Free Lethal Instincts by Kasia Radzka Page A

nearest bus or Tube stop or whichever came first.

Chapter 14

    She shivered at the thought that a dog could have mauled her to death only a few hours ago. But it hadn’t. And in the process she had managed to obtain some information on the port and its business. Enough to make her suspect that something sinister was going down. Those instincts again. What in the world was it that made her sense the nastiness around her?  
    But what had she expected to find at the port? Women being packed into containers in broad daylight? Stranger things had happened but she had seen none of that. That wasn’t proof that the port was not being used as an entry and exit point, in and out of London, playing Russian roulette with the officials.  
    She spent the late afternoon filling up on buttered toast and multiple cups of tea, hungry and motivated she finished off a quick evergreen piece for a women’s magazine. They’d send payment through which would cover the week’s rent and had only taken her two hours to write. The perks of being a freelancer. The investigative pieces were her heart, and the evergreens her bread and butter. She didn’t need them but they gave her a break from all the heavy investigating and writing in between. Within minutes she got an email back offering another article assignment.She politely declined and recommended another writer for the piece.  
    Fifteen minutes later she was showered, dressed and leaving her apartment with a picture of Tatiana in her back pocket. She made sure to look around her when she left the apartment but saw no one suspicious. Her first stop was a cafe for a sandwich and a strong coffee. As she ate she considered her plan. The reality was she had none. She would wander around and see if anything pricked.  

    Breaking and entering while someone was inside the house was a risk he didn’t want to take. Sometimes a situation arose that left him with no choice but that didn’t mean he had to like it. There was too much that could go wrong for both parties. Knowing the layout of the flat beforehand helped him but there was no certainty that she wouldn’t wake up when he was inside. It would only lead to violence and one of them getting hurt or killed. Most likely her, given her lack of fighting skill. The self-defence classes would do little against his boxing background. But the job wasn’t to terminate. At least not yet.
    He felt drawn to Lexi. There was something about her that intrigued him like no one had before. He had to remind himself that getting emotionally involved in the assignment was not an option, so any personal thoughts towards the woman were removed immediately from his mind.  
    She was a job. An attractive one, but a job nonetheless.  
    Finally, the lights in her flat switched off. He was going to give it an hour before he made his way up, drive around the block and then park a few flats down the road so that no one would notice the same vehicle parked in the street. No doubt a nosy neighbour might notice and call the police. He didn’t need the attention.  
    Just as he was about to start the engine the lights in the foyer turned on, behind the glass window panes of the door he saw the outline of a person, a woman. He slid down the seat a little further so he wouldn’t be easily seen and watched. A few seconds later the door opened and Lexi Ryder walked out.  
    Where was she headed so late at night?  
    Now he had a choice. Stay and turn her flat upside down out or follow her. It didn’t take more than a moment to make a decision. His job was to observe. And so he did.  
    He slipped out of the car and locked the door. He pulled the hood on his head and stayed behind Lexi, following her to wherever she went, and making sure he didn’t lose sight of her.

    By the time Lexi hit the red-light district for the second time in three days, it was night-time and the area was buzzing with sex. Lexi kept an eye around her to see if there was anyone who seemed to be