Page 1 of Bad Man

Chapter One

Michael

As I approach my final job of the day, I can’t deny I’m intrigued by whomever lives here. There are cameras posted all over the outside of this place; I don’t think there’s a single inch of the property that isn’t covered. I already knew this connection was for a new resident – not only is the service order labeled as a new client hookup, but I know damn near everyone who lives in Blackwood Falls and I don’t recognize the woman’s name.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t look her up, though.

There wasn’t a lot of information available about Ella Wheeler online. Most people our age have some sort of social media account, or at the very least a LinkedIn profile. Not her. There was one article about a stalking case that her name was mentioned in, but Wheeler is a pretty common last name. Without doing an in-depth search – something I’m more than capable of – I have no way of knowing whether or not our new resident was involved. in that case. If she was the victim, it was no wonder why she would want so many cameras around her house.

Pushing that speculation out of my head, I get out of my work van, and walk around to the rear of the vehicle. As I pull open the back doors that are emblazoned with the internet company logo, I feel eyes on me. When I glance toward thehouse, I catch sight of the curtains in an upstairs window falling back into place.

It seems that Blackwood Falls’ new addition is just as curious about me as I am about her.

She’s waiting for me when I get to her front door. My knuckles barely graze the red-painted wood before the barrier between us swings open, revealing a pair of bright blue eyes staring up at me. I almost get lost in them and forget where I am.

I’ve seen beautiful girls before, but no one compares to Ella. Her sapphire eyes are just the tip of the iceberg. Her face is perfect, plump cheeks and pouty lips. And that hair… God, I can already imagine those red locks gathered in my fist while I shove my cock into that plush mouth.

Fuck, I’m starting to get hard in my jeans just looking at her. I need to control myself.

“You’re here to connect the internet?” she asks. Her voice is soft, low, and just as alluring as the rest of her.

“I am,” I confirm, my voice husky with need. I clear my throat before saying, “You’re Ella Wheeler, right?”

Her eyes widen as she glances around behind me. It’s almost like she’s checking to make sure no one heard her name. Then, after her survey, she steps back to allow me entry before closing the door and locking it.

“Sorry about that,” she says, twirling a strand of her thick, red hair around her finger. It has to be natural; no salon could recreate those subtle highlights. “Safety first and all that.”

I hum, slipping off my shoes so I don’t track dirt onto her pristine, white carpet and taking stock of the mostly-unpacked home. It’s cluttered with boxes and bags, but I note the presence of cameras inside, too. I recognize the brand. The picture qualityis great, but, speaking from experience, they put up almost no resistance to hackers.

For someone who seems so concerned about safety, she should have done more research; she’s practically begging someone to watch her.

“So,” I say, pushing that thought out of my mind. It’s best I don’t think ofanythingthat could be related to my other job while I’m working this one, “do you know where your modem is?”

“In the office,” she says, her eyes lingering on me. There’s something hot in those twin pools of blue. I want to explore it. “I’ll show you.”

“Lead the way,” I say, falling into step a few paces behind her, watching the way her ass sways as she walks. God damn. Everything about this girl is perfect.

The office is the only room in the house that isn’t a mess of boxes. It’s unpacked and tidy. On the desk next to her computer is a daily calendar and a monthly planner, both full of her handwriting. She must have a work from home job, something normal that doesn’t justify all of these cameras.

If she had my job, the one that no one knows I have, the one where I take people out for a hefty sum of cash, then all this security would make sense. From what I can tell, this poor thing is just needlessly paranoid. I could fix that. Whatever it is that’s scaring her, I could take care of it. Maybe what she needs is someone else in this place with her, protecting her from whatever danger is out there.

“I’m glad you were able to come out today,” she says, hugging her arms around her small, feminine frame. “I’ve already missed so much work because of the move. I didn’t realize leaving the city would be such a hassle.”

“That sounds rough,” I say, bending down so I can take care of the connection, grateful for the way the position hides my half-hard cock that only seems to get harder as Ella speaks. “Can’t say I’ve ever had the pleasure of moving any notable distance.”

“You’ve been in Blackwood Falls your whole life?” she asks, taking a step closer so she can watch what I’m doing. I can smell her perfume, a light vanilla scent mixed with honey – good enough to eat – wafting off of her. “I read that it’s safe; is that true?”

“Pretty damn safe,” I confirm, swallowing hard as my cock screams for her. “I know the sheriff. He’s tough on crime, so there’s rarely ever a problem.”

“That’s good,” Ella says, her body relaxing a little bit. I can’t help but wonder what made her so skittish. Maybe she’s the Ella Wheeler from that article after all.

I make a noise of affirmation in the back of my throat as I turn that possibility over in my head. The man that stalked the Ella Wheeler in the article got off without even a slap on the wrist. He’s walking free while his victim lives in fear. I swear to god, if my Ella was his victim, I’ll kill him.

I’m good at it. A military tour and a few years of working as a hitman will do that.

“Alright,” I say, glancing over my shoulder, my breath catching at how gorgeous she looks from this angle. I bet she’d look even better if our positions were reversed. I cough in an attempt to push that image out of my head. If I’m not careful, she’s going to see how hard I am just from being in her vicinity. “You should be online, but do you mind logging onto your computer to check the connection for me?”

Ella nods, turning around to open her laptop. With her eyes off of me, I stand up and adjust my cock in my pants. Once I get the bulge hidden, my attention snaps back to her. Just in time too, because she’s turning back toward me with a smile on her face.

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