Page 65 of Ignite

Jazz’s voice was crushed under the need to cry or scream. “I don’t suppose you’d consider letting me go? I’m so done with the scam-shielder thing. I just want to protect my family.”

He clicked his tongue. “It’s nothing personal. Just a job.”

“I find this very personal.”

The assassin gave a short laugh. “I see what my rival likes so much about you. We have several options. We can wait for him to make a move. From this angle, I can see everything. The movement of the sun, the shadows, anything that comes through those windows. From the trajectory of that bullet, he’s not that far away. Probably on one of those higher rooftops a few streets over. It would take him quite a bit of time to break down his weapon and move to a more advantageous location. The problem he has is there is no other alternative but to target us directly through those windows.”

Jazz’s eyes welled up, but she didn’t move to dash away the tears. Through the film of moisture, she looked up and envisioned Wolf spotting them and lifting a gun just before the assassin took him out. Would she be able to stop it? Push the guy or become deadweight he couldn’t hold on to?

The man continued to talk as if he was ordering a pizza over the phone. “The second option is to move to the exit. This would require exposure but very little risk to me, as you’re a very good shield. The sunlight will enhance your coloring more than mine; therefore, I’ll be invisible as you radiate. He won’t be able to see me. That is if he’s still in position. If he’s moved to get closer, he won’t have any sort of visual. He will also have to handle more than one man. There are many guns in this place. With so many targets, he would be hard-pressed to kill us all.” He chuckled. “It might not even be me who shoots him.”

A new emotion rose in Jazz’s mind. Anger. “I will never understand why anyone thinks it’s okay to rob older people of a lifetime of work. To take advantage of someone who’s desperate and lonely. Or cheat someone out of their hard-earned money when they’re looking for a break. People who just want to work, pay their bills, and live in peace. It’s not right, and it never will be.”

“What does that have to do with me killing your boyfriend?”

“You wouldn’t be here if those scummy scammers weren’t in business.”

“You’re right, but you’ll never stop it. Con men have been around for a long time,priya. Centuries. They’ve just moved into the internet realm, that’s all.”

She sniffed. “Yeah, well, I changed my mind. When I get out of here, I’m gonna keep being a pain in the ass to them.”

This time his laugh was deafening in her ear. “Oh, my precious girl, you’re not getting out of here.”

Jazz’s heart clenched. Both she and Wolf would die today. Someone would find the bodies and wonder how they got there. Hugo would be devastated. Her mother would beat her chest and cry to all the neighbors. Liz would mourn in her own way. The boys… what would happen to them?

“I think we’ll use option two. Let’s move.” He started to shuffle against the wall, keeping her body in front of his and always facing the rectangular windows. The gun stayed resting on her shoulder, the barrel next to her ear. The sun was blinding for a moment as they moved, and Jazz squinted against the bright light. The movement was awkward, and several times she tripped over her own feet, causing her hair to be pulled in the man’s tight fist. It felt like her scalp was going to rip from her skull. She had the absurd thought that she hoped someone would get her a pretty blue wig for the funeral.

Who’m I kidding? Mom will donate my body to science. She won’t spring for a casket. Maybe cremation?“Spring for my body cream.”

She didn’t realize she’d spoken out loud until the man behind her stopped. “What are you talking about?”

There was no littlechinkthis time. One moment she stood next to the office door, her back pressed tightly to the front of the assassin. The next seconds were a blur. The door opened, and Wolf suddenly appeared with no sound or warning. His arm was up. Jazz heard a singlepew, and the man behind her crumpled. The gun he held over her shoulder fell to the ground. The man didn’t have time to react or even see Wolf until the bullet had traveled through his head and out the other side. His dead face sported the same surprised look as Ramrod’s.

For a millisecond, Jazz was scared. Scared of Wolf. His eyes were completely devoid of emotion. No color. No life. No love. The gun was still in his hand, pointing at the spot where he’d fired into the assassin’s head. Then she saw it. Those green-and-gold orbs changed as if a switch had been flipped. With a single anguished noise, he pulled her into his arms, and she felt his trembling body.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” he chanted. His shaking got worse as he clutched her to him.

She put her arms around him as best she could. This was Wolf. The man she’d loved for years before he really became hers. This was the man who accepted all of her and her crazy family. This was the man who saved her life and the lives of her nephews. This was also the man who gave up a piece of his hard-won humanity to come save her again. “I’m okay, love. I’m okay.”

For minutes they stood simply holding each other as close as possible. Wolf finally let her go and lifted the palm of one hand to his wet eyes. “We need to go. Denny is probably on his way by now, and we can’t be here.”

“What about the other Slaggers?”

“They don’t know anything has happened yet. Between the loud music and the drinking, they didn’t hear anything. Plus, the suppressor did its job.”

“The silencer?”

“We call them suppressors. They reduce the sound a lot, but they don’t eliminate it.”

“Oh. How did you get in?”

“There’s a side entrance that was blocked. I unblocked it.”

“Oh.”

So simple.

“I’m gonna block it again when we’re out. We need to make that now, baby.”

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