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Viper was already out of the door, but he heard it.

  ****

  Pepper stared out at the ocean, wondering if she would be able to stay here for another couple of days. It was a quaint, little town near the sea, and it was home to a lot of tourism. The beach where she stood right now was completely covered with people, with families. Would she be safe here?

  She didn’t know how far her father was willing to push everything. He wanted money. She knew that. From the moment her mother, her sweet, beautiful mother, had brought him home, Pepper had seen through him. He’d been a gold-digger. A horrible excuse for a human being. She had even seen him cheating on her mother with one of the staff. That had really sickened her, and what she hated most, her mother hadn’t believed her.

  Yes, Pepper came from a rich family, but her relationship with her mother had always been solid. When her father died, they’d had each other, until this monster came out of nowhere, and was intent on destroying them. She hated him to her core, and that didn’t help. Even when the abuse and violence had started, her mother hadn’t been able to see past her own insecurity.

  Then, of course, Pepper had to run, and now she couldn’t even go home for her mother’s funeral.

  In order to gain the fortune, her stepfather needed her dead. She wasn’t an idiot. All he’d wanted all along was her mother’s fortune, and when Pepper died, it would all go to him.

  A gust of wind hit her, and she held onto the hat, making sure it didn’t blow off. She was wearing a hat and a pair of glasses. With her image over the news, she didn’t want anyone to see her. Fortunately, there wasn’t an updated picture, and she looked nothing like she did when she was fifteen. The picture was a cold reminder of the last time she was happy, when her mother was happy. She should probably dye her blonde hair, but it grieved her to change the locks that her mother spent hours lovingly caring for. They would sit in her father’s study, and her mother would brush her hair, waiting for him to finish. Pepper looked similar to her mother, only lighter, and fairer-skinned. She burned easily in the sun, and always had to use sun lotion, which she hated wearing.

  She remembered her mother rubbing the awful stuff all over her, saying if she wasn’t careful she’d burn to a crisp. Then she would watch her mother do it herself. It was amazing how touching, how meaningful those memories were. At the time, they were just a nuisance, but now it was something more.

  Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she turned away from the sight of the ocean, and began to walk back to the main path.

  The scent of doughnuts, fried chicken, and fries was heavy in the air. She wasn’t hungry, and even if she was, she wouldn’t eat outside.

  Her stepfather was a vicious man, and would probably find some way to hurt her. She wouldn’t put it past him to send someone to kill her. Were there companies like that? She didn’t know. There was a lot about the world that she didn’t know, and that scared her. Leaving the busy streets, she made her way back to the tiny hotel that she had rented. Without looking back, she made her way toward her door, and paused. Her door was open, and she frowned.

  Hadn’t she locked it?

  Her heart started to pound.

  It may not have locked.

  Every time I left this room I locked the door.

  She needed to turn around and leave.

  But her stuff was in that room, and she needed to get it.

  “It’s fine. Everything is fine.”

  She gasped, and would have screamed if a hand hadn’t closed over her mouth. “I suggest you be very quiet. I’m not the most patient of men, and I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

  She couldn’t see, and with how tightly he held her, she couldn’t move. There was no way to get away, or for her to see who her attacker was.

  He shoved her into the room, and the door slammed open, hitting the wall behind it.

  Her attacker moved his hand, giving her a chance to bite him, so she did. She sank her teeth into the flesh of his hand, and made sure she didn’t stop until she tasted blood.

  Gross. Gross. Gross.

  Disease.

  She spat his hand out, stamped her foot down hard on his, and then shoved him away.

  He shouted, and before she could get away, he grabbed hold of her hair, throwing her against the wall. The impact startled her, and she went a little dizzy. Within seconds he was on her. He punched her in the face, shocking her from the impact, and she rolled away. Her attacker drew back his foot, and she grabbed it, lifting it up so that he stumbled back.

  Getting to her feet, she tried for the door, but he caught her again.

  “You fucking fat bitch,” he said, wrapping his arms around her neck, and he started to cut off her circulation.

  She clawed at his arms, struggling to breathe.

  “Now, isn’t this interesting?” a man said.

  They turned, and she saw someone who was twice the size of the man strangling her, and looked ten times as deadly.

  The first thing she noticed was that he had guns at his waistband. The next thing was how calm he looked while she was getting hurt.

  “Who the fuck are you?” the guy behind her asked.

  “Me? I’m here on a job. Why the fuck are you here?”

  “Got a job. This bitch needs to be taken out.”

  The man at the door laughed. “Tell me you don’t have a clue who I am. Do you have any idea who I work for?”

  The man behind her stilled, and the hand at her throat actually eased, surprising her. He didn’t let her go, but she was able to think, and for that she was thankful.

  “Viper!”

  The smile on the man at the door turned deadly. “Exactly. Now, tell me who the fuck hired you.”

  “Her stepfather. Who else would? He wants her gone, and he wants it done as soon as possible. Doesn’t matter who gets it done so long as she’s dead at the end of it.”

  The man called Viper looked at her as if he was assessing her. “You’re really worth that much?” Viper entered the room, and closed the door. “Let the girl go, and I’ll let you leave here with your life.”

  Laughter made her jump as the man behind her erupted as if it was the funniest thing he had ever head. “I know you’ve got a good reputation, Viper, but I don’t think you can take me.”

  “Put the girl down, and let’s see.” Viper stood with his hands behind his back, looking so calm.

  The man behind her was strong. She didn’t want either man to win, but she didn’t want the one behind her to win at all. That bastard was going to hurt her.

  Viper was going to hurt her as well, but she hadn’t actually been hurt by him yet. He was the best bet.

  She was shoved down hard on the floor.

  “Stay.”

  The man walked toward Viper, and she didn’t know what she was expecting. Maybe a fight, something that was scary. She didn’t expect Viper to reach out, grab the man’s neck, and in one twist, snap it.

  Her heart raced.

  Her attacker was on the floor with his head at an odd angle. “Now this is curious.” Viper began to rummage through the guy’s pockets, and when he found the wallet, tossed it at her. “Who is he?”

  She stared at him. “I’m not touching that.”

  “Tell me who he is or I’ll hurt you a hell of a lot more than this bastard ever did, and from the look of your face, he hit you a few times.” Viper glared at her. “Now, who is he?”

  Grabbing the wallet, she opened it up, and stared at the name. “It says William Donald.”

  He stepped back, and grabbed his cell phone. She stared at him, and then at the door. She was in pain, hurting in places she didn’t think it was possible. Could she make it out in time?

  End of sample chapter

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