Billionaire Romance Boxed Set 1(209)

I was down the Jersey shore on an assignment when I first saw her. As I stood on the busy boardwalk, with its spin-the-wheel games and noisy rides, I pretended to be a tourist people-watching.

I even dressed the part. The best killers know how to blend into their environment. I wore a brown and tan striped cabana boy shirt with a pair of tan slacks and loafers, just like every other man my age.

The reason for this hit was a small crime syndicate had sprung up in the sleepy shore town of Point Pleasant and the powers that be wanted it squashed. Usually my focus was solely on my mark, but as I scanned the crowd I couldn’t help but notice a beautiful brunette sitting at a red picnic table eating waffles and ice cream with complete abandon. I found it refreshing.

At that point I was only tracking to get an idea of my target’s habits. He could wait. The girl couldn’t. She had her wavy hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and a red and white gingham dress I recognized as the uniform the waitresses wore at the local diner. Pulling out my binoculars I admired her full round face, rosy cheeks, and eyes so blue they put the sky to shame. Other boys might have called her plump but she looked perfect to me.

Growing up my mother always told me to beware of the girls who didn’t eat. She believed that if a person couldn’t enjoy food, they couldn’t enjoy life. From my experiences, I had to agree. Seeing this gorgeous creature eating this shore food staple, gave me a yearning for companionship I never had before.

The girl sat in an area with twenty glossy red picnic tables next to one of the larger food stands. It wouldn’t have surprised me if someone thought painting was equal to cleaning. The stand had a gaudy red and white blinking sign in the shape of an arrow and most of their offerings sat under heat lamps in the already sweltering humidity.

I noticed the stand didn’t serve what the girl was eating and figured it was my in to talk to her. Carefully stepping between the sticky tables, the heat of the day rising from the cement ground, I approached her table.

“Hey there good looking, whatcha got there?” I asked with my usual swagger.

“Get lost buddy, I’m not in the mood.”

She didn’t even look up at me. Her face closed off with an expression that told me to go to hell before she continued eating as if I wasn’t there. For me, it was love at first sight.

“I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t mean to be rude,” I said hoping to charm her socks off. “You see I’m from out of town. Canyon Cove to be exact. Not sure if you’ve ever heard of it.”

“Do I look like I care?” She interrupted. “Look, I just got off a double and came down here to watch the waves when those two assholes over there decided they thought it would be funny to throw their sodas at me. I don’t need any bullshit from you too.”

She stuffed her mouth with chocolate ice cream and a piece of the Belgium waffle that cradled the ice cream. I was so busy admiring her before that I didn’t notice the soda stains on her uniform or how the front of her hair was still a little wet. As a comfort eater myself, I suddenly realized why she attacked her dessert the way she did.

I looked over in the direction she pointed and saw two men in their early twenties. One with red hair, freckles, and a pug nose, the other had slicked back, greasy black hair. They catcalled the pretty girls who walked past and called the others names or spit on them.

“Those two over there?” I asked her.

Her brow wrinkled as she looked up at me for the first time before nodding her head. “Yeah, that’s them. I grew up with those creeps. Even played with them as kids…”

I didn’t need to hear anymore. Briskly walking towards them, I hopped over the wooden railing between the tables and the boardwalk where they were perched. I put my arms around both their shoulders and smiled.

“You see that girl over there?” I asked as I nodded in her direction. “You touch her or say another word to her again and I swear it’ll be your last.”

“Yeah? What are you gonna do? I’ve never seen you here before. You’re not even from around here,” said the red head.

“Let me give you a preview.”

Elbowing the greasy guy in the gut, he doubled over and I gave his head a quick shove into my rising knee, easily breaking his nose. Next my fist flew into Red’s solar plexus, causing him to drop to knees in agony.

Hopping the fence back over to the girl, she looked at me with awe and a smile that showed off her perfect teeth. I bowed to her as she began clapping.

“What did that feel like? Oh I would’ve loved to just punch Jay or Donnie once like that. I bet it felt great!” she said.