Deadly Intent: An Action Thriller (Adrian Hell Series Book 4) Read Online Free Page A

managed to appease her for now.
    I’m trying to think who those guys could’ve worked for. In this new world we live in, it’s hard to imagine they could represent any significant criminal organization. All the things that made criminal empires any money were legal, so they’d all but disappeared.
    It’s a good thing I’m not still working as a hitman, as I’d be facing a recession of my own.
    I had to expect things like this to happen from time to time though—it’s a drawback of being who I used to be, I guess. The man might be long gone, but the legend clearly lives on.
    I dismiss it from my mind as Tori appears at the bathroom door, leaning seductively on the frame wearing a skimpy T-shirt and panties.
    “Hey,” she says with a killer smile.
    “Hey yourself,” I reply.
    She walks over and, as she nears the bed, I reach up and put my hands on her waist, whisking her off her feet and onto the bed next to me. I roll over on top of her, leaning down to kiss her. She meets me halfway, pressing her lips tenderly against mine. After a few moments, we part, our heart rates slightly higher than they were before. We smile at each other, and I lean in again, but she puts her hand on my chest and pushes me back, then props herself up on her elbow, looking at me.
    “What happened tonight, Ady?” she asks me.
    I sigh. “Like I said, they were just three guys lookin’ to cause trouble,” I reply.
    “I know, you said that. But why would you invite them into the back room first?”
    “One of them had a gun... They said they wanted to talk to me, so I did what I thought was right to protect the people in my bar.”
    “And that’s real thoughtful of you, baby. But you sometimes forget that a) I know you, and b) you can’t lie for shit.”
    She smiles, and I can’t help but smile back. She’s not mad at me for anything; she’s just looking out for me and wants me to be honest with her. And I hate lying to her. I briefly think whether I actually need to… I mean, she’s crazy about me, and she’s a genuinely great woman. Would she understand if I told her about my former life?
    Probably not…
    “I honestly have no idea who they were—I just didn’t want anyone getting hurt.”
    She traces her finger over my chest as she talks. “What did they wanna talk to you about?”
    “One of them said something about his boss offering me a job... I don’t know what that entailed—I didn’t give them chance to tell me.”
    “Yeah, I saw that part. Did you really beat the crap outta three guys?”
    I shrug, humbly. “It’s no big deal. I—”
    “Adrian, look…” she says, interrupting me, sitting up, and staring straight into my eyes. “I know you don’t like talking about your past, and I respect that, and don’t ask. It honestly doesn’t bother me. I didn’t know you back then. I know you now . And I love you now. That’s all that matters to me. But please give me something… some idea of who you used to be. Most ordinary people can’t beat up three guys without even breaking a sweat. I worry about you.”
    I think for a minute. I look at her beautiful face, full of care and concern. I decide to tell her something. Just enough to put her mind to rest. I owe her that much. God knows why, but this woman loves me. And, damn it, I love her right back.
    “Okay,” I begin. “I used to be in the military. I was a soldier and I did some… special operations, back in the day. I’m well trained and can handle myself. After I quit, I worked as a consultant in the private sector for a few years…”
    I trail off as I think back, momentarily realizing that this is the same lie I told my wife and daughter to keep them from knowing I was an assassin. I feel a pang of guilt, but I continue.
    “…I retired with a good pension, and came here to Texas to start over. Maybe those guys were with a government contractor or something? It’s not uncommon to hire ex-soldiers for private security firms.”
    She’s