Hard Bounty (The Snake Eyes Series Book 5)

by Tabatha Kiss

  It halts on the ninth floor before dropping back down to the lobby. Now that I know that, I can start forming a more solid plan. To catch Lilah, I must get her alone. They don’t know I’m here, so I have the element of surprise working in my favor but I don’t exactly have this cat in-the-bag just yet. I got the drop on her back in Los Angeles, too, but that didn’t quite go as planned…

  I sit back in my seat to think. I’ve collected more creative bounties than this one before. I should be able to handle it but I find myself blocked all the same. She’s dangerous and so is her twin, but that’s par for the course in my line of work.

  What am I missing?

  The elevator opens and I grab the magazine again as Elijah steps off, looking cleaner and more confident than before. He’s ditched his bomber in favor of a nice suit jacket instead and combed his shaggy hair back. Someone’s ready for a hot date.

  Good. The fewer Snake Eyes agents in the building, the better.

  I wait to see what he’ll do. Elijah heads outside with his keys in hand, barely stopping, which means that Lilah won’t be joining him. She’s upstairs, alone…

  This just got a little less complicated.

  I stand up and head for the front desk.

  “Excuse me…”

  The girl turns around and beams at me. “What can I do for you, Mr. Smith?”

  I lick my lips and deepen the accent. “I have a favor to ask you,” I say, sliding the magazine back to her. “But I promise I won’t get you into any trouble.”

  She leans forward. “What is it?”

  “The couple that checked in a few minutes ago…”

  “The red head?”

  I nod. “I went to school with the girl, haven’t seen her in years. You think you can tell me her room number so I can go up and surprise her?”

  She chews on her lip. “That’s against company policy—”

  “I know, I know. But I promised I wouldn’t get you into trouble…”

  Her eyes shift with envy. “She an old girlfriend?”

  “Oh, quite the opposite,” I smirk. “In fact, she made my life miserable.”

  “I could call up for you,” she suggests, chuckling softly. “Tell her you’re here.”

  “But that would spoil the surprise, wouldn’t it?” I flash a wink but she hesitates again. “Please, love… I’ll make it up to you.”

  Her eyes fall and I smile, casting a bit more magic her way. There’s nothing in this world handier than an English accent and a handsome mug, I can tell you that.

  She glances over my shoulder and breathes a sigh of relief. “Oh, she’s right there. You can surprise her now.”

  I twitch around and there she is.

  Lilah steps off the elevator with her head down. She stares at the phone in her hand and glides straight for the hotel bar at the other end of the room.

  My jaw drops to the floor.

  Elijah’s not the only one that ditched the jacket and jeans tonight. Lilah wears a blue sun dress with sharp, black high heels. The skirt hangs just past her knees. Her hips sway as she moves. Her bright, red hair sits in a bun on her head, secured to her scalp by two strategically-placed black sticks. A few bangs fall over her right eye to cover the bruise still lingering from her encounter with Caleb Fawn.

  I smile to myself. Not very many places on her to hide a weapon, that’s for sure…

  “Is there something else I can help you with, Mr. Smith?”

  I spin back around to the desk girl. She glares at me with hellish green eyes. I suppose actively drooling over another woman in front of her completely voids any favors I may have had, but that’s that.

  I clear my throat. “No, thank you.”

  She forces a polite smile before twisting around and ignoring me.

  I follow Lilah across the lobby into the hotel bar. The place isn’t nearly as empty as the rest of the lobby but the lighting is much darker, casting a cooler, romantic atmosphere that I should be able to work with. I might not have to rely on the element of surprise after all.

  I can get her alone the old-fashioned way.

  She gets a drink from the bar — a tall glass of red wine — and heads for the booth in the corner. I take a moment to stand in the dark and stare. I can’t help it. Lilah Hart isn’t just a deadly monster…

  She’s absolutely fucking gorgeous.

  Her black heels poke out of the bottom of the table, one bouncing lightly as she softly kicks her ankle. Angel-perfect skin covers every inch of her. The light over her table draws a shadow over her face and my eyes slide down her throat to the cleavage overflowing out of the v-neck dress.

  I pause by the bar and ask for a beer before heading for her table. I don’t usually require liquid courage to woo a lady but this one might be a more trouble than most.

  My nose twitches as I draw closer, catching the clean scent of her and my mouth waters. “Hello, Lilah.”

  Her eyes flick over her shoulder and roll away just as quickly. “Archer Allen,” she says. “The bounty hunter.”

  “Do you mind?”

  I don’t wait for a response. I slide into the booth across from her, quickly gripping the gun from my belt and resting it on my knee beneath the table. This is Lilah Hart, after all. Luckily, she doesn’t seem to notice my precaution.

  She sighs with annoyance. “What do you want?”

  “I saw a familiar face in an unfamiliar place. Figured I’d make the most of it.”

  “How did you know I was here?”

  I take a swig from my bottle. “I didn’t.”

  “You just happened to stumble on me in some shitty hotel bar in St. Louis?”

  “Weird, isn’t it?”

  She chuckles to herself before sliding her wineglass closer. “I guess that’s what we’ll call it.”

  I move as she does, raising my drink and we both take a sip. I let the cold liquid settle on my tongue to chill my nerves.

  Fucking gorgeous…

  “What brings you all the way out here?” she asks. “Tracking a bail jumper?”

  “Not exactly. I’m on vacation.”

  Her nose curls. “In St. Louis?”

  “I’ve got a thing for very tall, arch-like structures,” I quip. “Also, I heard about a rather intriguing underground MMA tournament somewhere nearby. Should be fun, if you’d like to tag along.”

  She scoops her phone off the table and swipes it on. “No, thanks.”

  “Where’s your twin tonight?” I ask.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Aren’t you usually attached at the hip?”

  “Usually.”

  “Trouble on the home front?”

  “Archer…” She sets her phone down again. “I don’t want to talk about my family.”

  Jackpot. Her tone is solid. There’s a hint of sadness in her eyes. She’s not here on some mission. She’s here for an escape... and she’s dressed to impress.

  Getting her alone won’t be as hard as I thought it’d be.

  I throw on a charming smile. “What would you like to talk about?”

  “With you? Nothing.”

  “That’s a shame, love. I’m quite fond of a decent battle of wits.”

  “Don’t call me that,” she says, side-eying me. “It’s so cliché.”

  I smirk. “Most American women melt over it. Especially when I whisper it in their ears.”

  “I’m not most American women.”

  “Precisely why I gathered my courage and sat down here.”

  She tilts her head. “Courage?”

  “Well, the last time we saw each other, you left quite a mark.”

  Her lips curl. “Sorry.”

  I lean forward slightly. “That didn’t sound very sincere.”

  “Because it wasn’t.”

  “You could have killed me, you know.”

  “Maybe I should have.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  She shrugs. “You weren’t my target.”

  I narrow my eyes.
“Is that all?”

  She dips forward and my eyes instantly wander south to the impeccable cleavage spilling onto the table. “What are you implying, Archer Allen? That I’m harboring some intense, secret attraction towards you that kept me from pulling the trigger?”

  “Oh, no implication required, love. That’s exactly why you spared me.”

  Her jaw sags in disbelief. “Wow.”

  “I don’t hear you denying it.”

  “Because it’s ridiculous.”

  “And you still don’t deny it.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Why bother? You’d only call me a liar anyway.”

  “Tell me the truth.” I shift in my seat, sensing an opportunity. “For the next five seconds, I’ll believe any word you say.”

  She presses her lips together. “You want me to be honest with you when you’ve had a gun trained on me since the moment you sat down?”

  Shit.

  I sit back and squeeze the grip a little tighter. “Old habit.”

  She slides down an inch in her seat and I feel her bare toes trace up my leg. My breath catches in my throat as her touch drifts over the pistol on my knee and her toes come to rest on my groin.

  I smile. “Wrong gun, sweetheart.”

  Lilah locks eyes with me as she digs her toes in a little deeper.

  I bite down on my inner cheek as my blood pumps south. “Well, then…”

  “I’ll tell you what, Archer,” she says, firmly stroking my erection to life. “I have a room upstairs. We can go up and let bygones do their thing. Or you can fuck off and go watch your stupid bum fights.”

  “So, you are attracted to me, then?”

  She jabs me with her toenail and I recoil as pain fires down my thigh. “On second thought, never mind,” she says, quickly sliding out of the booth. “I’ll find someone else to entertain myself with tonight.”

  “Wait—” I snatch her wrist, refusing to let go as she fires a death glare in my direction. “What room?”

  Her pupils dilate. “Nine-one-four.”

  I release her and sit back, letting my gaze trail all the way to her shoes. “I’ll be there.”

  “When?”

  “Soon,” I say, picking up my beer. “I paid nine dollars for this American piss water and I’m going to enjoy it. Don’t worry, love. I’m not going to stand you up. My cock would never forgive me.”

  She flashes a genuine smile and leans forward over the table. “Archer…”

  I admire the curve of her breasts as she drifts closer. “Yes?”

  “Call me love again and I’ll keep your cock in a glass jar above my fireplace,” she growls. “Got it?”

  I clear my throat. “Yes, ma’am...”

  She walks away, practically gliding into the lobby and I can’t keep my eyes off her ass to save my life. Graceful, elegant. A legitimate femme fatale for the modern age.

  I wait for her to disappear around the corner before deflating completely. “Bloody hell…” I mutter to myself as I pour the last of my beer down my throat. Bland and tasteless, but at least a little buzz settles in.

  My cock throbs, hard and hopeful. It really won’t forgive me if I screw this up but I’m not here to fuck, unfortunately, no matter how good her toes felt on me. No matter how much I’d like to bend her over…

  Lilah Hart. The gorgeous monster.

  I won’t let you go again.

  Chapter 6

  Lilah

  Getting Archer alone was as easy as I thought it’d be.

  I step onto the empty elevator and press nine. As the doors start to close, I lean back against the opposite wall and take a deep breath, bringing all my focus together to stay calm and collected. My exposed skin touches the cold surface, sending a chill down my spine as I mentally prepare myself for what I’m about to do.

  Killing is my job. But even great actors get a little stage fright on occasion.

  A hand stops the doors just in time and they open on Archer’s tilted expression. “I’m sorry…” he says, “but I have to ask…”

  I straighten off the wall. “Ask what?”

  He steps on. The doors close behind him and he stares at me with a wide smirk. “Do you have protection?”

  My stomach flutters as the car starts ascending. “A girl like me always comes prepared.”

  Archer licks his lips and gently rests his hands on either side me, pinning me between him and the wall. A nervous shudder trails my back as I look up into his bright, blue eyes. I detect the various scents of him, from his worn leather jacket to the fresh booze on his breath and the stiff cologne behind his ears. My pulse triples, anxiously waiting for the moment when he finally goes for it…

  He puts his hands on my waist and spins me around to face the wall. I pause, following his stiff hands as they slide down my hips and legs.

  “Are… are you frisking me?” I ask.

  Archer feels down to my ankles and back up my legs, quickly sliding in and out from between my thighs. “A girl like you always has something to hide.”

  I turn to face him and he pins me to the wall again. “You missed a spot.”

  “Trust me. I’ll get to it.”

  He presses his smiling lips against mine, firing sparks through my fingers and toes. I kiss him back, barely parting my mouth. He wants more, I can feel it, but I’d rather tease a man for as long as possible than give him what he wants.

  I open my eyes and we stare at each other, breathing heavily for a long moment. He leans down and lays a hand on my thigh, slowly crawling his fingers beneath my dress. My skin flutters with his touch and I sigh as he reaches around to cup my ass. He kisses me with an open mouth, enveloping my lips with his and I can’t hold back any longer.

  The elevator stops and the doors crawl open. His hands fall away as a series of titters erupts behind us.

  Archer turns around and flashes a wink at the trio of young girls as they board, each one dressed to the nines and on their way out for a night of clubbing.

  “Good evening, ladies,” he says, grabbing my hand and pulling me with him into the hallway. “You all look lovely.”

  The accent hits their ears and they all give me looks of approval before the doors close on their pink faces.

  “You weren’t kidding about the accent,” I say, taking my hand back and reaching into my purse for my room key.

  “Are you going to pretend all night that you’re immune to it?”

  I scoff. “Who’s pretending?”

  We pause in front of room 914 and I unlock the door. Archer lingers over my shoulder, standing barely an inch away from me. A nervous rumble plagues my stomach for a second as I glance up into his powerful, blue eyes.

  Nope. Not pretending at all…

  I break contact and push the door open to put a little distance between us. He closes it behind us and I watch the mirrors around me as he scans the golden room. Archer Allen isn’t an ordinary man. An ordinary man would be looking around for ordinary things, like condoms or drinks or what kind of luggage I have. Archer’s a bounty hunter. Trained and savvy. I must keep that in mind.

  I check the time. It’s just after eight o’clock. I can’t imagine bingo night lasting anywhere past nine, so I’ll have to be quick if I want to get this job done before Elijah comes back.

  I bend down to slide my heels off.

  “Wait—” Archer says, stepping closer. “Leave them on.”

  I tilt my head and kick them free. “Request denied.”

  He chuckles. “You know, your foot beneath that table was the most action I’ve had in months.”

  “How unfortunate.”

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “You’re a busy gal, but…” he narrows his eyes, “when is the last time you had some good time off?”

  I laugh but his expression never changes. “You really want to know that?”

  “Sure.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  I shake my head o
nce. “It’s not relevant.”

  He winces. “That long, eh?” My jaw drops and he laughs. “You spend a lot of time traveling the world, am I right?”

  I don’t answer, feeling a growing annoyance as he takes a step around me.

  “Mission-to-mission, place-to-place,” he continues. “Never quite settling down. And you work with your brothers, so I imagine you don’t travel too far away from each other and that could start to feel a bit cramped.”

  “What’s your point?”

  Archer stops behind me and I feel his breath on my back. “My point is… that a woman like you needs a release every once and a while.” He brushes his lips along my shoulder, inching slowly towards my neck. “You need a man to give you what you need or else… you might snap.”

  I twist around to face him, feeling a spike of defensiveness. “I take care of myself.”

  He furrows his brow with amusement. “Oh, that’s not the same.”

  “It’s good enough.”

  “You say that now.”

  “What?” I laugh. “You’re telling me that once I go Brit, I’ll never come stateside again?”

  He grins. “It’s true.”

  “It’s cocky.”

  “That, too.” He falls backward onto the bed and balances on the edge. “Come on, Lilah. What happens in St. Louis stays in St. Louis.”

  My toes tingle against the thick carpet beneath my feet. “It’s been… a while.”

  “Why?”

  I bounce my shoulders. “Men find me intimidating.”

  “You don’t say?” He smiles at me. “A month? Three? Four?”

  “A year.”

  He exhales hard. “Ouch.”

  “Not entirely my fault,” I say, stepping towards him. “It’s been a really stressful year at work, to say the least.”

  Archer lays his hands on my waist and guides me closer. “I’ve got my work cut out for me, then…”

  I grip the edges of his leather jacket as I straddle his lap. His hands constantly move, slowly inching along my thighs and beneath my dress. A shiver trails my back as he rests them on my hips, keeping me steady on him as he gazes into my eyes.

  Fuck, he’s attractive.

  I wouldn’t say blond hair and blue eyes has ever been anywhere near what I’d classify as my type but Archer Allen is something else. When I first met him, it was dark and the adrenaline was pumping through me. I could barely make out his features. But here, up close and personal…