Chapter 1: Outlaw

Declan – A year ago

The cell phone slams against the wall with a loud crack. “Wow, Outlaw. What the fuck?” I turn to Hunter with an angry scowl. “They fucking lost him, Hunter!” His eyebrows scrunch up in question. “What? Who?” I point to the now broken cell phone lying listlessly on the abandoned warehouse’s floor. “That was Cameron. Reaper and Savage had Kazik, but the bastard somehow escaped before they could take him. That’s why that motherfucker, Christoph, was not in this shitty-ass Brooklyn warehouse. Our mission has been blown.”

Last night one of my contacts informed me that Christoph Kazik would be transporting a new shipment of girls. Everything was planned. We were going to swoop in and save those girls, but now everything is ruined.

“We planned his capture, and the asshole somehow knew. Now, here we are with our dicks in our hands in the middle of nowhere.” I croak out angrily. I can barely contain my rage.

The night is quiet, and the moon is shining brightly as if mocking our efforts. Rolling my shoulders, I try to loosen my tense muscles. “This is bullshit! A cluster-fuck of epic proportions. Priest wants me to find Christoph. He hopes that he’ll lead us to Willem. But how am I going to find him now? The fucker has probably gone underground by now. Fuck!” I inwardly curse as I sift my fingers through my hair.

Frustrated, Hunter raises his arms over his head and kicks out in the air. “Goddamn it!”

Shaking my head, I angrily stomp my way to my car and kick the front tire.  Hunter sighs deeply and consolingly places his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s regroup, man. How about we go get some coffee and plan our next step. There’s this diner a few blocks from this shithole that we can go to.”

I’m about to decline his invitation when the sky opens up, and a shower of rain begins to fall across the city. Even the weather is against me tonight. Sighing deeply, Hunter quirks his brow and points to the car. “Coffee?”

 Seeing that there’s nothing else I can do at the moment, I nod my head, take my keys out of my jacket pocket, and slide inside the car. It doesn’t take us long to make it to Hunter’s diner. The diner is a typical greasy spoon with a hopelessly depressing aura. The outside walls are a worn pink color that was probably last painted in the nineteen-fifties. There are very few cars around the depressingly dark lot and a dim light casting a solemn shadow through the dirty, shabby windows.

Once I stop the car, Hunter steps out and strides toward the dingy front door. Before I join him, I reach into my glove compartment and take out another cell phone. Thankfully, I keep a spare in case I need it. In my business, it’s always useful to be prepared. Sliding it into my pocket, I follow behind Hunter and keep a wary eye on the surrounding area. I scan the dark corners of the street, trying to gauge if there is danger hiding in the shadows. I know it’s paranoid, but it’s best to be prepared for any attacks in my business.

The bell chimes when the door opens, combining the crowd's sounds and the screech of the rusted hinges. Oblivious to the dangers around him, Hunter makes his way to a corner booth. I want to slap him in the head when he plops down on his seat. He doesn’t even bother giving the place a thorough inspection.

Hunter’s a Confradia tech. He was recruited by one of the top Confradia Assassins, Priest, several years ago. He found Hunter at a nearby garage fixing computers and working at a Pep Boys. The kid was barely making ends meet until Priest hired him on the spot.  Hunter is one of our youngest recruits. He’s twenty-two. But don’t be fooled by his age. The boy can fix just about anything. Unfortunately, when it comes to looking out for danger, Hunter is still very green. Priest asked him to assist me this evening. I usually work on my own, but I needed to make sure the place didn’t have any surprises.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very good at what I do. My tech skills are well-honed. However, Hunter is in a league of his own. He’s almost as good as the west coast director, Logan Blake.

Taking a seat in one of the yellow peeling booths, I sit in a corner and maintain a birds-eye-view of all the patron’s ins and outs. It’s very late, which means there aren’t many people in the diner. There’s an elderly man in the corner talking to a waitress with a sixties beehive, a teen couple huddled together around a table sharing coffee, and a middle-aged waitress serving two factory workers.

My inspection halts when she steps out of the kitchen door. She’s beautiful with long russet hair and rich brown eyes. Her hair is tied back, highlighting high cheekbones, a lush mouth, and long lashes fluttering over doe's eyes. Her lips are pouty and pink, making me imagine them against mine. I bite my lip and lick it as if savoring the taste of her luscious lips. Her body is perfect. She’s wearing a typical sixties diner uniform in an ugly color, but it doesn’t hide the rise and fall of her high breasts and small waist. My eyes roam across her body to her long tanned legs and rounded bottom. I have to stifle a groan when she bends down and refills the teen couples’ coffee.

She’s beautiful… and young. My head whips back to Hunter, who is snapping his fingers in front of me. “Outlaw…did you hear me?” He asks with a concerned frown. I shake my head, clearing my thoughts before I respond. “What?” He laughs sardonically. “Dude, I’ve been talking to you, but you’ve been zoned out. What’s up?” I shrug my shoulders and maintain an even expression. “Nothing. I’m just thinking about how everything went to shit tonight.”

Before I can say more, the woman walks up to our table. She’s even more beautiful up close. I don’t know why, but anger surges through me when Hunter’s eyes widen at her presence. My body stiffens at the scent of her lavender perfume and fresh linen scent. My senses instantly go on alert. Hunter smiles flirtatiously, which pisses me off even more. I feel disjointed at the thought of anyone looking her─and I don’t know why. Clamping my mouth shut, I stifle the urge not to take him by the neck and yell, “She’s mine!”

Unaware of my turmoil, the girl gives us both a sweet smile and says, “Hello, boys. My name’s Santana. Would you care for some coffee?”  Hunter puffs out his chest and straightens up in his seat. I almost want to punch him in the teeth when he whispers huskily, “Well, hello there, beautiful. My friend and I would definitely love some coffee.” Santana smiles then gazes back at me. She must see something in my demeanor because her smile slips. A deep male part of me reacts when she takes a step back and pours coffee into both our cups. Eyes locked in a battle of wills, I dare her to say something. I won’t pretend that I’m not enjoying the way her chest heaves raggedly or the way she bites her lips and covers her chest with the menu. She’s definitely affected by my presence.

Hunter clears his throat with a snicker and waits for a response. As if finally noticing that she’s staring at me, she snaps out of her trance and blinks rapidly. “Um…I…I’ll leave you a menu and be back to take your orders in a minute.” To my gratification, she doesn’t take her eyes off me. Not even when she has to place the menus on the table. I won’t pretend that I can’t take my eyes off her either. She’s exquisite, and I’m just as entranced by her as she is by me. Before she walks away, she gives me one last cursory look and bites her lip. Licking my lips, I narrow my eyes. My dick is as hard as a rock and ready for action.

Chuckling, Hunter releases an exasperated breath and slumps back in his seat. “What the fuck, man? I can’t win with you and Priest. It’s like I’m invisible when you two are around. Fucking pretty boys.” I smirk and take a sip of my coffee before I settle it back in my own seat. “It’s the suit, kid,” I murmur with a wave at my black double-breasted Armani suit. “Women love a man who is well dressed. I should know.”

Hunter scoffs, offended by my blunt statement. “I look good.” I run my gaze down his band t-shirt and ripped jeans with a sneer. “No, you don’t. You look like a poor college kid. Women want a man who dresses like he’s serious. Not some punk-ass kid who looks like he still lives with his mother.”

Hunter’s mouth gapes open. “What? I have a job.” Quirking a brow, I shake my head and shift in my seat. “I know that, and you know that. The problem is that you don’t look like you do.” Hunter gazes down at his outfit with deep contemplation. “I guess you’re right. Damn, that’s too bad cause she’s hot.”

Glancing back at the girl, I catch her looking at me and snicker. It’s cute how she quickly looks away, pretending to pick up some things from the counter. After a moment, she walks back to our table, this time avoiding eye contact, which makes me want her even more. My cock stands to attention at the thought of sliding between her welcoming thighs. However, it gives me pause that she looks so young.

“Do you know what you want, boys?” She asks, taking out a notebook and pencil from her pocket.  Hunter points at something on the old laminated menu and replies. “I’ll have a piece of cherry pie, sweetheart.” She writes his order down then hesitantly looks at me. “And you?” She asks. Her voice is husky and thick with desire. My mind conjures many answers to her question, but I refrain from saying what I really want to say. “I’ll just stick with the coffee.”

Without another word, Santana hesitantly takes the menu and walks away.

Slumping back in his seat, Hunter crosses his arms in front of his chest and mutters, “You lucky bastard.” I roll my eyes in response. The boy needs to learn how to be a graceful loser. Leaning over the scarred laminate table, I push my cup away. “We need to regroup and talk to Priest. Christoph and Kazik will not get away with what they’ve done. It would be a disaster of epic proportions to lose them now, considering all of the confidential information they have on the Confradia. We need to find out who betrayed the Confradia before it’s too late.”

Hunter tightens his jaw with a grim scowl. “Yeah, man. I know what you’re saying. Ever since we found out Kazik was alive, we’ve been sorting through records in hopes of finding out his end game. We’ll figure it out.” Just then, Hunter’s cell phone rings. It must be Priest because he answers it right away. I listen intently for a couple of minutes until he disconnects the call. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, which puts me further on edge. “Well?” I ask with an impatient scowl.

Hunter grimaces before he responds. “That was Priest. The Confradia wasn’t able to recover Willem. They scoured the water, but they didn’t find him or his body. They don’t know if he’s dead or alive. Unfortunately, Christoph disappeared along with him, and any lead we had on them has grown cold.” Hunter rubs the bridge of his nose before he continues. “That’s not all, though. The Confradia is also pissed off because Reaper and the others went after Kazik. It appears that they were never given permission to run an investigation on Kazik. They’ve asked Priest to reprimand Cameron, Savage, and Reaper. They also called Jaxon Maxwell in to revise Reaper’s unsanctioned relationship. They’re considering expelling Reaper from the Confradia. Priest is running interference with Jaxon right now, but we need to go.”

I grit my teeth in rage. Leave it to the Confradia to object to one of their Assassin’s being in a relationship. Not to mention the fact that Reaper went off the book because he had to save his love. That’s why I never want to fall in love. Love makes men stupid. However, I don’t think it’s reason enough to punish Reaper. Jaxon Maxwell, code name Ares, is the East Coast’s director. He’s our boss and ruthless asshole, which means the Confradia is going after Reaper with a vengeance. Could this be a conspiracy?

“We better go then.” Rising up, I place a twenty on the table and crash into Santana. Santana gasps in shock, toppling the plate in her hand onto the table. Before she can fall, I wrap my arms around her waist and hold her against my chest. We’re both face-to-face now. I groan when her firm breasts settle against my stomach and her hands rest on my shoulders. Her body feels incredibly good against mine. The urge to kiss her is nearly overwhelming. Gazing into her beautiful eyes, I lean close and whisper. “I apologize, but we need to go.” Her lower lip trembles as she gazes into my eyes. “You’re leaving?” I nod my head, never taking my eyes off her lips.

“Ready, man?” Hunter asks, interrupting our moment. Santana and I both break apart with a grimace. Thankfully, other than Hunter, no one noticed our captivated state. Stepping back, I point to the money on the table. “Keep the change.” Santana rubs her thighs with a shy smile. “Yeah, thanks.” Giving her one last look, I turn around and walk out the door.

“Holy shit, that was intense,” Hunter mutters with a sly grin. Ignoring his comment, I slide into the seat of my car and turn the ignition. However, Hunter is not good at reading subtle cues. “Dude, you two were seriously hot together. I can see the steam coming off your bodies. I thought you two were going to make out right there.”

Maybe if I shoot him, he’ll stop talking. “Shut up, Hunter!” I grit out through clenched teeth. Instead of being cowed, Hunter continues. I swear the boy had no sense of self-preservation. “You should have asked for her number, man. She was seriously into you. I know I would have if she had noticed me.”

Slamming down hard on the brake, I face a now startled Hunter. “Listen, kid. I don’t know how you are with Priest, but I prefer to keep my private life private. Which is why I’d appreciate it if you’d drop it. Am I understood?” Hunter swallows hard then gives me a hearty nod. “Yeah, I got it, man. It’s cool.”

That night we both meet up with Priest and the others. If thoughts of a gorgeous brunette run through my mind, I ignore it. I will never tell Hunter this, but I do regret not asking for her number.