KILLER INSTINCT (A Mafia Bad Boy Romance Novel) by Julia Gardener Read Free Book Online Page A

now. If the military has thought me anything is that a group is as strong as its weakest link.”
     
     
    She didn’t hesitate. “Agreed.”
     
     
    I liked that in a woman.
     
     
    “Who knows how long Gregori is going to wait around for his money,” I continued. “So we have a small window of opportunity to find him, get some answers, and get revenge. We need to move fast if we want to track him.”
     
     
    “Revenge…” Kelly murmured, almost frightened by the word. “Anything else about this Gregori guy?”
     
     
    I sighed. “Not much to add. Just getting his background was like pulling teeth.”
     
     
    “I hope you mean metaphorically,” she said, shooting me a disapproving look. “Do you have any leads on his whereabouts?”
     
     
    “I’m glad you asked,” I replied, taking out a sheet of papers from the folder. “The man’s like a ghost. I can at least confirm that Gregori is in the country. He might even be in the city but I can’t say for sure. However, I do have something else that could help us.”
     
     
    “Another lead?”
     
     
    “Something like that,” I answered, showing her a decrypted contract. “An interesting contract came up. It looks like your father wasn’t the first Atlantic the Black Fang approached. They came to a man named Jacob Cobbs before him.”
     
     
    “They were others?”
     
     
    “This man was a pretty high ranking executive up on the Atlantic Corporation’s totem pole,” I continued as she read the contract. “The problem was that he specialized in managing the company’s supply chain. He didn’t have the clearance or know-how to move funds from a bank account and cover up the tracks from the inside. Once the Black Fang realized their blunder, they tried to threaten his family and silence him.”
     
     
    Kelly followed along. “Is he still alive?”
     
     
    “Alive enough to hide and reach out to a professional like me,” I chuckled. I rarely took a contract that I could genuinely feel good about. “The man’s been hiding ever since with his family sent packing to Singapore for their safety. As far as the Atlantic Corporation knows, Cobbs is on an extended vacation. The Black Fang have his passport and personal information. It’s still a matter of time before they catch him.”
     
     
    “Where is he now?”
     
     
    “Even I don’t know for sure,” I shrugged. “Gregori’s men are cutting off all of his exits. His family was lucky to leave the country when they did. With his options running out, Cobbs has resorted to less than legal channels to save himself. The man I spoke to was his go-between. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s hired more people to act as his liaisons.”
     
     
    “Why did he reach out to a hitman like you instead of the police or FBI?”
     
     
    “The Black Fang sent a man after him named Krause,” I said. “He’s an ex-East German soldier who turned to wet work after the wall came down. Now, he’s an assassin who works for the highest bidder which is Gregori in this case. Krause was taking hits when I was diapers. The man is a real professional. The Black Fang is sparing no expense in clearing up this mess.”
     
     
    “So he hired a hitman to stop another hitman.”
     
     
    “Exactly,” I answered, looking at the file on Krause. He was mean bastard of a man. “Not too many hitmen were willing to take up a contract like this, even for a fortune.”
     
     
    “He sounds dangerous,” Kelly shuddered. The young woman gave me a strange look before speaking. “Have you met Krause before?”
     
     
    Kelly was perceptive if nothing else.
     
     
    “We’ve crossed each other’s paths before…” I answered, trying to keep my face an emotionless mask. Krause had no moral code. He’d torture his target for hours before finishing them off. “I can take down Krause if I catch him off guard. If we eliminate him, Cobbs will give us all he has on Gregori. Not to mention a sizeable monetary reward