Hank smirked at my confident words. “We’ll see.”
I paused for a moment, scanning the room for vulnerabilities. The place was like a pressure cooker, the air heavy with cigar smoke and the musky scent of perspiration. I continued. “Why the need for the bull-riding initiation?”
Hank let out a bitter laugh. “It’s all about the ride. Tells us everything. Who’s trustworthy, who’s cunning, who’s got the nerve. It’s our method of separating the men from the boys. You’re on my payroll. That makes you a Devil,” he retorted, his tone asserting ownership.
I clenched my jaw. The thought of being owned didn’t sit well with me, but I had a role to fulfill. Hank’s enemies weren’t the only rats I intended to eradicate.
“I’m my own man, Hank,” I responded, a devil-may-care smile playing on my lips. He was stepping onto my turf now, and he knew it. I was the man skilled enough, capable enough to kill. I was the one with the connections. The qualifications. The only leverage he had was information, and if he double-crossed me, I’d rip the information from his veins.
Though I preferred this easier method. “I’ve done your little initiation. Don’t mistake why I’m here.”
“Understood,” Hank grudgingly admitted, though his gaze remained unyielding.
He signaled his henchmen, who promptly exited the room. The door shut heavily behind them, leaving us in solitude.
“So what’s the job?” I demanded, my determination unwavering.
“I like your direct approach.” Hank leaned forward. “I’ve got a situation that requires your particular set of skills. You come highly recommended. Efficient, discreet, professional.”
“I deliver results,” I confirmed.
“I want to witness it for myself. People talk all the time, but I need action, Declan.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What do you propose?”
“Bring me a trophy,” he proposed with a wicked grin. “A head. Kill someone in this sorry ass town. Show me you can handle the dirty work. Make it clean. Make it secret. Then the job’s yours. Along with your information.”
I moved closer, confronting his challenge. “I’ve already proven myself.”
His eyes narrowed, a hint of amusement in his gaze. “You’re impressive, no doubt,” he admitted, taking a long drag from his cigarette. “But proving your worth doesn’t necessarily mean you’re the killer I need for this particular job.”
I widened my stance, my smirk speaking volumes. “My reputation says otherwise.”
His laughter was a harsh grating sound. “Then one more won’t hurt, right? I’ll handle any fallout. It’s a form of insurance, keeps my men in line.”
His condescending tone irritated me.
Hank’s mouth twisted into a wolfish grin. “I like you, Declan. You don’t shy from taking what’s yours, from doing what’s gotta be done. I can see that hunger in your eyes. That’s why you’re gonna find some poor bastard in town, kill him, and gift me his head. We both know you’ll go to any length for my intel.” He tapped his forehead with a finger. “Show me you’re all in.”
I tilted my chin up, arms folded across my chest. “I don’t kill for free,” I snapped, my tone oozing confidence.
Hank rumbled a laugh. “It’s not for free. At the end of our contract, I’ll pay what is due.”
I shrugged, my lips twisting into a smug smirk. “Maybe I should charge more.”
His gaze hardened. “We both know that the information I have is worth more than money,” he warned.
I cocked my head, a spark of defiance in my eyes. “And I plan to collect,” I shot back.
Hank’s eyebrow shot up. “I’ll tell you the name of your mother’s killer, son. I’m a man of my word. But you have to prove yourself first. I don’t fuck around. It’s hard to trust a man driven by vengeance. It makes them harder to control. Harder to predict. I’m just making sure you’re capable.”
An inkling of doubt hit me, but I clamped down on it. Showed no cracks. “I’m ready for whatever shitshow you got lined up,” I stated, my voice rock solid.
Hank grinned, nodding his approval. “That’s the spirit.”
“Alright then,” I rallied, fire in my voice, “what’s the gig after I kill some sorry fucker, hmm?”
His stare turned steely, a jolt of malice electrifying the air. Wasn’t gonna let him grind me down with his talk. Had the fury, yeah, but more than that. I was a seasoned killer, a shadowy death dealer. I’d do the job, cash out, and collect the info I craved.
“I have a high profile problem I need to eliminate,” Hank started, and I felt heat creeping up my neck, my body tightening like a sprung trap. His condescension was just gasoline on my flame. I was built for survival, unshakable, not even by this grizzled wolf.
“I don’t need the backstory. Don’t care about your grudge. Just need to get the hit done and be on my way.” I had no plans to be in this town for long. I’d kill a few people. Fuck a few women. Then, I’d be on my way with the information Hank had.
“It’s three hits,” Hank corrected. “No loose ends, Declan. You got your RV set up on the trail?”
Hank was a greedy fucker.
I gave a nod.
“Good. Judge Mathis is treating his old lady to a trail ride for her big six-oh. The broad’s crazy about horses.” He barked out a laugh, the sound booming. “Set up on the trail, wipe ’em all out. The couple and the guide. Don’t want anyone left to talk. Get it done clean, and I’ll cut your check and give you that name you’ve been searching for. Make it look like a murder suicide.”
I tilted my head. “You didn’t say shit about a guide when you brought me on.” My mind flashed to Clover. Fuck, she was gorgeous. I knew she’d be in my bed the moment I saw her. Now, Hank wanted me to kill her.
“What’s one more? I can’t have any goddamn loose ends. Judge Mathis double-crossed me. It’s time he felt the full weight of what happens when you fuck with the Devils.”
I sized him up, my face a stone mask, jaw clenched with a cocktail of rage and reluctant acceptance. I knew the futility of arguing. Hank held the reins. My voice was a frosty promise, “It’s a done deal.” I popped my knuckles, a cruel smirk playing on my lips.
Hank sank back into his chair, flicking his half-smoked cigar toward the ashtray. “Good,” he replied, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “Knew I picked the right son of a bitch for this gig. You got four days to give me a head. Pull that off, and we can move on to the real job you signed up for.” He pushed himself up, hand extended. “Your payday will be ready when you get back.” I took his hand, eyes dissecting his every twitch. He retracted his hand, motioning me to the door. “Now get your ass moving!”
I ghosted out of the room, boots whispering over the polished floorboards. There was work to do, a mark to pick. Four days on the clock. Time to punch in.
Surrounded by the cesspit that was the criminal underworld, a wave of revulsion washed over me. These were the kind of scumbags I never wanted on my speed dial. But then again, I wasn’t the type to lean on anyone.