Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

MINA

"Reuben is going to kill me for this." Daze drove the car away from the house. She only turned the lights on when we were out of sight.

"I won't let him kill you," I said. "You're only doing what I asked you to do."

"Which I'm only going along with because it was my brother," she said. "I still feel responsible for what he did. I mean, how did I not know?"

"My siblings didn't know either," I pointed out. "Don't beat yourself up about it. Save that anger for him." I had plenty of people I could blame for what happened. She wasn't one of them. She reminded me a lot of my sister, but wilder and more outspoken.

"I will, don't worry," she assured me. "I'm going to need some anger to spare, to deal with my guys too. They are going to be pissed off I left them out of this. Ric in particular. He hasn't stopped talking about you and the fact he should have figured things out sooner. I think he's waiting for Reuben to have him executed for failing him, and you."

"If Reuben has my cousin executed, I'll kick him in the balls," I said. "He wouldn't do that. He knows what family means to me. It means the same to him."

She glanced over at me. "I hope you're right. Killing Ric would create all kinds of trouble. It would irritate the hell out of Caleb and put a bunch of our operations back by a long way. Not to mention I'd miss him."

"All good reasons for Reuben not to do it. He'd be shooting himself in the foot. And annoying both of us." I checked the side of my boot for my knife, as well as my hip. If I was right, I needed to be ready. If I was wrong…

But I wasn't wrong. I knew Kurt and the way he thought. He said I was predictable. So was he.

"Reuben wouldn't want to do that," she agreed. "He's always been the pragmatic one. Always the one thinking with his head, not his heart, or his cock. Well, usually. When it comes to us women, they tend to let their body parts do the talking."

"That's why I asked you to help me tonight," I said. "I don't have to worry about you thinking with your dick." I also didn't have to worry about her feeling the need to sacrifice herself for me. She'd look after her own skin, as she should. That made her more impartial than any of my… Could I call them my boyfriends? I supposed I could.

She laughed. "I'd never be accused of that, that's for sure. Lots of other things, but not that."

"I'm sure you would," I agreed. "Mostly by people jealous of you."

"Does that include you?" she asked. "Because I'll be the first to admit I wish I was more like you."

I snorted. "Me? You're gorgeous, strong, smart and powerful. You're exactly the person I wanted to be when I was a kid."

"You're all of those things too," she said. "Especially strong. You're also an assassin, which is the absolute coolest thing I can possibly think of. I couldn't do it. I'd probably trip over my own feet and let everyone know I was there."

I choked back a laugh. "I'm sure you wouldn't. You don't seem like the clumsy type. Besides, it's all a matter of training."

"It's more than that," she said insistently. "You're also dainty, with a face that screams 'I'm innocent, I'd never hurt a fly.' If anyone saw you walking around their house, they'd probably assume you got lost."

I shrugged. "Maybe." That was why I was chosen for the training, but I couldn't have done my job based on looks and build alone. It took years to learn how to move silently, to kill and slip away without looking back.

It was definitely not for the faint of heart.

One of the boys I trained with carried out one kill and then couldn't continue. I vividly remember the first life I took. They never knew I was there. They went to sleep one night and never woke up. Apparently his mistress found him in the morning on blood drenched sheets, his throat cut.

I felt nothing, but a fleeting moment of arousal. The power of having taken a life. The rush of slipping away right after he took his last breaths. Triumph at having a plan executed flawlessly.

After that night, I was forced to accept that part of me was wrong. Twisted, fucked up, whatever. I could have run from it, but instead, I embraced it.

"Definitely," Daze said. "Can I ask you for a favour?"

"Of course you can," I said. She was doing me a big one, I owed her after this.

"I have a daughter, Nova," she said slowly. "I wonder if she'd be a suitable candidate to train as an assassin. She's only five, but I thought maybe…"

"They're never too young to start," I said. "I'm happy to teach her self defence and some of the basic skills, and see how she develops." I couldn't promise more than that. She might not be suitable, but what I could teach her would help her to survive in Dusk Bay in particular, and the world in general. They were skills every girl should have. Skills that might keep her out of the hands of someone like Kurt.

"That would be fantastic," Daze enthused. "Thank you. Nova is going to be so excited. She loves learning new things, especially things that make her more independent. I'm sure she'll be driving the day she's old enough. You know what they say, they grow up so fast."

"I've heard that," I agreed. I'd never given much thought to having children of my own. What would my boyfriends think about it? Assuming I could get pregnant at all.

In that cage, I was too malnourished to menstruate, thank fuck. Having Kurt's baby would have made the hell so much worse. No one deserved to enter the world like that.

The only saving grace was the possibility I would have died giving birth. That was offset by the chance the baby might have survived. That was further nightmare fuel, as if I needed more.

No, thank fuck that never happened.

"It's absolutely true." She slowed the car and stopped where I indicated.

"You should stay in here," I said.

"Fuck that," she replied immediately. "I've come this far. You're not leaving me out now. It's the best way to avoid Reuben kicking my ass later. If you're dead, I better be dead too. Besides, this might be fun." She flashed me a smile and pushed out the driver-side door.

I sighed softly to myself and climbed out of the car. I hoped like hell I didn't regret not insisting she stay behind. I would have left her out of all of this if I thought I could take one of Reuben's cars and not be noticed.

Since that wasn't going to happen, I'd asked her for a ride into the city, and some help. She's eagerly agreed, saying she hadn't had a girls' night out in too long.

"This is the place," I whispered as we approached the vegan grocery store. We kept to the shadows, moving silently in the darkness.

I glanced down at my phone. "By my calculations, he should be here in a few minutes."

We crouched down near the doorway to the gymnastics studio and waited.

The city was quiet at this time of night, just the sound of passing cars and the occasional shout. The air was cool and laced with the smell of exhaust fumes and Chinese food. Most sensible people were at home, watching the Dusk Bay Demons ice hockey team on TV, or still at the Wolf Venom concert. Not sneaking around at night like a pair of criminals.

"This is where you got to." I heard footsteps right before Gianni spoke. Lucky for him he did, or I would have stabbed him in the neck. As it was, I had my knife in my hand without realising I'd moved. The hilt was cool on my palm, reassuring and familiar. Like holding onto an old friend when you need them the most.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I whispered. I grabbed his hand and pulled him down into the shadows with me.

"I went to check up on you and you weren't in your room," he said. "Or Reuben's room. Or Damon's room. Or mine. Then I saw you sneak out the door, so I followed you. It's a real prick to drive all this way without headlights on."

"You shouldn't have followed us," I hissed. "Who's with you?"

"Just me," he whispered. "Who's with you?" He seemed to be searching and squinting, but he couldn't make out who crouched beside me.

"Daisy Lasalle," Daze said. "You're interrupting our girls' night." She sounded a little disappointed, if glad it was him and not someone else that found us here in the darkness.

Anyone else, and things could be messed up already. Someone would be dead, and it wouldn't have been either of us, if we could help it.

His teeth flashed white in the darkness. "Sorry, but I wasn't going to let you be out here by yourself. Unless you're working, in which case you could have asked me to give you a ride, or borrowed one of Reuben's cars."

"I'm not working," I said. "Not exactly."

I gave him a quick rundown of why we were here. I couldn't see the expression on his face, but I heard the change in his breathing as I spoke. I could almost feel his pulse racing faster and his mind turning over with possibilities. Including wondering if he should contact Reuben or Damon.

"I'm definitely not leaving," he said when I was finished. "First of all, you can't make me, and second of all, you might need my help."

"We can make you if we have to," I said. "But now you're here, you might as well stay. But I expect you to do what I tell you to do."

I had a plan. I could adjust it to fit him, but I didn't have time to rethink everything. If he followed what I told him to do, everything should go smoothly.

'Should' being the key word. It had to; I had no room to fuck this up. This might be the best shot I got. I was taking it and I wasn't going to miss.

"Sure thing, boss," he said easily. "I live to serve."

"I'm sure you do," I said. "Now, be quiet. We don't need anyone to hear us and find us here."

"Got it," he whispered.

I slipped my knife away and crouched, scanning the surrounding streets and listening carefully.

What was the time? I was certain only a couple of minutes had passed, but I didn't dare to turn my phone on again. The light would give us all away. That was probably how Gianni found us in the first place. One little glance was all it took.

Of course, he knew to look, others might not, but I wasn't taking the chance.

A car roared past, then another. A fourth car was quickly followed by a fifth.

It was the fifth that slowed down and turned into the car park behind the block of shops.

My whole body stiffened with anticipation and a dose of anxiety bigger than I was comfortable with.

I forced them both down. Adrenaline was bad at times like this. I needed a clear head, precise thinking and exact action.

I took a deep breath, and another, regaining my calm. Forcing my mind to the state where I didn't simply react. I needed to act on instinct and training, with careful precision, not recklessness.

Gianni would have called it assassin mode, or something similar. Whatever it was, I needed it right now.

The car stopped in a parking space and the engine was turned off.

Clarissa stepped out of the driver's side. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow morning. I'll have to give myself a few minutes to have a bed ready. I have an apartment above my shop." She gestured vaguely in that direction, her movements illuminated by the light inside the car. The look on her face suggested her passenger was not a welcome surprise.

From inside the car, a male voice responded. Slowly, the passenger side door was pushed open and a man stepped out.