Never Kiss a Bad Boy by Nora Flite Read Free Book Online

me about it.”
    “How about I don't, and we just go get your things?” He took the corner too fast, rocking me against the window.
    We weren't far from my apartment, but I had no plans to sit quietly. “You said you'd help train me. That was part of the agreement, right?” Crushing my purse, I reminded myself of the money that Jacob now had. “I'll need to know about everything. You said yourself, I'm staying with you guys so I can learn quickly. Refusing to talk to me is counterproductive.”
    “Counterproductive,” he chuckled. His fingers tapped on the wheel, a tiny song with no rhythm. “Fine. You want me to talk? Then let me tell you a little story that I think you'll enjoy.”
    Kite started smiling, but it didn't come through his voice. I didn't care. I was eager to fill my head with anything he would offer. “You're the pro, tell me what I need to know.”
    “You need to know what can go wrong.” His head moved back, skull grinding into the cushion like he was getting comfortable. “You're a newbie, mistakes are common.”
    My ears strained until they rang. I hung on his every word.
    “I was lucky,” he said softly. “I didn't have a real mistake until my second year. It was our fifth contract, a guy named Culver. Real strong, not that you'd know by looking at him. He wore baggy clothes all the damn time. I don't know where he got all his muscle.”
    My arm hairs were prickling. “How old were you?”
    Kite blinked, the spell broken when he stared at me. The stern, empty man had melted as he recounted the past. It was only for a second, but I saw it. “This was about three years ago. Guess I was twenty-two.”
    A stack of bricks filled my throat. My age. He'd already killed five people by then?
    “Anyway,” he went on. “Jacob took point, made sure no one was watching. We were near the wharf, I figured I could slip in, get him with some wire from behind. Done.”
    If I closed my eyes, I could have pictured it better.
    I didn't dare try.
    Kite's lips softened. He wasn't angry or irritated... just subdued. “I was quiet as anything, even without the rough waves hiding my steps that night. Culver was drunk. You'd think that would have helped, but alcohol makes some people stupid and others—well.” There, a real smile. “He was a beast. I dug the wire into his throat, threw myself back, but he didn't go down. Guy fought me, got his nails on my arms and dug in deep. Made me bleed before he finally choked.”
    My lungs could have exploded. Breathing out loudly, I shook my head. “Wait. I thought you were telling me about a hit that went wrong. You still killed him, right?”
    “That's why I said you don't know anything.” Kite pulled around a street, the car rolling into the parking lot of my complex. He cut the engine, then twisted to face me.
    In the low lights, Kite was a mixture of gentle breathing and wild, dangerous eyes. His arm was over the back of his seat. I could see every muscle fiber flexing.
    I grabbed my knees tighter and forced myself to remain still.
    He whispered, “Culver scratched me.” Lifting his palm between us, Kite flexed his fingers into claws. “Skin cells under the nails. It'd be enough to lead the authorities back to me. Normally, we can leave a body at a scene and it won't matter. Not this time.”
    “What did you do?” I hushed.
    His hand became a fist. He left it fall into his lap. “Jacob helped me wrap the body, then we loaded it into the car. What would you do with a corpse?”
    Shivering, I kept my voice steady. “I don't know. Burn it?”
    His chuckle was wicked. “Too much left behind to identify. We had to erase every bit of that body. Any other guesses?”
    I shook my head, a barely noticeable move. Of course, Kite saw it. I suspected he saw everything.
    “Big metal barrel.” His eyebrows hooded his face. “Enough acid to cover everything. Took almost a week. We watched the news, praying no one had seen our car or us. Like always, they never