Free Assassin by Nadene Seiters

enough
information to have her asking more, but not enough to give away what he did
for a living.
    “What’d you do?” Troy’s eyes focus on the engine in front of
him as he tries to come up with an answer that won’t put anyone in earshot in
danger. He also doesn’t want to scare the kid so severe she has nightmares for
the rest of her life.
    “I wasn’t always a good person, and my job wasn’t a good
one. But you’re mother’s right, Lil-” He stops himself before he can say his
niece’s name, and Cassidy sees the change come over him as his shoulders
stiffen and his arms bunch. Afraid that he’s going to lose control, Grant opens
up the door to get everyone’s attention.
    “Hannah, why don’t you come in and help me color some of those
pictures your mom left?” Troy watches her clamber down off the tire and looks
at Grant with a mix of fear and relief. He’s afraid that the old man will no
longer want him around, and he’s relieved that he doesn’t have to answer any
more of the kid’s questions.
    Troy hangs his head under the hood of the truck as he tries
to get himself under control. There was never a funeral that he could attend,
and he’ll never get to see their gravesites. Instead, he has to forget they
ever existed, but that’s hard when there are reminders all around him. His
chest feels as if it’s cracking in two as he squeezes his eyes shut in an
attempt to get the images to disappear.
    Cassidy watches his hand choking the wrench to death and
studies his face. The people who usually show up at her father’s house don’t show
much emotion. In fact, most of them remain in the house and keep to themselves
as much as possible. But Troy Red immediately took to talking with Hannah like
it was second nature to him, and he only remembered where he was when he almost
said someone’s name.
    “Who’s Lilly?” Troy’s pained look immediately disappears as
he slides out from under the truck hood and closes it. He sets the wrench in
the small tool box attached to the truck bed, and tries to retreat from her
towards the barn. But that’s the wrong direction.
    “Troy!” She jogs after him to keep up, and ends up jogging
backwards in front of him. He reaches out a hand to stop her before she runs
into the side of the barn, and spins her around so that she’s facing forward.
The shiver that goes through her is unmissed by him, but he interprets it as a
shiver of fear.
    “I don’t hurt women!” He brushes past her and feels her
shiver again, but Cassidy is biting her bottom lip as she looks away from him.
    “I never said you did.” She follows him this time at a slow
pace, and keeps her tone neutral.
    “Then why are you afraid of me?” His loud tone catches her
off guard, and she flinches away from him. Her hand snakes up to push her hair
out of her face as she straightens her shoulders in an attempt to look a little
less affected by the way he’s posturing.
    “I’m not ! Who is Lilly, Troy?” He grips one of the
stall doors at the top to keep grounded. Flashes of Lilly’s face assault him
and the sound of her laugh fills his ears as he’s tumbled into a memory. It’s the
one of her last birthday they spent together. He had bought her an Easy-Bake
Oven and her mother was teasing her that she had to cook her own birthday cakes
from now on.
    “I can’t tell you that! I can’t tell you anything about
them, and I don’t understand why you give a rat’s ass! I’m a killer Cassidy. I’m not some broken man you can fix, so get in your damned truck and drive
home. Stay there until I’m gone, which won’t be long. Staying here is a mistake !”
His breaths are coming fast, but she’s as cool as a cucumber as she stares him
down.
    “Who did you kill?” To her surprise, he begins to laugh as
he puts his forehead to the wood with his hands gripping the top yet. She
hadn’t expected him to be so muscular under the shirt, but it looks as if he’s
spent his entire life maintaining a