Lady Killer

By Stephen M. DeBock

When Miami drug lord Raul Rodriguez tires of his string of current mistresses, he knows he can’t afford to turn them loose; instead, he commissions his on-call assassin to eliminate them.

Assuming a false identity and affecting a disarming manner, the hit man earns the trust of his victims before terminating them. He relishes playing the chameleon.

But when he finds himself emotionally drawn to his latest target, a woman who says she could easily love him, the assassin faces a dilemma: will he run away with her, hoping to drop off Raul’s radar; or will he execute the very woman he envisions a future with?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC
• Release date: Oct 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781619506718

Stephen M. DeBock

Stephen M. DeBock's first writing award came at age 17, when a 25-word essay, written in blank verse, earned him a fishing trip to Alaska. Entering the Marine Corps a month later, he was assigned to Washington, DC, where he served in the Presidential Honor Guard. An article on his experiences appeared in American Heritage Magazine.Following his discharge, Steve worked days, went to college nights, and spent weekends earning a private pilot's license. His writing has been published twice in AOPA Pilot Magazine.A career teacher, Steve was honored by the State of New Jersey for his work in consumer/media education and had a curriculum he devised published in a manual distributed to school libraries throughout the state.For three years, Steve and his wife Joy lived aboard a 42-foot trawler yacht. An article on their final summer cruise appeared in Living Aboard Magazine. (A photo of their home afloat is on his Facebook Author Page.)Steve is a member of the International Thriller Writers Organization and the Central Pennsylvania Writers Organization. He and his wife live in Hershey.

Book preview

Contents

Copyright Page

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

About the Author

Lady Killer

by Stephen M. DeBock

All rights reserved

Copyright © September 27, 2021, Stephen M. DeBock

Cover Art Copyright © Charlotte Holley, 2021

Image from: https://www.123rf.com/profile_vadzimyakubovich

Gypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC.

Lockhart, TX

www.gypsyshadow.com

Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

No part of this book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Gypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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ISBN: 978-1-61950-671-8

Published in the United States of America

First eBook Edition: October 18, 2021

Dedication

For John, Nick, Larry, and John D.

One

The highly attractive woman who answered the door looked like she was ready to spit fire from her eyes. Then she saw the stranger, and took a step backward as she said, Who are you, and what do you want? She had a Latin lilt to her speech, along with her confrontational tone.

The man opened a bifold case from his suit pocket. On one side was a badge, and on the other an identification card. Ms. Rosa Flores? he asked but didn’t wait for an acknowledgment. I’m Bill Willgerodt, from the U.S. Marshals Service, Jacksonville Division. May I come in?

Rosa Flores frowned and took another step backward. The man appeared to be in his late thirties, and he looked like he could be a federal agent—forgettable face, cheap suit, close-cropped hair, rubber-soled Oxfords. She gestured with one arm, and he walked into her apartment. She closed and locked the door behind him.

Do you mind if I sit down? he asked. This might take a while.

Go ahead. Tell me, why are the feds interested in me?

She motioned him toward a chair. It was heavily upholstered in dark fabric with ornately carved wooden arms. She sat on a sofa from the same manufacturer—same deep cushions, same dark fabric, same carved arms. The drapes behind her were heavy and made the room look dark and cool, perhaps designed to fend off some of the sweltering South Florida heat.

Rosa Flores looked to be thirtyish, with a thick mane of curly black hair that framed a perfect oval face. Her eyes were large and dark, her nose straight, her lips full and her mouth wide. She wore shorts that hugged her taut behind and a tank top that struggled to contain her generous breasts. Her midriff and feet were bare, her toenails painted dark red to match her fingernails and lipstick. Gold bracelets encircled one wrist and a delicate gold watch the other. Her earrings were thin hoops, and she wore no necklace.

She noticed him studying her. You like what you see, Mr. U.S. Marshal?

I’m sorry, Ms. Flores. I didn’t mean to stare. I was just comparing your appearance with the description the office gave me.

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