile pushed me towards Caleb, towards my final act; killing him and his father so no one could ever touch her.

I had been running this operation for so long that my baby girl was growing up without me.

My vision blurred as the memories hit me again.

Martha was dead, Bruno was crushing my back under his foot, and the front door opened. The second I heard Mom call our names, I shot into action, grabbing Bruno’s ankle, trying to bring him down, kill him if I had to. I’d never killed a person back then; though I expected to one day. Wyatt went downstairs, and Bruno got so sick of my struggle he smashed his gun into my face, breaking my nose and jaw. I’d nearly passed out, but I heard them talking to Lacey, asking her her name and where she went to school. After that, Mom told me they had said if I tried to go after them, they’d kill my little girl. I asked her not to tell the police the truth, that it would be more dangerous and expose us. I reported the incident to the Bureau, and they put them into Witness Protection. She was only five.

I still didn’t know if it was the best choice. From what Jones and Chalmers implied, she was safe, and that was what really mattered. As long as I wasn’t in their lives, my parents wouldn’t have to worry either.

A deep sadness clawed at my throat, the same sadness which tracked my every movement since the day I lost them. Because I had to cut myself off from Lacey as well. She didn’t just lose her mother, she lost us both.

I didn’t want to forget what I was doing here.

If I could find at least half an hour to myself before I returned to the Donelli compound and became Eli Jensen instead of Agent Knightly I might actually sleep tonight. The only time I was ever free was when Caleb buried himself inside me, and I couldn’t call that freedom.

But freedom wasn't what I was looking for when I went to him.

I wanted to be caged, trapped by him, pushed so hard I didn’t have to think or breathe, so all I was was his.

And that was more dangerous than my mission. Because each step I took towards him was another step away from my real goal: revenge.

CHAPTER FOUR

ELI

Ithought I was going to melt. I was so full.

I couldn’t feel anything apart from the hard concrete on my cheek and his cock in my ass.

I was nearly crying. Everything was so fierce and frantic, and exactly what I needed.

“You're such a little whore for me, aren't you?” Caleb snapped as he thrust into me again.

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