I press my back against the wall and let myself slide down to wait. My phone lights up with a message that I have company headed my way. That’s a damn late notice. Who the fuck is here? A total of three people know the general area where I could be located if they tried to even look for me. I don’t see why they would. They can get a hold of me. Two are my connections with my old life with the agency, and the other is Nick DaVinci, who has his hands in fucking everything. You can cut off most ties, but you need a few for oh-fuck situations.

There you are. I smirk when the floorboard upstairs creaks. I glance up, knowing right where they are. I itch to pop a bullet through the ceiling but that would be messy inside the house. A figure in all black moves toward the back door.

Is this serious? The motherfucker might as well be wearing hunter orange. Everything outside is coated in white snow. I allow the asshole to continue to creep in. The least he could do is speed this up. I wait for him to finally make it through the kitchen. He pokes his head around the corner, not realizing I’m on the ground.

“Here, dumbass,” I mutter so he looks down. I slam the butt of my gun up against his forehead. He drops like a fly. I quickly push his gun away and zip-tie his hands, hearing that Snow has caught the second.

I jump up, heading toward the living room. Too busy trying to get Snow off him, he doesn’t see my giant ass coming. He drops as easily as the first one.

“Lezhat.” I call Snow off and zip-tie this guy’s hands behind his back. Then I roll him around to pull off the mask. No fucking clue who pretty boy is, but he’s still wet behind the ears. He’s in his mid-twenties, I’d guess. I fish through his pockets, coming up with a phone. Lucky me, it’s ringing.

“You got a death wish?” I ask, taking the call. It’s quiet for a long moment.

“Did you kill him?” the woman asks.

“Thinking about it. How did you find me?”

“It’s more like you found me,” she responds.

“I’m not playing games. I’ll track you down and everyone near you. You’ll be six feet under before you even know I’m there.”

“Threatening my family, Marco? That is your current name now, right?” It doesn’t matter what my name is; I’m still a ruthless fucking killer no matter what I go by. I’ve tried to leave that life behind, but there’s is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect Eve.

“I’ll see you soon.” I go to end the call, but one word catches my ear that the woman rushes to say. Eve. That’s the only word I catch as hot white rage bleeds in. “Or maybe you will see me.” A quick death would be too kind.