Page 28 of The Hellkeeper

And who better for the job than me?

I exhale, lining up the shot. He’s sitting in his car, oblivious that these are his final seconds. My finger tightens on the trigger, and I fire. The bullet finds its mark, right between his eyes. He crumples instantly, slumping forward onto the wheel, a fine mist of red splattering the windshield.

The job is done.

And now, I have something far more important to return to.

My little flower is waiting.

The moment I pull onto the main road, my phone vibrates. Unknown number. Not uncommon as most of my clients use burners, keeping their names and sins hidden. I answer without a second thought.

“Damien?” a woman sing-songs.

My brows furrow as I try to place her. Lina? Luna? Something with an L.

She answers the unspoken question. “It’s Linda.”

Ah.

The blonde with the diamonds and the entitled attitude. The one who, despite being old enough to know better, still believes the world bends to her will.

I don’t respond. I wait.

“I was thinking about you,” she purrs. “We had such a connection, don’t you think?”

This woman is either delusional or stupid.

“What. Do. You. Want.” My voice is a growl, stripped of patience.

She laughs like I’m teasing her. “Oh, Damien, don’t be so cold.”

My irritation edges toward something dangerous.

“I don’t do small talk. What the fuck do you want?”

There’s a pause. Then she tries again, her voice syrupy and false. “I just thought… maybe we could see each other outside of business.”

Rage floods me. It’s ice-cold and blinding.

“That’s never going to happen.” My words slice through her delusion.

She shrieks in outrage, the sound grating in my ear.

Before I can end the call, she blurts, “Wait! I have another hit I need you to do.”

Does she think I’ll humor her just because her daddy pays me for a couple of hits?

My teeth grind together. “Let your father communicate it to me.”

“But—”

“Any more of this nonsense and tell Richard I won’t pick up another job for him. Ever.”

She exhales sharply. “Fine.”

I hang up before she can say another word. If she thinks she can dangle work over my head to get what she wants, she’s dead wrong. I don’t need their money. I’ve got seven figures stacked away. Investments that multiply by the second. If I wanted to, I could put down the rifle today and never touch it again.

No one holds anything over me anymore.

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