01

In my experience, people usually do one of four things when they’re about to die.

Cry, grovel, and beg for their lives to be spared.

I usually see this in politicians, pimps, and petty criminals. These are the type of people who think that just because they’re rich, they’re untouchable. They’ll usually try to bribe you, and it’s amazing to see what people will give up for their pathetic lives to be spared. Money, mansions, hell, I even got offered someone’s daughter once. They’d give up anything in order to avoid their untimely demise.

Spew out vulgar insults.

Mafia Dons, Cartel leaders, and any other hot-tempered asshole with a God complex usually resort to this. Even in the face of death, they refuse to acknowledge that they lost. I never quite understood the logic of insulting the person who’s holding a gun against your temple, but to each their own.

Become emotionless and accept their fate.

This reaction always intrigues me. If anything, I respect them a bit more seeing how they so gracefully welcome their death with open arms. But this usually only happens with trained killers, assassins, any one who has become physically numb to their own existence.

Shit themselves.

Yeah, unfortunately for me, that’s a thing.

“Forgive me father, for I have sinned. It has been twenty-six years since my last confession.” I said as I crossed my legs. The booth was dim, and the only light came from underneath the crack of the confessional door. The smell of wood filled my senses, and the dark, small area creaked as I adjusted in my seat. To the left of me was a mesh screen, blocking the face of the pastor who sat in the booth next to me.

Churches have always made me uneasy. I wasn’t sure if it was the whole “you’re damned to hell for your sins” thing, or the vulnerability of confessing everything you’ve done wrong to a person you’ve never met while they’re hiding behind a screen. Most likely the latter. If I were to share the sins I’ve committed, I’d probably give that person enough trauma to last a few lifetimes.

“Twenty-six years is quite some time.” He said, his raspy voice sounding as if he spent most of his life smoking packs of cigarettes.

“Better late than never.” I said as I lifted my chin up.

“Tell me your sins, child. The Lord forgives all of his children.” He said plainly.

“I don’t know about that one. I’ve been pretty bad. It’s kinda fucked really.” I began. I pushed the slit of my dress to the side, revealing the holster wrapped around my thigh. I quickly and quietly grabbed my Glock, gracefully sliding it out of its holster. The sleek metal shined slightly as a glimmer of light reflected off of it. I usually hated dresses, they were impractical, hard to kill in. But I needed to look unassuming, innocent, and most importantly, I needed to get my favorite Glock into a church undetected.

“What sins have you committed?” He asked patiently.

What sins haven’t I committed would have been the better question.

“Well for starters, I’ve killed eighteen people this month.” I said as I pressed my thumb against the silencer attached to the tip of my gun.

“This month?” The pastor said as he looked down for a moment. “It’s only the seventh…” He said under his breath in disbelief.

“Yeah.” I said nonchalantly as I shrugged slightly before exhaling. “It’s been a very slow month.”

Silence stretched between us as a faint smile stretched across my lips in amusement.

“But last month,” I said as I looked up and shook my head. “Now that was a good month. I think I killed around… maybe sixty people? I’m not sure. I stopped counting at around forty.” I said with a shrug.

I heard the pastor’s shaky breaths from the other side of the screen.

“And some of these deaths were just… gruesome really. I really outdid myself with some of them.” I said as I nodded slightly, looking down at the gun resting in my hands. “Tortured most of them, some of them I left them to die a slow, painful death. But… I’m not that bad, really, I promise.” I said as I tilted my head. “Some of them I ended quicky, as painless as possible.”

“W-Why? Why did you kill all of those innocent people?” The pastor asked nervously. His voice shook with every word. I couldn’t help the scoff that left my lips.

“Because, pastor, these men and women weren’t innocent. Far from it.” I said as my eyebrows furrowed.

“But then again…” I began. “It isn’t my job to judge who’s innocent or guilty. It’s just my job to make sure they die.” I said with a shrug. I could have sworn I heard a small whimper from the other side of the screen.

“I’ll be honest with you,” I began. Why not? He’s going to die anyway. “I wish I could say I felt bad… remorseful. But what kind of person would lie in a confessional.” I said as I raised an eyebrow and tilted my head. The honesty made me feel vulnerable, weak. It was a strange feeling, and I felt instant regret the moment those words left my lips.

“Now, enough about me. Tell me father, what are your sins?” I asked as I held the gun in my hand. I flicked my wrist slightly, aiming it directly at the pastor’s shadow.

“W-w-what do you mean?” He stuttered. I could tell his breathing was uneasy from the way his shadow moved.

“Well, you must have done something if they sent me after you.” I said as I raised an eyebrow curiously. “My services aren’t cheap, you know.”

“Please… I-I haven’t done anything.” He said frantically, making me sigh.

“That’s what they all say, but I find that most of the time they know what they’ve done. And you really shouldn’t lie in a confessional, pastor. That’s quite hypocritical of you.” I said as I raised my eyebrow and rested my chin on my hand.

“Please, don’t do this. I’ll-I’ll give you anything you want. Just name your pri-.” He said with a shaky voice.

Before he had a chance to utter another word, I quickly pulled the trigger. Blood sprayed across the mesh that separated us as I let out a sigh.

Hm. Just as I thought, he was a beggar.

I stood up and straightened out my dress before I grabbed the handle of the wooden door and slid it open.

Unsurprisingly, all of the patrons of the church were on their feet and running towards the small booth, weapons in hand.

What kind of fucked up church is this?

I quickly shot a man running down the aisle, hitting my mark right between his eyes. I quickly moved my gun to the right and shot a woman in the head before I heard movement to my right of me.

I quickly ducked just as a large man threw a punch aimed directly towards my head. As I ducked, I shot one of his kneecaps, making him fall to the floor before shooting him in the head with my other gun.

Another man was coming towards me from my left, and I bent my arm and shot him in the chest before pivoting on my feet and standing behind him. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pressed my arm against his back, holding him up as I started stepping backward.

A handful of men and women were standing in the wooden rows, firing their weapons at me. I held the man up as I began shooting them down, gracefully hitting them between the eyes with each shot.

After all the threats were neutralized from the seats surrounding the center aisle, I pressed the gun against my human shield’s head and pulled the trigger.

As his lifeless body fell to the floor, I heard footsteps approaching me from both sides. I turned to see a man and a woman sprinting towards me. I looked to my left and quickly crossed my arms, blocking a kick aimed for my face.

Just as I blocked the woman’s kick, I bent down to avoid a punch thrown from the man to my right. The woman quickly spun on her heel, attempting to launch another kick towards my torso. I caught her leg in my hand before pointing my gun at her chest. I pulled the trigger, shooting her twice: one bullet for her abdomen, and another for her heart.

I ducked once more, avoiding another jab aimed at me while still holding onto the woman’s leg. I turned, pushing my hips into her thigh as I spun, causing her body to go flying towards the man to my right.

As their bodies collided, he fell to the floor and landed on his knees. I quickly used the gun in my left hand to shoot him in the face.

As bullets echoed throughout the church, I quickly rolled towards the wall beside me effectively dodging the bullets raining down on me. I pressed my back against the wall, listening as they emptied their clips. I looked up, and saw the two men from the door shooting at me from the altar located in the center of the church.

I calmly checked my ammo as they continued to fire at me, and rolled my eyes as I saw that I was low. Once their firing stopped, I quickly rolled out from the side of my makeshift cover and shot one of them in the face. As I neared the other man. I quickly kicked the gun out of his hands, causing it to slide across the floor.

The massive man quickly pulled out a knife and lunged towards me. I side stepped him and pulled his arm down roughly, causing his torso to lean forward. I then grabbed the back of his head and slammed it down onto the altar before elbowing him in the skull.

With my other hand, I managed to grab the knife from him. I spun it in my hand quickly before stabbing him in the neck, causing blood to spew all over my clothes, face, and the bible underneath him.

I steadied my breathing as I looked around the church. I laid my eyes upon a man running down the center alter towards the exit. He was running sporadically, nearly tripping over his own feet as he attempted to escape the facility.

“Coward.” I breathed before I grabbed the knife from the man’s neck in front of me and threw it towards him. I watched as the knife hit the back of the man’s skull, causing him to quickly fall to his knees before his lifeless body collapsed.

I bent down and grabbed a gun that was on the floor beside me before checking the clip, feeling satisfied once I saw the clip was full. I loaded the gun as I stood up and placed it in my clutch.

My gaze settled on my reflection in a large cup of holy water on the altar. My tan skin was covered in blood, contrasting with my brown eyes. My long black hair was disarrayed, and my once neatly tied ponytail was now loose and messy.

I dipped my hand in the holy water, grateful that it didn’t burn my skin due to the duplicitous acts I’ve committed. I brought my wet hand up to my face, attempting to clean off the blood from my skin. I cupped the water with both hands, splashing my face and tainting the holy water with blood, watching as the clear water quickly turned crimson. Once most of the blood was washed off, I shook my hands slightly in an attempt to dry them. I quickly tidied up my hair, throwing it back into a neat ponytail before I grabbed my phone out of my clutch and walked towards the exit.

I quickly dialed the all too familiar number, listening as it rang twice before the line was picked up.

“Thank you for calling First Class AutoCare, where we’re happy to talk to you about your car’s extended warranty. Please stay on the line to speak to one of our representatives.” The chipper voice spoke from the other line.

“Agent Mila Cruz. Class S. Identification number 32481” I said as I pressed the phone against my shoulder while grabbing a large, lit candle with my free hand. The line went silent as the voice recognition software began scanning.

“This is Corporate. How may I assist you Ms. Cruz?” The operator spoke in a more serious, almost robotic tone.

“Confirming assassination of the target. Kill Order #8173.” I said as I began to walk towards the exit of the cathedral. I looked down to see the man who I threw the knife at slowly crawling towards the door. I stopped walking next to him before I reached into my clutch and quickly pulled out my handgun.

“Thank you for your confirmation. According to the Kill Order, this buyer wanted this mission to be done quietly, noting that the assassination of the target should not attract any unnecessary attention. Was done quietly, Ms. Cruz?” The voice asked seriously over the line. I looked over my shoulder before my eyes scanned the dead bodies scattered throughout the church.

“Yeah, very quietly.” I said before I shot the man in the head, making sure he was dead this time before I put my gun back into my clutch and began walking over to a table with paper brochures scattered amongst the surface. I grabbed a brochure and tilted it over the flame of the candle, waiting as the flame began to catch.

“Starting the transfer now, please stay on the line and give me confirmation once you receive your payment.” The operator said. I took the brochure in my hand and dropped it on the nearest wooden bench.

I threw more brochures onto the fire as I watched the flame slowly begin to spread and grow across the church. Smoke started to fill the room, and I quickly turned on my heel towards the exit.

I began walking away, descending the grand staircase that led to the entrance of the cathedral as smoke began to fill the air. I grabbed my phone and checked the new notification:

Wire transfer received: $500,000

“Funds received,” I said before I hung up the line. I quickly shoved my hands into my pocket as I walked further away from the church and crossed the street into the busy plaza, ignoring the massive explosion and screams that filled the air behind me.

02

I walked into my hotel, admiring the view of the canals beneath my window. The streets of Italy were alive, and the sounds from the street performers and the bustling city comforted me. I walked through the penthouse suite, admiring how the sunset shined through the sheer white curtains and into the room. The floors of the suite were covered in dark tile, adding to its modern appearance. The additional kitchen only added to the room’s overall dark features with a black marble countertop. The furniture was a mix of light and charcoal grey, with slight accents of beige.

I usually hated hotel rooms, and this was no exception. The only great thing about this suite was the views that it offered, despite my training of always staying away from windows. It was ironic really, I was always trained that windows were our worst enemy. To stay as far away from them as possible, and that the vantage point they offered our enemies left us vulnerable to snipers and surveillance. But for some reason, I couldn’t pull myself away from this view, from this sunset and the unfamiliar calm that I felt. So, I stared outside for a moment, allowing myself the small luxury of getting lost in the view of the sun kissing the skyline. But that calm passed just as quickly as it came, and I quickly closed the curtains, blocking out the sunset and extinguishing the hues of red and orange that ignited the room. 

I walked towards the bathroom and opened the door. I pressed a button on the wall, starting the shower before I unzipped my dress. I let the fabric fall to the floor before I stepped over it. I grabbed my bra strap and slid it down my shoulder before doing the same with the other side. I then reached behind my back and undid my strap, snapping it open and allowing it to drop down below me. I grabbed the sides of my panties with both hands, bend down, and slid out of them before dropping them on the floor.

I stepped into the black marble shower and walked underneath the waterfall shower head. I rotated my head, allowing the left-over blood from earlier to drip down the drain.

I tilted my head and gasped lightly as I felt a pair of lips graze my neck. A soft moan escaped my mouth as a pair of familiar, calloused hands gently grabbed my hips.

“I don’t recall hearing a knock.” I said as I closed my eyes and tilted my head further, allowing him more access to my neck.

“I didn’t think I had to at this point.” Aiden’s familiar, deep voice said as he continued to kiss my neck slowly. He pressed his bare body against mine, allowing me to feel his hard length press against my rear.

“Still would have been a nice gesture.” I said as I opened my eyes. He carefully turned me around so I was facing him.

“Don’t act like you didn’t hear me come in.” He said while he tilted his head and bent down slightly. He tucked his hand underneath my chin, tilting my head up before he gently pressed his lips against mine, making me exhale in anticipation and pleasure.

“I didn’t hear a knock, but I did hear the door creak a bit. You’re losing your touch.” I teased after I pulled back slightly, our lips grazing against each other.

Aiden Smith was a tall man who stood at about six feet tall, causing me to have to look up at him. His body was composed of pure muscle, toned from the years of intense training and a strict diet and workout regime. His buzzed, black hair was always trimmed short, and his beard was also neatly trimmed and kept. His hazel eyes contrasted against his brown skin, and his piercing gaze was intense enough to intimidate any man.

Aiden was one of the best in our industry. I would even say his skill would rival my own. But his biggest flaw was that he was a brute, a shoot first ask questions later kind of man. He would happily run in headfirst into danger just to get a piece of the action. He always said being headstrong was his greatest strength, while I always thought it was his greatest flaw.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as his hands drifted to my ass. His hands cupped my cheeks, massaging them for a moment before they traveled down to the back of my thighs. He picked me up effortlessly as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

I traced my hand down his chest, feeling his toned muscles along the way until I reached his hard length. I wrapped my hand around it as I began rubbing him slowly, making sure to touch every inch of it.

He let out a moan into my mouth as I began moving my hand faster, feeling satisfied as I felt it grow even larger. I impatiently brought it to my core, lining it up before Aiden thrust deeply inside of me.

Aiden’s face contorted into one of pleasure, and I watched as his mouth became agape as he continued to thrust rhythmically into me. I wrapped my arms around his chest, clawing his back as he began moving faster.

He lifted me so our chests were no longer touching, giving him the freedom he needed to spread my legs wider before he began pounding into me mercilessly.

After a few minutes, I felt my orgasm building as I threw my head back, enjoying the feeling of him relentlessly fucking me. The water from above was splashing everywhere as the sound of him clapping against me filled the steamy shower.

I began spreading my legs further apart as my climax drew closer, moaning louder as Aiden kept up his pace. He began to mutter profanities under his breath as I clenched around his length, letting a much-needed orgasm rip through my body as I gave in to the pleasure.

Seconds later, Aiden wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me up with one arm before he pulled out. He grabbed his length and began rubbing himself. I watched as he released onto my thigh, throwing his head back in ecstasy as I bit my lip at the sight. I was aggressively on birth control, but I still appreciated the small caution he took.

He bent down and placed me gently onto my feet as we both stood underneath the water. The only sounds that filled the air were our erratic breaths and the sound of water hitting the tile beneath us. He wrapped his arms around my waist, causing me to step forward to avoid his embrace. He reluctantly let go, and I grabbed the bottle of shampoo before pouring some into my hands and lathering it through my long hair. Silence grew between us as Aiden sighed.

“Mila,” Aiden started, making me sigh in annoyance.

“Please, Aiden. Not tonight.” I said as I closed my eyes and began washing the shampoo from my hair. “It’s been a long day.”

“You can’t keep avoiding this, we’re going to have to talk about it eventually.” Aiden said from behind me.

“And what are you referring to exactly?” I said, trying to avoid the topic he’s been insistently bringing up over the past month. I tilted my head up, staring at the lavish tiles around me and avoiding eye contact.

“One date. That’s all I want.” He said as he smirked. I let out a sigh as his hands gently gripped my hips. He turned me slightly so I was facing him, and I looked up at him, examining the small pleading smile that caressed his lips.

“Aiden…” I began as I looked up at him.

“Just a normal dinner.” He said, tilting his head slightly as he looked down at me.

“We have dinner together all the time?” I asked as I looked at him curiously.

“I mean in public . Instead of our usual room service in a hotel room.” He said as he tilted his head.

“You knew what you were getting into when we started… whatever this is.” I said calmly as I began to condition my hair. Aiden grabbed the body soap and rubbed some on his hands before lathering his muscular body.

“Yeah, and that was almost a year ago.” He said as he finished soaping his body and stepped under the water before I grabbed the soap from his hands.

“I didn’t want a relationship then, and I still don’t want a relationship now.” I said, holding back the annoyance in my voice. “I thought you’d understand more than anyone considering we share the same occupation.” I said as I lathered my body.

“Yeah, I know. The traveling, the killing, I get it.” Aiden said as he furrowed his eyebrows in frustration.

“But Mila,” he said as he gently grabbed my shoulders and looked at me. “Just give me one chance to show you what it would be like for you to be with me.” He said seriously as he looked at me with his eyebrows furrowed. “Just one chance, for us to give being a normal couple a shot, that’s all I’m asking.”

Most girls would have been elated by his words, but unfortunately, I couldn’t fight the feeling of dread that crept up on me upon hearing this.

Commitment.

Relationship.

Boyfriend.

I didn’t want any of those labels. I wish I could tell Aiden exactly why, but in all honesty, I didn’t even know why myself. I’ve known Aiden for most of my life. We were in the academy together, trained together, and went on hundreds of missions together, but I just couldn’t see him as more than just a friend who I occasionally fucked.

“A normal relationship?” I asked, tilting my head as I looked up at him. His eyes gleamed with hope as he stared down at me.

“You and I both know we will never be normal.” I said, my voice sounding colder than intended.

“Doesn’t mean we can’t try.” Aiden said, a small smile stretching across his lips.

“I don’t want that Aiden.” I said calmly, trying to hold back the annoyance I felt. “Please respect that.”

“I don’t get you, Mila.” He sneered in frustration as he shook his head. “Three months ago, we spent two weeks together, day and night. Then you just disappear for months only to text me this morning with your hotel address.” He said as he furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance. “Do you know how worried I was that something could have happened to you?”

I mentally tuned out his nagging as I dipped my head underneath the running water. I’ve spent many hours wondering why I felt this way, why I didn’t want a serious relationship with him. Even though he doesn’t believe me, I did try. I tried to convince myself during those two weeks we spent together that this was right, that being in an exclusive relationship with Aiden was what I wanted. We spent those two weeks exploring each other’s bodies, making love as the sun rose until it set once more. We ignored the issues in our lives, the trauma we had, the anger we felt, and just let go into each other as we got tangled within the sheets. Don’t get me wrong, I have needs. Needs I could easily handle myself. But when I have a man like Aiden in my life, who handles my needs very nicely, why not take advantage of that?

Was it selfish of me to only want him for sex? To use him to fulfill my need while ignoring his own desire for a romantic and exclusive relationship? Probably. But I made it clear to him what I wanted, what he could expect from being involved with me.

Maybe it was me. Maybe I’m incapable of happiness, of having a stable relationship. That all the years of killing have caught up to me in the form of my own emotions taking a vacancy from my life. Some days, I didn’t even think I was capable of love. Of being loved. That the easier it became to pull the trigger, the harder it became for me to let people in.

“Don’t you think I at least deserve an explanation? I thought you were dead. You could have at least let me know you were okay.” Aiden continued as he looked down at me, the water from above running down his broad shoulders.

Oh, wait. Now I remember why I don’t want to be in a relationship. The nagging, the checking in, the whole being considerate thing was such a drag. Aiden was overprotective… extremely overprotective. Sometimes to the point where my boundaries were ignored, and it infuriated me. I suppose it was a normal reaction considering that we could die at any moment, but it smothered me and made me feel suffocated. 

When we first started hooking up, he would randomly show up after my missions. It didn’t matter if I was in Alaska one day, and Africa the next, the man would always somehow find a way to interfere with my schedule. Never believing in coincidences, I was always suspicious of it, but once I found the trackers he planted in my bags and clothes, I contemplated killing him for the first time. Sometimes I contemplate killing him during one of his overprotective nagging rants, and other times, I just want to kill him out of annoyance.

Whenever we were assigned missions together, he would be intolerable. He would always interfere during them, jumping in front of me, not letting me throw a punch or defend myself. He told me once that it was his way of protecting me, it was his way of showing that he cared about me. But I couldn’t help but feel insulted that he didn’t think I could handle myself.

“Like I’ve told you before, it’s either this, or nothing. You choose.” I stated coldly, ending the conversation. Disappointment flashed across his features as he looked at me before turning around and submerging his face underneath the stream of water.

We finished our shower in uncomfortable silence before wrapping ourselves in the plush white towels. I quickly got dressed before looking over my shoulder at Aiden, who was staring at me with his eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m leaving.” I said quickly as I threw my wet hair up in a messy bun.

“Where are you going?” He asked quickly, disappointment and worry swimming in his hazel eyes.

“I have something I need to take care of.” I said before I put on a pair of sneakers and looked over at Aiden as he took a step towards me, his brows furrowed, and his jaw clenched.

“ Alone .“ I said, failing to hide my annoyance.

“No, you’re not.” Aiden said as he crossed his arms, making my jaw clench as I took a deep breath.

This is one of those times I really, really wanted to put a bullet in his skull.

“If you put another tracker on me, or follow me in any way, shape, or form,” I began, stepping towards him slowly as I grit my teeth. “This, is done. And I will fucking kill you.” I said as I glared at him. “I want you gone before I come back.”

And without another word, I turned on my heel and quickly grabbed the sleek handle of the door before walking out of the room.

03

The wind caressed my face as I bent down and cleared the debris from the cold tombstone. Like always, a bouquet of fresh sunflowers rested in front of the grave. The flowers were wrapped in twine and covered with delicate white wrapping. Weeds covered the writing engraved on the stone, and I couldn’t help the guilt I felt for allowing her grave to reach this terrible condition. One by one, I grabbed the weeds and yanked them back, breaking them from their tangled roots and tossing them carelessly to the side, making the writing legible once more before standing up and examining her resting place in front of me.

Maria Cruz

1995 – 2020

I stood there for a few moments, or minutes, I couldn’t really tell. Time just seemed to blur whenever I was here. My mind seems to wander into nothingness, and I’m left to feel how empty it is without her presence. It’s been an entire year since I last saw her smile or heard her laugh. An entire year without my one and only sister. A year that I’ve spent mindlessly numbing myself to the grief that threatened to consume me.

She always loved Italy. It was one of her favorite places. She’d constantly talk about how she loved the culture, the art, the food, the people, the violence, and how she was going to retire here one day. She came here as often as she could, and even owned a few properties here. Maria would often be found in plazas, enjoying art galleries, and dining at different hole-in-the-wall restaurants every night. She was like a light that lit up every room she entered. Always the best dressed, the most charming and charismatic, the woman would make friends anywhere she went. She would always say that Italy was unlike anywhere else in the world, and I felt a small piece of comfort knowing that she was laid to rest here.

My body tensed slightly as I heard the faint sound of a twig snapping behind me. I quickly pivoted my feet and brought my left hand up to my neck, grabbing the handle of a knife before the blade touched my skin.

“That’s a little close, don’t you think?” Monroe’s familiar voice said with amusement as I looked at him with a small smirk.

“I’m still alive, aren’t I?” I said before I raised my eyebrow.

“Barely.” He said as he quickly thrust the blade forward so the tip was grazing my carotid artery. He quickly moved his hand, sliding the tip of the blade against my neck and grazing the skin. It was enough pressure to draw blood, but not enough to cause any kind of serious injury. My face was emotionless as I felt a small bit of blood begin the drip down towards my shoulder blade.

His black hair began to have specks of white peer through, and his new mid-life crisis goatee was neatly trimmed and kept. A much-needed change from his previous mustache. His features were sharp, and his square jawline was chiseled. The bridge of his nose was slightly crooked from being broken so many times. The tip of his nose was round, and slightly upturned. He was older, but even though he just celebrated his fifty-third birthday a few months ago, he was most likely in the best shape of his life. His round, brown eyes looked at me with curiosity as he finally pulled his arm back, twirling the blade gracefully within his hand before sheathing it.

Alex Monroe was known in the world of organized crime as one of the most successful assassins in the world. His short temper and colorful choice of words were almost as infamous as his reputation. Everyone who met Monroe acted as if they were walking on eggshells whenever they spoke to him, and rightfully so. One wrong word and Monroe could fly off the handle. I once saw him break his barber’s arm because his hair wasn’t cut the way he liked it. Luckily for me, Monroe wasn’t just one of the most dangerous men on the planet, he was also my mentor, the man who taught me everything I know.

“A year already. Where did the fucking time go?” He said under his breath as he looked down at Maria’s grave. His eyebrows were furrowed as his usual stoic expression softened.

“I found him.” I said after a few moments, making Monroe’s head snap in my direction.

“Who, and fucking where.” He said in a deadly tone. Monroe was the closest thing Maria and I had to a father, and he took care of us like we were his own. He doesn’t show it often, but Marias’s death affected him more than he’d like to admit. Even though he will never say it, I’m sure the weekly delivery of Maria’s favorite flowers are from him.

“Felipe Lombardi. And here, in Italy.” I said with an emotionless tone as I stared at my sister’s grave.

“Wait a damn second,” Monroe said as his eyes widened slightly. “Felipe… Lombardi ?” Monroe said as one of his eyebrows raised in curiosity.

“Yeah. And before you ask, yes. It’s that Felipe Lombardi.” I explained.

“The one that took out nearly half of that Mafia a few years ago?” Monroe asked before he tilted his head.

“That’s the one.” I said unenthusiastically as my eyes narrowed slightly.

“How did you find out he…” Monroe asked as he tilted his head, his lips pursing together as he struggled to finish his sentence. Even after all this time, he still struggles to talk about what happened to Maria. “The only thing we could track were the bullets in her shoulder, and they were untraceable. There were no prints, no evidence.”

“Even though they were untraceable, the bullets themselves had a unique pattern within the grain, a signature of sorts.” I began. “After a few weeks of asking around and investigating, I was able to find the man who manufactured the bullets hiding out in Thailand,” I explained as I looked over at Monroe.

“After a few days of… intense persuasion tactics… he gave me a list of his clients.” I said as my eyes narrowed slightly. “I’ve personally visited everyone on that list, Felipe is the only one left.”

And by “visited”, I really mean I murdered.

What I didn’t tell Monroe was that I spent two months going on a killing rampage in Thailand trying to find the manufacturer. Then after that, I spent an entire month torturing and interrogating him in the most gruesome ways I could think of until I got the list. But even after he gave me the information, I kept going. I wanted to make sure everyone who was even remotely involved in Maria’s death was punished. It was therapeutic for me, an outlet for me to grieve the death of my only sister.

Silence stretched between us before Monroe eventually let out a deep sigh.

“Mila, you know I want to help you do this, but you know why I can’t.” He said as he looked down at Maria’s grave.

“You know that Corporate will kill you if they find out what you’re doing. Doesn’t matter if you’re an S-Ranked Assassin, they’ll consider you a rogue agent and most likely send out an order for your termination. You’re lucky they haven’t already.” He began as he looked over at me with a stoic expression. Even though I omitted the details of what I did to get this information, Monroe wasn’t an idiot. I’d bet money that he already knew what I did in Thailand, and just didn’t say anything.

“I know.” I said under my breath.

Corporate . The organization that I sold my soul to eleven years ago. Assassins don’t usually how it works or who operates it, but once you’re recruited, you’re given two options:

Complete the Kill Order that was sent to you, or be killed.

There was a hierarchy within the organization, and the higher your rank, the more dangerous the mission and the more zeros that are added to your paycheck.

C-Rank assassins usually consisted of new recruits. People within this category just have to prove that they’re not idiots and won’t die easily. This is the rank with the most causalities. Most of their missions are simple ones: taking out small-time thugs, small contracts, assassinating up-and-coming business rivals, nothing too important.

B-Rank is after that. Assassins of this rank are usually subpar at best. These kinds of assassins are young, and will usually be messy and make rookie mistakes on the job, like leave evidence behind or accidentally kill the wrong person. Their missions usually consist of eliminating lawyers, mayors, people with status amongst society, but nonetheless, still unimportant.

A-Rank assassins are when you should start to worry. These assassins have proved themselves time and time again through completed Orders. They’re lethal, dangerous, and will give any skilled professional a hard time. This is when the contracts start to become serious. They’re the ones who are sent after high-ranking senators, CEOs of fortune 500 companies, Mafia and Cartel members, anyone who requires skill and finesse to take down their target. Usually, it’s only one or two targets, maybe a handful of security that they have to deal with.

And finally, you have S-Rank assassins. This category consists of the most dangerous men and women on the planet. In order for an A-Rank to get promoted to this level, they have to successfully kill an S-Rank assassin. Usually, only special orders are given to S-Ranks, and most of them contain orders to kill agents that went rogue. But every once in a while, an A-Rank will get a chance to prove themselves and receive a Kill Order with an S-Ranks name on it. The hardest Kill Orders are reserved for S-Ranks. They usually are killing entire organizations, infiltrating highly guarded buildings, or assassinating rogue agents. Usually, Kill Orders sent out to S-Ranks require them to take out a professional security detail just to get to their target.

Felipe Lombardi wasn’t just any assassin for Corporate, he was somewhat of a legend. He was one of the first S-Rank assassins amongst their ranks. When he went through his first divorce, he set the record for the most kill orders completed in a month. Coincidently, that was also the month that he took out half of the German Mafia. He killed enough people that month to populate a small town, and the crazier part was that he did the entire thing completely, and belligerently drunk.

But his reputation seemed to die down over the past year, and he somewhat went quiet. Stories about him began to be told less and less, and the number of contracts he received grew thin. Some say that Corporate didn’t like his reckless style, after all, it doesn’t look good for them to send a drunk marksman out into the field. Regardless of his status with Corporate, if they found out that I killed one of the veteran assassins without a sanctioned hit, they wouldn’t hesitate to put my name on the next Kill Order sent out.

“There’s only so much I can do to protect you from the inside.” Monroe explained. His face began to soften into a pained expression as he looked down at Marias grave once more.

Monroe was probably one of the few people who knew how Corporate worked. Apparently, he was there when the organization was founded, and it’s rumored that he even knows who started the entire organization. Maria and I used to beg him for information, but no matter how hard we tried, he never budged. He was adamant that the less we knew, the safer we were. So, we knew nothing about Corporate and their inner workings. It was “his way of protecting us” apparently.

“If something happens, and they do come after me, I want you to promise me one thing Monroe.” I said as a soft breeze swept through the air once more. He gave me a look as the tension grew thick between us.

“I don’t want you to get involved. I don’t want you to put yourself in danger to protect me.” I said as I looked over at him seriously. “Promise me.”

“I’ll try.” He said as he looked at me before narrowing his eyes slightly, making me let out an annoyed sigh. He was lying. I knew he was lying. He does this weird twitch with his left eye whenever he lies to me.

“So, what’s your plan?” Monroe asked, quickly changing the subject as he pulled out a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket. He popped the cigarette between his teeth before lighting it and inhaling deeply. Monroe always smoked when he was stressed out. He’d always get defensive when Maria and I asked what he was worried about, saying some nonsense like “I’m a professional assassin, I don’t ’ stress’ .” I guess when you’re that good at ending another person’s life you don’t have to worry about the tells that you’re lying.

“Felipe’s constantly on the move. In the past month he’s been jumping between Europe, Mexico, Italy, and South Africa.” I explained.

“Doing what, exactly?” Monroe asked, his eyebrow raised as he puffed on his cigarette between his teeth.

“He stays in a different safe house every day. Leaves around noon for a new spot, and never steps foot outside after that. So, by the looks of it, I’d say he’s hiding, extremely paranoid, or both.” I explained, looking over at a very perplexed-looking Monroe.

“Hiding…” Monroe said under his breath. “That man is one of the deadliest motherfuckers in the world… what could he be hiding from?”

“I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s scared him enough to be surrounded by a security detail at all times.” I said as I narrowed my eyes.

“Wait, security ?” Monroe said, his face morphing into disgust.

“Usually anywhere between thirty or forty guards on the property, and always four with him whenever he’s traveling.” I said with a small shrug.

“What kind of assassin needs guards to protect him?” Monroe scoffed under his breath. “What a little bitch. I’m so disappointed in him.” Monroe said as he shook his head slightly.

“After a few weeks of recon, I discovered one of his hideouts here in Venice. I flagged all of his private jets and just got a notification that he landed about an hour ago. If I don’t make my move tonight, I’ll miss him.” I explained as Monroe let out another puff of smoke into the air.

“Well, when you’re done with your personal business, another Kill Order is waiting for you. Given the lack of subtility you used on your last stealth mission, Corporate wants this one done with a team. So, make sure you don’t fuck it up, it’s a big one apparently.” Monroe said as he dropped his cigarette onto the floor.

“What are you talking about? I was subtle.” I said playfully as I raised an eyebrow and looked over at him.

“You blew up a famous church in broad daylight. Subtle my ass.” Monroe said as he looked at me with a disapproving expression, making me smirk under my breath. He stepped on the still lit cigarette before rotating his foot, putting it out before he began walking towards the all-black Mercedes by the nearest curb.

“I’ll send the new Order to your phone first thing in the morning.” He stated.

“See you soon, Monroe.” I said as I watched him walk away.

“Be safe.” He said quietly as he waved his hand nonchalantly. “And Mila,” he began.

“Make sure this fucker suffers.” He said with a smile as he looked over his shoulder, his brown eyes locking onto mine.

“Oh, trust me.” I said as my fists began to clench, my gaze dropped down to my sisters grave once more. “I plan to.”

04

Anyone who is anyone in the world of organized crime has heard of the notorious Felipe Lombardi. He was an OG, an older assassin that’s been around the block more than enough times to earn himself a fierce reputation for being a crazy bastard and a merciless killer. A few years ago, he single-handedly annihilated half of the German Mafia because a Capo slept with his wife and ruined his marriage. Rumor had it that Corporate almost considered him a rogue agent for that, but the head of the German Mafia was so petrified of this one man, that he promised to exclusively run his assassinations through Corporate if he promised to stop slaughtering his men.

Felipe Lombardi is a skilled sharpshooter, and based off of my recon, his choice of weaponry is his custom-made pistols. Each bullet he fires is one of a kind, and before last month, completely untraceable. But even his hand-to-hand combat would be a challenge to go against. This man’s not just a veteran in our field, but practically a legend. No one has gone head-to-head with Felipe Lombardi and lived to tell about it.

I quickly pulled the trigger, shooting the guard in the back of the head before pivoting on my foot. I ducked, avoiding the punch from the other guard before I spun and kicked the back of his knee and causing him to stumble. I rapidly brought my gun to the back of his head before lodging a bullet into his skull. The loud thud of the body hit the pavement as I jumped over the back gate. I landed on my feet as quietly as I could before I quickly pressed my back against the nearest wall.

I slowly turned the corner and spotted two armed guards with their backs turned towards me. As they were walking along the dim pathway, I quickly pulled the trigger and shot them both in the head before continuing forward. I spotted a large circuit breaker attached to a nearby wall and quickly made my way over to it.

I swung the circuit breaker open before I quickly scanned the switches until I found the ones I was looking for. One by one, I began flicking the switches, watching as Felipe’s Lombardi’s multi-million-dollar mansion began to lose power. The estate was sleek and modern, something that worked in my favor. The walls were made of floor to ceiling glass, and the light from the backyard and the nearby street were the only things illuminating the area.

I backed away from the circuit breaker as I headed towards the back door, watching as flashlights began to shine through the glass windows. I took a deep breath as I heard the sounds of muffled yells come from the other side of the wall, listening as the guards began barking orders to search the perimeter.

I quietly began walking towards the backdoor, watching carefully as the lights from inside grew closer with each step. I saw a guard running towards me from the back gate, and I quickly pulled the trigger, shooting her between the eyes and grabbing the metal handle of the backdoor before I swung it open.

I immediately came face to face with two more guards. One lunged at me while the other lifted his gun. I quickly kicked the weapon from his hand while the other wrapped my legs with his muscular arms. I grit my teeth as he rammed me into the wall beside us and my the on my gun loosened, causing my Glock to fall to the floor. I quickly brought my elbow upwards before I slammed it into his skull with all my strength.

The man fell to the side slightly, giving me enough room to duck and avoid the punch that was aimed for my head from the other guard. While the man was still crouched over, I quickly grabbed the handgun on his waist before pressing it against his temple and pulled the trigger. I quickly brought the gun up and shot the other guard in the heart.

I bent down as their lifeless bodies fell to the floor. I quickly grabbed a fully loaded clip from the guard’s belt before tossing his weapon. I grabbed my Glock from the floor before popping in the new clip and standing up. Usually, I wouldn’t bother picking up after myself. After all, every gun I use can’t be traced back to me, but then again, the same was said about Felipe’s bullet.

It was imperative that I left absolutely no trace that I was ever here. It wasn’t that Corporate controlled every move I made, but the most important thing the company values is loyalty. They need to know that their assets were secure, that their assassins won’t go haywire in the middle of a mission. Once they get the sense that an agent it starting to spiral out of control mentally or emotionally, they have no problem putting their name on an Order. I would know considering I was usually the one they sent to eliminate those rogue agents. But the worst thing you could do to offend Corporate is killing another one of their assets. I could be as messy as I wanted and burn the place down afterwards, but seeing as I just did that with my last Kill Order, I have a feeling they would see the correlation and come after me anyway.

I quickly walked over to the end of the hallway, carefully hugging the wall as I heard footsteps in the other room. I quickly made my way through the archway and ended up in the spacious kitchen where four guards were aiming their weapons at me from the other side of the large island in the center of the room.

I quickly bent down behind a counter, narrowly avoiding the flood of bullets that hit the wall where I once stood. While still squatting, I crept towards the edge of the cabinet where I saw the ankles of a guard a few meters away from me. I quickly swung my arm around and aimed for her knee before pulling the trigger. The guard screamed and immediately fell to the floor, clutching their leg before I lifted my gun up and shot her in the head.

I quickly stood up as two guards were running toward me. I brought my gun up and shot a guard in the corner of the room in the head before turning my attention towards to the two men charging at me. I quickly ducked to avoid the kick aimed for my head before shooting the guard to the left of me in the kneecap. He screamed as he fell onto his good knee and the other man grabbed a knife from the counter. He lifted his arm up before swinging it down, aiming it at my shoulder. I quickly pivoted while grabbing his wrist and guiding the blade to the other guard’s neck before bending my other arm and pressing the gun underneath the man’s chin. I pulled the trigger before bending my arm and aiming it at the other guard’s head. I pulled the trigger once more, killing him for good measure before continuing through the mansion.

I walked out of the kitchen and towards a massive spiral staircase in the center of the living room. The massive living room was empty. The flat screen TV that was mounted on the wall was now shattered from a ricocheting bullet. Pillows were carelessly tossed to the floor, as if this was where most of the guards were when I shut the lights off. There were two large pillars in the room, and in between them was a large, white, modern couch. I heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the hallway across from me, and I quickly hid behind the nearest pillar.

I listened carefully as the footsteps grew closer, the lights from flashlights hitting the wall behind me. There four lights, so there were four guards. I waited patiently for one of the guards to walk past the pillar I was hiding behind before I quickly stepped out. I raised my gun up and shot a guard in the head before I turned and shot another in the chest. As they fell, I quickly spotted the other two guards across the room, and I dove behind the couch as they open fired.

Bullets pierced the couch as I did a forward roll, getting back onto my feet as I continued to crouch behind the furniture. I quickly made my way over to the other pillar before I quickly turned and saw a guard a few feet away from me. I quickly kicked the gun out of his hand before shooting at the other guard that was aiming at me. As the other guard went down, he lunged towards me. I quickly pivoted on my feet rotating my upper body as I grabbed his right wrist with my hand. I used his momentum and pulled him forward, off balancing him and as I rotated my body so I was behind him. I quickly lifted my gun and shot him in the head, causing him to fall forward and onto the glass coffee table, shattering it as he flopped onto the floor.

I evaluated my surroundings, listening for anymore footsteps in the distance. I looked up as the sound of running thudded above me, and cautiously made my way towards the spiral staircase.

After a few steps, four guards began running down the stairs as I effortlessly raised my gun and shot them between the eyes as I ascended up the staircase. I removed the empty clip from the gun as I began stepping over the dead bodies resting on the stairs. I reached for a full clip on my belt as a guard ran towards me. I grabbed her arm and bent down, wrapping my other arm around her thigh. I quickly stood up and fireman carried her over the railing, throwing her down to the first floor.

I pivoted and elbowed another guard in the ribs before lifting my gun up in my hand and using it to smack him across the face. I gripped the rail with my free hand and used it to lift me up while I threw my legs up and around his neck. I locked my legs in a triangle choke around him as I reloaded my gun while he struggled between my legs. I quickly pressed the barrel against his head before pulling the trigger and standing up. I looked over the railing to see the woman I threw over, she was groaning in pain as she turned over on the floor. I quickly lifted my gun and shot her in the head. I couldn’t afford to leave any witnesses.

I walked down a narrow corridor and turned the corner before shooting two more guards in the face. Another guard close by raised his gun up, and I sprinted towards him before using my left foot to step on the wall next to me. I pushed off the wall, giving myself a height boost before bringing my knees to my chest and rotating. I roundhouse kicked his wrist, knocking the gun out of his hand just as he was about to pull the trigger. His head bounced off the wall as I pressed my gun against his cheek and fired, killing him instantly.

I looked to my right to see another three guards coming toward me. I quickly lifted my gun up as I walked towards them and shot two of them between the eyes and emptying my clip once more. The third guard raised his gun up as I ran towards him. I threw my gun at his face, hitting him in the nose and causing my Glock to bounce back towards me. As I neared the guard, I caught the gun midair before using it to hit him in the skull once more while my free hand grabbed another clip from my belt. He grunted loudly as the butt of my gun made contact with his forehead, cutting it open and causing blood to spew out. I quickly removed the empty clip and gracefully slid in the fresh one before shooting the man point blank between the eyes.

Silence fell over the mansion as I evaluated my surroundings. Bodies littered the lavish hardwood floor. The floor, the windows, the furniture, everything was collateral from the ricocheting bullets. The grey walls were sprayed with crimson, and the ski mask that covered my face was soaked with blood, none of it mine.

I stepped over the bodies on the floor as I made my way toward Felipe’s office. Based off my recon, it was where he spent most of his time, and it was where that little fucker would be hiding. The office was the same in every safe house, never had any windows, isolated and well-guarded, and was always on the second floor.

I gripped the metal doorknob before pulling it down quickly and swinging the door open. His office was lavish, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from a man like him. Bookcases lined the left and right walls. There was a sitting area in the corner near the door, with a wooden coffee table and a modern-looking couch. Towards the back of the room, there was a large grey desk, and behind it was Felipe Lombardi, who was casually looking at me while he was puffing on an expensive-looking cigar.

“It seems you’ve made quite a mess, donna. “ Felipe said as he looked at me with a deadly expression painted across his face.

My eyes were immediately drawn to a flash of light within the dim office, and my heart raced as I saw the silver gun he held in his hands, shining underneath the moonlight and aimed directly at me. Before I could move, before I could even speak, he pulled the trigger, hitting me directly in the center of the chest.

05

“Well, I have to admit I didn’t think you’d make it past all my guards. This is a… pleasant surprise.” Felipe said as he pressed the tip of his cigar down onto the ashtray on the desk. His thick Italian accent coated his every word. I grunted slightly as I looked up at him, pain still coursing throughout my body. The impact was harder than anything I ever felt before, and it sent me stumbling backwards into the wall before I fell onto the floor.

Felipe’s salt and pepper hair shimmered underneath the moonlight. He was a lean man, and stood at about six feet tall with a demeanor that radiated lethality. His green eyes swam with curiosity as he looked down at me. His face looked aged, and the crow’s feet and fine lines that adorned his face made him look somewhat worn down and tired. His tan skin contrasted against the white button up shirt he wore. It was folded at his elbows and tucked into his slacks with a matching belt. His square jawline was sharp, and his black and white beard was well trimmed and maintained.

“Pretty impressive bullet, no?” He said as he began walking towards me.

“I had it made for me in Japan. It’s rather brilliant actually. It’s as small as 9mm, but upon impact bursts just like a shotgun.” Felipe said as he spun his pistol around his index finger.

“Internal bleeding starts immediately, and usually my targets die within a minute or two. So I suppose I have to be quick about this.” He said as he stepped in front of me.

Usually, I didn’t bother with bulletproof vests. I’ve always felt that they were clunky, and slowed me down. But because of Felipe’s reputation of being a lethal sharpshooter, I knew I had to take every precaution if I wanted to survive. With a man of his reputation, I knew I’d be shot once or twice.

There was one detail in every safe house he stayed in that was always the same: The office only had one way in, and one way out. I knew it was reckless barging in like that. I knew that he’d be waiting for me. So I decided to strap on my vest and take the bullet like a professional.

I’ve taken many shots to the chest while wearing a bulletproof vest before, but I didn’t anticipate his custom-made bullets to be as powerful as they were. Even with the vest on, the sharp pain from breathing felt as though a few ribs were broken, or at least popped out of place.

I watched as Felipe bent down and gripped my jaw within his large hand. He dug his fingers into my cheeks as he forced me to look up at him. He then lifted his other hand and pressed the barrel of his pistol against my forehead.

“Who sent you?” He asked as he looked down at me and raised his eyebrows slightly. “The Cartels, Corporate, Scotty, my ex-wife?” He continued as he tilted his head slightly.

“I told her she could have the beach house. Just because I took the dog I didn’t think she’d go so far as to hire an assassin.” He said as his eyes narrowed. “Although it would make sense. I would do the same if she took Todd.” He mumbled to himself as he furrowed his eyebrows.

I used this opportunity to grip his wrist and rotate my body. The pistol in his hand fired next to my ear, causing me to wince as an intense ringing took over my hearing. I quickly got to my feet as Felipe struggled against my grip. He pushed his hand towards my head, pulling the trigger two more times as I continued to rotate my body to avoid his shots. I quickly brought my knee up to his stomach, making him hunch over slightly before I gripped his wrist with both hands.

I quickly hit the inside of his wrist, causing it to buckle and making him drop his pistol to the ground. Felipe used his free hand to throw a strong jab towards my ribs, making me scream out as he hit the exact spot he shot earlier. My ribs cracked upon impact, and even with the adrenaline coursing through my veins, every breath I took felt as though I was being stabbed.

He gripped the back of my head with both hands and hunched me over as he attempted to knee me in the spot once more. I quickly brought both of my hands in front of my chest, blocking his knee before circling my head around his grip and freeing myself. In one fluid motion, I lifted my head up and threw a jab aimed at his face.

He was quick for his age, and brought his hand up to block my punch with the palm of his hand. With my free hand, I threw a hook, causing him to duck and narrowly dodge it. He wrapped his arms around the back of my thighs before he picked me up. I began elbowing him in the temple as he ran towards the corner of the room. I was able to elbow him three times before he threw me into the glass coffee table, causing me to let out a grunt as shards of glass penetrated my skin. The tray that rested on the coffee table dug into my back as its contents scattered across the floor around me.

I looked over to see him reaching for his pistol on the nearest bookshelf. I quickly looked beside me and saw a large, black letter opener that fell from the tray. I quickly reached for it before throwing it with deadly precision towards Felipe. Just as he was about to grab the pistol, the letter opener pierced his palm and struck the wall behind him and pinning his hand to the wall.

He let out a scream of pain as I reached for the knife that was wrapped around my thigh. I quickly threw it at his other hand and pinned that palm to the wall too. I slowly stood up as Felipe’s grunts of pain filled the air.

“Who the fuck are you?!” He screamed as I grabbed a shard of glass that was sticking out from my shoulder. I quickly pulled it out before tossing it carelessly on the ground as I began walking toward Felipe.

“Exactly one year ago, you killed a woman.” I began as I grabbed a long shard of glass from my thigh. I quickly pulled it out, not even cringing from the pain as I looked up at Felipe.

“I kill a lot of people. What makes you think I’ll remember killing some woman?” Felipe grunted before he unsuccessfully attempted to pull one of his hands out from the wall.

“She worked for Corporate. An S-Rank assassin.” I said as I limped over to Felipe.

“I worked for Corporate for years, and killed dozens of S-Ranks. You have to be more specific.” He scoffed.

“Then maybe this will refresh your memory,” I said as I stood in front of him. I gripped the bottom of my mask before quickly lifting it over my face. Felipe’s eyes scanned over my features, and his expression morphed into a stoic expression.

“She looked just like me.” I said as I tilted my head.

“Ah. She had a twin. Who would have thought?” Felipe said before he lowered his head and let out a deep chuckle. “I remember her now. She put up quite the fight.”

Anger coursed through me as I immediately brought my hand up and rapidly punched him in the face three times. He let out another chuckle as blood stained his teeth.

“That was meant to be a compliment.” He said under his breath as he looked at me with narrowed eyes. 

“Who ordered you to kill her?” I asked seriously as I looked at him.

“This whole… back and forth thing is pretty useless don’t you think?” He said as he looked at me with an eyebrow raised while I grabbed my gun from the floor and checked the clip.

“You’re going to kill me no matter what I say.” Felipe said as he smirked.

“Because I could make it… seemingly painless. Or I could make your death last as long as I want.” I explained as I walked back over to him before cocking my gun. “It’s your choice.” I said as I pressed the barrel of my gun against his crotch and looked him in the eyes.

His eyes narrowed as he looked down at me. Felipe Lombardi was the type of man to look death in the face and laugh, I knew it would be a nearly impossible task to intimidate him. The tension in the room grew thick as he looked at me. He drew his gaze over to his right hand, then his left before letting out a deep sigh.

“You know what,” he began as he looked back at me. “You couldn’t have come at a better time.” He said in a nearly quiet voice.

“I’m… exhausted of this life.” He said as he looked at me and gave me a small smile. I furrowed my eyebrows at his words.

This is some sort of trap. It has to be.

“You’re young, yet I can tell this profession has already taken quite a toll on you. Imagine what it’ll do to you when you’re my age.” He chuckled once more. I looked into his aged eyes and for a split second, I didn’t see a killer. I didn’t see the feared and infamous Felipe Lombardi, but instead, I was looking at a tired old man nearly begging for me to end his existence.

“You’re rambling, old man. I don’t have time for this, just tell me who ordered the hit.” I commanded.

“I can’t tell you that.” He said simply. I pressed the gun roughly against his cock before twisting it, making him wince slightly as he attempted to keep a stoic face.

“And why not?” I asked, annoyance lacing my words.

“Because I do not know who ordered the hit. You should know that. But…” he began as he glanced down at his member before looking back up at me. “I will give you the name of the crew member who brought me onboard.”

My heart sank as I listened to his words.

“Crew?” I nearly hissed as I looked up at him. I gripped the gun tighter in my hands before swinging my arm up and backhanding him across the face.

“Well that was …unnecessary.” He grunted in annoyance. “I don’t know who ordered the hit on your sister. But I can tell you the name of the woman who brought me on, and promised me payment.”

“How many people were a part of the crew?” I asked through my gritted teeth.

“There were five of us.” He explained.

“According to my contact, whoever wanted her dead also wanted her to suffer. With my sniper rifle, I shot her in the back when she wasn’t suspecting it. I made sure it wasn’t a lethal hit. The others took her to a secure location where they did… whatever they did to her.”

My breathing became shaky as I listened to his words. His eyes were honest, soft even as he replayed the events of my sister’s death.

“I didn’t have any part in whatever they did to her afterwards. My only job was to incapacitate her from a distance. From what I heard, she specialized in hand-to-hand combat, they didn’t want to take any chances fighting her head-on.” He said as tried to fight the tears scratching their way to the surface.

“Diana Sabel. That was the name of my contact.” He said after a moment, making me clench my fists in upon hearing her name.

“Is she a friend of yours?” I asked as I tilted my head.

“Fuck no. She reached out on a secure line, offered me two million to shoot a woman in the back. It was easy money, so I accepted. The first time I ever met her was at the job.” He explained, wincing slightly from the pain in his hands.

“Also, she still owes me money from that job. I’ve been trying to track down the little bitch for months. Since I won’t be able to collect it myself, make sure her death is painful for me, si?” He said as he looked down at me with a small smile.

“Of course.” I said as I narrowed my eyes.

“Good.” He said as he gave me a small smile.

“What did she look like?” I asked calmly. Since they met on the job, I doubt that Diana Sabel was her real name. A man like Felipe could track down anyone in the world, and the fact that he couldn’t find her means just supports my theory that she was lying to him.

“Brown skin, brown eyes, petite, maybe 5’3… quirky.” He recalled, somewhat emphasizing the last word as he furrowed his eyebrows. “Long black hair, American accent.”

“Did Corporate order it?” I asked as the tension grew thick in the air. The only sound in the room was my rapidly beating heart drumming in my ears.

“My contract didn’t come from them, just from Diana. I was given no details, and you know better than to ask one of our employers for such.” He said. I waited a moment, pondering if I had anything else I needed to ask him. I turned my head to hear sirens wailing in the distance, growing closer with each passing second.

“Because you gave me a name, and you were honest, I’ll make it as painless as possible for you. Consider it a professional courtesy.” I said with a small smile.

“I appreciate that.” He said as he gave me an understanding nod.

I quickly pressed the gun against his cock before pulling the trigger three times. Felipe’s agonizing screams filled the air before I lifted my gun and pressed it against his right hand. I pulled the trigger once more before pressing the barrel of the gun against his left palm. I quickly shot off his fingers before grabbing the knife that pierced his palm and sliced his throat. I made sure the blade didn’t go deep enough to kill him, but penetrated far enough for him to bleed out slowly before any emergency services could reach him.

Felipe brought his free hand up to his throat as I began to walk towards the door, leaving the gurgling man to live out his last moments choking on his own blood.

06

“Mila, are you even listening to me?” Monroe yelled through the car speaker.

“Of course, I am.” I lied. 

I wasn’t listening to a word he was saying. 

It’s been two weeks since I finished my business with Felipe. News of his death traveled quicker than I anticipated, and to say that it shook the world of organized crime would be a massive understatement. Most people in my profession know that each day isn’t a guarantee. But after one of the most notorious and lethal men in the world was slaughtered in his own home, everyone was on edge… including myself. Granted, there was always a certain level of anxiety I dealt with. Being a world class assassin, you have to watch your back, sleep with one eye open, already anticipate that somewhere in the world you’re in the sights of someone trying to end your life.

It was exhausting, being on edge constantly, but it was necessary for my own survival.

The new Kill Order Monroe sent over was in New York, so I’ve been spending my days in solitude as I performed the necessary intel for the mission. Even though I was keeping myself busy with the prep work, Felipe’s words kept playing in my mind like a mantra.

There were five of us.

According to my contact, whoever wanted her dead also wanted her to suffer.

They didn’t want to take any chances fighting her head on.

Diana Sabel. That was the name of my contact.

Diana Sabel.

Diana Sabel. 

Diana Sabel. 

The level of sophistication he described told me that this was no ordinary hit. After all, no ordinary assassin would have been able to kill Maria, even a skilled crew would find it difficult to take her down. That’s why they needed Felipe. That’s why they needed to shoot her in the back, injure her so they could have a fighting chance against her. A crew with no ties to each other, intel of her strengths, a coordinated plan with a cover… this was professional.

I was trained to keep a calm mind, to be able to keep my cool in the face of disaster. But after that night two weeks ago, I couldn’t help the nagging question that kept me up at night.

Did Corporate have my sister killed?

Felipe was known to take jobs outside of Corporate. It wasn’t forbidden, just somewhat frowned upon. After all, our contract with Corporate wasn’t exclusive. But why would Corporate assassinate one of their top agents? Maria was loyal, one of the best S-Ranks they’ve ever had. Maria was like a poster child for Corporate. She kept her head down and did what she was told. She always executed her missions with precision, exactly how they were requested without question.

When we were growing up, Maria excelled in everything that she did. She was a quick learner, and most of the trainers Corporate assigned to us would say that she was a natural. Gifted at nearly everything she did. Unfortunately for me, I was not. If anything, I was a little slow at learning different techniques and fighting styles. I didn’t catch on as fast as she did, and I would often times get us punished for falling behind. Maria said she didn’t mind, and she constantly encouraged me, and told me to stop comparing myself to others and to just do my best.

But my best was never good enough.

I always tried to be more like Maria, but no matter how hard I tried, I just could never keep up. She was stronger, faster, smarter, and my lack of skill wasn’t just holding me back, but also her. So I worked hard. I stayed at the training facility later than anyone else, I had to train three times as much as Maria just to barely be on her level. I might not have been the most skilled, but I was the hardest worker, I was the most dedicated, and I had the most grit.

Maria was the only reason Monroe wanted to mentor us. He took one look at her in a training course and instantly saw potential in her. The only reason he took me under his wing as well was because Maria was adamant that we were a package deal. She refused to work with anyone who wouldn’t work with me. Maria Cruz was known throughout Corporate as being one the of best in the world, and news of her death shook the entire company down to its core.

Corporate would usually give the green light to take out one of their own if they went rogue: started questioning authority, failed a mission and tried to disappear, became emotionally unstable to the point where it jeopardized the mission, or caused headaches for the higher-ups. It wouldn’t make sense for them to eliminate one of their top agents.

There was a chance that Maria was killed out of revenge. One of her target’s grieving family members, or their lover hired a crew to take her out. It’s happened before. I’m not sure how they found out it was Maria that killed their loved one, but there have been crews sent after her because of a Kill Order she completed. But Maria handled them just fine. Corporate employs only the best in the world, so any other agency outside of that is just a joke.

The level of torture inflicted on her suggests it was personal. She… she was alive the entire time they did those things to her. 

Burned her. Cut her. Tortured her.

Whoever did this, whoever ordered this wanted her to suffer. My sister was no saint, but besides being paid to kill for a living, I didn’t know what she could have done to put a target on herself like that. Seeing as we made sure we didn’t have anyone we were close to, a scorned family member of a target seems to be a viable theory. But at this point, I felt as if I was further from avenging her than before I spoke with Felipe.

Because as of right now, that’s all they were: theories . I had no proof that it was a target’s family member. I had no evidence that the organization I work for killed her. Until I get actual proof that Corporate was or wasn’t responsible for her death, I figured I’ll continue what I’m doing. Keep my head down while I continue accepting Kill Orders until I figure out my next move.

“So, any news on the name I gave you?” I asked I continued driving down the narrow streets.

“Nada,” Monroe said through the speaker. “I searched Diana Sabel through every database I had access to, and I couldn’t find anyone other than elderly ladies.”

“I’ve crossed referenced bank statements, car rentals or purchases, flights in and out of the country, nearly everything around the time Maria was killed in Italy and still didn’t find a trace of this woman,” Monroe said with an annoyed edge in his voice.

“So that tells me two things: either Felipe lied to you, or this woman is a genius at hiding her digital footprint,” Monroe said through the speaker.

“I doubt Felipe was lying to me,” I said as I turned onto the freeway.

“Mila, this is a man who cheated on three out of four of his wives. You’re talking about a man who killed people not just for a living, but for sport. I think he’d be capable of lying.” Monroe said, being a smartass once again.

“You weren’t there. You didn’t see the look on his face, his eyes. There were no micro-expressions to indicate that he was lying.” I said, already anticipating Monroe’s response.

“Hmph.” Monroe mused. Most of the time he didn’t care if someone was lying or not. He could just as easily pull the trigger instead. In fact, he would rather pull the trigger than gather information on a target. Communication and vulnerability have never been his strong suit.

“Well, if anyone can catch a liar, it would be you. So as much as I don’t believe in that micro expression psychology bullshit, I do trust your judgement.” Monroe said, making me tilt my head in curiosity.

“Thank you,” I said with a small smile. Compliments from Monroe were almost as rare as a sentence leaving his mouth that didn’t contain a curse word.

“Even though I think he was telling the truth, I do think that she gave him a fake name,” I said, my hands clenching around the steering wheel. “Did you try facial recognition on the description I gave you?”

“Mila, do you know how many fucking short Americans there are with brown skin, brown eyes and black hair?” Monroe exclaimed. “That’s more than half the fucking country.”

“Try looking through any Americans that went through customs during the week of Maria’s death. Cross reference work visas, international programs, or any Americans who have lived in Italy for an extended time or own property here.” I said, thinking out loud.

“What the fuck do you think I’ve been doing?” Monroe said sarcastically.

“Thanks Monroe, I appreciate you helping me with this,” I said as I turned another corner. I quickly pulled up to the rendezvous point.

“I’ll keep looking, but Mila,” Monroe said as before he paused for a moment. “Please be careful tonight.”

“You worry too much.” I said with a small smile. Monroe has always been like this, but since Maria died, he always calls me before every mission and I have to sit through the same lecture about being safe on the job.

“Just remember-” he began making me chuckle softly.

“I know, I know. Always leave the house with at least three weapons, count your ammo, if anything happens fuck your crew and save yourself, and most importantly, don’t lose your temper.” I recited as I parked the car and raised an eyebrow in amusement.

When Maria and I first started training with Monroe, he would make us memorize and recite hundreds of rules that he said would “someday save our lives.” Some were viable, while others were… just bizarre. They would range from “always keep track of your ammo” to “never eat an hour before a mission, you don’t want to get a cramp” to “never wear red on a mission, you’ll look like a bullseye.”

“Smartass.” Monroe whispered under his breath. “Just come back alive, will you?”

“I always do.” I said with a smirk and I parked my car.

I quickly hung up the line before I got out of the car and walked across the street. The point of interest was a few blocks away, and I quickly navigated through the dark streets of New York. It was a quiet night, not many people were out on the streets except for a few hobos. The sound of my boots hitting the pavement beneath me filled the air. I looked behind me, making sure I wasn’t followed before I turned the corner into an alleyway and entered the rendezvous spot where my crew was waiting for me.

“About time.” One man said as he looked over at me with a scowl. He was leaning against the brick wall with his arms crossed and a cigarette between his teeth. He was tan and tall, standing at about six foot one. His shaggy black hair was messy and untamed, and stubble covered his cheeks. His nose was long and narrow, and his features were sharp. His green eyes looked me up and down before he raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t mind him. I’ve known him for about five minutes and I already want to strangle him.” The woman said as she looked over at him with narrowed eyes. She was petite and looked to be about five foot one. Her red short hair hovered just above her shoulders. Her pale skin glowed under the moonlight, her faint freckles covering most of her face. Her features were soft, and her upturned nose and round face made her look young.

“Fuck you, twerp.” The man with the cigarette said as he looked down upon the woman. I watched as they began giving each other the death stare before sighing and walking over to them.

“Well, this will be a pain in the ass.” I mumbled under my breath.

“Agreed.” The third crew member said as he looked over at me and rolled his eyes. He was a bit shorter than the other man, about five foot eleven. His black hair was short and trimmed, and his dark tan skin contrasted against his hazel eyes. His goatee was slightly grown out. His square jawline tensed as he looked over at the two.

“Gio.” The man said as he held out his hand.

“Mila.” I said as I gripped his hand firmly and shook it.

“I’m Red.” The woman said while flipping off the other man before turning around and smiling at me.

“And you?” I asked the man as I tilted my head slightly.

“Jayce.” He said as he dropped his cigarette by his foot. He put his hands into his pockets before stepping on the cigarette and twisting his foot roughly. He put his hands in his pockets as he looked me up and down, evaluating me with a scowl on his face.

“Let’s get started. What’s your ranks?” I asked as I looked at the crew.

“S” Jayce said as he lifted his eyebrow.

“S-Rank.” Red said as she smirked.

“Same.” Gio said as he crossed his arms.

Good. No A-Ranks. I won’t have to watch my back… as much.

“Good. This should be easy then.” I said as I looked over at the building half completed across the street.

“I’m sure you all read over The Order, but I’ll go over the plan one more time to make sure we’re on the same page.” I began as I crossed my arms.

“Somewhere inside that construction site is the target, Julio Lopez. According to my intel, there are anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five guards patrolling each floor. Corporate said we can handle this however we want to, but they gave us the green light to take out everyone in that building. It’ll be a shit show if we go in there guns blazing, so let’s try and use stealth to our advantage. There are four floors, and one under construction, so we’ll split up to cover more ground.” I said as I looked at the group.

“Jayce, handle the first floor,” I said as I looked at him.

“With pleasure.” He said with an evil smirk.

“Red, you’ll take the second. And Gio, you handle the third.” I said as I looked over at him.

“ I’ll handle the fourth and the one under construction. Got it?“ I said as I raised an eyebrow.

“Yes ma’am.” Gio said as he looked over at me while Red just gave me a nod.

“Corporate gave us these. Per protocol, they want us to destroy these after the mission.” I said as I reached into my pocket and pulled out four small earpieces. Everyone grabbed one before turning it on and placing them in their ears.

“It’s imperative that the target is eliminated. As soon as you find him, inform the crew on the headset, got it?” I asked as I looked around. Everyone gave me a small nod in understanding .

“ Alright then.“ I said as I grabbed my handgun from my waistband. “Let’s get started.”

07

I nodded to Jayce as he eyed a guard turning the corner. He twirled a knife in his hand before quickly standing up and cocking his arm back. I watched as Jayce quickly stabbed the guard in the side of the neck while covering the man’s mouth with his hand. Jayce quickly pulled the body out of the hallway before letting it collapse next to him behind the wall.

He gave us a playful wink before crouching down and quietly walking down the hallway while I pressed the button for the elevator. Almost immediately, the sleek metal doors slid open, revealing a guard dressed in a black suit. He quickly raised his guns, but before he could even make a sound, I quickly ducked while grabbing the knife strapped to my upper thigh. I quickly stepped behind him before reaching up and slitting his throat.

Red and Gio walked into the elevator as his lifeless body fell to the floor. I stepped over the body and clicked the button for the second floor, third, and fourth floor. The soft sound of jazz filled the air as we stood there in silence. Red began swaying, dancing playfully to the elevator music as the elevator came to a stop on the second floor, and we waited in awkward silence as the elevator settled.

The doors opened, and two guards walking next to the elevator immediately stopped and reached for their weapons. Red moved like a blur, and quickly stepped forward before throwing a roundhouse kick at one of the guards, knocking his gun out of his hand. She then quickly rotated her hips and turned to face the woman behind her. She then quickly grabbed the woman’s hand before throwing a punch at her stomach, making her drop the gun. She crossed her hands, reaching for her knives before spinning as she extended her arms out. The blades in her hands slit both guard’s throats simultaneously before she faced Gio and I.

Red’s face was sprinkled with blood as she gave us a wide, crazed looking smile. She gave us a small wave, and giggled as she turned around and began walking down the corridor. I watched as she approached a guard down the hallway who had his back turned to her. As the door began to close, I watched how Red kicked the back on his knee, causing it to buckle before she lifted her hand and continuously stabbed the man in the neck until the doors closed. It was extreme overkill, and I could tell instantly that Red wasn’t stable.

I have to keep my eye on that one.

I looked over at Gio before giving him a nod as the elevator stopped. He looked at me for a moment with an emotionless expression before looking at the sleek doors. His hands were already placed on his knife as the doors opened, and in the blink of an eye he immediately grabbed the guard in front of the door by the hair. He quickly stabbed his blade into the man’s windpipe before looking over his shoulder at me. I couldn’t tell why he looked back, nor could I read his expressionless face. Maybe he was reassuring me about the mission, just as the others did before him. Or maybe he was watching his own back, making sure I wasn’t going to attack him while his back was turned to me. The man’s body fell to the floor as the doors began closing once more, and I continued to make eye contact with Gio until the doors slid shut, I was left alone in the elevator.

I grabbed the knives strapped to my thighs, twirling them in my hand as I prepared myself as the elevator slowed down to a stop. My hands clenched around the handle of my blades in anticipation and my body tensed as the sleek doors slid open.

I was expecting a guard or two waiting for me, for a patrol of men and women to be walking the open floor plan, just as they were on the previous floors. I was expecting guns aimed directly at me, a small unit of men and women ready to end my life, but instead all I saw were… bodies.

I stepped over the corpse that was in front of the elevator door, looking down for a moment to examine what happened. His throat was slit, and judging by the full clip in his gun, he didn’t even get the chance to defend himself. I cautiously knelt down and touched his cheek with the back of my palm, his skin and blood were still warm, and the wound was fresh.

Someone else is here.

I stood up before I quietly made my way down the hallway to find more dead bodies scattered amongst the floors. Most of them had their throats slit, while others had their necks broken. I examined the bodies as I passed them. Each wound looked similar, and was precise, accurate, and from the depth of the cut and width of gash, seemed to be done by the same blade. It would be nearly impossible for multiple people to use the same amount of strength and precision for each kill. There wasn’t a team here, no. Just one person.

I suppose that this makes my job easier. Instead of handling an entire floor worth of guards, I just have to take out one person.

A very skilled, and very lethal person.

I continued surveying and evaluating the floor. Everywhere I went, everywhere I looked there was a body. As if whoever did this left chaos and death within their wake. I couldn’t help but admire the skillset they had, the art of human corpses that now adorned the silent floor. Maybe I was deranged for admiring someone’s style of killing. But this was my profession, this was my craft. The amount of skill it takes to eliminate and entire floor of armed guards without a single bullet fired is impressive. After counting twenty-three bodies, I made my way towards the back of the room, and I cautiously turned the corner as I walked up the stairs to the next floor.

This was the floor that was under construction. The walls were half built, revealing pathways of scaffolds that lined the incomplete walls. The scaffolds extended out, expanding down the entire building to the ground level. Rows of square, cement pillars lined the floor, providing a base for the partial ceiling that covered a third of the area.

“What makes you think he’ll come?” A man’s voice said in the distance, echoing slightly off through the air.

I quickly pressed my back against the nearest wall as my grip tightened around my knives. I listened intensely as the conversation continued.

“My sensai would never leave me behind!” A girls voice exclaimed with conviction and confidence. I heard her spit, then a man yell out in annoyance. I listened as she grunted loudly, most likely from receiving a punch across the face. I furrowed my brows. What kind of asshole hits a kid?

“She fucking spit on me!” A man yelled out.

“Apparently he’s pretty fond of this little idiot.” Another man’s voice answered, ignoring his struggling friend.

I quietly and slowly looked over my shoulder as I peered over the corner of the wall. There were three men, all armed and surrounding a girl tied to a metal chair. Her hands were bound behind her back, and her ankles were tied to the chair’s legs.

The girl looked young, maybe six or seven years old. She was a short and scrawny looking child. Her dark blond hair long, and tied in a messy ponytail. Her brown, round eyes were wide with anger as she fearlessly looked up at her captors. Her face was narrow, and blood dripped from her small, button shaped nose. But despite the injury to her nose, most likely from them just punching her, she had a deep scowl on her face as she looked up at the men who surrounded her.

“You’re gonna regret that!” The kid yelled out as she pulled against his restraints.

I didn’t see this kid during my recon… they must have just picked her up. The Order did say to kill everyone in this building, but they’ve never sent me after a child. I would never even consider hurting a child, Order or not.

“What’d you say you little brat?!” A man yelled out as he walked over to the kid. He was tall, his black hair and nearly black eyes swam with danger as he approached the child. His goatee was shaved neatly, and his long, shoulder length hair was untamed and messy. His collared shirt was ruffled, and half tucked into his slacks. Tattoos covered every inch of his body, and the way he looked at the child in front of him with such anger made me grit my teeth in disgust.

I recognized him immediately: Julio Lopez.

My target.

I watched as he struck the child once more, making the kid scream out in pain and making me tense. I took a small step forward, wanting to save the girl, to kill Julio for hurting a defenseless child who couldn’t even defend themselves. But I clenched my jaw as I waited, knowing that I needed to wait for the right time to kill this fucker.

“Just don’t kill her, we need to make sure she’s alive.” Julio said loudly before he slapped the child once more. While the men were distracted, I quickly closed the distance between us. With silent steps, I ran to the nearest concrete pillar by them and quickly hid behind it. As I gripped my blades and prepared my attack, I froze as I heard the men begin to grunt and gurgle before the sound of three thuds filled the air. I held my breath as silence filled the air, the only sounds in the desolate room were of the child continuously pulling against his restraints.

“Sensai!” The child cried out happily as I pivoted my foot and stepped out from behind the pillar, making me furrow my eyebrows in confusion as I took in the scene in front of me.

I clenched my jaw as I looked down to see Julio Lopez and his guards slaughtered on the floor. Their throats were slit, and Julio was stabbed directly in the heart and bleeding out on the floor. I watched as a man gripped the knife piercing Julios heart before he twisted it roughly. He pulled out the knife, and I watched as Julio took his last labored breath on the floor before falling lifelessly still.

I looked up from his body to see the most attractive man I’ve ever laid my eyes upon. He towered over me, and stood at about six four, maybe even six five. He looked young, but mature, maybe in his late twenties. His tan, lean and toned body was composed of pure muscle. His jawline was sharp, and his face was covered in stubble. His arms and hands were littered with tattoos of all sizes, delicate art adorning his chiseled muscles. His hazel eyes flickered with curiosity as his piercing gaze turned towards me.

He was dressed casually, his black shirt was soaked with fresh blood, and it stuck to his sun kissed skin, hugging every curve of muscle on his abdomen. Scars, both newly healed and aged were etched into his skin in sporadic places, and I could tell he’s spent years honing his body though combat.

This man’s demeanor was calm, his shoulders relaxed, and his chin tilted slightly upward as he stared down at me. Slowly, a lazy smile stretched across his heart shaped lips as his eyes raked down my body. His flawless smile was bright and showed the small dimples on his cheek.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” He said as a playful smirk stretched across his lips. He took the blade in his hand, twirling it once and causing specs of Julios blood to slide off the metal and onto the floor. His deep, baritone voice was like a purr of mischief and curiosity. He raised an eyebrow as his gaze snapped back up to my eyes, making me clench my jaw and tighten the grip around my blade.

I like my missions neat, orderly. I thrived in an organized work environment, because frankly, if the missions don’t go exactly as planned, I’d most likely die. I wanted to tell this handsome idiot off, to curse in his face for killing my target, for intruding in my plan and ruining weeks of recon. I wanted to take out the pent-up anger and anxiety that has been eating me alive since I that night I killed Felipe in Italy, but instead, I didn’t say a word. I lunged towards him, aiming my knife directly for his heart.

08

The man gracefully brought his hand up, hitting the inside of my wrist with the back of his hand. He guided my hand towards his shoulder before he rotated his torso and agilely dodged my attack. I quickly brought my other hand forward and threw a jab directly towards his throat. He quickly gripped my wrist and leaned back as he pulled it forward. My blade completely missed his neck, and he yanked on my wrist, causing me to turn and be pulled against his muscular chest. With my free hand I quickly brought my elbow to my side before swinging it back to stab him in the stomach. He effortlessly gripped my wrist, stopping the blade a few centimeters from his skin.

“Impressive.” He said with a lopsided smile. His lips slightly grazed my ear from our position as his grips on my wrist tightened.

His figure towered over me, and he looked down at me as he raised his eyebrow curiously. I quickly dropped my knives and freed my wrist by my waist by rotating my hips and swinging my hand upward. I quickly brought my hand up and reached over my own arm to grab his forearm. I dropped my head and ducked down low as I pushed my hips into him, throwing him over my body.

He tucked his chin towards his chest as he rolled himself into the throw. He quickly rotated his hips and landed on one foot in front of me before he placed a hand on the floor beside him. In one fluid motion he pressed off his hand and foot and shot his other leg up, kicking me in the center of my chest.

“YES! GO SENSAI!” The girl yelled out from the chair as she began hopping slightly, tugging against his restraints.

I staggered slightly as pain shot through my rib cage, and I took a step to the side to regain some balance. My injuries haven’t fully healed from my fight with Felipe, and pain radiated from my still healing rib. In the blink of an eye, the man swung his leg down and placed it back on the floor. He quickly scooped up my ankle before he turned and stood up, causing me to fall on my ass roughly.

“Sorry about this.” He said playfully. His grip on my ankle began to slide down my calf and towards the front of my knee before he bent down and ducked his head lower, nearly grazing my ear with his lips.

I quickly cocked my arm back and threw a quick jab towards his face, but this man was faster than anyone I’ve ever seen before. He gracefully caught my wrist, deflecting it before he pressed it roughly against the ground next to my head.

“I gotta look good in front of my student, you know, show off a bit and all that.” He whispered; his face hovering inches away from mine. “Hope you don’t mind.”

I quickly brought my free leg to my chest before I pressed my knee against his torso and straightened my body. He quickly let go of my wrist as I did a backwards roll and landed on my feet once more.

I looked up to see the man looking down at me with that same, stupid smile. His posture was relaxed, and he was light on his feet as he slowly brought his hands up defensively. My fists clenched in anger as I eyed his relaxed stance.

This motherfucker was toying with me.

“You know, you’re pretty cute when you’re angry, freckles.” He said with a smirk as he tilted his head.

Freckles? Really?

I quickly lunged towards him, giving him everything I had as I let my frustration fuel me. I quickly threw a jab, and just as I expected, he brought his hand up to deflect it. I quickly ducked, avoiding his counterattack before I took a step forward and pivoted on my foot and launched a spinning wheel kick. He took a step back and rotated his shoulders, narrowly dodging my kick.

“YOU GOT THIS SENSAI!” the child yelled from her chair. She was pulling so roughly against his restrains that she began to lose balance and started to fall backwards.

The man’s eyes shot towards the kid before he quickly took a few steps backwards, closing the distance between him and the child. I quickly used this opportunity to throw a jab at his face, but he circled his head, dodging my attacks once more. As he circled his head, he quickly bent down and caught the back of the metal chair.

“Careful,” He said with a smirk on his lips. He gracefully set the girls chair right side up as I launched another right hook towards his jaw. He rotated his body, avoiding my jab and spinning around before he lifted his leg and threw a spinning kick towards my torso.

“Thank you, Sensai!” The kid exclaimed happily as I narrowly avoided his attack.

I lifted both of my hands up towards my chest, but at the last moment, he rotated his hips and brought his shin up to my face. I grunted from the impact before I took a step to regain my balance. I quickly launched a flurry of jabs at him, only to have him block each one with ease.

This man’s fighting style was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. He was muscular and large, yet somehow had the mobility of a smaller fighter. His movements were fluid, and seemed more like he was dancing rather than fighting. His nonchalant and relaxed demeanor never faltered, and it seemed as though he was amused by our exchanges, as if our entire fight has been nothing but entertainment for him.

I quickly spotted my knives a few feet away from me, and rotated my body before I dove for them. I quickly launched myself forward, gripping the knives as I rolled before I got to my feet and turned towards the man.

He was right behind me, and I quickly rotated my body and swung my left arm across his torso. He stepped back and brought his shoulders forward, avoiding the slash across his chest. I quickly brought my other hand up and launched it forward. He dodged it once more, and I saw him move his arm back before he hurled it towards my chest.

I quickly grabbed his elbow and braced myself for the impact. I pulled his fist towards me, accepting the punch as I brought my right hand up. He quickly moved his head back, but since I was holding onto his arm, he was unable to completely avoid the attack, and my knife grazed his left eye, cutting it from his upper cheekbone to the top of his eyebrow.

“SENSAI! You’re bleeding blood!” The kid screamed from her chair.

“Hm.” The man said with a small smirk as he brought his free hand up to his eye. His fingers grazed his cheek before he looked down at his hand. “You’re very good.” He said with a smile.

“I wonder what else you’re good at.” He said as his chin lowered slightly.

His piercing hazel eyes twinkled with interest and curiosity as they locked onto mine, and for the first time in my life… I felt …uneasy. It was as if he was looking through my very soul, through my entire being with just one look. It was the kind of look that would melt any woman where she stood. The kind of look that hinted towards only the most impure intentions. I could tell that this was a man who was experienced, not just in hand-to-hand combat, but in other ways as well.

“So are you.” I said nonchalantly as I twirled my knife in my hand. This wasn’t just unprofessional, but it also just… wasn’t like me at all. I’ve never felt regret for killing a target before, but part of me felt as if I was doing the world and injustice by eliminating this beautiful man off the planet.

It was rare I felt attraction. I would view some men as handsome or women as beautiful, but pure, unfiltered attraction for me was… foreign. Was I attracted to Aiden? Somewhat. Don’t get me wrong, he was handsome, extremely handsome. But that attraction was just… never there. At least not on the level that I felt when I looked at this man.

I mentally flinched at my own thoughts. This man was going to kill me if I don’t get my shit together, and I was thinking about his looks? I must have hit my head hard enough to give me brain damage to be acting like a hormonal teenage.

“I haven’t had this good of a time in years.” He said with a laugh as he raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, blood dripping down the left side of his face. “But as fun as this has been, unfortunately me and the kid and I gotta get going. But we really must do this again.” He said as he looked at the child and gave her a small smile.

“Sorry, I can’t let you do that.” I said as I narrowed my eyes. I quickly regained my senses before I lunged towards him.

Was I going to kill the kid? No. I would never, under any circumstance, hurt a child.

Technically there was no reason to kill this man either. But after our first few exchanges, I couldn’t let him just walk out of here since he destroyed my perfect mission as well as a large chunk of my ego.

In the blink of an eye, he grabbed my wrist and twisted it with immense strength. He rotated his body and gripped my other hand before shoving both of my wrists behind my back and pushing me firmly against the concrete wall in a way that the girl couldn’t see us. This strength was different from what I felt when we were fighting, almost as if….

“You’ve been holding back this entire time. I’m insulted.” I said as I grit my teeth while he let out a low chuckle.

And just like that, the other half of my ego has been destroyed by this handsome asshole.

“Oh, come on Freckles. Don’t be like that. I was just trying to give the kid a show.” He said playfully as I pushed my back against him, trying to free myself from his grip on my wrist.

He immediately pressed his muscular body against mine, keeping me in place as he pressed me harder against the wall.

“You’re way too skilled to be working for Julio. So, who are you? And who do you work for?” He said as he tilted his head and looked down at me. I clenched my jaw as I struggled against him.

“Hm, quiet type huh? Let’s see…” He mused, his rock-hard body solid against mine.

“You didn’t pull out a badge and try to arrest me, so that rules out any law enforcement. Most of Julios henchmen are incompetent, so you definitely don’t work for him.” He said, thinking out loud. I glanced behind me for a moment to see him looking up at the ceiling, pursing his lips.

“I already know for a fact that you aren’t apart of any Cartels.” He began.

“Yeah, and why’s that?” I asked defiantly.

“Because they’re primitive and don’t allow women in their ranks.” He said, his tone not changing from his playful demeanor.

“I know!” He said, his hazel eyes lighting up. “You’re one of those nine to five Corporate assassins, aren’t you?” He asked as he raised an eyebrow. I looked up at him with a deadly expression on his face as I remained silent.

“Ah. I’ll take that as a yes.” He said with a smirk.

“So, now that I know who you work for, the only question is left is who you are. So, what’s your name?” He said, his head tilting slightly. At this point, I gave up fighting his grip on me, and instead just glared at him while my silence filled the air.

“Okay, if you don’t want to tell me your name, then Freckles it is.” He said with a smile.

“Honestly, it really ruins my day to kill such a skilled and gorgeous woman. What do you say we get out of here, maybe grab some dinner? A movie?” He asked with a charming smile. His voice was slightly hushed, and I could tell he lowered it to make sure the child didn’t hear our conversation.

“Are you seriously asking me out right now?” I seethed as I pushed against him once more, making him chuckle.

“A man’s gotta shoot his shot, right?” He said as he gave me another large smile.

“You should really work on your timing.” I said under my breath. I quickly rotated my shoulders as I pushed against him. I made enough space to rotate my body, and I threw a quick jab towards his face. He immediately caught my wrists and pushed both of them above my head with one of his massive hands.

“I think this is the perfect time.” He said as he raised an eyebrow and placed his free hand onto the wall next to my face. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks, a feeling I haven’t experienced in years. I could tell he knew what effect he had on me, and he let out a small, satisfied chuckle as his smile widened.

“Do you always ask women out on a date after you fight them?” I said as I tilted my head, playing along with his delusion for a moment.

“No, never actually. But you’re gorgeous, lethal, and you’ve tried to kill me. You’re just my type. A little too serious, but I can make it work.” He said as he gave me a smile.

“Not interested.” I said before I gave him a closed lip smile.

“You’re missing out.” He said as he tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. “I’m quite the catch, you know.” He said playfully. His piercing, hazel eyes looked down at me as we stood there in silence for a few moments.

“I’m sure you are.” I said sarcastically. “Can you let me go?” I said as I raised my eyebrow.

“What’s the magic word?” He said playfully as he tilted his head in amusement.

“ Now ?“ I said with annoyance as I gave him a fake smile.

“Oof. Sorry, babe. Wrong answer.” He said as he shook his head. “Besides, if I just let you go, you’ll just keep trying to kill me.” He said as he put his free hand on his hip.

“Well, if you let me go, and I promise to kill you quickly .” I said as I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Or,” he began as he raised his eyebrows and put his free hand under his chin. “Or… Hear me out.” He said as he tilted his head and pointed at me. “We can make a deal instead?” He said as his piercing hazel eyes narrowed slightly.

“I’m not interested.” I said as I stared up at him. His body was still pressed firmly against mine, and I felt his steady breathing pressing against my chest. His body was so muscular it felt as if I was slammed between two walls.

“Oh, come on Freckles. I think you’ll be very interested in this deal.” He said as he looked down at me with a smile. “It’ll benefit both of us actually.”

“And what exactly could you offer me?” I said with an emotionless expression.

“Well, besides the most fun dates you’ll ever go on,” he began as he leaned in closer. “and mind-blowing sex,” he said in a whisper as he raised an eyebrow. “Information that may, or may not, save your life depending on how you use it.” He said with a smirk, his confidence radiating from him and he stood up straight once more.

It was the type of bravado that made you swoon and want to punch him in the face at the same time. I knew instantly that he was the type of man who rarely saw rejection, and women probably flocked to him on a regular basis. His confidence was almost bordering on cocky. He was charming, I’ll give him that. But these thoughts vanished as quickly as it came, and my expression became serious as I looked up at him while I processed his deal.

“Fine. But if this information isn’t useful, then I’m still going to kill you.” I said as I raised my eyebrow at him.

“I would expect nothing less.” He said with a smile.

“So, what’s this information.” I said as he slowly let go of my wrists and took a step away from me.

“You probably shouldn’t trust your team.” He stated as he turned his back towards me and began walking towards the kid in the chair, who was still attempting, and failing, to free herself from the rope around her wrists. “Actually, you really shouldn’t trust your team.”

“And why’s that?” I asked as I tilted my head. I watched curiously as the man bent down beside the chair and pulled out a knife from his waistband. He quickly cut the child loose from her bindings before the kid hopped off the chair and rubbed her tiny wrists.

“You okay?” He asked the kid as he stood up. The kid nodded enthusiastically before the man placed his hand on top of the kid’s head and ruffled her blond hair. He bent down and placed a hand under the child’s chin, lifting up her face and examining the blood that was still dripping down to her chin. For the first time, the mans eyes grew dark. The playful expression that once adorned his features vanished for a moment, and was replaced by a stone cold look of a lethal killer.

“You didn’t answer my question.” I said impatiently as I narrowed my eyes. The man looked over at me, and just as fast as that deadly looked coated his features, it vanished.

“Oh, sorry about that.” He said as he ran his hand through his hair and quickly stood up.

“They’re planning to kill you.” He said nonchalantly as he looked at me with a smile.

09

“Why should I trust you? After all, you were just trying to kill me .” I said as I narrowed my eyes.

“Ha! I wasn’t trying.” He said with a cocky smirk.

There is it, the confidence that made me want to just bash his skull in. I quickly narrowed my eyes at him as I threw a death stare in his direction while contemplating all the different ways I would kill him. I mentally scolded myself for thinking, that even for a moment, this man was attractive.

“If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already.” He said as he raised his eyebrow. Even though his tone was somewhat playful, I could tell that underneath that exterior, was a very serious threat.

“Like I said before,” he said as he began to walk towards a nearby window. “I just didn’t feel like killing such a beautiful woman.” He said as he shrugged.

“That kind of mentality will get you killed.” I said as I lifted my chin slightly and crossed my arms.

“What can I say, I’m just a boy, standing in front of a girl, not wanting to kill her.” He said before he shrugged and turned around.

“Really?” I said as I furrowed my eyebrows. “Does that work on anyone?” I asked with a scowl.

“Consider yourself lucky, lady!” The child screamed as she pointed at me, making the man let out a soft chuckle as he shook his head. The girl puckered her lips before she spat in my direction, making me raise an eyebrow at the tiny child.

“You’re still spitting at people?” The man exclaimed as he winced away from the child. “I thought I told you that was rude!”

“Sorry Sensei.” The kid said quickly before giving the man a wide smile.

“Don’t say sorry to me. You didn’t spit on me.” He said as he nodded in my direction.

“Oh.” The kid said before quickly facing me once more with a small smile. “Sorry for spitting at you lady.”

“It’s okay.” I responded, confusion apparent in my voice as I looked down at the tiny child.

“Anyways, they plan on killing you as soon they see you. I overheard them in the alleyway on my way in.” He said as he crossed his arms, the small child looked up at him before crossing her own arms and looking over at me.

Part of me wanted to believe him. But conflicting emotions clouded my thoughts, and I found myself questioning everything. Monroe always taught me to be cautious of my crew, and I learned from experience that Corporate would never kill an S-Rank head on. But even then, most of the S-Ranks I had to kill were always rogue agents. Assassins that failed missions, or just tried to vanish off the face of the earth, men and women I had to hunt down, never do a mission with.

I suppose if Corporate really wanted me dead, it would be for a valid reason. I’ll admit I’ve been sloppy on some recent missions, but that wouldn’t be enough to validate killing me. The only reason why I would think Corporate would come after me is…

Felipe Lombardi .

They must have found out. Or maybe it was the church incident… I suppose this wasn’t my first stealth mission where I blatantly disregarded orders. But maybe it wasn’t either of those… and word about what I did in Thailand got around to them. Maybe the man who supplied Felipe Lombardi’s untraceable bullets also supplied them to Corporate. If that’s true, then I unintentionally killed one of their suppliers… Or I’m being paranoid again, and this guy is making this all up to save him and the kid. Come to think of it, there could be quite a few reasons why they’d want to kill me.

“Oh, and by the way,” he said as he looked over his shoulder. “I wouldn’t start your car if I were you. Apparently that red headed one… the one that’s loud, kinda has that psycho-killer vibe? Yeah, I’m pretty sure she put a bomb in there.” He said before he gave me a small smile.

Shit. They really are coming after me.

I don’t know whether to be angry or insulted that Corporate sent a bunch of unprofessional and disorganized assholes to kill me. Seriously, they couldn’t even think of a plan ahead of time? They resorted to something so… simple? I would think they’d send the best of the best if that day ever came, but instead I got a group of S-Ranked idiots.

Technically, I still could kill this guy. He was a joy to look at, I’ll give him that. But there was something about him that made me want to just break his jaw. But this man fought like nothing I’ve ever seen before. He made killing an S-Rank look like child’s play. It was intimidating to say the least, and if I wanted to kill him, I know I wouldn’t leave the battle unscathed… or I might not even walk away from our confrontation at all.

“Well, good luck with all of that.” The man said as he shot me a smirk. “Hopefully after you handle your business here, I’ll see you again.” He said before he winked at me.

“Not likely. But thanks for the information.” I said as I glared at him. I suppose I can spare him for now, after all, I had three assholes to kill. I can’t be bothered trying to pick a fight with him when I have bigger problems on my hands.

I watched as he motioned for the child to follow him before he descended the staircase leading to the fourth floor. The kid tripped over her own feet and began falling headfirst down the stairs.

The man was quick to react, and caught the kid before gently throwing her over his shoulder. I couldn’t help the small smile that crossed my lips as I saw the child begin to giggle as they walked down the stairs, and eventually, they were out of sight.

“A killer with a soft spot. Who would have thought that was possible?” I said under my breath as I turned around and grabbed my knives from the floor. “I’m surprised he’s not dead yet.” I scoffed.

I quickly pulled out my phone from my pocket. I know that I parked my Tesla a few blocks from here, but if what that man said is true, I should be able to still hear the explosion. I walked over to the East side of the floor. The walls were incomplete, and scaffolding lined the exterior of the building. I looked off into the distance as I opened Tesla’s app on my phone.

I looked down at the app as my finger hovered over the button to start the engine before I quickly pressed it. A massive explosion sounded in the distance, and I sighed upon hearing the car alarms and faint screams.

“Well, this’ll be fun.” I said as I raised an eyebrow and smirked.

I placed my hand on my earpiece, connecting to it and turning on the mic.

“Car bomb. Nice touch.” I said as I grabbed my gun from my waistband. “But you’re going to have to try a little harder than that if you want to kill me.” I said as I cocked my gun and walked over to the center of the floor.

I grabbed the metal chair the kid was sitting in before I turned it around and straddled the back of it as I eyed the staircase on the other side of the room.

“And here Corporate said you were too naïve to figure it out.” Jayce said with an edge in his voice.

“They- what? Seriously?” I said as I furrowed both of my eyebrows.

I spent most of my life training within their organization. I’ve completed more missions than any other agent. Was I quiet during my missions? No. But just because I prefer explosions over the typical body clean up doesn’t justify my termination.

“Regardless,” I said with annoyance lacing my words. “I’m on the fifth floor if you want to come and settle this like professionals.” I said before I took out my earpiece and stomped on it roughly.

“Naïve… really?” I said to myself as I furrowed my eyebrows. “Assholes.” I seethed.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, attempted to calm my mind and get a handle on my temper. The only sounds that filled the air were the screams and sirens from my car exploding a few blocks away. The chaos was quite peaceful.

I quickly shot my eyes open before I turned to the side and fired off a bullet. Jayce’s scream filled the air as I hit his hand that was gripping the edge of the building. I looked over to see Jayce pulling himself up onto the scaffolding with his left hand. He was breathing sporadically as he clutched his bloodied right hand to his chest.

“I told you it was a bad idea to scale the building.” Gio said as he walked up the staircase with his hands in his pockets. “But no , you just had to have it your way.” He said in a scolding manner as he looked over at Jayce and shook his head.

“Oh, fuck off you elitist prick.” Jayce said as he narrowed his eyes at Gio before walking over to me.

“Are you two done yet? It’s been a long day and I want to get this over with.” I said as I tilted my head and crossed my arms on the backrest of the chair. Jayce and Gio began to close the distance between us, and after a few moments, Jayce stood to my left while Gio was on my right.

“Since I’m a gentleman, we can start whenever you’re ready.” Gio said as he took his hands out of his pockets and cracked his knuckles.

“How thoughtful of you.” I said as I gave him a fake smile and looked over at him. “Gentleman’s rules?” I asked as I tilted my head.

“No guns? You sure you can handle us without it?” Jayce scoffed. He raised his eyebrow as he mansplained me while giving me a cocky smirk.

He dies first.

“Well let’s find out, shall we?” I said as I tucked my gun back into my waistband.

I waited for a few moments before I quickly stood up and swung the chair at Gio. He caught it with ease before he tossed it to the side as Jayce lunged towards me. I rotated my body, dodging the jab he threw with his good hand before I lifted my right hand and blocked the hook Gio threw. I quickly ducked as Jayce thew a roundhouse kick towards my head before I cocked my right arm back and struck Gio in the stomach with a jab.

I then rotated my right arm and struck Jayce in the jaw with my elbow, making him stagger backwards. I quickly brought my hands to my stomach, blocking a kick from Gio. I wrapped my left arm around his leg before I cocked my right hand back. I pulled him into me as I launched a jab at his nose, hitting it dead on and feeling satisfaction course through me as I heard the loud snap of a bone.

He grunted in pain as he rotated his hips, pulling his leg back and freeing himself from my grip. I looked over my shoulder to see Jayce running towards me with a knife in his left hand. I quickly side stepped him, avoiding the blade that he stabbed forward. He continued jabbing the knife at me with short bursts, and I continued walking back to avoid the jabs.

I heard Gio running towards me from behind, and I quickly grabbed Jayce’s left wrist as he lunged towards me. I rotated my body and brought my hand across my chest, lodging the knife into Gio’s shoulder. He let out a grunt of pain before he cocked his arm back and threw a strong left hook. I quickly ducked down placed both hands on Jayce’s side before pushing him forward. I couldn’t help the smirk that stretched across my lips as Gio’s fist slammed against Jayce’s cheek.

“Watch where you’re aiming, asshole.” Jayce said as he gripped the knife in Gio’s shoulder and quickly pulled it out, making Gio hiss in pain.

“You’re one to talk.” Gio said with wide eyes as he looked down at his shoulder before looking up at Jayce.

“I’m not sure why you two are arguing. You’re both equally as shitty.” I said as I raised an eyebrow. Gio narrowed his eyes as he pulled out two long knives from his waistband. He twirled it between his fingers before he and Jayce began running towards me.

I quickly saw a thin, metal pipe by a nearby scaffold, and I quickly took a step towards it before kicking it up with my foot. I caught it before I quickly rotated it and held it in front of me. I gripped the opposite end of the pipe with my other hand, blocking Gio’s knife from hitting my body. I quickly rotated my wrist, spinning the pipe once more and hitting the end of Jayce’s blade as he was about to stab my side.

I continued walking backwards as I deflected their stabs, moving and pivoting out of harm’s way. Jayce shot his hand forward the same time Gio did, and I quickly rotated my hips and stepped in between them. I swung the pipe and hit Jayce across the face before I used the momentum to hurl the pipe towards Gio to smash it against his cheek. Both men groaned in pain as they staggered backwards.

“Well, I’ve had my fun. Now it’s just getting boring.” I said as I quickly grabbed my gun from my waistband and lifted my hand. I quickly shot Jayce in the head before I turned and aimed my gun at Gio and did the same.

“Well then, now that’s finished,” I said as I looked around the room. “Where’s Red hiding?” I said quietly.

Bodies were scattered amongst the open floor plan, and I carelessly stepped over Gio as I walked over to the center of the room. It was quiet now, eerily quiet. I listened for any sign of her but heard nothing. I looked down for moment as I stepped over Jayce, and spotted a small, red dot on my foot.

It quickly moved up my leg, and I looked in the direction of where came from to see Red. She was situated on the roof of a nearby building. She was leaning against the ledge with a sniper rifle in her hands and a wicked smile on her lips.

Before I could even raise my gun, the man from earlier jumped up from behind her. He quickly gripped her hair roughly and pulled her head up before slicing her neck open and killing her instantly. He smirked at me as he let go of her hair and let her lifeless body fall to the floor.

He gave me a playful salute with two fingers before he winked at me and began walking towards a fire escape. He motioned his hand waving it forward, and after a few moments, the child happily jumped onto Red’s back, before she jumped off of her and followed the man.

I let out a shaky breath as I watched them disappear into the distance. I wasn’t fast enough, I left myself open and my guard was down. I was sloppy, and it almost got me killed. If it wasn’t for that giant pain the ass, I would have been dead by now.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I quickly pulled it out to see Monroe calling me, and for the first time in my life, I began to question his loyalty. He was like a father to me, but now, the organization he helped start is trying to kill me.

Did he know?

Was he involved?

Did he approve the hit?

What if he didn’t know?

What if they go after him next.

Any mistake I make now will get me killed… or even worse. Get Monroe killed.

So just to be safe, I threw my phone up into the air before I quickly aimed my gun and pulled the trigger, shattering it and sending its pieces scattering amongst the concrete floor.

10

In my entire career, there were only two instances that I was forced into hiding.

The first was when I was on vacation with an ex-girlfriend in France.

Was she batshit crazy? Yes.

Did I know this? Yes.

Did I continue to see her anyways? …Yes.

After nine months of dating, we got into an argument, and she burned down every single property I owed across Europe. I hid for three days as I tracked her down. Luckily for me, she had an attention span was as fierce as her temper, and she moved on after she blew up my favorite car.

The second time was when Corporate put my name on a Kill Order.

“Yolanda! Light ice, matcha latte with almond milk!” The barista yelled out. I slowly walked over to the counter with my back slightly hunched over.

“Thank you.” I said in a tired voice as I grabbed the coffee from the young man, leaning on my cane as I reached forward to grab the drink.

It was bright today, so fucking bright. I couldn’t tell if global warming finally struck, or this hangover was worse than I thought. I pulled the large sunglasses over my tired eyes before I slowly began walking out of the coffee shop. Expensive cars and loud music pierced through my already throbbing head as the Florida sun blinded me from above.

It’s been three months since I killed that backstabbing, useless crew. A full ninety days since Corporate sent out a revised Kill Order for the first time in the organization’s history.

Two days after I killed the pitiful squad they sent to kill me, every single agent in the world received the same Kill Order:

Kill Order #284379S

Target: Mila Cruz

Age: 26

Last Known Location: Manhattan, New York

Bounty: $1,500,000

Rank Requirement: None

Thousands of Corporate agents throughout the world knew my face and name, yet I didn’t know anything about the people who hunted me down. To say I was anxious would be an understatement. When I fled New York that night, I couldn’t sleep. I was constantly on alert, and for a good reason. Thirty-seven attempts were made on my life so far. Agents snuck into my house, saw me in the street, followed me into a public bathroom, anywhere I went I was in danger.

Corporate had eyes and ears everywhere, and I couldn’t trust anyone.

So instead of running through the street’s guns blazing, I opted for the safer, and much duller route: to lay low until I can figure this shit out. So, I did what I promised myself I would never do:

I ran.

I’ve been changing locations weekly, making sure to never stay in the same city for more than three days. I’m hiding away like a little bitch. I hated hiding. I was  always the hunter, never the prey.

My days quickly became long and tedious. It was as if every day was exactly the same, regardless of the new location I fled to. Waking up slowly became a chore, and depression quickly reared its ugly head as my own anxiety nearly consumed me. It was as if no matter how much I slept, I was constantly tired. It was the kind of tired that wasn’t fixed by sleep, the kind of tired that loomed over me constantly.

I felt numb, not happy, not sad… just numb .

One thing I didn’t know for sure, was that I felt off my game, mentally and physically. Doing missions for Corporate was all I’ve ever known; it was what my life was centered around. In a way, it gave my life purpose. I was constantly traveling, doing surveillance, gathering information and committing mass murder. There was always something to do.

Now that Corporate wants me dead I had so much… free time . It was overwhelming. Being alone in isolation made me face the harsh reality that I called my life.

When was the last time I smiled and meant it?

When did I last laugh?

When was I last… happy? Was there ever a point in my life that I felt real joy?

What does joy feel like anyway?

When did I become so… miserable?

It made me reflect over the past year, and how I didn’t cope with Maria’s death very well. Ever since she died, I’ve been so focused on avenging her. Every hour of everyday was spent on finding whoever did those… things to her. On top of that, I tripled the number of jobs I did for Corporate. I thought that aiming my gun at someone and pulling the trigger was therapeutic, when it was actually nothing more than a distraction, a crutch for me to be able to ignore dealing the trauma I’ve piled onto my psyche. To top off my unhealthy coping mechanisms, that was when my relationship with Aiden began.

They say the five stages of grief are pretty common after you lose someone close to you: first there’s denial, then anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.

But my stages of grief just involved me spending most hours of the day drunk off my ass.

I opened the door to my apartment complex. It was a shabby building, but I didn’t mind. At this point, as long as I had a roof over my head I wasn’t complaining. I opened the door and walked past a group of children laughing and playing in the hallway, and I placed my hand on my throbbing temple as their shrieking filled the small corridor.

“Will you kids keep it down?” I seethed as I looked over at them.

“Geez, sorry old lady.” One of the kids said as he looked up at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him as I continued down the hallway and up the stairs until I reached my apartment. I fumbled with keys for a moment before I unlocked all seven of the locks. I pushed on the door, causing it to stick before I looked down the hallway, making sure the coast was clear. I straightened my back before I roughly slammed the wooden door with my shoulder, opening it and walking inside.

Just as I was about to close the door, an expensive dress shoe stopped the door from closing. I quickly rotated my body and pulled out my handgun I kept hidden underneath my baggy shirt before opening the door and aiming it at whoever found me.

Adrenaline kicked in, helping me focus through my hangover as I pressed the tip of my gun under the man’s chin.

“An eighty-three-year-old grandma named Yolanda, Mila? Really? That’s the best disguise you could come up with?” Monroe said as he looked at me with a raised eyebrow as he lifted his hands up in surrender.

“How did you find me?” I said as I narrowed my eyes.

“After I ran nationwide searches for housing, I found out that this apartment was purchased by a Yolanda Maria Ford. I thought it was too coincidental and I wanted to check it out.” Monroe said as he looked around the messy apartment. “You never were very creative with your aliases.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” I said as I glared at him. He looked at me with a somewhat disgusted face as he scrunched his nose.

“When was the last time you showered? Or are you just channeling your inner grandma and only taking sponge baths?” He exclaimed as he cringed.

“Answer my question.” I said as I narrowed my eyes at him once more.

“Mila,” he said before he quickly hit my wrist with his hand, tilting the gun to the side before he quickly grabbed it. Before I could even move, he quickly emptied the clip before tossing it to the side.

“I would never do anything to hurt you.” He said as he gently grabbed my shoulders. I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked at him. His face held honesty, and I could see the bags under his eyes and the new white hairs growing in his beard and his hair. “You know that.”

“I’ve been fucking worried sick. As soon as I saw the Order at Corporate I called you, and when the line disconnected, I was so fucking afraid I was too late.” He said as his eyes began to water slightly.

“The last time I felt this worried… was when Maria never came back from her mission. This deja’vu it… was too much.” He said as his eyebrows furrowed deeply.

I saw the sincerity in his eyes as he looked down at me. Monroe wasn’t a very affectionate man, and I was slightly taken aback when he pulled me in and hugged me tightly against him. Part of me knew he wouldn’t hurt me. He’s been the only thing besides Corporate that has been a constant in my life. He was the only family I have left.

“Why didn’t you try to reach me?” Monroe said as he looked down at me, his voice slightly angry as he furrowed his eyebrows.

“Because I was worried they’d come after you if you knew I was alive.” I said as I hugged him back. We quickly took a step back from each other after a moment, and I looked up at him with my eyebrows furrowed.

“You have to leave. Get as far away from Corporate as you can.” I began as I pulled off the white wig that covered my long, black hair. I tossed it to the side as I heard Monroe let out a sigh.

“I have another house in Costa Rica, we can hide out there until we figure out what we want to do.” I said as I began walking towards my bedroom.

“Mila, you know they’ll find you eventually. How many times have you been moving around like this?” Monroe said as he followed me.

“Every week or so.” I said calmly as I opened my half-unpacked suitcase. I grabbed my old and tattered stuffed bear and placed it gently into the bag. It was the only thing I had left of Maria.

“And what have you found out about who ordered your hit?” He asked as he cautiously picked up my granny wig from the floor and eyed it carefully.

“Nothing yet.” I said as I began shoving clothes into the suitcase.

“What about Maria’s? Have you found out anything regarding Diana Sabel?” He asked as he dropped the wig and walked towards me.

“No, not yet.” I said as I furrowed my eyebrows. I grabbed two bottles of liquor, also shoving them into my suitcase.

“Mila.” Monroe began as he grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face him. “You aren’t going to be able to do anything about your current situation living like this.”

“I think I’m doing just fine, thank you.” I lied as I crossed my arms.

“Your apartment is a disaster, you’re a mess, and you’re dressed up as a drunk elderly woman who yells at kids. I don’t think you’re doing fine.” He said as he tilted his head.

“I was in character.” I mumbled as I narrowed my eyes.

“Very convincing.” He said as he gently kicked an empty bottle of whiskey on the floor.

“Well, what do you suggest then?” I asked.

“I have a friend I want to introduce you to. He’s been looking for someone with your… skill set.” Monroe began.

“Anyone looking for an assassin is never good news.” I said as I rolled my eyes. “Who is it? Politician? Arms dealer? Mafia Don?” I asked with a bored tone.

“Yes.” He said as he tilted his head, making me narrow my eyes at him.

“He’s a good friend of mine. With his connections, he’ll be able to hide you and keep you safe for the time being.” Monroe said.

“Alright, when do we meet him?” I said as I crossed my arms.

“Not we, you .” He said before he turned his wrist and looked down at his lavish watch.

“Excuse me?” I said as I raised my eyebrows.

“What part didn’t you understand?” He said as he furrowed his eyebrows.

“You’re not coming with me?” I asked quickly, making him roll his eyes as he began walking towards the door.

“No. I need to keep doing what I’m doing. I’m going to find out who ordered the hit on you, and I’m gonna kill them myself.” He said seriously.

“If they find out what you’re doing they’ll kill you.” I said in a quiet voice.

“I’d like to see them try.” Monroe said with a smirk.

“I’ll be trying to gather as much intel as I can from the inside. In the meantime, you can focus on finding Maria’s killer. Leave the Corporate end of things to me.” He said with a small smile.

“I suppose I can’t talk you out of this.” I asked as I looked over at him.

“No.” he said. “This organization… is corrupt beyond redemption. I’m tired of their games, of the stress. I’ve been wanting out for a while now, and your Kill Order just sped up my timeline.” He explained. Silence stretched between us. We both knew that no one ever truly left Corporate, especially the higher ups. We knew someone was up there, pulling our strings giving us orders. And we heard rumors about what happened to people who tried to leave.

“But I have to get going before they notice my absence. Tomorrow, 8pm. There’s a restaurant in Little Italy named Charlie’s. You’ll meet him there.” He said as he grabbed the handle to my front door. He quickly reached into his pocket with is free hand and pulled out an old, outdated phone.

“This burner is untraceable. I’ll contact you on here when I can.” He said as he handed me the phone.

“What’s this guy’s name? What does he look like?” I asked as I tilted my head.

“Don’t’ worry, he’ll find you.” He said with a smirk. “Just be careful. He’s known for his… unorthodox interviews.” Monroe said before he walked out into the hallway.

11

Little Italy, our tiny slice of the boot shaped country in Florida. Where the Italian food was subpar and the service notoriously dreadful. It was a small corner of Italian restaurants located a few minutes from the white sand beaches.

Charlie’s was one of the most lavish and expensive restaurants in town, and was located right in the heart of Little Italy. Its dress code was almost as strict as its guest list, and I had to buy an entire outfit at the last moment. During these months of hiding, I never bothered to get ready. I nearly forgot how to do my own makeup and being this dressed up felt… strange. Uncomfortable even. My heels clinked against the pavement as I held onto my clutch, gripping onto the gun underneath the thin fabric.

Crowds of tourists brought the narrow street to life as the glow from the fairy lights above us illuminated the bustling road below. I lowered my head, hiding my face underneath my long hair as I maneuvered cautiously though the typical rambunctious crowds of a Friday night.

As I stepped through the crowd, I felt someone grip my wrist roughly. I quickly lifted my knee up, opening the slit in my dress and revealing the knife that was strapped to my thigh. With my free hand, I quickly grabbed the knife as I pivoted my foot and turned around to see a woman launching a knife towards my stomach. I quickly rotated my hips, dodging her attack before gracefully pulling her into a nearby alley. I quickly yanked on her arm, pulling her towards me and away from the unaware civilians nearby. I quickly brought my hand up and stabbed her once in the stomach while I covered her mouth before I brought my hand up and slit her throat. The woman’s blood slightly sprayed onto me, and I rotated my body to avoid getting it onto my white dress.

“Shit.” I breathed as her body fell to the floor. This is why I usually wear black. Damn me for trying something new.

I quickly pulled her body behind a dumpster, hiding her from the unsuspecting crowd of people before quickly lowering my head and continuing down the street.

Charlie’s was packed, and as I neared the door, a young man opened it for me. He was wearing a black tuxedo, and smiled politely as he nodded his head towards me.

“Thank you.” I said as I returned the smile. I quickly walked inside to see a restaurant filled with lavishly dress patrons. The ambiance was dim, and intimate. The ornate artwork lined the walls, and lights were placed above them to accentuate the details held within them. Candles were lit in the center of every table, and a skilled musician was in the corner of the room playing smooth jazz on a baby grand piano.

“You must be Mila.” The hostess said as she looked at me with a menu in hand. “Right this way.” She said as she gave me a warm smile before turning around and walking into the sea of tables. I followed her as we maneuvered through the patrons. In the center of the room was a man who stuck out to me, and piqued my curiosity.

His back was turned to me, and he was wearing a black button up shirt, and was dressed somewhat casually for the luxurious restaurant. His grey hair was disheveled, as if he spent hour running his hands through it. In front of the man was a plate of pasta with meatballs, and he dabbed his mouth with a napkin as he put down his fork. Behind him stood two large men, both dressed in suits with their hands behind their backs.

“Here’s you are, ma’am.” The hostess said as she motioned to the table. The two guards moved slightly to the side as the man looked up at me. He was a middle-aged man, and his blue eyes and crow’s feet made him look somewhat tired. His square face was neatly shaved, and his pointed nose was slightly downturned at the tip. He wasn’t a very muscular man, but he was tall and stood at about six feet. He quickly stood up from his seat and gave me a friendly smile.

“Mila, Monroe has told me so much about you.” He said as he held out his hand.

“Nice to meet you…” I began as I shook his hand and tilted my head slightly.

“James. James Knight. Pleasure.” He said as he gave my hand a firm shake and shot me a wide smile. “Please, have a seat.”

I quickly pulled out my chair before I sat down and straightened out my dress.

“Can I order you something to drink? Wine, whiskey?” He asked politely.

“Just water please.” I said. Throughout this hiatus I’ve taken while running for my life, I’ve discovered one very important thing about myself:

I don’t make the best decisions when I’m drunk.

“Well, you’ve got blood on you, that’s a good sign.” He said with a smirk before he picked up his fork and began eating once more.

“I got a bit distracting during my walk here.” I said as I gave him a small smile. I glanced down at my dress to see small specs of blood, barely noticeable, and splatted across my chest and abdomen.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me.” He said as he lifted his hands slightly and tilted his head. 

“I hope you don’t mind that I started eating without you. It’s been one hell of a week, shit going wrong left and right.” He said as he looked down at his plate of food while he shook his head. He twirled the pasta around the silver fork before he shoved it in his mouth.

“Well, hopefully, my skills can help you out with that.” I said as I gave him a friendly smile while he swallowed a bite of his food.

“I hope so too.” He said as he placed his elbows on the table, nodding at me while a wide smile stretched across his face. 

“You can start by killing these assholes behind me.” James stated as he twirled another piece of pasta around his fork. The men visibly tensed as they looked down at him.

“Right now? Here?” I asked with an emotionless expression as I tilted my head.

“If you’d be so kind.” He said before he grabbed a napkin and began dabbing his mouth.

Before the men could even move, I quickly grabbed a fork from the table and took a large step towards them. I started with the man closest to me, and I lodged the fork into the side of his neck, I quickly pulled it out and pivoted on my foot. I turned and stabbed the other man in the windpipe with the same fork. I turned my attention back to the first man and gripped the side of his face as he held his wound. I quickly rotated my hands, snapping his neck before lifting my left leg up and hitting the tip of the fork lodged in the other man’s throat with my heel. The force from my kick sent the fork deeper into his throat, killing him instantly.

The restaurant went quiet as I fixed my dress and took my seat once more. The musician in the corner stopped playing, the patrons ceased their conversations, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I looked around the room to see that all eyes were on our table.

It stayed this way for a moment until James, who was still dabbing his mouth with a napkin, waved his hand carelessly in the air, and everything resumed as if nothing ever happened.

The musician began playing an upbeat tune as conversations filled the air. Servers began walking from table to table once more, and I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked around the room before eyeing James curiously.

“Fork… I like your style.” He said as he put down his silverware and slid them away from me.

“Never had that kind of reaction when I’ve killed in public before.” I mumbled as I looked around the room once more. I slowly sat down as James nonchalantly wiped his cheek with his hand as he looked at me.

“You have a little.. something here.” He said, somewhat awkwardly. I quickly grabbed my napkin before wiping the specks of blood off my face.

“So… what is it that you do, exactly?” I said as I eyed four staff members walking up to the bodies behind James. They split up, and two men each carried the lifeless bodies out of the room and through a backdoor.

“Some would say, I’m an entrepreneur.” He said with a smirk as he leaned back in his chair. “I go where the money is.”

“And this restaurant?” I asked as I looked at him.

“A haven… that I provide of course. Everyone here is involved in some sort of organized crime. My establishments bring them together in safe, lawless environment.” He said as he smirked.

“I don’t quite understand.” I said as I narrowed my eyes.

“I own hundreds of properties throughout the world. Hotels, restaurants, spas, anything and everything you can think of. There’s only one rule: no killing.” He began. “With me and anyone employed by me being the obvious exception.” He said with a shrug.

“And why are you the exception?” I asked curiously.

“Someone has to keep the peace around here.” James said with a small smirk.

“These properties are used for business negotiations mainly, although some are used for laundering for our… other revenue streams. Most of our patrons understand this, and respect the rules my family has put in place.” He explained as he lifted his head slightly.

“And if they don’t respect this rule?” I asked as I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Then that’s where you come in.” He said with a smile.

“Lovely.” I said as I smirked.

“I do have to warn you that I currently have a bounty on my head.” I said as I looked at him. Monroe said James was a good friend of his, the last thing I wanted to do was start off our professional relationship on the wrong foot and not be completely transparent about my situation.

“From Corporate, correct?” He said as he grabbed his wine glass.

“Yes.” I said as I nodded.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s quite a large reward for you.” He said as he took a sip of his wine. I couldn’t help but look around the room, eyeing anyone who looking in my direction as a potential threat.

“But that won’t be a problem.” He said as he placed his glass down on the table. “Monroe explained your situation to me. So, if it’s okay with you, part of our agreement would be for you to stay at one of my properties. As long as you’re under my roof, they can’t touch you.” He said with a small smile.

“I don’t mean to sound rude for asking this, but what makes you think they won’t come after you for protecting me?” I asked as I tilted my head.

“They wouldn’t dare kill the man providing their entire organization with untraceable weapons and ammunition. Not to mention our clean up and disposal services.” He said with a cocky smile. “Who do you think gets rid of all those bodies in your wake? Or where your endless supply of bullets and guns come from?”

Monroe definitely undersold how important his friend really is.

He was valuable to Corporate, and without his connections, they would be scrambling to find someone to replace him. It would push back missions for weeks, months even until they were able to fix the pain point of replacing one of their top suppliers. I was doubtful that this man held such a strong leverage over Corporate, but at this point, I didn’t really have anything to lose.

I didn’t pry into what other businesses he was involved with, because honestly, it wasn’t any of my business. I was here for a job, for safety, and I wasn’t about to let my curiosity get in way of my own well-being.

“Compensation?” I asked as I tilted my head.

“It’ll be a salary position. You’ll get one million a year for the first six months then after that I’ll double it. I know it’s less than what you were making at Corporate, but with the added expenses of your room, boarding, and travel it’ll even out.” He said as he lifted his chin slightly.

“When do I start?” I said as I gave him a small smile.

“Well, preferably, immediately.” He said as his smile slowly began to drop. 

“My organization has been… having issues lately. The Cartels are fighting with us over territory. For the past few years, we’ve been supplying them with their weapons, but recently they’ve rebelled and have been attempting to go into business against us.” He began to explain as his eyes narrowed.

“I’ve dispatched most of our skilled assassins over here to handle them, but I mainly run my operation in Italy.” He began. “Over there, it’s a whole other monster. We aren’t facing a war per say, but we are currently undergoing intense negotiations with other Mafia’s across Europe.” He said before he took a long sip from his wine glass.

“These negotiations can get… heated to say the least.” He said as he raised his eyebrows.

“So where do you want me? Here, in the States I presume?” I asked.

“Actually, no. There’s a more pressing matter I want you to handle in Italy.” He said as his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw clenched.

“A few days ago, I sent my son to negotiate a new weapons contract with the Esposito Mafia. It went poorly, and now he’s being held there against his will.” He said as his eyes narrowed, and he drank the rest of the contents in the wine glass.

“And you want me to get him back?” I asked as I tilted my head.

“I want you to eliminate the entire Esposito Mafia.” He said in a deadly tone as his hand clenched into a fist on the table.

12

I focused my scope as I examined the lavish Esposito estate. There were two guards standing watch in front of the main entrance and two patrolling the balcony right above it. They were all heavily armed, and I put down the scope as a chill breeze caressed my skin.

Thankfully, the flight to Italy was short – mainly because I nearly passed out as soon as we boarded James’s private jet. It was a strange feeling… having momentary peace. The crippling anxiety that has plagued me for the past three months finally relinquished its hold on my mind, and for the first time in weeks I was able to fall asleep sober. Even though this calm was fleeting, I cherished this small victory.

I finished surveying the property, placing the explosives where I needed them and taking a rough estimate of the number of guards I could see. I didn’t have much time to get here after I landed, but I used the long drive to study the floor plan and layout of the mansion. They added in a basement a few years ago, and the schematics on the new addition were nowhere to be found. That’ll be the first place I look.

I quietly got out of the car as I strapped two handguns to waistband, making sure the clips were full. I grabbed a few magazines and strapped them to my thighs before I picked up my assault rifle and closed the driver’s side door. I had pent up anger and frustration I needed to get out. So fuck being stealthy, I needed to shoot someone.

I slammed a magazine into the rifle in my hands as I began walking towards the entrance, the cool breeze kissing my skin as I recalled the conversation James had with me when we landed in Rome.

“This,” James began as he handed me a photograph. He was sitting beside me in the backseat of the SUV. “Is my son.”

I grabbed the flimsy photo from his hands before examining it thoroughly. The photo looked like its been folded only one or twice, as if James rarely removed it from his wallet, like it was a secret tucked away and forgotten. His son was handsome and well kept, his face clean shaven and his black hair short and neatly trimmed. His chiseled jawline was tense, and his full lips were set in a slight scowl as if he was annoyed by something. Liam’s tan skin didn’t show any signs of tattoos or significant scars. His brown eyes seemed emotionless and void. He was muscular and stood a little taller than his father. Both he and James were wearing expensive looking suits as they stood awkwardly beside each other in a restaurant.

Something about his demeanor made him look… indifferent. As if he couldn’t be bothered with the simple act of taking a photograph. He seemed annoyed, angry even.

Everything about him screamed that he was a stereotypical mafia brat.

“His name is Liam.” James said as he looked out the window. “He’s a stubborn one, and he likes things done his way. Some would even say he’s… peculiar. So, if he’s still alive when you see him, make sure to say… ‘papaya’.” James said seriously as he looked over at me with his eyebrow raised.

“Papaya?” I asked as I raised my eyebrow. “What is that, some sort of safe word?” I said, failing to hide the scoff in my words.

“Trust me, you’ll know when to say it.” He said as he rolled his eyes, annoyance clear on his features.

“Alright then.” I said as I handed him back the photograph with my eyebrows raised. He quickly slid it into his wallet before looking out the window once more.

“I don’t care how you do this, as long as you bring my son back.” He said as his eyes narrowed. Something about his tone told me that whether he was dead or alive, this applies.

“And bring back Mario Esposito… alive.”

I walked up to the entrance and quickly raised the gun in my right hand before pulling the trigger and shooting a guard standing on the balcony. I quickly moved my hand to the left before firing another bullet and killing the man that stood next to him. With my left hand, I quickly raised it up and shot both men standing in front of the door before they were able to even raise their weapons.

I continued towards the large estate door as bodies dropped around me. I pushed it open quietly before walking into the large and extravagant living room. It was dark and empty. I waited there for a moment in anticipation, waiting for the sounds of footsteps, but I heard none. I furrowed my eyebrows as I walked over to the living room, examining the live wood coffee table and white sectional, my footsteps echoing though the large mansion.

It was neat, but there were small things out of place. Pillows were thrown on the ground, chips were tossed carelessly on the floor. The TV was in the middle of playing a foreign film and guns and clips were left behind on the table. It seems like something happened here, that multiple people left in a hurry.

I continued walking down the hallway, cautiously turning the corner before lifting my gun out in front of me. The large windows illuminated the dark corridor with moonlight, and I narrowed my eyes as I listened and evaluated my surroundings as I made my way towards the basement.

Every corner I turned, every room I checked was just… empty. Each time it was the same, someone left what they were doing halfway through as if there was a disturbance. Was this a trap? Were they expecting me? I clenched my jaw as I continued down the hallway, eyeing the room to the basement at the end of the corridor.

I heard faint yelling in the distance. The high-tech lock was opened, and the large, metal door was left slightly ajar. I opened it with my foot, revealing a large concrete staircase that descended into the darkness below. My body tensed as I heard multiple gunshots echo below me. I tilted my head curiously as I continued down the stairs.

The sounds of a struggle grew louder, and I heard the grunts and screams pierce the air around me. I reached the bottom of the staircase and turned the corner. I slowly looked over the wall into a large concrete area, barely illuminated by the dim and half broken lights from the ceiling.

In the center of the room was a man who I assumed was Liam. He was shirtless, and his expensive dress pants were ripped and torn. His muscular body was covered in blood, and his black hair was messy and untamed. Dozens of dead bodies surrounded him as he continued to fight the guards running towards him from all directions.

I watched curiously as an armed guard lifted his weapon at him while another ran towards him from behind. He quickly ran towards the guard aiming at him and jumped into the air while rotating his hips, hitting the man in the jaw with a spinning roundhouse kick. The guard stumbled, and he quickly gripped the man’s shoulders and shoved his body in front of his own while the other guard fired his weapon towards him. The guard’s body was pierced with bullets as Liam walked closer to the man firing at him. He quickly shoved his human shield towards the man, forcing the guard to stop firing and push the body to the side. Liam then quickly wrapped his hand around the back of the guard’s head before punching him repeatedly in the face.

I heard the snap of bone from the corner I was standing in, and I cringed slightly as the guard’s blood splattered with every punch. I looked behind Liam, and saw that a guard was running towards him with a knife in his hand. I took a step forward, but paused as I saw Liam take a step back and pivot, dodging the guard who lunged towards him. I quickly bent down as he still held onto the guard’s arm. He gripped the guards pants as he bent down, holding the guards arm on his shoulder by gripping his wrist. He pulled on the man’s wrist, breaking his arm before gripping the knife. He quickly swung his arm towards the guard, stabbing him in the stomach three times before turning his attention towards the remaining guards.

Six men began to circle him with knives in each hand, and he quickly rotated the blade in his hand before he lunged towards them. I watched curiously as he made quick work of them, pivoting and dodging their attacks before ending their lives with a flick of his wrist.

“Well, this is boring.” I sighed under my breath as I watched him continue to annihilate the guards around him. I couldn’t help the sting of disappointment that I wouldn’t be able to release this pent up anger and frustration I’ve felt. I really thought killing dozens of people would make me feel better, but instead, I’m just spectating someone else doing that exact thing.

How dull.

I stepped out from behind the wall and lifted my gun up in front of me. I quickly shot the remaining guards between the eyes as I walked towards him. Silence fell over us for a moment as the bodies hit the floor and I tilted my head as I looked over at him as I put my gun back in my waistband.

“Liam, I’m-” I began. But he quickly closed the distance between us and lunged towards me. I quickly lifted my hand up as I pivoted on my foot and rotated my body, narrowly dodging the blade he aimed at my heart. He continued to throw jab after jab, and I quickly had to angle my body to avoid each stab. He was muscular, but slow, and I knew that if I wasn’t fast enough, one of his mighty blows would easily take me out.

“Your father sent me.” I said quickly as I continued to dodge his attacks. He ignored my words as he continued his assault on me. He quickly threw a left jab, and I lifted my hands to block the impact. In a slit second, he quickly brought his right hand forward, sending the blade directly towards my stomach. I rotated my body while still holding onto his left hand, and I clenched my jaw as the blade grazed the side of my waist.

This fucking bastard.

“I’m sure your father won’t mind a few more bruises on you.” I said as I narrowed my eyes. Afterall, James said to bring him back alive, but he didn’t say anything about unharmed .

I quickly threw a right hook towards his face, and he rotated to avoid it. Just as he turned, I used his own move against him, and brought my other hand up to jab him in the stomach. He grunted slightly as my knuckles slammed into his muscular stomach.

I grabbed his wrist while he was hunched over and brought my other hand to the inside of his wrist. I turned it, making him open his hand and drop the knife as he grunted in pain. He quickly brought his other hand towards me, launching a left jab towards my stomach. I let go of his wrist as took a step back, avoiding the jab.

He continued to throw punch after punch, and I continued to step back until I felt the cold wall behind me. He grit his teeth as he lifted his right hand and launched a strong jab towards my face. I quickly ducked and turned, and his fist hit the wall behind me, cracking the sturdy material.

He hissed in frustration before he bent down wrapped his muscular arms around my hips. He slammed me against the wall, and I cringed as pain shot up my back. He quickly rotated his body, and with me still in his grasp, lifted his arms up as he prepared to throw me onto the ground. I quickly wrapped my legs around him and pulled him towards me. Using his body to hold me up, I lifted my hand up and punched him in the throat.

He hunched forward, and we both fell as he lost his balance. I slammed against the concrete floor and quickly unhooked my legs from around his waist. I placed both feet on the floor before pressing my hips up into his and rolling on top of him.

Liam quickly brought his arms up and wrapped his large hands around my throat as I did the same to him. He was a large man, and my small stature put me at a disadvantage against his massive one. The edge of my vision grew blurry as I lifted my hands up to my throat in an attempt to pry his hands off of me. Black dots began to cloud my sight, and he grit his teeth as his hands tightened around my throat. I looked up at him as my nails cut his hands as I continued to pry his grip off my neck, and as black dots began to cloud my sight, I barely got out the one word I knew would save me.

“P…P-papaya.”

13

He looked at me for a moment as he pressed against my neck and sat up. My legs were still straddling him as I clawed at his hands.

“Papaya.” I hissed through my teeth once more as I began to get light headed.

I watched as the bloody Liam tilted his head and loosened his grip enough for me to catch my breath. He removed one hand from my neck and placed it beside him, using it to help keep him upright. His face was covered in dirt and blood, so much so that I could barely make out his features. His muscular body was defined underneath the dim light in the basement, and his black hair was nappy and messy. His beard was grown in a bit and was untamed and thick. His lips formed a deep scowl as he examined me. It was quiet for a moment, and for a split second, I saw his brown eyes soften.

“When will my father learn that I don’t need a bodyguard.” He said under his breath as he narrowed his eyes. The momentary softness I saw vanishing immediately. His voice was deep and intimidating, each word sharp with annoyance.

“You weren’t even helpful.” He said as he tilted his head and stared at me with an unamused expression plastered across his face. He continued to stare down at me, and his unamused look morphed into one of disgust.

“It looked like you had it somewhat handled.” I said as I scowled at him. His piercing brown eyes narrowed as he scoffed.

“Of course I could handle this.” He said cockily. I looked down at his bloodied body and ripped clothes before I shook my head.

“But if you could really take care of yourself, then you wouldn’t have gotten captured in the first place.” I said as I tilted my head.

“Excuse me?” He said as his face inched closer to mine, anger dripping off his every word.

“You heard me.” I said as I narrowed my eyes. We stayed there for a moment, staring at each other as the tension grew thick between us. His hand still gripped my neck firmly as he examined me with his eyes.

“You’re fired.” He said as he let go of my neck and pushed me off him. I rolled to the side before landing on my feet and standing up.

“You can’t fire me.” I said as I raised my eyebrow.

“Really?” He said, anger lacing his tone as he walked towards me. He bent down slightly so he was closer to my face before he tilted his head. “And why’s that?” Liam asked.

“Because I work for your father, not for you.” I said as I looked at him and crossed my arms.

“You work for the Knight family, so you work for me .” He said as his jaw clenched.

“Yes, I do work for the Knight family. James Knight. Your father . Not you.” I said as I emphasized every word. If there’s one thing I hated, it was repeating myself.

“My job is to bring you and Mario Esposito back to him. Alive. Now,” I said as I walked past him and grabbed my gun from my waistband. “You stay here while I find Mario.”

“I don’t do well being told what to do.” He scoffed as he walked towards me once more.

“Yes, it’s quite apparent that you have an attitude problem.” I said as I shot him a deadly look. “So why don’t you just sit down and stay the fuck out of my way while I finish this job.”

“Once this is over, I’ll make sure you never work in this industry again.” He said as he looked over at me, his demeanor was tense and deadly as his hands clenched into fists. Little did he know that the largest organization for assassins and killers already wants me dead. I couldn’t work anywhere else even if I wanted to.

“Oh, really?” I said as I chuckled and watched him bend down and grab a gun off of a dead body near him. “You must not know who I am.” I said as I tilted my head.

“Intolerable?” He said as he stood up and looked at me with an eyebrow raised. I stared at this audacious man as I clenched my jaw. No one has ever dared talk to me like this man child has.

“Now, if you know what’s good for you, you’d stay out of my way.” He said as he cocked the gun and walked past me.

“What did you just say?” I asked as I furrowed my eyebrows. I’ve known this man a total of five minutes and I already want to slit his throat.

“That little bitch Mario’s hiding in his panic room. Let’s get this over with. The faster we get this done, the sooner I’ll never have to see you again.” Liam said as he began to walk past me. He paused as he looked down at me before motioning in front of him with his hands.

“After you, useless bodyguard .” He said in a condescending tone.

“I suppose if you act as a human shield, you won’t be completely useless.” Liam said after a moment as he looked down at me.

He had the type of face I just wanted to put a bullet through, but sadly, my mission was to bring him back alive. If I didn’t need James’s protection from Corporate I would have cut this annoying pricks dick out by now and shoved it in his own mouth.

This arrogant bastard was just as I imagined him, a Mafia brat.

“Any day now.” He said as he impatiently held out his arm to his side.

I shot him a deadly look before I walked in front of him. His head followed me as I moved in front of him, and I narrowed my eyes as I continued to walk up the stairs. I was on full alert as our footsteps echoed throughout the room. I wouldn’t put it past this asshole to shoot me in the back.

I opened the door to the entrance of the basement, and we quietly made our way up the stairs and onto the second floor in silence. I looked over my shoulder to see him eyeing me wearily before he cocked his gun and held it to his side.

I turned the corner of the hallway, hugging the wall as I spotted four armed guards standing in front of a lavish wooden door at the end of the corridor. I pressed my back against the wall, and held out my hand behind me for Liam to wait.

“Let’s handle this-” I began as Liam scowled and walked out from behind the wall. He quickly raised his gun up and shot the four guards in the heads before looking over at me. I narrowed my eyes at him as the bodies across the hall fell to the floor with a loud thud.

“You couldn’t have been a bit quieter?” I seethed as I looked at him.

“I’m in a hurry. Now move it.” Liam said as he scowled and continued walking towards the door. I followed behind him, fighting the urge to shoot this fucker in the back of the head the entire time.

I watched as Liam kicked open the door, revealing Mario standing in between two more guards. Mario was frantically shoving clothes into a duffle bag, most likely trying to get the fuck out of here. Liam made quick work of them, and shot both of the men in the face before aiming the gun directly at Mario. But Mario was fast, and he quickly pulled out a handgun from the duffle bag draped loosely across his chest.

“Hello, Mario.” He said as he grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes at the older man.

Mario’s white and black hair was somewhat messy, as if he has been running his fingers through the thin strands. He was tall, about 6’2, and was wearing a white button down shirt and slacks. He gripped the Glock in his hand tightly while the other was resting in his pocket. He looked at Liam with anger and hatred in his eyes as his hands clenched into fists.

“Liam Knight.” Mario said as he crossed his arms. His eyes trailed over to me as he tilted his head. “Daddy have to bail you out again?” He said with a smirk as he looked back at Liam.

I could tell immediately that this struck a nerve with him. I watched as his posture stiffened, and a deep scowl stretched across his lips as the grip on his gun tightened.

“James wanted him alive.” I said as I looked over at Liam.

“Well I don’t.” Liam said as his finger moved to the trigger. I quickly reached for my own gun, and before Liam could pull the trigger, I quickly aimed for his arm.

I pulled the trigger of my gun, shotting Liam in the arm before quickly aiming at Mario, and shooting him in the knee. Both men’s yells filled the room as I walked over to Liam, who was crouched down gripping his arm as he stared at me.

“YOU FUCKING SHOT ME?” he screamed as he stared up at me. His brown eyes were swimming with fury and rage as he stared at me with a scowl.

“You’ll live.” I said before I lifted my gun and hit him in the side of the temple with it. Liam was so concerned with his wound that he didn’t have time to defend the blow, and his eyes began to droop before his large body fell unconscious onto the floor. I began walking towards Mario, who was holding onto his bloodied leg before I did the same thing to him.

Silence filled the air as I looked at the two men. I raised my eyebrow as I looked down at Liam, and hesitantly lifted my gun, aiming it directly at his head.

“Nah.” I said as I shook my head and slightly lowered my weapon, attempting to dismiss the thought of killing him. But as my gun lowered, the disrespectful words and insufferable attitude echoed through my mind, and I found myself lifting the gun up once more.

“Hmm.” I hummed as I raised my eyebrow. It was tempting, oh so very tempting to rid the world of this mafia brat. But instead, I practiced self-discipline and lowered my weapon before sighing deeply.

“Soon.” I justified as I put my gun away in my waistband and pulled out my phone, dialing James’s number. The phone rang twice before James’s voice filled my ear.

“Yes?” James said quickly.

“It’s done.” I said as I looked down at Liam, who was now squirming slightly on the floor.

“And my son?” James asked, worry lacing his tone. Liam was now conscious, and his eyes began to open slowly as he brought his hand to his head. I quickly grabbed my gun before bending down and backhanding him across the temple, knocking him unconscious once more. Satisfaction coursed through me as the metal made contact with his skull, and I couldn’t help the small smirk that stretched across my lips.

“He’s alive.” I stated. “And so is Mario.”

“Good. I’ll send some of my men to come get you.” James said as I saw Liam shifting around on the floor once more. I quickly lifted my gun before smacking him on the other side of his temple with the butt of the gun and knocking him out yet again.

“Feel free to take your time.” I said with a wide smile as I hung up the phone.

14

“He has a severe concussion and a few broken ribs. Other than that, the wounds he sustained will heal with time, the only other one that’s somewhat serious would be a bullet wound in his arm.” The doctor explained. I blinked a few times, pursing my lips for a moment as I took a deep breath as I attempted to stifle the smile threatening to emerge.

We were at James’s primary residence in Venice. The Knight estate was massive and was composed of multiple buildings to form a compound. It had everything and anything you needed, so much so that you almost didn’t even have to leave the house for anything. They had a medical wing, a training facility, housing for almost a hundred of their men and women, mechanics working in the garage, an artillery large enough to arm an army for war, and a separate area towards the back, where James and Liam resided.

“A bullet in his arm?” James asked as he crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Yes, but luckily it just grazed him. Nothing to worry about, he’ll just needed a few stiches.” The doctor explained. “Thankfully, whoever shot it had terrible aim and it missed anything that could kill him.” The doctor said as he gave me a quick look before gazing down at his clipboard.

Yes. Quite lucky.

“I’m recommending that Liam takes the next few days relaxing, and avoiding anything that would require any high mental concentration. So no work for a bit.” The doctor explained as he wrote something down on his clipboard.

“Thank you, Dr. Amari.” James’s said as he crossed his arms.

“Of course. If you need anything else, you know where to find me.” He said as he gave us both a nod and quickly walked down the hallway.

“Mila, I’m about to visit Mario Esposito. Would you like to join me?” James’s asked as he looked over at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Sure.” I said as I shrugged.

“Walk with me.” He said as he motioned for me to follow beside him. The Knight manor was massive, yet minimalistic. Each room was modern, and has accent colors of black, beige, and white, and light grey. It was plain, yet sophisticated.

“Please don’t take offense to this, but I’m amazed you’re alive.” James’s said with a smile as he looked over at me while we walked down the wide hallway.

“What do you mean?” I said as I looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

“Liam usually kills his bodyguards. I’m just surprised he didn’t kill you.” James said as we turned a corner.

“Not for lack of trying.” I said as I looked in front of us. The bruising around my neck began to show, and the dark purple from Liams grip was prominent. 

“In order for me to complete my mission with your requested parameters, I did have to put that bullet in his arm. I hope you understand.” I said as I glanced over at him.

“With the way he acts sometimes… I understand completely.” He said as he looked over at me and shot me a small smile.

“There is something important I would like to talk to you about.” James said.

“Yes?” I asked, tilting my head to look over at him.

“Under no circumstance should Liam know that you are associated with Corporate.” James said after a moment. “If you couldn’t tell he’s… hot headed, but he means well. It would be simpler for all of us if that was our little secret.” James said with a small smile.

“Of course.” I said with a small nod.

We continued walking down the hallway until we reached a large, black door with two armed guards stationed outside of it. They were holding onto their automatic rifles as the quickly looked at James and nodded.

They opened the large lock and pushed the black wood, swinging the door open for us to enter. Inside, was a massive corridor with different doors lining each wall. Above the doors were numbers that were illuminated in red. We continued walking forward as the guards behind us closed the door, the only sounds ringing through the air were our footsteps hitting the cold, stone floor beneath us.

“What’re you going to do to him?” I asked as we continued down the hall.

“Most of it’s already been done. I’m just here to supervise.” He said with an emotionless expression on his face.

“Supervise?” I asked as I furrowed my eyebrows. “So, you haven’t done anything to him yet?”

“Not me personally, no.” He said as his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“Leading this organization isn’t as glamourous as you may think.” He said with a small chuckle. “Being the leader, I was taught by my father that I was too valuable to be out in the field. I can’t even remember the last time I fired a gun.” He said as his smile dropped slightly.

“Sounds boring.” I said as I looked down at the ground, then back up at towards the end of the hall.

“It is, but it’s for the better.” He said as his smile perked up once more. “Besides, I’m too old to be out there doing what you do. There’s no place for me in the field. I belong here, behind a desk and overseeing that everything goes smoothly.” He said.

“God forbid my hands get calloused from manual labor.” He said sarcastically before he let out a deep laugh. 

James’s face held a small smile, but his eyes betrayed how he truly felt. His blue eyes swam with sadness, and I could tell there was some longing hidden behind his words. He was intelligent, but there were some little things he would do that would indicate that he was once in the field, that he was once a killer. During our dinner, he noticed the specks of blood on my dress, he complimented my choice of weaponry when killing his guards, he was too calm around murder to just be some pencil pusher.

He stopped in front of a cell labeled “34” before he placed his hand on the scanner next to the metal door. It flashed green almost immediately before the door slid open, revealing two armed guards beating Mario to a pulp. The men looked at James’s quickly before he raised his hand up slightly, and the men gave him a nod. I watched as the men left the room, leaving only a barely breathing Mario tied to a chair in front of us.

“What in the world were you thinking?” James said as he crossed his arms and looked down at Mario. I watched quietly from the shadows as Mario spit out blood onto the floor in front of him before looking up at James slowly.

“I was thinking that your bastard of a son was ripping me off again.” Mario said as he scowled. James was unfazed as his eyes narrowed slightly.

“The hidden interest rates in his last deal would have bankrupted my organization, and this new contract he presented to us was even worse!” Mario exclaimed as he tilted his head. My eyes drifted curiously to James’s, who took a deep breath before his hand clenched into a fist.

“You should have talked to me instead of trying to kidnap my only child.” James said calmly as he bent down slightly so he was on eye level with Mario. “But what you did, is unforgivable. You know this, Mario.” James said before standing up and walking towards me.

“You are a good man, James. But your son… is a different story entirely. You think I’m the only one he’s fucked over? You think I’m the only one who wants him dead?” Mario said loudly as he looked at James.

“Kill him.” James said as he looked up at me.

I quicky walked towards Mario as I grabbed my gun from my waistband. I flicked off the safety before pressing it against his head. Mario flinched slightly, but I hesitated as I looked down at the man.

“Excuse me for asking this… but… would you like to do the honors?” I asked hesitantly as I looked over my shoulder towards James. I could tell my words caught him by surprise, and a small smile spread across his lips.

“Really?” He said as he tilted his head and began walking towards me.

“I’ve never met anyone who can’t do what they want within their organization.” I said as I nodded and twirled the gun around my index finger. I wrapped my hand around it, aiming the back of the towards James and turning around as I held it out for him.

“You know, you can do whatever you want, right?” I said as I gave him a smile. He looked at me for a moment before he chuckled under his breath.

“You’re right.” He said after a moment, a wide grin came across his features. He quickly walked past me and the gun I was holding out for him before cocking his arm back and punching Mario across the face.

I watched James like a proud parent as he began to beat Mario repeatedly in the face. I walked over so I was standing behind James as he lifted his leg and front kicked Mario in the chest, making him tip over and fall to the floor.

“That’s for what you did to my son.” He said as he turned around and faced me. I held out the gun towards him, and smirked as he quickly grabbed it from my hands. James held the gun out in front of him with one hand before rapidly pulling the trigger, emptying the entire clip into Mario’s body before silence filled the air.

“Feel better?” I said as I looked over at James, who had a wicked smile plastered across his lips.

Before he could respond, the door to the room opened quickly, and Liam walked in with a white bandage wrapped around his head. He was wearing a loosely fitting white shirt and black joggers as he angrily walked into the room. His black hair was more tamed and clean, and his beard has been trimmed slightly. Liam looked different not completely covered in blood, he looked… almost bearable to look at.

“ You .“ He seethed as he stared at me. Any thoughts of my attraction to him vanished as his annoyingly deep voice rang through my ears.

“Me?” I said mockingly as my eyes widened slightly and a sarcastic smile caressed my lips.

“You shot me.” He exclaimed as he began walking towards me. “She shot me!” He repeated as he looked over at his father. I attempted to quietly clear my throat, failing slightly before taking a shallow breath in and straightening my back.

“Glad to see your memory wasn’t impaired from the head injury.” I said seriously, trying to maintain the shreds of my professionalism and fight the urge to burst out laughing.

“A head injury you also gave to me.” He said as he tilted his head and shot me a lethal glare.

“Oh, I forgot to mention that I may hit him in the head a few times. It was… also necessary for the success of the mission.” I said seriously as I looked over at James.

“I want her gone.” Liam seethed as he walked closer to his father.

“That’s not going to happen.” James said seriously as he looked at his son with a serious expression.

“I don’t need a babysitter.” Liam yelled as his hands clenched into fists. “I can handle myself.”

“On the contrary.” James said as narrowed his eyes. “You were captured due to your inability to handle business maturely. You fucked the Esposito Mafia over, again .” James said as his voice began to raise. Not wanting to get in the middle of a family feud, I crossed my arms as I watched cautiously while keeping my mouth shut.

“How many other contracts did you close that had hidden interest rates? Huh?” James exclaimed as he walked closer to his son. I watched as he scolded Liam, and how his jaw tightened with anger as he stared at his father.

“I brought in millions of dollars of revenue-” Liam said through his gritted teeth.

“That is not the point. What good is a contract with a client if they drop us once their term is expired? Did I not teach you that our business relies on repeat customers?” James said as his eyes widened slightly.

“Our clientele outside of Corporate is mainly Mafias. Who do you think inherits the business once the Don is gone? Their sons and daughters, then their kids, then their kids kid after that.” James explained as he hit his palm with the back of his other hand, elaborating every word. “If you have a bad relationship with a Don, what makes you think their children will ever want to make a deal with you again?”

“If you look at the terms of the contracts and the rates that they wer-” Liam began as his eyes narrowed.

“It doesn’t matter how much money is brought in, don’t you get it?” James said as he stared at his son. “It’s about conducting business with the intent that everyone benefits from the deal. That’s how this business was made, that’s how this operation has survived. Not by fucking people over with hidden clauses in their contracts!”

“Don’t scold me like I’m some sort of child.” Liam said, a threat apparent behind his words.

“Then stop acting like one.” James spat as he narrowed his eyes. James’s expression grew dark as silence stretched between them. The tension in the air grew thick as I glanced between them.

I’ve only known James for a short amount of time, but for the time that I have seen him, he was kind to me. Always composed, calm in his demeanor. But that look, the darkness in his eyes, the scowl on his lips, the threat lining his tone. This wasn’t the James I’ve known; this was like an entirely different person.

“I’m going to have to review every contract you closed this year. I told you no more shitty deals.” James said after a few moments as he ran his hand through his hair, his tone softening slightly.

“Until you can learn to conduct business properly, Mila will accompany you to every meeting you’ll have from now on.” James said as he looked over at me. I gave him a small nod before Liam punched the wall beside him, cracking the concrete and staining the wall beside him with blood from his knuckles.

“I can take care of myself!” He yelled as he looked over at his father.

“You think Mario is the only one that wants to kill you for fucking them over?” James yelled as he stared at Liam. “You’re not fucking over some spineless accountant, you’re fucking over Mafia Dons, Liam! These kinds of people will kill you for looking at them wrong. It’s only a matter of time before they start coming after you.” James said as he walked over to me.

“And don’t even think about trying to kill her.” He said in a threatening tone as he looked over his shoulder at Liam once more. He placed the gun in my hand before giving me a small smile.

“Thank you for that.” He said under his breath before he turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving me and Liam there in silence next to Mario’s dead body.

I watched Liam, raising my eyebrow as I watched him inhale sharply as his jaw remained clenched. He quickly looked over at me before sliding the door open.

“After you, bodyguard .” He said in a demeaning tone. I scoffed at his attitude but decided to be the bigger person and just walk away.

“My father said I couldn’t kill you,” Liam began as I neared the door and walking in front of him.

“But he didn’t say I couldn’t test you.” He said from behind me.

Before I could react, I felt something hit the back of my head roughly. I mentally cursed at myself for letting my guard down at my vision began to fade to black, and before my body hit the stone floor beneath me, I was unconscious.

15

I groaned quietly as I turned over.

My head… my fucking head.

I lifted a hand up to my face as my eyes slowly blinked open. There was dried blood behind my head, and I winced as my fingers grazed a delicate soft spot just above my neck.

“That fucking asshole.” I said under my breath as I closed my eyes for a moment.

“I’m sorry, what was that.” Liam’s voice rang through my ear, making me wince once more. His tone was playful, as if he was amused. It infuriated me. I lifted my hand up to my ear to find a small, black earpiece. I quickly gripped it, holding it closely to my mouth before I scowled.

“I said, you’re a fucking asshole.” I repeated louder as I turned my head, evaluating the room around me as I popped the ear piece back into its place.

It was dark, and empty. I was on the floor, lying down in a windowless room. The walls were black, and looked as if they had been patched together and worn down over time. On the furthest wall from me, was a single black door, and next to me on the floor was a gun that look carelessly tossed to the side.

“Where am I?” I muttered as I stood up and reached for the gun.

“You are in the Knight’s official training facility: The Gauntlet.” Liam said proudly as I opened the clip of the gun. I tilted my head curiously to see that it was filled with rubber bullets instead of real ones.

“The… what?” I asked as I raised an eyebrow.

“The Gauntlet.” Liam repeated with an annoyed tone.

“What a stupid name.” I said as I rolled my eyes.

“It’s a training course of my own design. Every single man or woman working for my family is put through this training course before getting the approval to do field missions.” He said, the pride dripping off his voice.

“And why am I here exactly?” I asked with annoyance in my tone.

“Because after your pitiful display of skill when you “rescued” me, I wanted to see what you can really do.“ Liam said over the mic. “I wanted to make sure my bodyguard knows how to handle herself in a fight.”

“I handled you pretty well, didn’t I?” I said with annoyance. “How’s your head feeling by the way?” I asked with a smirk.

“Probably a bit better than yours at the moment.” Liam said, his voice straining as if he was trying to control his temper.

“How do I get out of here?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes.

“Well, that’s the fun of it. You’ll have to fight your way out.” Liam said as I looked around the room. Attached in the corner was a small, black camera which was most likely transmitting the live feed to wherever Liam was.

“Is that all?” I asked as I began flipping off the camera closest to me.

“So unladylike.” Liam muttered, confirming my suspicion that he was watching my every move. “The Gauntlet is simple. Last one standing, wins. Since you’ll be fighting our men, we’ve replaced the bullets with rubber ones to save lives or, whatever.” He began, indifference in his voice. It’s as if I could hear his eyeroll through the microphone.

“Sounds easy enough.” I said as I cocked my gun and aimed it at the camera in the corner of the room. I quickly pulled the trigger, sending the rubber bullet flying towards the device, hitting it and sending it hurling towards the floor.

“But, the fun part of The Gauntlet is the leaderboard.” Liam said as I heard footsteps approaching from behind the door.

“Leaderboard?” I asked curiously as I narrowed my eyes at the door. The stampede of footsteps were getting closer, and there were a lot of them.

“We meticulously keep track of how well our men and women do within the walls of The Gauntlet. To make a bit more challenging, we review the footage and record the number of bullets used during each run.” Liam explained as the footsteps grew quiet behind the black door.

“What’s the record?” I asked, my competitive nature sparking up inside of me like a wildfire.

“One. And before you ask, yes, that bullet you just used counts.” Liam said, and I clenched my jaw at the smirk I could practically hear through the line.

“Oh, and I made sure to waive the ‘no killing’ rule when it came to you. I would say good luck, but I told every man and woman in The Gauntlet if they kill you, I’ll double their salary.” Liam said as the door burst open. Dozens of men and women dressed in all black began pouring into the room. I lifted my chin as I eyed them while they surrounded me. I mentally tried to take a count of everyone in the room. There was forty… maybe fifty?

“And if I win?” I asked as the group of soldiers stared at me with hatred swimming in their eyes.

“Oh, you won’t.” Liam said before the line went dead in my ear. I placed the handgun in my waistband before covering it with my shirt, suddenly filled with determination to beat this assholes record.

I looked around at the men and women who circled me. With my hands to my side, I slowly extended my fingers, stretching them out before clenching my hands into fists. The group of soldiers rushed towards me, and I stiffened as I prepared myself to attack.

I quickly side stepped, avoiding a jab from a man running towards me. I ducked, my knees grazing the floor as I gripped his wrist. I quickly fell between his legs while pulling his wrist down. I ducked my head through, pressing it against his shoulder before fireman carrying him into a group of soldiers.

Another man in front of me threw a quick jab, and I quickly stood before stepping to the side, narrowing avoiding his knuckles before I quickly hit his with a roundhouse kick. Beside me, another man was already launching a right hook at me, and I stepped to the side before leaning back to avoiding the impact.

Behind me, a woman stepped forward before rotating her hips and aiming a roundhouse kick for my head. I grabbed the man to the left of me by the shirt, pulling him forward and putting him directly in front of the woman’s kick. He grunted as her boot made contact with the side of his face, and I quickly punched him in the jaw roughly, knocking him out cold. She ran towards me again, and I saw her pivoting once more as she prepared another kick aimed for my stomach. She was quick, but I was faster. With lethal and sharp reflexes, I caught her ankle before pulling her towards me and punching her in the face.

I dodged, turning and retaliating throws and punches as the group surrounding me continued their assault. I will hand it to James, his men and women were more trained than most organizations, but nothing compared to the assassins I’ve handled in the past. The Gauntlet was child’s play compared to what Corporate and Monroe had me do on a daily basis.

I threw a final punch, knocking out the last of the troops in the room. I waited for a moment, listening to the chorus of groans coming from the squirming bodies on the floor. I made sure to only hit places that wouldn’t cause permanent damage or too serious of an injury. I made my way towards the back of the room, stepping over bodies in the process.

I walked through the door and into a long, narrow hallway. At the end of it, was a massive brute of a man. He looked as if he was nearly seven feet tall, and his bald head was littered with scars. His brown skin was covered in tattoos, and piercings lined his ears. His muscular physique devoured the space in the hallway. He was like a bull, staring at me as if I was a matador dressed in red.

“Oh, that’s Steel.” Liam said through the mic in my ear. “He has a bit of a… temper issue. He’s killed about twenty people in The Gauntlet in the past six months. Told him I’d triple his pay if he kills you.”

Just as Liam finished his sentence, Steel began sprinting towards me. I quickly ran in his direction, and just as I was about to reach him, I stepped on the wall beside me. I pressed off the wall, launching myself up and towards Steel while I cocked my arm back and threw a sharp jab towards his jaw. Steel took the punch as if it was nothing, as if he was unfazed by it before he let out a grunted yell and threw a slow, but strong right hook.

I quickly got out of the way as his knuckles slammed against the wall, instantly shattering the drywall and creating a hole where my head once was. I walked back and ducked as he threw a left jab towards me and continued walking forward as he launched another right hook.

I ducked, avoiding the blow as I threw an uppercut at his stomach. He took a small step back as he absorbed the impact, and I quickly hit him once more with a left jab. Steel let out another yell as he threw a haymaker at me, and I quickly dodged out of the way before stepping on the wall once more for a boost upwards. I rotated my hips midair before extending my leg, aiming a kick at his face.

But for such a large man, he was agile, and he caught my leg with his massive hands before swinging me to the side, slamming me into the wall of the hallway. He then ducked down, wrapping his arms around my hips before lifting me up and slamming me into the wall. The drywall behind me crumbled as Steel ran forward, breaking the wall completely as he continued running. I lifted my elbow, bringing it down with as much force as I could on the side of his head before I felt another wall slam into my back. I interlaced my fingers before slamming elbow down on his head once more. I winced as I felt yet another layer of drywall hit my back. I looked down to see that Steel’s eyebrow had been cut open, and the gash began to grow with each elbow I struck him with.

A breeze caressed my face, and the smell of pine and grass filled my senses as Steel ran us through another wall. I looked up behind his head to see multiple holes through different walls. A chorus of excited mummers ignited around us, and I lifted my head for a moment to see a crowd of people surrounding the building, watching the fight with anticipation.

I quickly cocked my arm back before throwing a strong punch towards Steel’s throat, and he grunted as my knuckles hit his windpipe. His grip around my hips loosened as he lifted his left arm up to his throat. I quickly ducked my head underneath it before bringing my right arm across and grabbing his shoulder. I used that shoulder grip to hold my own weight as I rotated my hips and climbed onto his back. I shoved my right arm across his neck as I used my legs to body triangle him.

Steel brought both of his hands up to my arm, trying to claw my grip on his neck off, but I was persistent. I grabbed my left bicep with my right hand, locking in the rear naked choke before pushing my chest out, tightening the submission.

It takes eight seconds to knock someone out. Eight seconds to cut off the blood flow from the carotid artery to the brain. So, I started counting.

One.

I looked up at the crowed surround us, ignoring the faces that were struck with awe and shock as Steel thrashed in an attempt to free himself.

Two.

I finally spotted Liam in the crowd, he was staring at me curiously.

Three.

I narrowed my eyes as I glared at him.

Four.

His eyebrows furrowed as a scowl began to form on his lips.

Five.

Steel began resisting less and less.

Six.

I held Liam’s gaze because fuck him.

Seven.

The crowd began to gasp as they watched Steel’s body begin to go limp.

Eight.

Steel began to wobble, and his body went completely limp while I was still on his back. He began falling forward, and I quickly undid the body triangle I had on him as I released my arms from around his neck. I quickly did a forward roll over him as he fell and landed directly on my feet as he hit the ground unconscious.

I couldn’t help the fury of rage that coursed through my veins. This… gauntlet . This training was nothing more than an act, a circus for Liam to watch for his own entertainment, and I was the main act.

I was a world class assassin. Trained for nearly my entire life to kill others in the most unspeakable ways. My profession, my career, my life… it wasn’t a joke. The emotions I’ve held dormant flooded to the surface, and the second I laid my eyes upon Liam, my patience snapped.

Mummers and whispers from the Knights men and women erupted in the air as all eyes were on me. I stood up and grabbed the gun from my waistband before aiming it at Liam. I quickly pointed it down before I pulled the trigger, hitting him in the thigh with a rubber bullet, dangerously close to his manhood.

Everyone went silent as Liam let out an agonizing grunt before he fell to the floor, gripping his leg. I walked over to him, people stepping out of my way in the process before I reached him and bent down.

“I’m done with these fucking games.” I seethed as I grabbed his chin and forced him to look up at me.

“I personally can’t stand you, but I’ve been assigned to protect you. So, leave me alone and let me do my fucking job.” I said as I inched closer to his face. All I saw was anger, pure, agonizing anger as he stared up at me. His hazel eyes were lethal and menacing, yet empty at the same time.

Liam let out a scoff before I let go of the grip I had, and began to walk away and towards the estate, leaving everyone in the Knight organization speechless.

I heard heavy footsteps behind me, and I grit my teeth as my hands clenched into fists. I pivoted on my foot and turned to face a furious looking Liam. His right arm was cocked back before he launched it forward will immense force. I quickly turned my hip, dodging his jab before I grabbed his wrist.

Temper, control your temper. I heard Monroe’s voice tell me. It was a rule he embedded into my subconscious since I was a girl, and it was a struggle I always internally fought against.

But seeing his face, replaying and reliving the insufferable attitude and trails this man has put me through in such a short amount of time, I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to hurt him. I needed to hurt him. I started seeing red, and my mind was consumed with one thing and one thing only.

I’m going to kill this man child.

I pulled on his wrist as I rapidly cocked my arm back. I let out a grunt of frustration and anger as I launched my fist towards his face with as much speed as I could muster. He didn’t have time to react, and his head twisted to the side as my knuckles slammed against his cheekbone.

The crowd erupted in gasps and mummers as they watched our exchange. Some were amused, while others were mortified. It felt as if we were students fighting in a parking lot rather than members of an illegal arms operation.

I quickly got two more jabs in before he rotated his body and dodged my attack. I quickly rotated my hips before I threw a round house kick aimed for his face. He quickly raised his hands up to his face, but I redirected my kick and hit him directly in the chest. Liam grunted before hunching over, and I cocked my arm back hit him right in the jaw, sending him falling to the floor.

I threw punch after punch, reveling in the feeling of my knuckles making contact with his face, letting the adrenaline that coursed through my veins fuel my anger even more as I continued my assault. In my rage, I began to blackout. The corners of my sight began to blur as Liam grabbed my fist, blocking it from hitting him in the face once more. He quickly rotated my body as he got up on his free hand before pushing me off of him and standing up.

But at this point, my rage consumed me, and I lunged at him once more as my vision faded to black.

16

Two weeks have passed since his so called “Gauntlet”, and since most of Liam’s injuries have healed, Dr. Amari has given him the green light to go back to his regular work schedule. After I blacked out, I continued to attack Liam. Even after he went unconscious, I continued attacking him. I almost killed him, and it took thirteen soldiers to stop me, and out of those thirteen, I sent nine of them to the infirmary for broken limbs and concussions.

This is why Monroe was insistent that I controlled my temper, because when I lose it.. this happens. My doctor called it “Blind Rage Syndrome,” or something like that. Whenever this happens, I don’t remember what I did, or who I hurt. It took years to control my temper, to understand what makes me tick and how to keep myself calm at all times to avoid spiraling down into a blind rage.

The scolding James gave to Liam and I was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and we were ordered to spend some time away from each other in an attempt to keep us from murdering the other.

We haven’t seen each other since I shot him for the second time, and I was thankful for the small break from the intolerable man. The first few nights that I stayed at the Knight estate, I was on edge. I was up most of the night half expecting an assassin to try and kill me in my sleep. But to my surprise, James was telling the truth. Corporate hasn’t sent an assassin after me since I’ve been here, so as long as I’m cooped up inside this lavish mansion, I’d be safe… shouldn’t be too hard.

I haven’t had much time to investigate Maria’s murders for quite a while, and I used this time to pick up where I left off: searching for clues as to who the hell Diana Sabel is.

Monroe exhausted the search on his end, and since his main priority now was finding out who put the hit out on me, I dedicated my full attention to following up on Felipe’s lead. I spent my hours behind the computer trying to find any trace of the woman who helped kill my sister but to no avail. It was as if this woman fell off the face of the planet. There were no traces of taxes, properties, purchases, or credit cards in her name.

I walked over to the desk situated in the corner of my room where my files were scattered. The entire room was massive, much too large for just me, but I wasn’t complaining. The wooden floors complimented the tan furniture, and the king-sized bed in the center of the room was covered in a plain white comforter. The black headboard was modern, yet simple, and the elegant and lavish accent chairs were situated in front of a long bookcase that stretched along the wall. There was a small sitting area, and in front of it, a TV that was mounted on the wall. Large windows lined the south most wall, letting ample light into the room that shined off of the tan curtains that flowed with the breeze.

Attached to my room was a master bathroom, with a large, sleek shower with a bathtub adjected to it. The bathtub was massive, its square design fitting perfectly in the corner of the room. The black handles and nozzles accented the marble stone. The walk-in closet had an island in the middle for accessories and miscellaneous items. The long rows and shelves were mainly empty, and only held the small wardrobe I’ve been able to carry with me over the past few months.

I was a practical woman. I didn’t care how my outfit looked, as long as it was easy to kill in. Most days I opted for the simple outfit of jeans, a tighter fitting t-shirt, maybe a jacket if it’s breezy. Monroe taught me that jewelry was a liability, and could be used to strange, choke, or even close the distance between me and the target, so I never really wore any accessories. So, I filled the island in the center of the room with guns, lots and lots of guns. It was beautiful really, seeing the black metal of my weapons shine against the bright lights of the closet as they shimmered underneath the glass display cases.

I looked down at the table as I ran my hand through a stack of papers, spreading them before I grabbed a large, folded map. I walked over to the large floor length mirror that was situated next to the desk. My jaw clenched as I looked at my reflection. I used to think that being a twin was the greatest. I looked just like my best friend. Maria and I would always take advantage of this when we were younger, always playing tricks on Monroe and causing havoc until he learned to tell us apart.

Now it’s just a constant reminder of my failure. How I failed to save my one and only sister.

I quickly unfolded the map in my hands before I grabbed some tape from the desk drawer. I quickly covered the mirror with the map of Venice, taping the edges so it covered the top half. I took a step back before rummaging through the drawer once more. I grabbed a thick marker and a piece of paper before walking back to the map.

I measured out the distance that twenty miles would be, before drawing a circle around the area that Maria was killed. Since I’ve already searched for any trace of Diana Sabel and came up empty, the next step would be to run everyone who was near the location of Marias murder under facial recognition. I mapped out where the street cameras, traffic stops, and blind spots are within this entire area. If I can get a list of people who were there around the time of Maria’s murder, then I can start filtering it out based on age, gender, and any other traits that would lead me closer to Diana Sabel. It’ll be tedious and time-consuming, but at least it would give me a baseline of where to start.

I turned my head sharply as someone firmly knocked on my door. I quickly organized the files on my desk, stacking the papers so they were neat and orderly before I walked over and cracked the door open.

I narrowed my eyes as I saw Liam standing outside my bedroom with a freshly pressed and lavish designer suit on. His black hair was neatly styled, and his beard was freshly shaved. His hands were in the pockets of his black slacks as he looked up at me. He had a look of annoyance, as if he couldn’t be bothered with speaking to me.

I said nothing as I raised an eyebrow, looking at him expectantly.

“My meeting got moved up.” He stated as he looked down at me.

“To when?” I asked as I tilted my head slightly. I held onto the door, blocking him from looking inside my room… from seeing the work I’ve been doing on my off time.

“An hour. We have to leave right now if we’re going to make it on time.” Liam said with annoyance in his voice.

“Which meeting is this?” I asked as I raised an eyebrow. I wasn’t used to working on someone else’s schedule. As much as this man aggravated me, I will hand it to him, he’s one busy motherfucker. The calendar he shared with me was overwhelming, and was filled with meetings and dinners that consumed his entire week.

“An important one.” He said as he scowled. “Let’s go.”

“It’s my job to protect you, not manage your calendar.” I said before I closed the door in his face. I heard him mumbling something under his breath as I walked over to my computer. I quickly began the facial recognition software before closing it and shoving the information I’ve collected into the drawer of my desk.

“Hurry up.” Liam said impatiently from the other side of the door.

I rolled my eyes as I quickly grabbed a light jacket from the back of a nearby decorative chair. I quickly threw it on before walking out of the door, only opening it enough for me to slip through and prevent Liam from seeing inside. I quickly turned around and locked the door before I faced him.

“Let’s get this over with.” I said as I stared at him with a look of indifference.

“Who’s this meeting with?” I asked as we walked down the hallway towards the garage.

“I thought you said you were just here to protect me, not manage my calendar.” He said in a condescending tone.

“Let me rephrase.” I said, biting back the annoyance that festered up inside of me like a raging fire. “Does whoever we’re meeting want to kill you?”

“Most likely.” Liam said after a moment.

“I would be lying if I said I was surprised.” I said seriously.

“Like you said before, your job is to ‘protect me’,” he said sarcastically, the distain in his voice apparent as he glared at me. “Not berate me with insufferable remarks.”

“It seems to be a pattern with your business partners.” I said calmly as we turned the corner and began walking down a spacious corridor. I watched as the men and women looked away from Liam, suddenly finding the floor and walls more interesting than their boss. Some even turned the other direction as they saw him approach. “So what exactly do you put in these contracts that make people want to murder you so badly? Or is it just your darling personality they can’t stand?”

“Let’s get one thing straight.” He said defensively as his head snapped over to look down at me. His hands were resting in the pockets of his slacks as his long strides made it difficult to match his pace.

“I’m not here to make friends. I don’t give a fuck if our clients love me, or want to kill me. My job is to increase profit margins, land deals, and run the operations here. We wouldn’t be very successful at selling arms if we don’t have contracts to fulfill, now would we?” Liam said before he inhaled deeply and looked forward once more.

“So… both then.” I said with an emotionless expression before I glanced up at him. He continued to stare forward, completely unamused. He clenched his jaw, and I could tell he was biting his tongue.

“When I take over this organization, I’ll make sure to fire you first.” He said, somewhat regaining his composure.

“Fire me and not kill me? I’m insulted.” I said with a bored expression on my face as we walked towards two men talking. They were blocking the hallway, and quickly halted their conversation before looking down at the ground while stepping to the side.

“I’d be happy to arrange that.” He said as his eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped to a deadly tone while he glared down at me. I looked up at him before rolling my eyes and continuing forward.

“Do you handle all the contracts?” I asked curiously.

“I oversee most of them, and personally handle the ones in Europe. Do you always ask this many questions?” He asked as he tilted his head once more.

“No, but seeing as everyone you meet wants to slit your throat, I want to know what I’m getting myself into.” I said. Usually, I live by a stern no questions asked policy. It was unprofessional to pry into the affairs of my clients.

“So, if I told you how many people wanted me dead, and it was too much for you, would you quit?” He asked curiously, his pace coming to a halt before his gaze met mine. I paused mid step before looking at him with my eyebrow raised slightly.

“I’d laugh.” I simply said before walking once more. It’s obvious that his father didn’t tell him who I was… or who was after me.

We walked into the garage where a driver was waiting for us. He was dressed in a full suit, and as soon as he saw Liam and I arrive, he immediately opened the doors of an all-black SUV. We slid into the backseat, and I stared out of the tinted window. The glass was thick, and I furrowed my eyebrows as I stared at the scenery pass by us in a blur.

“Take the second route discussed.” He said to the driver, who simply gave him a nod.

“Second route?” I asked.

“It’s a longer route. Mixes up where we’ll be in case anyone wanted to kill us on our way there.” Liam said calmly.

“And do you always drive in bulletproof cars?” I asked curiously as I looked towards him.

“Yes. You can never be too careful.” He said as he continued looking forward.

“I think you mean paranoid.” I said as I raised an eyebrow.

“I prefer the term prepared .” He said with annoyance as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small earpiece.

“Put this on.” He demanded. “If you see anything suspicious, say ‘chinchilla’, and I’ll know.”

“Chinchil- seriously? What is it with you and these safe words?” I asked as I glared at him with a perplexed look plastered across my face.

“What’s wrong with my code words?” He said seriously as he looked at me and narrowed his eyes.

“Everything. First of all, who even uses code words? Secondly, you could have picked an easier one than chinchilla. Maybe something like ‘code green’ or ‘code blue’,” I said as I continued to glare at him.

“It had to be a word that wasn’t frequently used.” He said slowly through gritted teeth, as if he was explaining this to a child. We glared at each other, and I couldn’t help the scowl that cross my lips.

“Whatever.” I said as I grabbed the ear-piece from his hand and placed it in my ear. “So chinchilla is for if I see anything. Are there any more of your special words I should know about?” I said as I crossed my arms.

“Yes, actually.” He said seriously. “Moose if we’re flanked, bible if we’re being targeted, juice if there are active threats-”

“I just… hold on.” I said, holding back the laugh that threatened to erupt from my lips. “Do I use these in a sentence or by themselves?” I asked.

“Depends on the situation.” He said seriously as he looked at me with his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“A situation…” I said as I looked down. “Is there… a codeword for that predicament too?” I said somewhat mockingly.

“There is. But we’ll stick to those four for now.” Liam said. He was leaned back in his seat with his legs spread apart slightly in front of him. His elbow was resting against the console beside him, and his right hand was resting under his chin as he looked over at me. I stifled a laugh at the poor fool before looking out the window.

“There are other rules I follow, mainly for my safety as well as others.” Liam said seriously.

“Like what?” I asked, somewhat already regretting opening my mouth.

“No drinking on the job, ever. Your mind and body have to be sharp in case anything happens. Always checking in, and telling either myself or security if you’re leaving. There’s also-” Liam began, only for me to cut him off.

“Okay. Got it.” I said. This guy has some serious anxiety issues to implement so many useless rules.

“The meeting is with the Lavella’s.” He finally spoke out after a few moments.

“They’re an up-and-coming Mafia. I closed a deal with them last year, and this meeting is to renew their terms of service.” He explained before looked out the window, as if he was lost in thought.

“Do you hold most of your meetings on their properties?” I asked as I tilted my head. He glanced over at me, as if he was debating whether to respond or not.

“If I could avoid it I would.” He stated. “But they were… insistent that I meet them at their estate.” Liam said before he looked out the window once more.

“So they’re going to try and kill you.” I said seriously.

“I’d be surprised if they didn’t.” He said seriously.

The rest of the drive was filled with awkward silence. Liam and I would occasionally look at each other, but they were empty stares, as if we didn’t know what to say. Eventually, Liam was was consumed with a far-off look, as if he was mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do, and I was thankful when the driver pulled up to a massive mansion.

The white colonial style manor had a massive, circular water feature in front of it. Neatly trimmed hedges lined the fountain, and I couldn’t help but admire the intricate details within the old stone as he drove around it and towards the entrance of the house. Long pillars stretched up past the second-floor balconies and under the black roof of gigantic mansion. Large, Spanish windows lined the walls, and balconies stretched across the second story of the house.

Standing in front of the manor was a woman, and next to her were two large men watching our every move with their hands behind their backs. They all eyed our car as our driver slowly came to a stop in front of them.

“Don’t say anything.” Liam said to me as he gave me a deadly glare. I narrowed my eyes at him as we opened our car doors and exited the vehicle.

I looked at the woman staring at us with a small smile on her lips. She was tall, and elegant looking. She was wearing a white gown that nearly blended in with her platinum blond hair. Her blue eyes were exotic looking, and her pale skin looked as if it was made of porcelain. She was a beautiful woman, but something about her overly calm and friendly demeanor made me eye her warily.

“Mr. Knight. So lovely to see you again.” She said as she lowered her chin slightly, her Italian accent dripping off her every word. The façade of her appealing and inviting mask fell off as the corner of her lips curled into a menacing smile that made my skin crawl.

17

She extended her arms out towards us, and Liam walked closer to her, reaching out his hand and shaking hers firmly.

“Welcome to my estate.” She said as she gripped his hand before placing her other hand on top of their handshake. Her voice sounded like venom, slow as she emphasized every word with grace. Her accent was thick, graceful. Each word alluring yet threatening.

“I didn’t know we’d have another join us?” She said as she eyed me while tilting her head. This woman. Something about her seemed… off. On the outside, she seemed put together. Her expensive gown didn’t have so much as a crease in the fabric. Her skin was untainted by scars and her complexion was flawless. If I were to see her on the street, I would assume she was some sort of actor or model rather than a Mafia Don.

“She’s just my bodyguard, nothing to be concerned about.” Liam said as he glanced over at me. I resented the fact that I couldn’t speak for myself almost as much as Liam’s label for me, but ultimately, I just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. I gave Liam a disapproving glare before I turned my attention back to the woman, eyeing her guards.

“How interesting.” She said as she tilted her head, her piercing blue eyes staring directly at me. “I would never take you as a man who would need one.” She said in an insincere tone, making Liam clench his jaw. “Let alone employ the services of such a tiny woman.”

“Amora Lavella, pleasure.” She said as she extended her hand out to me. I reached mine out, and she firmly gripped my hand before shaking it.

“And you are…” she said curiously as she tilted her head and looked at me. The way her eyes draped over my body told me that she was sizing me up, evaluating how big of a threat I could potentially be.

“Her name doesn’t matter.” Liam said, making me clench my jaw as Amora looked over at him.

“Hmmm… I’ve heard rumors of the female company you like to keep. From what I hear they’re usually… better dressed.” Amora said as her eyes scanned my simple outfit.

“It’s harder to kill someone if you’re in a dress.” I said as I slightly cocked my head to the side, the corners of my lips forming a small smile at the annoying woman. I saw Liam tense slightly in the corner of my eye, most likely internally fuming at the fact that I disobeyed his direct order.

“So, she speaks.” Amora said slowly as she raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me.

Sensing the tension, her bodyguards took a step forward, and she gracefully raised her hand up, making her henchmen scowl at me before retreating to their original flanking position.

“You can leave us.” She said with a small smile as she looked back over to Liam. I watched as the men behind her began walking away, giving us one last glance over their shoulder before disappearing into the house.

“It’s a beautiful day, why don’t we discuss the contract with a walk through the gardens.” She said with a fake smile as she looked over at Liam and turned on her heel. He gave her a small nod before placing his hands in his pockets and walking beside her. I quietly trailed behind them, just far enough to give them some privacy, but close enough to still eavesdrop on their conversation.

“So, our contract is expiring soon?” Amora asked as we began walking along the side of the house. The porch was wide and adorned with large planters filled with colorful blooming flowers.

“Yes. I came here to see if you’d like to negotiate anything about your previous contract before we renewed the term.” I heard Liam say coolly, keeping up his professionalism in the face of this unsettling woman. They turned the corner, and I quickly increased my pace to keep my eyes on Liam.

I watched curiously as they continued walking down the porch and towards a long strip of concrete in the center of the home. Lining the right side of the walkway were large balconies. The balconies went up at least three floors and were gated by a low white fence. Large windows accompanied the balconies, and white curtains flowed the in breeze from the open doors. Between the windows and balconies were large, brown wall trellises housing vines that covered the entirety of the building. The vines contained blooms of white flowers and leaves so large the trellis was barely noticeable.

I looked up at our surroundings, tensing as I saw men standing above us. Some had their arms crossed, others had their hands on their guns, but the one thing they all had in common was that their gazes were fixed directly on Liam.

I halted my steps, gaining some distance between Liam and Amora in an attempt to get away from them. Liam walked a few steps before he paused, looking over his shoulder towards me with his eyebrow raised. This caught Amora’s attention, and she turned towards me with a stoic expression.

Fuck. What were his stupid codewords again? Chinchilla… bible… juice? Fuck, what was the other one.

“Is something wrong, bodyguard?” Amora said as she tilted her head. Her eyes were hard she narrowed them suspiciously.

Moose? Fuck what did these words mean again?

“I… I have to make a call. I forgot to feed my chinchilla and moose their… bible juice.” I said, not convincing in the slightest. Liams expression morphed into one of disappointment and annoyance while Amora raised her eyebrow.

“Bible juice?” She asked as Liam shook his head.

“Yes. It’s… juice that has been blessed by… a bible.” I said. Even though I was usually an amazing liar, even I struggled to believe that any part of this was truth.

“Sounds… interesting?” Amora said after a moment, her chin tilting upwards. “And… concerning.”

“Please, excuse me.” I said quickly as I pulled out my phone and turned on my heel. I turned the corner and ended up back at the front of the Lavella estate. I quickly put my phone away before I grabbed onto a trellis. I shook it slightly, testing its stability before I planted my foot onto the platform.

“Is she alright… mentally?” I heard Amora ask Liam as I began to scale the trellis up to the second story.

“Not quite.” Liam said in a disapproving tone, making me grit my teeth at his stupid code words.

“Yes, well. Back to business I suppose.” Amora said as their footsteps sounded once more. I reached the second story, looked to the side to see one of Lavella’s guards staring down at Liam with his gun pointed towards him.

“I’ll get to the point. The contract you negotiated with us was unacceptable.” Amora said as I quietly jumped onto the balcony. I made sure to make as little noise as possible as I began inching towards the guard. I gripped my knife from my waistband, holding it tightly in my hand as I lurked towards my prey.

“I thought that the contract that was signed was fair and reasonable.” Liam said coolly as I lunged towards the guard. I quickly covered his mouth before stabbing him in the stomach multiple times. I lowered him to the floor gently as his life drained from his body.

“There were hidden clauses everywhere. Although I will give you this, they were expertly disguised. Even our brightest lawyers didn’t see them in time.” Amora said. There was another balcony to my right. The guard was so fixated on Liam that he didn’t even notice me. I quickly stepped onto the white fence lining the balcony as I jumped onto his platform, not even making a sound as I landed.

“Needless to say, that team of lawyers are no longer around. I enjoyed watching as my men killed them.” Amora said with darkness lining her words. I quickly jumped towards the man, lifting my knife up before digging it into his throat. He didn’t see it coming, and I quickly grabbed onto his heavy body, softening the sound as he hit the floor.

“So not only are we paying you for guns, ammunition, weapons, but we’re paying for… what was it again? A service fee, security fee, privacy fee? These fees which equate to about fifteen percent of our overall profit?” Amora said, her anger bubbling to the surface. There were two men on the next platform. I quickly ran towards the next balcony as I grabbed a second knife from my waistband, stepping onto the fence that lined the platform before jumping onto the next balcony. I lifted the knives in my hands while I was in the air before digging them into the heads of the guards at the same time, killing them both instantly.

“Those fees are necessary.” Liam simply said. I grabbed onto the nearest trellis and began climbing up to the second floor.

“Please, elaborate.” Amora said impatiently.

“A service fee is to ensure that your deliveries and shipments arrive when we say they are going to arrive. A security fee is our guarantee that your shipment arrives without any issues from your rivals. And a privacy fee is to make sure that our transactions remain between us. Would be a shame if someone found out exactly how many… or how few weapons you held in your arsenal.” Liam said in a professional and poised manner. But even from up above, I heard the threat that loomed within his words.

“And if we were to waive those fees?” Amora asked with a scowl. I jumped onto the balcony, grabbing the attention of the guard beside me. He quickly turned his gun towards me, but I gracefully ran towards him. I quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him towards me as I bent his wrist, I slightly rotated my body, giving me just enough room to cock my arm back before plunging the blade into his throat. He quickly fell to the floor, his hand covering his new, gushing wound before I placed his gun beside him.

“What was the name of your rival mafia?” Liam mused as if to himself. Amora scowled at him as her eyes narrowed. I saw three more men, two standing on the nearest balcony to me, and a third standing on a balcony directly above where Liam and Amora were standing.

“Costin.. Collins… Oh, that’s right. The Costello’s. Last I heard they were selling on your turf. Would be a shame for them to know just how much firepower you have.” Liam said calmly as he glanced over at Amora.

“Is that a threat?” Amora seethed as I grabbed onto the trellis.

“Not at all. Just reminding you what your security fee entailed.” Liam said as he raised an eyebrow. I quickly scaled the trellis before jumping onto the balcony. The men glanced over at me with a deep scowl etched across their features.

I just have one question for you, Liam Knight.“ She said, her tone growing more and more unpleasant with each passing word. I quickly ran towards the two men, launching my blade into the stomach of the first man multiple times as I covered his mouth. While his lifeless body fell to the floor, the second man lunged towards me.

“Did you really think you would get away with fucking over the Lavella Mafia?” She said, her entire tone morphed into one of anger as I watched the guards above us begin to draw their guns. The man knocked the blade out of my hand before he launched a jab towards my stomach.

“Do you know what happened to the last man who tried to swindle me in a business deal?” She asked, keeping Liams gaze on her as the guards quietly positioned themselves at their vantage points. I quickly threw a kick towards his abdomen, only for him to block it with ease.

“How about you enlighten me?” Liam said, his jaw clenching as he stared at Amora. I quickly stepped forward with my left foot while raising my right slightly in the air. I quickly kicked his knee back with my right foot, causing him to fall to the floor. I covered his mouth while he yelled in pain, muffling it as I moved towards his back. I held him in a rear naked choke while he struggled. I would have just snapped his neck, but I didn’t want to risk Amora hearing the crack of his bones.

“He’s sitting at the bottom of the sea. With his family. And everyone he has ever cared about.” She said seriously.

“Very creative.” Liam said sarcastically, making Amora scoff. The guards body began to go limp, and I held on tighter until he was completely motionless.

“You know, I don’t particularity enjoy your presence. If anything, I absolutely detest you. I hate your attitude, and the way you conduct business is horrendous. I’ve had just about enough of you and this conversation about your useless fees.” Amora said as she took a few steps back from Liam. I glanced at the only remaining guard to my right before looking down to see the knife that was knocked out of my hand. I lunched towards it, rolling forward as I grabbed it.

As I came up from my roll, I quickly threw the knife with deadly precision, and before the man had the chance to realize what was happening, the blade pierced the side of his throat. He gurgled loudly as he dropped his gun, both hands flying up to his neck.

“Take him out.” She said loudly as her eyes narrowed. The tension in the air was thick as the man took a shaky step forward before going limp and falling over the railing. His body fell directly in front of Amora, blood splattering on her dress as her jaw clenched in anger.

Amora stood there, her breathing uneven as she frantically raised a hand up to her face to wipe off the warm blood that stained her flawless skin. She quickly looked up at me as jumped off the balcony to an adjacent one below me. I jumped off of that one and landed on the concrete walkway.

“Looks like the poorly dressed bodyguard was useful after all.” She said as she glared at me.

“Here’s what I’ll do for you, Amora.” Liam said as he looked at her with his hands still in his pockets. He stepped over the guards body carelessly, closing the distance between them.

“I’ll forget that this little… incident, occurred. I’ll forget the fact that you tried to end my life, but in exchange, you’ll sign the damn contract and be grateful that I don’t sell you out to the Costello’s.” Liam said as he pulled out his phone. He unlocked it before turning it sideways and handing it to Amora. She glared at him for a moment, her nostrils flared slightly and her jaw clenched before she snatched the phone from his hand.

“Bastard.” Amora said under her breath as she signed the document on Liams phone.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” Liam said as he grabbed his phone from her hands. He began walking towards the car, and I glanced over at Amora following his every move with hatred in her eyes. I waited a moment, eyeing the guards that ran towards a still seething Amora before I began walking behind Liam.

“I won’t forget this.” Amora said behind us quietly.

18

“Well, that was certainly an enlightening experience.” I said as we through the front doors of the Knight mansion.

“Nice use of those codewords.” Liam said, his eyebrow raising slightly and… a hint of a smile on his lips?

Liams entire demeanor changed after we left the Lavella’s. The cold, icy man I’ve known the past few weeks melted slightly. The car ride was still silent, but it wasn’t awkward as it has been before. If anything, I’d say Liam was feeling triumphant over what transpired between him and Amora.

“Bible juice. I would have never thought of such a ridiculous phrase on my own, good job.” He said as he looked over at me with an eyebrow slightly raised.

“The fact that we have to use any codewords at all is ridiculous.” I said as I rolled my eyes.

“Hey, it worked, didn’t it?” Liam said as he glared down at me.

“I suppose.” I said with a blank expression on my face. I could tell that Liam reveled in being right, and he let out a very, very small yet victorious smirk.

“So, how’d it go?” A voice rang from down from the hallway. James was looking at us, well, Liam. His piercing blue eyes were narrowed, his deadly glare aimed directly for his son.

“Good.” Liam simply said as we walked towards his father.

“Good?” James said as he tilted his head slightly. I could tell that he was not in the mood for games.

“That’s what I said, isn’t it?” Liam said defiantly as he walked past him. My steps slowed, and I went from walking beside Liam to behind him. His father turned on his heel, quickly catching up to him as they walked side by side. I began walking a healthy distance behind them. Far enough to keep me out of trouble, but close enough to satisfy my curiosity and eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Well, care to elaborate?” James said as we walked towards a group of men loitering in the hallway. They quickly saw Liam before turning and walking the other direction.

“I don’t need to be micromanaged, father.” Liam said with annoyance.

“Maybe that day will come when you stop acting like a rebellious teenager.” James said harshly.

Ooh, this is getting spicy.

My eyes drifted towards Liam’s back as I increased my pace slightly, getting closer to hear their conversation more clearly.

“You want to know what happened?” Liam said, a scowl on his lips. “Amora signed the contract willingly with the same terms.”

“Was that before or after you killed seven of her men?” James said as he stopped walking, Liam quickly following suit. He looked over his shoulder at me. I made the mistake of looking up, and caught his furious gaze as he glared at me.

“After.” I said after a moment of silence, earning another pointed glare from Liam.

Like father like son.

I stood there, my eyes drifting between James and Liam as they both stared at me furiously. I coughed awkwardly before I chose my next words carefully. But as I opened my mouth and prepared to speak, Liams words cut me off.

“Amora was planning to kill me. Mila intercepted her plan, and acted accordingly. If it wasn’t for her, I’d be dead.” Liam explained. My mouth was open for a moment, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Liam Knight just… complimented me? Or more so, complimented my competence? Either way, it was shocking to hear.

I looked over at James, who was equally as surprised to hear praise for another to come out of his son’s mouth.

“It’s true.” I said as I nodded.

“Well,” James said after a moment. He ran his hands through his grey hair before looking back at Liam. “I’m glad you’re alive. But I think you forgot the entire reason behind revisiting your old clients.”

“What I did was for the good of our organization.” Liam said defensively. “The profit we’re making from the Lavella’s is worth-” Liam began.

“No, son. You were meant to make amends, to stop fucking over our clients.” James said before he sighed.

“Mila, have you eaten yet?” James asked.

“No.” I said quickly.

“Our chefs serve three meals a day, so feel free to help yourself. Dinner just started.” James said as he nodded towards the hallway to my right. I looked down the corridor to see at the end of it was a large arch leading into an extravagant dining area. Low chatter was heard from the dozens of men and women who were scattered amongst the room.

“We’ll continue this talk in my office.” James said as he gave Liam another pointed look. Liam scowled slightly before he followed his father down the hallway until they turned the corner and were out of sight.

I turned towards the dining area, debating if I should go or not. I knew that they served meals throughout the day, it was hard to ignore the savory and delicious smells that filled the mansion. But I’ve been preoccupied with my work, with my investigation into my sister’s murder.

The investigation that has slowly been leading me nowhere.

My stomach growled loudly as a group of women walked past me, making one look over her shoulder with her eyebrow raised. I glared at her until she looked forward once more. The loud growling of my empty stomach rang out once more, sealing my fate as I began to walk towards the dining room.

As I entered the massive dining hall, hushed whispers filled the air. In the center of the room were two rectangular tables that sat at least twenty people each. The back of the room was lined with another table, adorned with a white tablecloth and housing dozens and dozens of serving trays and platters. Each one held different appetizers, main courses, drinks that varied from water to wine, and charcuterie boards that looked more like artwork than trays of cheese.

As I made my way towards the back of the room, I couldn’t help but feel out of place. Glares and scowls surrounded me, and everywhere I looked I was met with men and women sizing me up. Hushed whispers filled the room, and I felt as if I was in a high school cafeteria surrounded by cliques. I quickly reached the buffet table and grabbed the first thing I saw. I helped myself to the chicken parmesan and grabbed a water before walking to the nearest seat. As I walked by, a group of two men and a woman grabbed their trays and stood up, leaving an empty corner of the table open.

I watched as they walked away, sitting more towards the center of the table before I took a seat. I began eating, looking down at my food and minding my own business. I hate to admit it, but the food that the chefs cooked beat the hell out of the takeout I’ve been ordering every night.

Slowly, my mind began to wander to my search. I opened my phone, checking the facial recognition software. It will be tedious to cross reference the list of people who were there around the time of Maria’s murder, but once I get the list, I can start filtering it out until I weed out Diana Sabel.

“Don’t mind them.” A woman’s voice said, pulling me from my thoughts. I looked to my left to see a woman pull out the chair next to me and take a seat as I slipped my phone back into my pocket.

She was a tall woman, well, at least taller than me. She was slender, yet toned. One look at her and I could tell she’d be able to handle herself in a fight. Her brown hair was long, falling to her waist in tight curls. She was a naturally beautiful woman, her eyes free from any makeup, and her complexion flawless and smooth, minus a bruise that was healing on her left cheek. Her heart shaped lips were full, and her brown skin was covered in aged scars. She was dressed casually, and wore a simple white oversized shirt and ripped boyfriend jeans with white sneakers.

“They’re still bitter from the gauntlet.” She said as she grabbed an apple from her tray and took a bite. Her voice was smooth yet has a hint of rasp to it. I could immediately tell she was from New Jersey from the strong accent.

“Hmph.” I mused. I looked around the room once more, and I noticed that most of the glares and stares came from men and women who had healing injuries. Most of them were bruised up pretty bad, a few of them had casts on their arms and legs. Some of them had stitches on their faces, holding together their eyebrows, cheeks, and gashes. “I didn’t even think about that.” I said finally before taking another bite of my food. Usually when I attack someone they don’t live to hate me for it. I looked at the woman next to me. Even she had a bruise that was in the process of healing.

“Is that…” I began to ask.

“From you?” She said. I simply nodded, making he let out a low chuckle. “Yeah, it is.”

“But you don’t see me upset about it!” She yelled down the table at the group of people who moved seats. They were already staring at us before she began shouting, and they quickly averted their gaze to anywhere that wasn’t our end of the table.

“Fuckers, all of ’em.” She said before she took another bite of her apple.

“I’m sorry.” I said, the words feeling like venom in my throat. I wasn’t used to apologizing, especially for anything regarding training. At Corporate, it was kill or be killed. Everyone understood this, and there was never any need for apologies. Afterall, most of my training partners died in the process.

“Don’t worry about it. You did what you had to do.” She said as she looked over at me. “We all did.”

“You almost got me with that roundhouse kick, you know.” I said, making her eyes light up.

“Aw. You remembered me. I’m honored.” She said with a small smile. “Although the man that you did throw in front of my kick was Matt. And I fucking hate Matt, so, you know, thank you for the assist.” She said with a wicked smile.

“Nova Whitlock.” She said as she reached out her hand.

“Mila Cruz.” I said, shaking her hand firmly, making her smirk.

The room grew silent as a pair of heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway. I could already tell who was walking in the room just based off of how many people turned on their heel and went in the other direction.

Men and women scurried out of Liams way, bowing their heads and avoiding eye contact as he stormed through the dining area. I watched from the other side of the room as he walked past everyone, a deep scowl on his face and his jaw clenched with his hands shoved in his pants pocket. He walked towards the middle of the room before he veered towards another archway leading towards the family’s private wing of the house. Once he was gone and out of sight, it was as if a storm cloud has passed through, and everyone let out a small sigh of relief.

“Why is everyone always so tense around him?” I asked Nova as I tilted my head. I couldn’t understand it. This code word using idiot struck fear in the hearts of everyone he came across, but I’ve yet to see him do anything that was even remotely intimidating.

“Well for starters,” Nova said as she leaned in closer to me. I paused a moment before doing the same. “He’s a loose cannon. There are rumors about him. That he just senselessly kills people for no reason. I once heard that he killed his chef because his toast wasn’t crisp enough.” She explained in a hush voice.

“I haven’t seen this myself, but I also heard that he once killed a man during a meeting because he thought he wasn’t paying attention.” Nova continued.

“There was even a rumor that just last week, he killed a woman for not satisfying him in bed.” She said with her eyebrow raised slightly.

“I’ve killed for less.” I said with a bored expression on my face.

“Oh yeah? What happened?” Nova said with a curious smile.

“I once pushed a man off a building because his face annoyed me.” I said simply.

“Okay, I see you.” Nova said with a smile as she nodded her head. “I respect that.” She laughed.

“So, I take it Liam never joins you guys in here?” I asked, taking another bite of my savory dish.

“Never. At least not in the eight years I’ve been here.” Nova said as she tossed her apple core onto her plate. “But we will see James in here a few times a week. Cool dude.” Nova said as she nodded slightly.

“Hm.” I mused with a smirk before I finished my plate.

“But apparently, Liam wasn’t always like this.” Nova said after a moment.

“What do you mean?” I asked, looking over at her curiously.

“Well,” she began, leaning in closely before looking around us. “There was a rumor, a long time ago, way before I started working here, that he actually loved a woman.” Nova whispered, making me raise my eyebrow.

“And she loved him back?” I said in disbelief.

“Yeah. Crazy right.” Nova said with a lopsided grin.

“What kind of delusional woman would ever fall for that prick?” I said.

“I don’t know, but apparently he was actually really kind. Some of the maids even told me he was one of the sweetest kids they’ve ever met.” Nova said, making me furrow my brows.

“So, what changed?” I asked curiously.

“Something really bad happened to the girl he loved. People who’ve been here long enough are banned from ever speaking about it, so that’s all I’ve heard. But after that, he just… turned into a prick I guess.” Nova said, choosing her words carefully.

“Interesting.” I said before I continued eating.

I quickly pulled my phone out of my pocket, and checked the status of the facial recognition scan. It was taking longer than expected, and the anticipated time of completion would be roughly sixteen hours.

“So, what’re you doing tonight?” Nova asked as she crossed her arms on the table.

“Nothing.” I said, hiding the impatience in my tone as I slid my phone back into my pocket.

“You?” I asked.

“Meh. Nothing much. Just working.” She said as she ate a spoonful of soup. “Gotta go kill a few drug dealers, send a message, the usual.”

“Hm. Sounds fun.” I mused as I looked at my plate.

“It always warms my heart when they scream and curse at you before you pull the trigger.” Nova said with a wicked smile.

“It really does, doesn’t it.” I said as I looked at her.

“Wanna come?” She said as she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at me.

“I thought you’d never ask.” I said with a small smile before I stood up. Even though I just met this woman, something told me that this was the start of a delightfully dangerous friendship.

19

Structure. That’s what my life was centered around. That’s what Corporate drilled into our minds, into our subconscious. We needed to be prepared, to know what our days entailed. There was something comforting about sticking to a schedule, to having a routine that you accomplished day in and day out.

Two months had passed, and I began to fall back into my old routine. I’d wake up at eight, go for run, strength train, then work on my martial arts. If someone else was in the Knights private gym, I’d spar with them, otherwise I’d just work on some solo drills. After that, I’d take a shower, braid my hair, and then head to the dining area where I met up with Nova. We’d eat, chat, then I’d wait around to see if Liam had any meetings, I had to attend with him. If not, I’d report to James, who would give me an assignment for the day. I’d complete it, then head back to my room to work on the list the facial recognition software came up with. Even after these weeks, I’ve already went through thousands of names, and this task was proving more tiresome than I originally anticipated. But to my surprise, Corporate, and their assassins, have remained quiet.

Thankfully, most of the assignments James gave me had me working with Nova, who I learned was completely, and utterly batshit crazy. Before she began working for the Knights she a doctor, a genius when it came to the human anatomy. Apparently she was some sort of prodigy, graduated high school at the age of fourteen, finished med school at eighteen, and completed her residency and fellowship by the time she was twenty four. It was this knowledge of the human anatomy that made her the Knights go to woman for torture and information extraction. She knew exactly what to do physically and mentally to make a human suffer in every possible way imaginable.

This woman was unlike anyone I’ve ever met. I went with her to kill and threaten some drug dealers that night, and the pain she inflicted on the man was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I even took some mental notes on her technique for myself. In all my years in this industry, I’ve never seen anyone offer up information so quickly. She was erratic, deranged even, but she was the only friend I’ve made here, and I liked her. Something about her, made me feel at ease, maybe it was the fact that she was so easy to talk to, or maybe it was because we both shared an appreciation for killing. Either way, both of us are pretty fucked up in our own ways.

Liam has been setting meetings left and right. Some meetings, to my surprise, went extremely well. The contracts were negotiated, signed, and we were on our way. While others… were much more difficult. More fun for me, but more difficult.

But as the days passed, Liam was actually… tolerable. The constant barrage of insults gradually slowed, and there were moments where he didn’t seem like a total prick. At first, I detested going to these meetings. I loathed being around him, I hated the fact that I had to save his life time and time again, and part of me often wondered how difficult it would be to put a bullet between his brown eyes and get away with it.

I’d say our relationship grew to be more civil, that and the fact that every time we would fight, James would nearly rip us a new asshole. That certainly helped to keep the peace.

I sat at the round white table, admiring the garden beyond the large windows as the hues or orange and red lit up the sky. Today, we were meeting with the Kims, who apparently were long term clients of the Knights. They were a traditional family from China, and to my surprise, Liam was fluent in Mandarin. They didn’t speak English, so I sat there, observing their body language, creating scenarios in my mind of what they could be talking about, and how they were reacting.

Liam told me that Mr. Kim wasn’t a Mafia Don, if anything, he didn’t know what to label him. He said he bordered more on the line of terrorist than anything, but I wasn’t here to judge.

I was dressed in a long, elegant, flowy gown per Liams suggestion. Of course, I argued it, but apparently Mr. Kim was a bougie and materialistic man with sexist tendencies. Apparently, he wouldn’t see me as a threat if I was dressed up. To say this made me want to end his miserable existence would be an understatement.

We were at one of Mr. Kims properties, enjoying tea in their lovely sun room. Mr. Kim was an older man, but like the other clients that I’ve met, he was pristine. He was wearing an expensive suit, his thinning and greying hair was combed back neatly, and his glasses were made of pure gold. He held a cane to his side, the tip was small, decorative skull. The gold shimmered against the sunlight flooding into the room, and I would often find him tapping it impatiently when Liam was talking. His voice was raspy, as if he smoked a pack a day for most of his life.

Beside him sat his wife, who was much younger than him. Mrs. Kim was a curvy woman, thick and voluptuous in all the right places. She looked to be about twenty, maybe twenty one, but that was a stretch, and she was wearing a red gown that was anything but modest. The low cut assentuated her cleavage, and I saw Liams eyes wander when Mr. Kim wasn’t looking. I couldn’t blame him though, considering that my eyes wandered too. When she wasn’t holding onto Mr. Kim’s arm, she would pull out her phone, swipe through some social media app, or check her makeup. I think I even caught her taking a selfie at one point.

I watched as Liam said something to Mr. Kim, making the old man furrow his brows before he shook his head fiercely. Mr. Kim slammed his hand on the table, startling his wife slightly and shaking the cups on the table. But Liam held his ground, and lifted his chin almost defiantly at Mr. Kim.

I watched as the elderly man tapped on the golden skull once more before saying something quick in Mandarin. This caught his wives attention, because she looked up from her phone and stared at her husband. Liam let out a chuckle before shaking his head, making the girl sigh in relief. Mr. Kim then went on to say something else as his gaze drifted towards me. Even though I didn’t understand what they were saying, I couldn’t help but feel that whatever he was saying was about me.

Liams jaw clenched before he quickly responded in Mandarin. He was speaking quickly, faster than I heard him before, then Mr. Kim stayed silent for a moment before letting out a low laugh.

My eyes darted towards the door as a maid walked in. She was young, and her long hair cascaded down to her hips, covering her face as she stared down at the cart in front of her. Like the other maids I’ve seen, she was wearing an all black outfit, but something about her seemed… off.

I watched as Liam continued his negotiations, eyeing her every move as she refilled our glasses in front of us. The teapot she held in her hands was small, and appeared to be made out of jade. Engraved on the pot was a monk, who had his arm draped over a stone with a symbol on it. She held her hands over the handle of the pot as she poured tea for Mr. and Mrs. Kim, then she slowly made her way over to Liam and I. Her hands shifted towards the center of the pot as she poured our tea into our glasses.

I glanced over at Liam, who appeared to be at a stand still with Mr. Kim. They were glaring at each other from across the table, and the sound of the tea pouring into Liam’s glass broke the tension in the air.

“Mr. Kim, I think you’re a fat, ugly bastard.” I said loudly, making Liam look over at me with wide eyes. Mr. Kim, his wife, and the maid who walked in remained unfazed as they glanced over to me. I gave Mr. Kim a smile before he looked over at Liam, speaking Mandarin once more.

“He wants to know you said, and I want to know why you think insulting my clients in a different language is appropriate.” Liam said curiously, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I needed to make sure they didn’t speak English.” I said in a pleasant tone. “But you can tell him that this tea is lovely, minus the poison of course.”

“What are you talking about?” Liam said as he furrowed his brows. “We’ve been drinking tea with them this entire time.”

“Go on, tell him.” I said with my eyebrow raised. I waited patiently as Liam hesitated, then he finally began to speak to Mr. Kim. Immediately Mr. Kim looked insulted, and began speaking rapidly as he looked over to me.

He lifted up his glass, showing me it before he drank the entire thing. He nudged his wife, who also did the same.

“He’s insulted that you think he’d stoop so low as to poison his business partner.” Liam said as he looked over at me curiously.

“Hm.” I mused as I reached over Liam, my arm grazed his as I grabbed the bottom of his glass carefully. I slowly slid it across the table towards Mrs. Kim, who looked at me with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

“Tell him to humor me then.” I said as I looked over at Liam. He nodded before he translated my request to the couple. I watched as Mr. Kim tensed slightly, but Mrs. Kim simply looked at me before chuckling softly and muttering something to Liam.

“She wants to know if you are always this paranoid, and suggested that you need to relax more.” Liam said as he glanced over to me. We both watched as she grabbed the glass and drank it slowly. She placed the empty container on the table, then crossed her arms and gave me a warm smile. We waited, the tension growing so thick that you could hear a pin drop. Mr. Kim remained unphased as he stared at Liam, gripping the golden skull at the end of his cane tightly.

After a few moments, Mrs. Kim sat back as she looked down at the table with a concerned expression on her face. Her breathing became shallow, and she tried to stand up, but quickly fell over, knocking her chair down and rattling our glasses in the process. The sounds of her gurgling filled the air, and she began convulsing for a few seconds before she stilled, laying lifeless on the floor. Mr. Kim scowled at Liam, not even bothering to look, or care about his now deceased wife.

The maid in the corner of the room quickly shot her head up. She rolled forward, reaching into her long-sleeved shirt and pulling out a blade. She quickly threw it at Liam. I remained seated as I waited for a split second before reaching out, grabbing the knife by the handle out in front of me. I quickly twirled it in my fingers, staring at Mr. Kim while I did so, before bending my arm, and launching it back towards the woman. She didn’t have time to think, to move, to react before the knife plunged deep into her throat. She took a step, her hand reaching for the wound, before her back pressed against the wall behind her, and she sunk down, leaving a trail of blood on the wallpaper behind her.

“How did you know it was poisoned?” Liam asked curiously as he looked over at me.

Mr. Kim’s eyes were wide as I stood up. He stiffened slightly as I stepped over the maid’s body, then his wifes, before I made my way over to the cart. I grabbed the teapot before walking over to Mr. Kim. I sat next to him, giving him a smirk as he scowled at me.

“It’s called an assassins teapot,” I said as I tilted the teapot, revealing the hole at the small hole at the top. I covered the hole with my thumb before I poured it into the empty glass in front of me. “There are two holes, one towards the top, another on the bottom of the handle. Depending on which one you cover, will depend on which drink is released from the double chamber.”

“Fascinating.” Liam said as he stared at me. His hand was tucked under his chin, and the sunset hues illuminated his skin

“The reason I know what it is, is because I’ve used one before. I noticed that when she severed our tea, she covered the top hole, and with the Kim’s, she covered the handle.” I said simply before placing the teapot down.

Liam listened intently as Mr. Kim began to speak rapidly, this one changing from calm to furious. But even as Liam listened to the elderly man, his brown eyes never left mine.

“Do you want to know what he said?” Liam said as he tilted his head, his lips smirking in amusement.

“No, not really.” I said, staring back at him, tilting my head slightly. “Can I just kill him already?”

“Hm. As much as I would love that,” Liam said, sitting back in his chair. “It probably wouldn’t be the best idea.”

Liam continued to watch me as Mr. Kim began screaming at him. He stood up and pointed his cane towards Liam, and even I could tell this negotiation went south rapidly. While still holding his smirk, Liam let out a low chuckle as he shook his head, listening as Mr. Kim went off on his for a few minutes.

“Okay, now you can kill him.” Liam said, making me smile in amusement.

“With pleasure.” I said.

I quickly grabbed the glass in front of me before turning towards Mr. Kim. I quickly grabbed the back of his head, pulling him towards me as I slammed the glass into his skull. While still holding onto the back of his head, I slammed it onto the table in front of me repeatedly, creating a gash on his eyebrow. Crimson stained the white tablecloth, and soon his entire face was dripping blood. I threw him on the ground before I stepped on his neck, keeping him down. I reached for the assassins teapot, not even bothering to cover either of the holes and mixing the drinks inside of it before pouring it down his throat. I tossed the teapot to the side, shattering it before looking back over at Liam. Still smirking, he stood up, we began to walk out of the room, leaving Mr. Kim convulsing and gasping for air behind us, hearing his last, labored breath as I stepped out of the room.

We quickly exited the property before anyone noticed the mess I left behind. We made our way to the car, where Liams driver was waiting in a bulletproof SUV. I slid inside the backseat with Liam, and watched as the beautiful, modern house faded off into the distance.

“Take us into the city.” Liam instructed the driver, who looked into the rearview mirror and nodded quickly.

“What’s in the city?” I asked curiously as I looked over at him.

“Our dinner reservation.” He said as he glanced over at me.

20

Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve dined at some of the finest establishments in the world, but it was nothing compared to how Liam Knight enjoyed his evenings. The restaurant he took me to was lavish to say the least. The interior was modern and exquisite. It’s as if every inch and corner of this place reeked of privilege and wealth. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, cascading down in intricate patterns and shimmering underneath the dim light. Candles lit each table, and the soft music from the violinist set the atmosphere. The patrons of the restaurant were all dressed impeccably. Women were wearing expensive and sumptuous gowns that caressed the floor with every step. Some men were even in tuxedos, parading around with their chins held high and an expensive drink in their hand. Each table was set with a wide array of forks and spoons of different sizes. If anything, this is how I’d imagine royalty dined. No wonder he didn’t like eating at the dining hall.

“Well look who it is, Liam Knight.” A younger man said as we walked through the door. He had a thick Italian accent, his deep voice sounding like velvet and silk. He was polished, his black hair was buzzed short and his beard was neatly trimmed. He was a tan, toned and tall man, around six one or six two, probably in his late twenties or early thirties. His eyes were the lightest shade of blue I’ve ever seen, bordering on grey. His smile was crooked, and almost, insincere, as he looked at Liam.

On his arm was a beautiful woman. Her pale, white skin contrasted against the deep red hue of her hair that reached her waist. Her muscles were defined and toned, and her waist and wide hips were accentuated by the tight white dress that she wore. Her nose was slightly upturned, and her cheekbones were high. Her makeup was flawless, her long lashes fluttered slightly as she looked at Liam, and her green eyes looked at him curiously before she looked over at me.

“Micah, nice to see you again.” Liam said as he walked over and shook the man’s hand. The woman held her hand out, her dainty bracelets clanking together as the back of her hand faced Liam. He gently grabbed it and kissed the back of her hand.

“Natasha.” He said as he looked at her. She said nothing, but simply gave him a small smile.

“And who is this?” Micah said as he glanced over at me before looking back at Liam.

“Mila. She just started working for us.” Liam said.

“She is simply exquisite,” Micah said slowly as he examined me. I narrowed my eyes as I glared at him.

“You must tell me about her. It’s not everyday that you stumble across such a prize.” He said to Liam.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t speak about me like I’m not standing right here.” I said with annoyance as I glared at Micah.

“Ah.” Micah mused as he looked over at me. He seemed taken aback, as if it was the first time a woman has said anything like that to him. He looked at me, his eyes narrowing and his smile fading slightly as if I insulted him. But I couldn’t help but notice the small smirk that graced Natasha’s red lips.

“My apologies.” Micah said, glancing at me before looking over at Liam.

“Did you think about my offer?” Micah asked Liam, his smirk completely gone as a serious expression overcame his face.

“My hands are tied, you know this.” Liam said seriously as he lifted his chin.

“Hmph. I see.” Micah said before he pursed his lips. “Well, if you and your father ever change your mind, I’m only a phone call away.” He said with a smile.

“Mr. Knight?” The hostess said, timidly walking up behind Liam. “Your table is ready.”

“Please, don’t let me hold you. I hope you two have an amazing evening.” Micah said as he shot us a smile. “Oh, but you will be attending my charity event, and Alexander’s wedding festivities in Greece, yes?”

“Yes, I’ll be at both.” Liam said with a forced smile.

“Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you there my friend. Mi amor, pleasure to meet you.” He said as he looked at me, bowing his head slightly. Natasha gave me a smile before they both turned on their heel and walked out of the restaurant.

“Right this way.” The hostess said as she motioned to the dining room. We followed her to the back of the restaurant, where there was a large table waiting for us. Beside the table were two others with reserved signs adorning the top of them.

“Your usual table, Mr. Knight.” The hostess said, avoiding eye contact. Liam pulled out my seat for me, a notion that struck me as somewhat odd, especially coming from a man like him.

“After you.” He said as he looked down at me.

“And they say chilvery is dead.” I said as I took my seat. Liam smirked slightly before walking around the table and taking his own seat. This hostess quickly dropped our menus in front of us, placed our napkins in our laps, then returned to the front of the restaurant without saying another word.

“So what was that about.” I said, nodding towards the front of the restaurant.

“What was what about?” Liam said as he opened the menu in front of him.

“Micah.” I said, distain in my voice.

“Charming, isn’t he?” Liam said with his eyebrow raised. “He’s an old client of ours.” He simply said.

“An old client that’s still alive? That’s surprising.” I said as I tilted my head.

“It truly is.” Liam said as he scanned the menu before placing it down on the table once more.

“So, I realized something while you were stabbing Jamison McCoy’s guards to death the other week.” Liam said after a few moments, a small smile growing on his lips.

“Yeah? What’s that.” I said as a waiter came by to fill up our drinks with water. I quietly thanked him before he scurried off.

“I think we may have start off on the wrong foot.” He said seriously.

“What, threatening to kill someone, trying to get them fired, and verbally berating them isn’t the foundation for a healthy friendship?” I said sarcastically as I raised an eyebrow.

“Not quite.” Liam said with a chuckle. “I wanted to know more about the woman I’ll be working with indefinitely.”

“As you’ve seen, I can handle myself in a fight. What more do you need to know?” I said as a waiter quietly walked up to our table.

“How about we start of easy, how did my father find you?” Liam asked curiously. I tensed slightly, James’s words echoing throughout my mind.

Under no circumstance should Liam know that you are associated with Corporate.

“Your father and I have a mutual acquaintance,” I said. “I was a referral.”

“Interesting.” Liam said. “What do you think of the job so far.”

“It’s gotten easier to deal with.” I said, raising my eyebrow at him and making him chuckle slightly.

“But it definitely wasn’t what I expected.” I said honestly.

“What do you mean?” Liam said as he furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head.

“Well, when I think illegal organizations, I half expected everyone to be covered in tattoos and have explosive tempers. I wasn’t aware that this business was… so political.” I said, making Liam chuckle once more. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to so many meetings, balls, or dinner parties.”

“We have to keep a front, to the public at least. We have hundreds of businesses that we own, and launder through. We can’t be making people uneasy by looking like some low life gangster, now can we?” Liam said.

“And if we do murder someone, why risk having tattoos to identify you for potential witnesses?” He said with a slight scowl.

“I suppose.” I said with a shrug.

“Have you always wanted to do this, run your father’s organization?” I said curiously.

“For as long as I could remember,” Liam said seriously. “It’s a privilege to one day inherit this business, and it’s something that I don’t take lightly. I’ve sacrificed everything for this organization, and I will happily continue to do so if that means everything runs smoothly.”

If there was anything about Liam Knight I knew, it was that. Everything Liam did, was for this business. Even though I saw the bags under his eyes, the exhaustion on his face day in and day out, he never once complained about it. He never took a day off. He was dedicated, and I would imagine that he would do whatever sinful thing it took to keep this organization afloat.

I hate to admit it, but I actually… respected him for that.

I wasn’t sure if it was just the dim lighting accentuating his muscular frame, or the fact that I haven’t been laid in months, but I couldn’t help but notice how handsome Liam really was. His normally pristine hair had a few strands out of place from our long day. His usual tense demeanor was relaxed for once, and his usual scowl was now a soft smile, it looked good on him.

“You’re staring.” I mused, a wicked smirk gracing his lips.

“I know.” He said cockily.

“You’re intolerable,” I said with a smirk.

“And you’re beautiful.” He said softly, making me smile and look down. I wasn’t used to this side of Liam Knight, but it was definitely something I could see myself getting used to.

21

My eyes began to droop as I tried my hardest to pay attention to yet another boring meeting. Liam was speaking to a handful of members, explaining different tasks, getting weekly updates and reports on the different branches, and running the numbers for each department.

I wasn’t sure why I was asked to be here, but I hated every moment of it.

I was a killer, that’s what I did best, that’s what I enjoyed doing. Where I didn’t shine was in these dull settings. Going over forms, numbers, spreadsheets, it was all irrelevant to me. I sat in the corner of the room, laying down on the couch as I tossed a red stress ball up in the air before catching it while Liam continued talking to one of his men.

“Still wrong.” Liam said as he glanced down at the paperwork in front of him. “Get me the correct balance sheet for the restaurants, or I’ll find someone who can.” Liam said from behind his desk. The man sat up from his chair, thanking him profusely. Liam watched as the man quickly scurried out of his office before his gaze traveled to me.

He sat up from his desk before walking over to my couch, where I continued to throw the ball up in the air in an attempt to keep myself awake.

“Is this boring you?” Liam asked curiously with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes.” I said, tossing the stress ball up in the air once more. He quickly caught it before putting it in his pocket, making me sit up and look at him with my eyebrows furrowed.

“Rude.” I said under my breath as I looked up at him. He stared down at me, his brown eyes distant, as if he was in another world for a moment before he snapped back to our reality.

“Pay attention. Someone here might try to kill me.” Liam said with a small smile before he turned on his heel and walked back to his desk.

“I hope they do, it’ll liven up these boring meetings.” I nearly groaned, making Liam chuckle slightly.

I felt my phone vibrate, and I quickly grabbed it out of my pocket. But as I laid my eyes upon the screen my heart sank. It wasn’t my regular phone that was ringing, it was the old, outdated burner phone Monroe gave me.

I kept it on me constantly in case he called. Some nights I would just stare at it, hoping that he would reach out, hoping that he was still alive. But every night was met with the same silence and disappointment.

I shot up from my seat, drawing the attention of Liam, who was looking at me curiously with his brows furrowed.

“You can handle yourself for a few minutes, right?” I said as I reached into my pocket and quickly made my way towards the door.

“Good.” I said before he even had the chance to answer. Anger flashed through his features for a moment before I swung the door to his office open and walked out into the hallway, nearly slamming into his next appointment. I nearly ran down the corridor, and once I had enough distance between me and Liam’s office, I quickly grabbed the old flip phone from my pocket before answering.

“Fucking hell, Monroe.” I said under my breath.

“Well shit, hello to you to.” Monroes voice rang out from the other side of the line, making a smile erupt on my lips.

“It’s good to hear your voice.” I breathed.

“You too, kid.” He said. “I don’t have much time, but I wanted to check in with you and see how you’re holding up. James treating you alright?”

“Yeah, he has me on bodyguard duty protecting his son.” I said as I continued walking down the hallway.

“Liam? How’s he doing?” Monroe asked.

“He can be a massive pain in the ass.” I said as I looked down the hallway. I saw Liam lead his next appointment into his office. He looked down the hall and stared at me for a moment before he turned and closed the door. “But he’s nothing I can’t handle.” I said with a small smile.

“You try to kill him yet?” Monroe asked with amusement.

“Only a few times.” I said with a smirk.

“I’m not surprised.” He said with a chuckle.

I knew Monroe had bad news for me. He always tried to soften the blow with small talk right before he said something that he knew I wouldn’t like.

“How’re things holding up at Corporate? Any leads?” I asked seriously. Silence stretched between us as I nearly held my breath waiting for Monroe to respond. He let out a deep sigh, making my smile drop as I waited for him to speak.

“Well… they… they did it, kid.” Monroe said, his voice soft and sad.

“Did what?” I asked quickly, but I already knew the answer to what he was about to say.

“They… Corporate was the one to put out a Kill Order for Maria.” Monroe said, making my heart sink.

“How did you find out?” I said softly as I stared at the wall in front of me.

“First, I tried get into her file on the servers they gave me access to, encrypted of course. But it was a fucking dead end. So I spent weeks doing surveillance, hacking into anything and everything I had access to hoping to find the source of the main hard drive, and I finally found it in a building in California. I had to physically go down there, and the building was heavily fucking secured by the way, to wire into the hard drive manually.” He explained as I hung on his every word.

“And what did you find?” I asked. Monroe took a deep breath on the other end of the line before he spoke once more.

“Her Kill Order. The official one that was sent out.” He said.

“How much?” I asked quietly as I sunk a bit further into the wall behind me.

“How much what?” Monroe asked.

“How much was on her Kill Order?” I said.

“Fifteen million.” Monroe said with disdain in his voice.

Fifteen million. That’s how much my sister’s life was worth. That’s how much it took to end her existence, to take my only family away from me.

“Did you see who completed the Order?” I asked.

“Well that’s the thing. It looked like someone accessed the file before me. Hell, even finding her Order was a challenge in itself. Shit was buried deeper than anything I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure when, or how, but somehow, someone managed to access the Order and delete all data of who completed it. My guess is that one of the higher-ups wanted to cover their tracks.” Monroe explained.

“If they truly wanted to cover their tracks, the team they sent after her would already be dead.” I said.

“Hm. Fair point. Either way, someone didn’t want any record of Corporates involvement.” Monroe said.

“Also, Corporate is not happy with your arrangement with James Knight.” He continued. “They’re fucking furious about it actually. But for right now their hands are tied, although, I don’t know for how long.”

“Does James know that his biggest client is furious with him?” I asked in a hushed tone as I looked over towards Liams office door.

“Yeah, he’s aware. Fucker doesn’t give a shit though. Said something about he’ll handle that when the time comes.” Monroe said as Liam’s office door opened. His client walked out, his head down and his pace quick as Liam walked behind him.

“Good. James has very kind and accommodating towards me. The last thing I want to do is blindside him.” I said seriously as Liam leaned against the door frame, crossed his arms, and gave me one of his infamous death glares.

“He can handle it. If there’s anything about him, it’s that he’s always three steps ahead of everyone around him.” Monroe said. “I trust the man with my life, he’s more than capable of taking care of himself.”

“And Diana Sabel? Did you find anything?” I asked, my eyebrows furrowing as I turned around, ignoring Liams glare that was now burning into my back.

“I did.” Monroe said, making my heart race.

“You were right, she was using a fake name. It took every single fucking resource I had available to me, but I found her.” Monroe said.

“Good. I’ll handle it.” I said seriously. Relief poured through me, and for a moment, I felt… as ease. Months have passed, and I was getting anxious from not yielding any results in this Diana Sabel search. Monroe finding her got us one step closer to finding the crew that murdered Maria.

“I have to go before they notice my absence. I’ll send over her information shortly, so stay by your phone.” Monroe said quickly.

“Sounds good.” I said, and silence stretched over us for a moment.

“Be safe, please.” I said barely above a whisper.

“Of course, kid.” Monroe said in a reassuring tone. “Once this is all over, we’ll go to that gelato shop you and Maria always loved.”

“Giuseppe’s?” I said, a small smile stretching on my lips. “We haven’t been there in years.”

“What is it you used to get… butter pecan?” Monroe said in an upbeat tone.

“Always. Way better than your basic chocolate.” I teased before I let out a small chuckle.

“Fuck off.” He said playfully, and we both let out a small laugh.

And for a moment, just a brief second, things felt normal. It didn’t feel like I had assassins from all over the world hunting me down, it didn’t feel like the organization I spent years serving killed my own sister, it didn’t feel like Monroe, the only father figure I ever had, was still undercover there, risking being exposed every second he spent there. But that was what Monroe was good at. Yeah, he had the mouth of a sailor most of the time and he was one of the deadliest men alive, but he had a gift of making you laugh, making anyone he was around feel comfortable and happy… when he wanted to of course.

“I love you kiddo.” Monroe said softly, making me smile.

“I love you too,” I said. He didn’t often show emotion, and I could tell this situation was hitting him harder than he would admit.

Liam began walking towards me, and I quickly hung up the phone before sliding it back in my pocket.

“Who was that?” He asked as he tilted his head.

“No one.” I lied as I looked up at him. “Was that the last meeting of the day?”

“Yes.” Liam said as he narrowed his eyes.

“Good. Then I’m off the clock. Have a good night.” I said quickly as I turned on my heel and began walking down the hallway. I wasn’t surprised when I heard his heavy footsteps walking behind me.

After the few months I’ve spent with him, I’ve come to learn a few things about Liam from watching him in his meetings. He’s a pretty straight forward man, and will typically have the same reactions when dealing with similar stressors.

Usually, when you insult his intelligence, competence, or just do some other random thing he considers insulting, he’d get loud. And not just raise their voice kind of loud, but screaming in your face kind of loud.

The second, is if you walk out on him before the conversation is over, he’d purse his lips and his nostrils would slightly flare as he held in his anger. Then he usually just orders me to kill whoever pissed him off.

And the third, is that you never, ever, under any circumstance, make him repeat himself.

And in any unfortunately circumstance where he was screaming, angry, and repeating himself, you might as well be dead already.

I ignored him, and increased my pace as I walked past a group of men and women talking in the hallway. They quickly looked behind me before dropping their heads and scurrying away.

I continued into the kitchen, where I saw Nova sitting casually on the black, marble counter. There were a few others here, chefs, maids, and some of the Knight’s men and women casually gathered on the island. The entire kitchen was massive, the white cabinets complimenting the black countertops. The massive fridge that was open to anyone and everyone, the industrial-sized stoves and ovens that were usually manned by some of the finest chefs in the world.

Nova quickly looked at me, smiled, then saw the man lurking behind me. She then gave me a look as I walked over and sat beside her on the counter. I placed both hands on the cold stone before propping myself up turning so my legs dangled off the high counters. I turned my head and looked over at Liam, who was standing at the doorway with his hands in his pockets. I dropped my head, hoping that he would take the hint and just leave me the hell alone for the night.

“Everybody out.” He yelled, his brown eyes never leaving mine. His deep voice was still echoing throughout the massive room as everyone immediately obeyed his command. The chefs, who were in the middle of preparing a meal left their stations, and the men and women who loitered in the room quickly made their way out. Nova gave me a curious look before doing the same, and I sighed as I looked at Liam.

I quickly jumped up from the countertop and began walking towards the archway where Liam was standing, hoping that he’d let me through. But of course, the giant idiot has to pose a problem, and as I was just about to walk past him, he slammed his hand on the wall beside my head, blocking my path.

“I don’t like to repeat myself.” He said in a low voice as he turned his head and looked down at me. “Now answer the question.”

“Who I talk to is none of your business,” I said firmly as his head dipped lower.

“It is when you walk out of a meeting. If I recall correctly, that is your job, right?” He said, making me narrow my eyes. That’s something he liked to do, throw around rank. I always felt like he had to remind me of my place within this estate.

“As I said, it’s none of your business.” I said as I furrowed my brows. I looked away from him, avoiding his glare and the unbearable closeness between us.

I felt his hand grip my chin firmly before he turned my head towards him, forcing me to look at him. His hand was still propped up on the wall beside my head, and he was completely turned towards me, his head dipping slightly. He was so close his cologne filled my senses, his minty breath caressed my cheek as he let out a small sigh.

“You are my business, Mila.” He said as he narrowed his eyes.

There was one other thing I learned about Liam Knight, and it was that he loved control. He flourished in it. It was as if he was a different person whenever he had it. He was more confident, charming even, cockier if that’s even possible.

But there was something about him when he was like this that made him… almost… irresistible. It was as if I was seeing him in a different light. He leaned closer, and I inhaled sharply. I haven’t been touched by a man in what felt like ages, and Liam’s towering frame and muscular body made my mind blur with impure thoughts.

“Now I won’t ask again.” He whispered, dipping his head further so his lips were nearly grazing my ear.

“Who. Were. You. Talking. To?” He whispered slowly, his breath caressing my skin and making goosebumps rise in their wake.

We stayed there for a moment, Liam getting closer and closer to me. My gaze traveled from his brown eyes to his lips as he began to get closer and closer to me. It felt as if the air in the room was sucked out, that my heart began pounding in my chest as I froze under the piercing stare of this man. This cocky, controlling… handsome man.

“Tell me, Mila.” He whispered.

Suddenly, the sound of a glass breaking made our heads snap in the direction of the hallway. And standing there, staring at us in this compromising position was Nova. Beneath her was her glass, shattered by her feet. Her mouth was agape as she looked at us with wide eyes.

Liam and I pushed off of each other, but I seemed to have pushed him too hard because he lost his balance. He took a few steps to regain his footing, but was too late and he bumped into the pots on the stove. He arched his back, narrowly avoiding the large pot of boiling tomato bisque that tipped over.

He turned to glare at Nova, his nostrils slightly flared in anger as he stared at her.

“Sorry, just- I’m, uh. I’m-I-I’m just gonna leave.” Nova said before physically sprinting away. I looked back at Liam, and my eyes widened as I saw smoke coming from his backside.

“What?” Liam asked with a scowl as the smoke behind him grew larger, and larger. I slowly walked towards him, only to realize that a bit of fabric from the back of his pants were sitting on the open flame. The flame grew, and eventually, his entire backside was on fire.

“You’re on fire.” I said with wide eyes as I ran over to him.

“WHAT?” Liam said as he turned to look.

“YOUR ASS IS ON FIRE!” I screamed before I turned him around and began smacking the flame, trying to pat it out.

“WILL YOU-WILL YOU STOP SPANKING ME?” Liam screamed as I continued.

“I’M TRYING TO PUT THE FIRE OUT YOU IDIOT!” I screamed back at him.

“OW! Jus- MILA! STOP IT!” Liam screamed as I continued smacking his ass, making him squirm slightly.

“Stop moving so much!” I yelled as I stepped towards him. I grabbed the back of his suit jacket to hold him in place before smacking his rear a few more times.

Liams firm, and sculpted body extended down to his ass. Hitting it was like hitting a firm piece of stone, and I hate to admit it, but my hand began hurting as I continued smacking the flame in an attempt to put it out.

“What is this suit made of, paper?!” I yelled as I ran towards the sink.

“It’s cashmere!” Liam screamed as he began taking his pants off. I grabbed the faucet, grabbing the extension and aiming it towards him and blasting him with water from the sink as he hopped on one leg in an attempt to slid his flaming pants off.

But this backfired, and with one leg out of his pants, he stepped on the wet, soup-covered floor and began to fall forward. He flailed his arms slightly in an attempt to break his fall, but only succeeded in grabbing my shirt on the way down. I let out a small scream as I fell on top of him, the water from the faucet spraying wildly on top of us and finally extinguishing the fire on his ass.

He gripped me tightly, blocking me from hitting the floor as his back took most of the impact. I slowly looked up at him, using my hand on his chest to prop myself up as I looked at the mess we made. We were covered in tomato bisque, chucks of tomatoes were stuck in our hair. The water from the sink was spraying above us, and I looked down to see that Liam was partially successful in taking his pants off, and they hung around his ankles.

The water penetrated the fabric of his clothes, making them stick to his skin and show every detail of the muscle that lay underneath his suits. His boxers stuck to his skin, and I could have sworn I felt…

“I didn’t know you kept a gun on you.” I said as I tilted my head. His eyes widened slightly, and he pushed me off of him. I fell onto my back with a loud thud, and I groaned as I gave him an annoyed glare.

“Next time I’m on fire, remind me to call anyone but you.” He said angrily as he pulled his pants up and began to walk away. My hand flew to my mouth, covering the laugh that nearly erupted from my lips when I saw that his pants were burned, leaving a nearly perfect circle in his dress pants that showed his ass.

He stopped walking, turned to look, then mumbled something under his breath before leaving me on the kitchen floor, covered in tomato bisque and holding back a laugh. I watched as he stomped out of the room, yelling at someone to get out of his way in the hallway.

But this small moment of reprieve from the duties of my life was short-lived as the burner phone in my pocket vibrated. I quickly stood up as I flipped the phone open, only to see a message from an unknown number that was obviously Monroe.

Check your computer.

I quickly made my way over to my bedroom, ignoring the odd stares I received from other as I passed them in the corridors. I turned a corner to see Liam speaking to one of his men, an annoyed expresson on his face as he glanced over at me. I didn’t give him more than a glace as I quickly walked past them before shutting the door to my room and locking it.

I walked up to my laptop in the corner and opened it, waiting impatiently for it to power up before typing in my password. Immediately a file popped up on my screen, and I quickly opened it.

But once I saw the name on the document, my heart sank, my throat felt as if it was closing. But despite that, I felt an overwhelming anger course through my veins as I read the name over and over again.

Nadia Bale.

22

It was a name I never thought I’d hear again. A woman who completely turned my world upside down in every way possible. It was the only person on this planet who I could have even imagined a future with, a life with. She was my person. She was the one who made me believe in love, and also the one who made me promise myself I would never fall that hard again.

At the time, I thought she was my soulmate, my other half. Nadia was the only person I let in, the only person who I allowed the privilege to hold my heart.

And what did she do with it?

She broke it.

Nadia wasn’t just beautiful and cunning, she was also manipulative, extremely lethal, and another S-Rank assassin. Anything she got her hands on was a weapon. It was a gift really. She once killed a man with only a magazine. I wasn’t entirely sure how she did it, but it got the job done.

Another specialty of hers was disappearing. She was an enigma. She had the means and the skills to forge every form of identification for any country in the world. You compare one of her passports to the real thing, they’ll think the legitimate one is the forgery. Monroe didn’t find her, she wanted to be found, she wanted to be tracked. There would be no way of finding her otherwise.

Corporate made sure to make good use of Nadias special skillset. Her jobs were usually infiltration or espionage. She could make anyone believe anything if she tried, and she did during missions where she had to deceive and mislead her targets. Since she could kill a man with just about anything, she also was selected for jobs with the tightest security. She could get past any security detail by walking in unarmed and still be the most lethal woman in the room.

Normally, I would spend days, even weeks doing recon. I always needed to know what I was walking into. But the document Monroe sent me said that she was spotted in Nice, and I immediately knew exactly where she would be.

Liam’s schedule for the next week was packed with charity events, contract negotiations, and a week-long trip to Greece for a wedding, if I didn’t move quickly, there was a chance that I’d miss her. Nadia is stationary for now, but she’s a fickle woman, and could change her mind in an instant. And if she wanted to go into hiding, no one would ever find her.

I didn’t bother to tell Liam where I was going. Besides, the flight to Nice was only about an hour and half. It was technically my day off, and I would be back before anyone even noticed that I was gone. One of the perks of working directly with James is that I was able to take the Knight’s private jet whenever I wanted. I’m not sure if he told Liam that this was part of my contract, but right now, I didn’t care.

I closed the car door, listening as the waves of the beach around me crashed against the shore. The moonlight above me illuminating the street as I looked up at the villa. I walked up to the massive, black gate, and quickly furrowed my eyebrows as I tried recalling the code. It took me a few tries, but I finally remembered what she programmed it to, 620, or June twentieth, the first day we met.

The gate opened slowly, and I walked down the modern entryway towards the massive wooden door which, as I expected, was unlocked, and everything looked exactly how we left it. I took a deep breath as the nostalgia flooded my mind as I looked around the room.

The tv was smashed, the knife that she threw at me that day still lodged into the screen. Pillows were scattered all over the floor, feathers were everywhere from the cushions that split. I furrowed my eyebrows as I remembered using them to shield myself as she tried to stab me with anything she could get her hands on.

In the kitchen nearby, pots and pans were on the floor, and holes were on the wall from her throwing them at me. The drawers were still open, and one of the large windows were cracked. There were still drops of blood on the floor from where she nicked me with a knife, and I couldn’t help but run my fingers over the small, faint scar she gave me on my forearm as I took in the scene in front of me.

I ran a finger over the glass coffee table, looking at the dust that coated my fingertip. No one has set foot in here except for us, on that last day we saw each other.

“Who are you dressing up for?”

“You idiot!”

“Look what you made me do!”

“God, you weren’t so aggravating I wouldn’t act like this!”

I shook my head slightly as I recalled her words, remembering that she was a part of the crew that murdered my sister. Remembering how she tried to kill me that night, then went on an extended rampage of destroying all my properties and cars. As soon as that realization solidified in my mind, I continued through the house. I heard the sound of faint music playing in the backyard, and I continued forward. I turned the corner, and that’s when I saw her through yet another cracked glass window.

She was sitting on a lounge chair with her back turned towards me. She hugged her knees as she stared forward, looking into the pool in front of her. Her hair was different now, well, she always liked to change it.

Her platinum blond bob was wavy, and she was wearing casual attire, which was different from her usual style. She was always the type of woman to dress up everywhere she went, but now, she was just in a crop top and oversized black joggers. More tattoos adorned her brown skin, and there were many that I didn’t recognize. There were empty bottles of liquor scattered on the floor around her, some of them even smashed.

I grabbed the handle of the sliding glass door, which was also damaged from our fight years ago. The door jammed as I tried to it open.

“You gotta put your shoulder into it.” Nadia said, without turning back to face me. I braced the handle with both hands before roughly shoving the glass door open.

I walked over to her slowly, kicking glass bottles out of my way before I sat down on the lounge chair beside her.

“I was starting to think you weren’t coming. Or that you forgot about this place.” She said before she smirked. “Forgot about me.” She said as she turned her head and looked over at me.

She was exactly how I remembered her. Her full lips were curved into a small smile as she stared at me. Her upturned nose, plump cheeks, and those doe like brown eyes, the same ones I used to have a hard time saying no to.

“So you know why I’m here.” I said emotionlessly as I looked forward.

“Yeah.” Nadia said as she reached down and grabbed a bottle of tequila. She took a quick swig from the glass before wiping her mouth. “As soon as word got around of Felipe’s death, then your Kill Order, I knew it was too good to be a coincidence. I figured that you’d find my eventually, so why not just get it over with.” Silence stretched between us as we both sat there. This spot, that chair, this is exactly where I left her two years ago. This is exactly when the flimsy foundation of our toxic relationship crumbled under the pressure we couldn’t withstand. This is where I walked away from us, from her.

“Why?” I said, my voice and expression emotionless. “Why did you do it?”

“The same reason anyone does anything in our industry, for the money.” Nadia said dryly before she took another swig. Silence stretched between us as she took a deep breath.

“I didn’t know.” She said softly as she looked down. “Really- I… when I saw her… I froze.” Nadia began as she looked over at me. “I thought it was you.”

“And if it was me?” I asked curiously.

“I would have killed everyone in that room to save you.” Nadia said seriously as her eyebrows furrowed.

“But it wasn’t you.” Nadia said after a moment, looking down at the floor with a pained expression on her face.

I scoffed as I listened to her, shaking my head slightly as I narrowed my eyes. I used to think I was in love with this woman, but now, I’m mentally thinking of all the ways I’m going to end her life.

“So, that’s your justification for killing my sister? For torturing her?” I said angrily as I tilted my head.

“You didn’t even tell me that you had a sister!” She screamed as she looked over at me. “Do you know how badly that fucked me up? Seeing my target, and looking at an identical copy of you ?”

“You didn’t need to know.” I said as I turned my head.

“Yeah, cause fuck our relationship, right? Fuck whatever we had, right? You never let me in, Mila.” Nadia said, her hands balled up into fists at her side before she patted them against her own chest.

“I wasn’t going to do it. I wanted out. I needed to be out, I-” Nadia said frantically as she began to move her hands quickly between us.

“Doesn’t matter what you wanted, what matters is what you did .” I said coldly as I began to stand up.

“You should know better than anyone, Mila!” Nadia said, her voice raising with every word as she uncrossed her legs and stood up, getting in my face. “You know we can’t walk away from Corporate. It’s either finish the Order, or die. I didn’t have a choice!”

“We always have a choice.” I seethed as I balled my hands into fists at my side, she scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, you hypocritical fuck. If we always had a choice, then why did it take your name on a Kill Order to finally leave then, huh?” Nadia said as she got into my face.

“That’s none of your business,” I said as I looked her in the eyes. She was close, too close. Her breath danced with mine as silence filled the air. After a few moments, she tilted her head and let out a scoff, her sensual lips curving into a wicked grin.

“I got your number down better than you think.” Nadia said as she raised a brow and looked me up and down. “You think I couldn’t see how miserable you were underneath that façade you tried so hard to keep? You think I didn’t see how empty you were?” With every word she spoke, she began inching closer and closer to my lips.

“It hurt you know, seeing the person you love suffer in silence.” Nadia said as she began tilting her head. Her hands slowly grazed my hands, her fingers moving up my arms.

“We can still leave, you know.” She whispered as I clenched my jaw. “I can make us passports to anywhere in the world. Give us new names, a new house, a new life… together.” She said before she closed her eyes and leaned forward, gently pressing her lips against mine. She moaned as she melted into me, while I remained still, narrowing my eyes down at the woman I once loved.

I quickly grabbed the back of her hair, making her sigh for a moment before I pulled her off of me. I quickly cocked my arm back before throwing a right hook directly for her face. She quickly brought both of her hands up to my hand, pulling it upwards and ripping my grip from her hair before she rotated her body, narrowing avoiding the punch aimed for her face. I quickly stepped towards her, launching another jab towards her face. My fist hit its target, and she grunted slightly as I split the bridge of her nose.

“Stop stalling. You know why I’m here.” I said in a deadly tone as I narrowed my eyes at her. She was slightly hunched over, the ripples of the pool dancing against the light filled the air with blue hues. She let out a small chuckle before she brought her hand up to her nose, her fingers grazing it before she looked at the blood on her hand.

“Fine,” She said in a deadly tone as she looked over at me and lowered her chin. She said as she shoved her foot underneath a nearby tequila bottle. She kicked the glass bottle up in the air before catching it and slamming it against the edge of the lounge chair.

“Have it your way.” She said with a wicked grin before she lunged at me.

23

Nadia was fast, faster than I remember. She thrusted her arm forward, aiming directly for my stomach with the glass bottle in her hand. I quickly grabbed her wrist while rotating my body, turning her slightly and successfully dodging her attack. She quickly recovered, and she turned on her heel and launched a spinning hammer punch towards my head. I quickly leaned back, attempting to block her swing, but I grit my teeth as she grazed my jaw with her knuckles.

I quickly let go of her wrist as I took a step back to regain my footing. She saw this minor mistake, and capitalized instantly by bringing the bottle upwards. I took another step back as she attempted to slice my face, and I quickly rolled back onto the lounge chair as she launched another jab towards me.

I landed on the other side of the chair before I picked it up, covering my face as I blocked yet another jab from Nadia. The glass ripped through the beige fabric, and with the bottle still stuck in the fabric, I quickly lifted my leg and kicked the lounge chair towards Nadia.

My food made contact with her stomach, and she fell back as she grunted loudly. She fell onto the floor, the lounge chair falling on top of her, and sending the bottles scattering.

She quickly pushed the lounge chair off of her before she pursed her lips and got back onto her feet. She looked around for a moment, eyeing her surroundings and most likely trying to find something to kill me with. She quickly reached for the shards of glass at her feet before she smirked and began throwing the shards with deadly precision. I quickly ran towards cover, trying to make my movements sporadic and irregular. I ran past the floor to ceiling windows, hearing the crack of glass behind me as the scraps from the liquor bottles pierced the windows behind me. I winced as a few shards hit their mark on my arms and shoulders as I continued running towards the door.

Nadia threw a last shard before she began sprinting towards me. She let out a scream as she shot for my legs, cupping behind my knees while her shoulder pressed against my hip. She lifted me slightly, double legging me into the cracked glass behind me. The massive window shattered instantly, and we both grunted as glass dug into our skin. I quickly rolled to my feel, ignoring the sharp pain from the dozens of glass shards I had sticking out of my body. I quickly grabbed my knifes from the holsters on my thigh as she slowly got to her feet.

Her eyes dropped down to the blades in my hand, and she let out an amused scoff before she ran at me once more. I quickly sent out a flurry of jabs and slices, trying to hit her vital points. But Nadia was always one step ahead, and even after all this time, she always knew my next move, countering it flawlessly.

After avoiding all of my attacks, she quickly pivoted on her foot before landing a spinning roundhouse kick to my arm. I hissed in pain as the glass in my skin went deeper. Blood began to seep down my arm as I brought both of my hands up to block another kick towards my stomach. She landed gracefully back on her feet before she grabbed a blanket from the couch. She wrapped both ends around her knuckles before she narrowed her eyes at me.

I stepped towards her, sending a jab towards her stomach with my blade. As I expected, she avoided it effortlessly, and I quickly brought my other hand up, aiming for her neck. She lifted her arm up, bringing the blanket along with her, and in the blink of an eye, she tightly wrapped the blanket around my wrist, trapping me and forcing me to stay a close distance from her. She brought her knee up, hitting my abdomen and making me hunch over. I circled my arm, making her extend her arms out before bringing my other blade up, launching it towards her stomach. She tried to move, but because I was tied to her, I held her in place, and I nicked Nadias waist with the knife. I quickly turned so my back was facing her before dropping down low, throwing her over my back and onto the glass beneath us.

She groaned as she rolled over to her side before placing her hands on the floor and getting up slowly. She looked down at her shoulder, eyeing the large piece of glass that protruded from her skin. She grabbed the glass, pursing her lips as it cut her hand before swiftly pulling it out. She quickly took a step forward, lunging toward me. I rotated my hips, dodging the glass she tried to stab me with. I continued to step backwards, narrowing avoiding her assault.

I quickly grabbed her hand, holding onto it tightly and digging the glass further into her palm. She let out a hiss before she quickly hit my wrist with her free hand. She pulled her hand back, letting go of the glass before making a fist and launching it directly towards my face.

---

I wasn’t sure how long we were fighting for. With every jab, I felt my muscles become more and more fatigued, and the burning in my lungs told me that I needed to end this quickly. We somehow managed to fight our way through the house, leaving behind a trail of chaos in our wake.

I grunted as her foot made contact with my chest, sending me through a wooden door. I grit my teeth as pain jolted through me as I hit the floor, pieces of the door scattered everywhere around me. At this point, I wasn’t even sure what kind of injuries I had, all I knew was that my body was screaming for mercy. My ripped and tattered clothes were drenched in blood, some of it mine, some of it hers.

I pressed against the floor as her slow and unsteady footsteps began to come towards me. I looked up at her, watching as she gripped the now broken doorframe for support before she leaned against it. Her hair was knotted and untamed, and like me, she was drenched in blood and injuries.

She stayed there for a moment, breathing heavily as she looked down at me. I turned over, attempting to push myself up and off the floor, only to groan slightly as my arm gave out. I quickly used my other arm to catch myself. I looked over to my side to see my knife on the floor, and I grabbed it before slowly standing up.

We stared at each other under the sunlight that began to shine through the house. The only sounds that broke the tension in the air were our shaky and unsteady breaths.

Nadia quickly lunged towards me, a piece of glass in her hand as she brought her arm back before launching it forward, aiming it directly towards my stomach. I side stepped her, grabbing her wrist and pushing it to the side before wrapping that arm around her waist and pulling her towards me. I brought my blade up before thrusting it into her chest while pressing her into her.

Silence filled the air as blood spilled from her lips as the knife plunged directly into her heart. And for a moment, we didn’t move as I held her while she struggled to breath. I stood there for a moment before the adrenaline began to slowly dissipate, and the fatigue in my muscles began to take over. While still holding the knife in her heart, I leaned against the nearest wall before sinking down slowly until I was sitting on the cold floor. Nadia sunk with me, until she was laying across my chest, her hand weakly covering my own atop the blade as silence filled the room.

Nadia began to wince as she turned her head to the side, staring at a painting that managed to be untouched within the wreckage we caused. It was a modern painting, one that we picked out together during our time in France.

“There… it’ll… it’ll tell you what you want to know.” Nadia said before she

“…I’m sorry.” She gasped as she looked up at me, tears beginning to fill her brown eyes.

My chest began to clench as I stared down at the woman I once loved, and for a brief moment, I felt… regret. It’s as if all the good times we’ve had together, all the memories we shared, flashed through my mind. How comfortable her touch was to me, how comfortable I felt around her. How at one point in my life, I thought she’d be the one for me, the one I’d come home to. But as the sunlight began to shine through the windows, I saw a glimpse the woman I once knew… the woman I once loved.

Then I remembered why I left.

She was a façade. Someone who I looked at through rose tinted glasses. She knew how to say everything I wanted to hear, needed to hear. But she only did that if I was threatening to leave. I made her up to be this amazing woman in my mind, a woman I could be with, even spend my days with, when in reality, she was manipulative, verbally abusive, and psychotic. It was a vicious cycle, where I was usually the casualty.

“I did… really loved you, you know.” Nadia said as her other hand shakily rose up to cup my cheek. I said nothing as I stared down at her, watching as the life began to fade from her. Her brown skin began to pale, her breathing became unsteady, and her hand covering mine began to slide off as she took her last breath in my arms.

I stayed there for a moment as her head weakly fell to the side. I slid her off of my lap, laying her on the floor before I stood up, gripping the wall beside me for support as my legs threatened to give out. I limped over to the painting, touching the fabric and leaving behind a trail of blood on the expensive artwork. I grabbed the frame, moving it to see if there was a safe hidden behind it. I furrowed my eyebrows as I moved it only to see nothing behind it. I quickly grabbed my knife while holding the painting in one hand. I winced as I lifted my arm before carefully slicing the painting down the center. I ripped it apart only to see a large manila envelope inside. I grabbed it, my body screaming in protest as I began slowly limping towards the front door.

---

The flight back to Italy was short, mainly due to the fact that I passed out as soon as I sat down. I woke up to one of the flight attendants frantically tapping me on the shoulder, a worried expression plastered across her face.

“I should call him.” One whispered to another.

“Don’t.” I said sternly as I glanced over at her. Even though they didn’t say who, I already knew it was Liam. The attendants looked as though they’ve seen a ghost, and I looked down to see that I stained the entire seat with blood. I gripped the arm rests, lifting myself up as I grit my teeth.

“I’ll call a car.” One of the stewards said before she scurried off.

Despite my protest, they helped me down the stairs and into a car. I began drifting in and out of consciousness, but thankfully, it made the ride short. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the massive blood loss, or the exhaustion from fighting all night, but the only thing I wanted to do was sleep.

I sighed with relief as I saw the Knight estate come into view, only for it to be followed with a groan of annoyance as I saw Liam standing at the entrance.

That fucking attendant. She called him anyway. That fucking snitch.

Adorning his face was the usual look of annoyance, and I already knew he would be a massive pain in the ass to deal with.

He scowled as he spotted the car, and began quickly walking to my door.

“Where the fuck-” He began as he swung open the door I was leaning against. I didn’t have time to catch myself, and I quickly began falling towards him. He was quick, and he wrapped his arms around me, catching me as he held me close to him.

He silently looked down at me, and to my surprise, the annoyance vanished in an instant. He looked down at me with furrowed brows, the grip on my arm tightening.

“Fuck.” I said under my breath as pain began to radiate from his touch. He quickly let go as I weakly pushed him away and began limping towards the front door.

“Where have you been?” Liam asked as he trailed behind me.

“Don’t…worry about it.” I said weakly as I made my way into the house. Like always, the Knight estate was bustling with men and woman walking through the hallways. I ignored them as they all stopped and stared at me.

“Who did this to you?” Liam said again as I stumbled forward. He gently gripped my arm before lifting it and wrapping his arm around my waist, helping me walk.

“I said don’t worry about it.” I said weakly as I gave in an accepted his help.

“Don’t worry about it? You can’t even walk.” Liam said angrily as he glanced over at a man walking by us.

“Get the fucking doctor. NOW.” He ordered, yelling at the man. He quickly nodded before running down the hallways as we turned the corner.

“Where the fuck were you?” Liam said after a moment as he looked down at me. His voice echoing off the walls of the hallway. I wasn’t sure if it was the injuries I sustained, the exhaustion, or the annoyance from his persistent badgering that pushed me over the edge.

“It’s none of your fucking business!” I screamed back at him as I continued forward. My thoughts were blurred, and I felt disorientated. I didn’t know where I was in the house anymore.

I stumbled over my foot once more, and Liam gently bent down before lifting me up bridal style before quickly increasing his pace. I leaned my head against his hard chest as I closed my eyes. After a few minutes I felt him place me down on a bed, and I hissed in pain as my back pressed against the mattress, the shards of glass digging deeper into my skin.

“I asked for the fucking doctor, where the fuck is he?” Liam nearly yelled.

“He’s out. It’s his day off, remember?” A woman said.

“I’ll fucking kill him.” Liam seethed.

“Listen, I’m the best you’re gonna get right now. So calm yourself down and step aside, alright?” I heard a woman say. Her voice was so familiar… that accent… it took me a few moments to realize that it was Nova. I clutched the manila envelope that I hid in my coat. As quickly and quietly as my body would let me, I slid it under the covers of the mattress, folding it and tucking it away where they couldn’t find it.

“If anything happens to her-” Liam began, his voice cold and threatening.

“Nothing will, so just… step back.” Nova said sternly as I heard her begin to walk towards me. I opened my eyes slightly to see her putting on a pair of gloves. Her hands gently cupped my shoulder as she began to sit me up to examine my back.

“Hold her up.” Nova said to Liam, who moved immediately. Liam sat on the bed in front of me before gently pressing me towards his chest. I leaned against him, grateful that I didn’t have to hold myself up. I heard Nova inhale sharply before she began to grab tools out of a nearby bag. She came back with scissors, and quickly cut off my shirt to examine my bare skin.

“What the fuck did you get into?” I heard Nova say under her breath as she removed my top completely, leaving me bare as I leaned up against Liam. But I didn’t care. I was past the point of pain, and my body felt numb, cold from the blood that now coated my skin.

“How bad is it?” Liam asked quickly, his usual confident and stern voice sounding soft for the first time.

“It’s pretty bad, but she’ll live. From the looks of it, nothing vital was hit. But there’s a shit ton of glass in here I have to take out.” Nova said as looked over at Liam. She quickly walked back to her bag before standing in front of me.

“Open your mouth.” Nova said gently. I complied without a word, and she placed a small, white pill on my tongue. She held up a glass of water to my mouth, and I slowly drank the water before leaning into Liam once more.

I hated this. I hated feeling helpless. Like I couldn’t take care of myself. Normally, I would be the one to tend to my injuries, to do my own stitches, to wrap my own wounds. Hell, I even removed a bullet from my arm once. But as much as I hated to admit it, I needed their help now. I was too exhausted, mentally, and physically to give my body the attention it needed right now.

I placed my hand over the sheet, feeling the manila envelope underneath and gripping it tightly as Nova began extracting the shards of glass out of my back. I listened as she placed them on a tray next to her, working quickly as the pain medicine she gave me began to kick in. My eyes began to feel heavy as I leaned into Liam more and more. He said nothing as he held me, and the last thing I remember was Liam gently stroking my hair before I fell deep into unconsciousness.

24

I stayed in the infirmary for four days. The first day, I was on so much pain medication that I could hardly keep my eyes open. Nova told me that she was able to stitch up most the wounds.

“The deepest cuts were on your back, so they’ll scar but you’ll be alright.”

I didn’t see Liam for those three days. But I also didn’t miss the fact that someone would open my door late at night, filling my room with a familiar, musky cologne.

“Rise and shine.” Nova said as she ripped open the curtains in the infirmary. I winced slightly, blinking away the blinding light that flooded the room.

“It’s discharge day!” Nova sang with an unamused tone as she looked down at a clipboard.

“Finally.” I mumbled as I slowly sat up. Sitting in this damn room for so long has been making me feel restless.

“Alright,you’re good to go.” I told Liam and James that you need to take it easy, or else the stiches will tear, and I’ll have to redo them.“ Nova said. “And if I have to redo my work I’m gonna bitch and complain about it so don’t make me do it.” She said with a small, yet threatening smile. There was something about her tone that made me feel uneasy.

“Sounds good. Thanks, Nova.” I said as I stood up. She gave me a small smile as I walked out of the infirmary. My chest and back were still wrapped up, but overall I felt much better than I did four days ago. I’ve sustained injuries throughout my career, but Nadia certainly did a number on me.

I continued down the hallways, cursing the Knights for having such a large estate before I finally reached my room.

“There you are.” A deep voice said from behind me as I gripped the handle of my door.

I looked over my shoulder to see Liam walking towards me

“We’re late.” Liam said as he narrowed his eyes.

“For what?” I asked before opening the door and walking inside my bedroom.

“Micah’s charity event?” Liam said as he looked at me with a raised brow.

“Charity event?” I said.

“Yes.” Liam said with his eyebrow raised and annoyance in his voice.

“I thought Nova told you that I needed to take it easy.” I said as I glared at him. I crossed my arms, feeling the folding Manila envelope that was tucked into my waistband. I’ve been so exhausted the past few days I haven’t even had a chance to open it.

“Yes, and there’s nothing easier than escorting me to a charity event. Besides, I’m fairly certain that no one there will try and kill me there. Now hurry up get ready, I don’t have all day and we’re already behind schedule.” Liam said as he walked over to the decorative chair in the corner and took a seat. He pulled out his phone and began typing away as if I wasn’t there.

“Please, make yourself at home.” I mumbled under my breath as I began walking towards the bathroom.

“This is my home.” He said as he looked up at me for a moment, a blank stare on his face. Normally, I would get this asshole out of my room at all costs, even the cost of his own life. But I was too tired to deal with his bullshit.

I silently mocked him as I walked into the bathroom and locked the double doors. I started the shower before I quickly removed the Manila envelope from the waistband of my sweatpants. I walked into the closet, and opened a drawer in the corner and hid the envelope under a stack of shirts.

I quickly showered, careful not to wet my back and ruin the stitches and did all the things I needed to do to get ready for the day. I put on my usual, casual attire before I walked out of the bathroom to see him still in the same spot as before, staring intently at his phone while completely ignoring my presence. I let out a small sigh before I began walking towards the door.

“Let’s go.” I said. This finally caught his attention, and his head shot up before his gaze met mine.

“Hold on.” Liam said seriously. I froze for a moment as his massive hand wrapped around my wrist. The warmth of him felt like a jolt coursing through my body. His thumb moved slightly, caressing the inside of my wrist as I looked up at him slowly. His eyes locked onto mine, and just for a moment, his tantalizing blue irises held me in a trace. I was so used to him, so used to seeing him everyday, so used to seeing his face all the time. But in this moment, right here, it’s as if timed slowed down and I really got to see how… handsome Liam was. But he quickly glanced down at my outfit, and raised an eyebrow before he looked into my eyes once more.

“You can’t wear that.” He said, making me narrow my eyes at him.

And just like that, every thought of him being attractive vanished from my mind.

“Excuse me?” I asked, tilting my head and giving him a death stare.

“It’s too casual, you’ll stick out.” He simply said before he walked past me and towards my bathroom.

“Isn’t sticking out a good thing?” I asked as I reluctantly followed him. He stop walking as he looked over his shoulder at my outfit once more.

“Not like that.” He said with his eyebrow furrowed before he continued walking.

“Besides, you look too much like my bodyguard.” He said.

“Isn’t that what I am? Your useless bodyguard ?” I said in a mocking tone, throwing back his label for me. I looked around my bathroom for something to stab him with before I saw him walk into my closet.

“Nice use of a closet.” He said as he admired the guns, I put in the display cases.

“Yeah, that way if anyone ever just barges into my closet without my permission, I could just kill them very, very, and painfully if I wanted to. Don’t forget that.” I said giving him a pointed glare as he perused my clothes. He found a small, tiny corner of all black dresses and began looking through the hangers.

“Do you only wear black?” Liam said as he tilted his head. “It’s such a dreadful color. You should start wearing lighter colors, they’ll really compliment you.” I tensed as his hand hovered over the drawer where I hid the envelope.

“Stop touching my shit.” I said as I grabbed his arm and yanked it away. He saw something he liked, and he quickly grabbed a hanger off the rack with his other hand before tossing it over to me.

“Something like this will do.” He said as he completely ignored me and grabbed another off the rack.

“Or this.” He said, tossing another dress in my direction. I caught the fabric, clutching it in my hand tightly as I removed the hangers from the dresses.

“Get out!” I yelled as I threw the hanger at him. He caught it before looking at me with narrowed eyes, and I quickly threw the second hanger at him, feeling a surge of satisfaction as it smacked him across the face.

“OUT!” I yelled once more as I pointed to the door. Liam left the room, mumbling something about me being a brute before walking out of the closet. I looked at the dress Liam threw at me, both were sleek, long, and elegant. I can’t remember the last time I had wear something this formal.

I took off my shirt, looking at the bandages that were wrapped around my waist before I slowly began to undo them. Once they were off, I turned around, looking over my shoulder to examine the condition of my back. There were small cuts scattered throughout, but what really caught my eye were the eight large gashes that Nova stitched up. They all went in different directions, some larger than others, but overall, they were an eyesore that took up a majority of my lower back.

“Any day now?” Liam yelled from the other room.

“Fuck off.” I yelled back before I looked at the dresses Liam picked out. I opted for the one that covered my stitches, and quickly slid it on. It felt… strange to be dressed this formally. I looked at how the sleek fabric hugged my skin, it looked beautiful and elegant. The gown brushed against the floor, flowing gracefully with every step I took. Dresses like this use to give me confidence, used to make me feel sexy.

But now… I just feel uncomfortable.

I fidgeted in my dress before I calmed myself and walked out of the bathroom and back into my bedroom to see Liam exactly where I left him. He looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine, and for the first time since I’ve met Liam Knight, he was speechless.

“What?” I asked as my eyes narrowed slightly. But he just sat there, staring at me as his lips parted slightly as he took me in.

“What?” I said louder as he slowly stood up.

“It’s just…” He said as his eyes drifted down my outfit.

“I swear to God if you tell me to change one more time, I will stab you in the throat.” I said seriously as I pointed to him.

And I meant it.

“You look lovely.” He said in a soft voice. His brown eyes staring at me in a way I’ve never seen before.

I looked at him cautiously, trying to remember if he hit his head in the past twenty-four hours before I simply walked out the door.

“Nice suit.” I said after a moment “I hope it isn’t cashmere.” I said with a snicker before turning on my heel and walking out of the room.

---

The venue was gorgeous, extravagant, and lovely. The entire event was outside, and long, twinkling fairy lights lined the tent above us. The tent was massive, and housed a large, wooden dance floor. Servers gracefully maneuvered through the crowds with trays filled with appetizers and drinks, and the patrons of the charity event were all dressed lavishly. Unsurprisingly, the woman were dressed in floor length gowns, and the men were in suits and tuxedos. Live music brought the entire venue to life as men and woman conversed under the stars.

“I didn’t know arms dealers attended so many charity events.” I said as we walked into the venue. Men and women looked at Liam, most with distain, others with respect.

“We do, but mostly for show.” Liam explained as we continued walking towards the tent in the center of the venue. “Everyone here mainly just comes to show face. Build relationships, discuss some business, all the usual stuff.”

“Ah. I see. Organized crime pretending to be normal for a night. How exciting.” I said dully as I looked over at him, he looked down at me before chuckling and shaking his head.

“I don’t know how you do this.” I said as I looked around the room. Everyone looked so… fake. The conversations seemed so empty, most of them bragging about their newest venture or their successful investments.

“This may come as a surprise to you, but I don’t particularity enjoy this part of the business.” Liam said as he nodded towards a man we walked past.

“Really? You’re trying to tell me you don’t love the fancy balls, the lavish suits, and the glorious food?” I said as I motioned to the venue around me.

“Oh, of course. And don’t forget the people plotting my death. That always makes for a fun evening.” He said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes, making me chuckle. “But I suppose having the most beautiful woman in the room on my arm makes up for it.” He said as he looked over at me. A small smirk grew on my lips as I stared at him while we walked side by side.

“Deny it all you want, Liam. But this is your element.” I said truthfully. It was hard to ignore the way his brown eyes lit up as soon as he walked into an event. How his lips would curl into a successful smirk the second a contract get signed.

“Is it now?” He said as he looked over at me with that same victorious smirk.

It was true. Liam was like a new person when he stepped into this arena… his arena. He was skilled in combat, but what made him such a worthy advisory for so many people here was his wit. His strategic planning was unlike anything I’ve seen before. Pair that with his charisma and his selective charm, and you have the makings of a successful businessman. The only issue, is that his hard headedness and unwavering determination led him to make some cutthroat decisions that inevitably pisses off nearly everyone he meets.

But I will say this about Liam Knight, he is a man that gets what he wants by any means necessary.

“Ah, Liam. So lovely you could make it.” A familiar voice sang out through the crowd. I looked over my shoulder to see Micah walking towards us with Natasha. His Italian accent slithered through his words and sent a chill down my spine.

“And Mila, what a delight.” Micah said dryly as he looked over at me. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at me before turning his gaze back to Liam. Natasha quickly walked to his side, and like usual, said nothing as she handed him a cocktail. She nodded towards Liam and I before turning her attention back to Micah.

“Please, walk with me.” Micah said as he turned and began walking out of the tent. Liam and I followed him as Natasha eyed me curiously.

“Have you thought about my proposition, Liam?” Micah said as we walked on a gravel walkway. Small lights lined the edges as gunshots fired in the distance. I stiffened, my hand hovering over the handgun strapped to my thigh as I examined the area.

I looked across the grass field to see a crowd of men and women clapping around a group of three men shooting clay pigeons. The targets had small lights attached to them, making the clay pigeons visible in the dark sky above us. I watched as they shot another clay pigeon into the air. The man in the middle of the group took his aim and quickly pulled the trigger, hitting it and shattering his target. I’m not sure what they filled the clay pigeons with, but once they were shattered, it exploded into a small twinkle of lights before vanishing as it reached the floor. The group cheered and hummed their approval for the man who now had a grin stretching from ear to ear.

“Micah,” Liam began as we continued walking through the field. “We both know that what you want isn’t possible.”

“Well, let’s pretend that it is. Just for a moment.” Micah said before he took a sip of his drink. “Think of the profits. Think of all that we can do together.” He said as he placed his arm around Liam.

“Yes, but until things change within the organization, my hands are still tied.” Liam said, failing to hide his annoyance. “And if I recall correctly, they were tied the last time you asked too.” Liam said with an eyebrow raised as he rotated his chest slightly, removing Micah’s arm from his shoulder in the process.

“You must excuse my persistence, friend.” Micah said with a smirk. “I just refuse to lose such a valuable deal with a friend.”

I watched carefully as we reached the end of the walkway, nearing the crowd watching the men shooting clay pigeons.

“Just remember,” Micah said as he stopped walking. I narrowed my eyes as he placed his hands on Liams shoulders. He looked in his eyes as he smiled at him, but Liam looked so uncomfortable from the man’s touch that I pursed my lips as I held back a chuckle at the sight.

“For you, my friend, the deal will always stand.” Micah said. “Remember that.”

“Noted.” Liam said as his eyes narrowed slightly.

“Please, I must see to the festivities. Find me before you leave and we can talk about it further, yes?” Micah said to Liam as he began walking backwards.

“My answer will be the same, but sure.” Liam said before his attention was turned to a man standing near him. I watched as Liam did what he did best, shook hands, built relationships, and had every mafia don kiss his ass with hopes of a better contract.

“Ah.” An overweight man said as he looked directly at me. He gave me a lopsided smile, his gold tooth shining underneath the lights. He was older, and his receding hairline, crows feet, and slightly sagging skin on his face made him look tired and aged. His face was clean shaven, and the hair that he did have remaining was white and grey.

“So, this is the body guard I’ve heard so much about.” He said with distain in his voice. He had a thick Spanish accent. His brown eyes narrowed as he took me in. I stood my ground, my skin crawling as his gaze traveled from my eyes, down my gown, and back up to my face. The man was short, stubby. If anything he resembled more of a bowling ball than a man.

“My name is Mila.” I said firmly as I tilted my head.

“Pull!” The man screamed, and we looked up to see a clay pigeon launched into the night sky. The man with the gold tooth looked up for a moment before lifting his shot gun. He pulled the trigger effortlessly, shattering his target and making the crowd applaud once more.

“She’s so tiny. How can she even defend herself?” One of the other men said. He was tall, and thin. His voice was deeper than the other mans, and his accent seemed to be thicker. Like the overweight motherfucker, he was aged. His hair was buzzed short, and his pointed nose was stuck in the air as he eyed me.

“Defend herself? How can she even hold a gun? My shotgun is bigger than her!” The third man laughed. He was of medium height and weight. His long hair was tied in a pony tail reaching down to the middle of his back.

They all had black hair and brown eyes. Their tan skin was dark, and their similar features told me that they were related somehow, maybe brothers or cousins. All three of these assholes were wearing expensive suits. The Rolex’s on their wrists reeked of money, wealth, and privilege.

“Pull!” He yelled loudly, his deep voice echoing in the air. Like the shorter man, he aimed, pulled the trigger, and hit his target. I cleared my throat as the crowd around us applauded once more. Liam grabbed my wrist as he gave me a cautious look. Even he could tell my patience was wearing thin.

“I don’t understand how one woman has been causing such havoc amongst our business partners.” The shorter man said as he stepped towards me and eyed me curiously. “If anything, she looks like she belongs in a brothel than in a business meeting.”

Never, ever let anyone disrespect you. Know your worth, and represent that worth accordingly.

Monroes words echoed through my mind. It was something that he instilled in Maria and I at an early age, to always stick up for each other, and ourselves against the assholes of this world.

The other two men laughed at his words, along with some other men in the crowd. My eyebrows rose slightly as I ripped my wrist away from Liam, who was now watching my every move.

“How many can you fire off at once?” I asked the attendant as I gracefully walked over to the gun rack.

“Sixteen ma’am.” He said as I grabbed the twelve-gauge shotgun. I quickly flicked it open while thanking the man, checking the ammo before grabbing another and doing the same. They were small, so the kickback wouldn’t be strong enough to aggravate my stitches.

“Oh, this will be good.” One of the men said sarcastically.

“So unladylike.” Another woman muttered.

“Why would she even subject herself to such humiliation?” I heard another man whisper from the crowd.

“ She’s with Liam Knight? He’s really lowered his standards.“ Another woman said rather loudly.

“You gentleman look like the gambling type. Would you three like to make a deal?” I asked as I turned to them. They snickered under the breath as the glared at me.

“What do you think you can wager that we don’t already have?” The short, overweight one said before he let out a deep laugh.

“Me.” I said confidently as I narrowed my eyes. Liam quickly walked over to me before grabbing my wrist once more and turning me towards him.

“I don’t care.” I said as I stared at Liam.

“They’re the De León brothers.” Liam said with gritted teeth. “And if you didn’t know, they help run the cartels we’re having issues with in the states.”

“Again, I don’t care.” I said as I stared at him with a blank expression on my face.

“Well, you should!” Liam said seriously as he pulled me closer to him. “They are not people you want to casually wager with.”

“Did you hear me at all? I don’t give a damn who they are.” I said as I glared at him.

“Mila, don’t you even thi-” He began, but I cut him off by shaking his grip off my wrist and began walking back to the men. Liam grabbed a glass of whiskey from a nearby server as he mumbled something under his breath.

“I’m listening.” The tall, skinny one said. I could instantly tell that he was the one who handled most of their meetings. He held himself with poise, and from his tone I could tell he usually did most of the talking considering he was much more well spoken than his brothers.

“If I miss one of my targets,” I began as I walked closer to the De Leon brothers. “Then you can do whatever you want to me. All of you.” I said seductively as I gave them a wicked smile.

The crowd around us erupted in whispers and gasps as everyone at the event was now involved and watching our every move. Liam spat out part of his drink, and unfortunately for him, the liquid that erupted from his mouth and hit a woman right in the face.

“Hm. I like the sound of this bet already.” The average looking one said with a wicked smile. I could instantly tell he was the stupid one out of the three.

“And if by some miracle you manage to hit all of them?” The tall one inquired as he tilted his head.

“Then I get to do whatever I want with you three.” I said, making the crowd go wild once more. The sound of a glass shattering sounded behind me, and I didn’t even have to look. I knew who did it. But I looked over my shoulder anyway to see Liam looking down at the glass he dropped. Servers rushed to his aid while the woman, who still had whiskey dripping down her face, was scolding Liam.

“Anyways,” I said as I turned back to the brothers, completely ignoring Liam. “Do we have a deal?”

“How many targets?” The tall one asked.

“Sixteen.” I said. “With two guns.”

“Ha! Even you can’t shoot that good Manuel!” The stubby one said to his taller brother as he lit up a cigarette before inhaling deeply.

“You’re one to speak, Juan. You couldn’t even hit a target even if it was hanging off your dick.” The taller one, who I assume is Manuel, said to the short one. Juan continued laughing, then stopped and glared at his brother once he processed the insult.

“You have a deal.” Manuel said as he looked at me with a smirk.

“Oh, the things I’m gonna do to you.” The other brother, who’s probably Manuel, said to me with an evil grin. “By the way baby, I like it rough.”

I grabbed one of the guns, holding it loosely in my hand as before I aimed it up towards the night sky.

“Pull!”

25

Clay pigeons travel quickly, some even travel around forty miles per hour. You usually have about half a second to hit your target before moving onto the next. Everything matters when your about to pull the trigger. Your breath, your sight, your focus, everything factors into that one millisecond of intense concentration to hit your target. But little do these assholes know, holding a gun is second nature to me.

Shooting a moving body?

Child’s play.

Hitting a target with a four-inch diameter?

Also child’s play.

I inhaled quickly as the clay pigeons shot into the air. The lights attached to them lit up the sky above as all sixteen targets shot up at once. I quickly aimed the twelve-gauge shotgun, moving with the targets as I anticipated where they would go. I quickly pulled the trigger, taking out five targets that were to my right. I hit them so rapidly that it looked as if all of them exploded at once.

This twelve-gauge shotgun only had eight shots, so I quickly looked to my left to see three pigeons shooting across the sky. I quickly pulled the trigger, taking them out and making the crowd behind me gasp slightly. I dropped the shotgun before I shoved my heel under the gun by my feet, kicking it up and catching it before aiming it once more.

I only saw four pigeons in front of me, and I quickly shot them down before looking around. I turned my head, looking over my shoulder at the remaining four targets falling to the ground at a rapid speed.

I quickly bent over, bending my back slightly before aiming and pulling the trigger. I hissed in pain as my stitches stretched while I quickly aimed and shot the four pigeons that were behind me before standing up straight once more. The crowd around me erupted in gasps as the brothers stared at me in disbelief.

I looked over my shoulder to see Liam standing there. His jaw was tensed, and his shoulders were hunched slightly. His face appeared emotionless, but I knew him better than that. His eyes always gave him away, and I knew as soon as our eyes locked, that the anger swimming within those brown irises was directed at me.

Silence filled the air as the brothers stared at me. Juan, the short stubby one, had his mouth open so wide that the lit cigarette fell from his lips and onto the floor. I twirled the shotgun a few times before resting it on my shoulder and looking back at the brothers as an awkward silence began to fill the air.

I was never really good at politics. I’ve managed to piss off most people that I ever came in contact with. I was never good at making a first impression, let alone a positive impression at that. I never had to. Most of the people I met I was sent to kill, so I didn’t care, I didn’t even bother to play nice. At the end of the day, my new acquaintance would have a bullet between their eyes, and I’d have a wire transfer hit my bank account.

But here, in this world, in Liam’s world of glitz and glamour, politics and appearances meant everything. Showing face, making small talk, being charming, this was all they did. All they knew. They would dress up in their lavish gowns and suits, mingle with each other while deciding whether they wanted to do business with one another. Making a good impression here meant that you would land a contact, and making someone remember you in a positive light could potentially lead to the success, or failure, of your business.

I’ve been to enough events with Liam to notice a few things. Like the glares that were thrown my way, or the whispers that I left in my wake. How fake everyone was to each other. They would put on a phony smile, pretend to enjoy your company, then order an assassin to try and kill you the next day. Liam said this was just business as usual, but it was something I don’t think I could ever get used to.

If you don’t fit in their luxurious paradigm, you’re an outcast. And I couldn’t help but feel as though I was the odd one out. And for the first time in my life, I felt somewhat self-conscious.

I glanced around at the crowd around me, taking in the disturbed glances and the disgusted glares. But my eyes darted to one person in the room, one woman who began clapping with a smirk on her red lips. It was Natasha. For once, she wasn’t attached to Micah’s arm, and she was standing amongst the crowd, who also turned to look at her. Her hazel eyes shined with excitement as she stared at me. Eventually, the crowd around her began awkwardly following her lead, clapping politely as I turned back towards the three idiots behind me.

“So, guess this means I can do whatever I want to you three.” I said seductively as I looked over at them. All the self-doubt I felt a few seconds ago began to evaporate away as I looked at these pathetic excuses for men. My blood boiled for how they doubted me, how they belittled me. The stupid short one smirked, his gold tooth shining in the moonlight as he looked at me.

“Looks like this one isn’t too bright, Liam. Doesn’t know when she made a losing deal.” He said before he laughed loudly. I smirked as I chuckled slightly under my breath while I tilted my head.

I quickly popped the shotgun off my shoulder and aimed it at his knee before pulling the trigger. He screamed as I blew out his kneecap. I adjusted slightly before aiming at his idiot brothers’ knee, blowing that out as well before doing the same to the last brother.

Their screams were like a chorus to me, and I couldn’t stop the wicked smile that graced my lips as I carelessly tossed the shot gun to the side. The crowd gasped as they began to back away from me while I began walking towards the trio.

“I must have forgotten to tell you.” I said as I grabbed Manuels face, he grimaced as he glared up at me. “I like it rough too.” I said with a smile before I shoved his face away from me. The men began yelling in Spanish as I began to walk away from them. I grabbed a glass of whiskey from a servant’s tray as he passed by, and quickly downed it in one go before tossing the glass over my shoulder.

After a few moments, I heard his footsteps behind me, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I knew what was coming. He’ll lecture me, maybe raise his voice a bit. Whatever he did, I don’t care. I kept walking until we were away from the still gossiping crowd and screaming brothers, far away from the excitement of the party and towards the outer edge of the venue.

I felt a hand grip the back of my neck, and I quickly brought my hands up to defend myself, but he was too fast. He shoved me up against a nearby wall as he glared down at me, and I looked up to see Liam looking down at me furiously.

“Do you know what you just did?” He said under his breath, his face inching closer and closer to me. I hissed in pain from the impact on my back, and seeing this, Liam pressed me closer against him and off the wall.

His massive hand was wrapped around my neck, tightening with every word he spoke. I grabbed his wrist with both of my hands, attempting to move it, but his grip only grew stronger the more I struggled.

“Oh, you’ve done it this time, Mila.” He said in a deadly tone. I clenched my jaw as I looked at him while grabbing onto his wrist tighter.

“And I’d do it again.” I said defiantly as I grit my teeth.

“I’ve put up with your attitude, your disobedience, but this… shooting cartel leaders at a charity event…” He said as he pressed his forehead against mine. I stiffened as his head tilted, and I couldn’t help the small flutter of my heart and the heat growing between my legs at how close we were.

“You really know how to fucking piss me off, don’t you?” He said, his lips grazing against my ear as he pressed into me roughly. I gasped as his other hand snaked gently around my waist, pulling me even closer against him.

“Everyone here just watched you directly disobey me. Now we can’t have that, can we Mila?” He said in my ear.

“What do you want me to do, apologize?” I scoffed as I turned my face slightly away from him.

“That sounds lovely actually.” Liam said with a wicked smile. “Apologize. Now.” He demanded.

“Fuck you.” I said as I glared at him. He moved his hand from my waist quickly down to the back of my thigh. He quickly spread my legs before he pressed himself in between them, making me gasp under my breath.

“You have until I count to five to apologize, or I’ll do something to you you’ll never forget.” He said, and I felt the threat behind his words as his hands began inching up my leg. His hands hovered over my knee, his fingertips grazing my skin and making my spine stiffen with anticipation.

“One.” He said, his deep voice humming in my ear.

“I’m not a child, you can’t just-” I said as I attempted to pry his hand off my throat.

“Two.” He said as a smirk began growing on his lips. I froze slightly as his fingertips began moving from my knee up to my thigh. His fingers both delicate and rough as he dug into me.

“Really? What would they think if they caught you here, with your bodyguard?” I said breathlessly as I glanced over at the crowd across the field.

“I don’t care.” He said as he looked into my eyes.

“You’re lyin-.” I said as I lifted my chin slightly.

“Three.” He mused as his hand inched closer and closer between my legs.

“I’m not going to apologize for what I did to them.” I said as my breathing became unsteady.

“You’re not apologizing for what you did to them. You’re apologizing for disobeying me.” He said cockily as his face dipped down lower. His lips were now hovering over mine as I tried to regain clarity over my now filthy mind.

Could I easily kill him from this position? Of course.

Did I want to? … I’m not so sure.

A part of me wanted his hands to move faster, to slip into my panties and feel how drenched I was from the drought I’ve been subjected too in the past few months. I wanted him to rip this expensive dress to shreds and fuck me right here against this wall, all within earshot from the gossiping dons and donnas nearby. Hell, I wouldn’t even care if some of them watched as he fucked my brain into oblivion. I wanted him to bend me over, pull my hair as he mercilessly thrusted into me from behind until we both found our releases in a symphony of lust and pleasure.

But the other half, wasn’t so sure. The other part of me, the logical part of me, is telling me to knee him in the dick and break his nose. He’s my boss’s son… and even though I would never verbally admit this to the cocky asshole, he’s kind of my employer.

What shred of professional would I have left if I fucked him at a charity event? If I spread my legs for him while he-

“Two.” He whispered in my ear.

I quickly attempted to clear my mind from the impure thoughts racing through my conscious as his fingers began circling dangerously close to their destination. I couldn’t help myself. I wasn’t sure if I was just horny from not being intimate in what seemed like forever, or it was Liam taking complete control of the situation that made me want to give in. I turned my head slightly as I closed my eyes, letting out a small moan as his lips pressed into my neck while I spread my legs wider for him.

“One.” He said barely above a whisper.

26

The hand around my throat softened slightly as it slid behind my neck. Liam gripped me tightly as he dipped his head, pressing his lips against my neck and making me arch my back in anticipation. His fingers drew circles on my inner thigh, dangerously close to where I needed him to be.

His muscular body between my legs, his lips caressing my skin, his hands roughly gripping me, controlling me. The moment his lips met my skin, it was as if my body was set ablaze. The consuming lust I’ve suppressed quickly clawed its way to the surface, and any shred of self-decency I had left vanished in an inferno of desire.

I wanted Liam. I wanted him so fucking bad. I can’t remember the last time I wanted something more.

My hands moved from his wrist, sliding up his arm until my fingers were intertwined in his black hair. I pressed him into me as he continued kissing my neck as he moved his fingers painstakingly slow.

It was as if he enjoyed my torture, like he relished in the control he had over my body. A wicked smile grew on his lips as he looked down at me. I bucked my hips forward, desperate to make contact with his fingers that were still hovering over my now soaked panties.

He dipped his head once more, and I closed my eyes while I turned to allow him better access to my neck. A soft moan left my lips as he continued kissing my neck, working his way slowly across my jaw. I opened my eyes just as his lips touched the corner of my mouth to see the crowd, oblivious to us, circle a platform in the center of the venue. I saw as they clapped as Micah stepped on stage, applauding him he began to speak to the crowd around him. I watched as Liam continued to pepper kisses on my jaw, making it difficult to hear what was said on the microphone.

But my heart sank as I saw a group of children walk onto the stage. They were barefoot, and looking down at the ground as they nearly stumbled onto the stage, making the crowd applaud once more. There were three girls and two boys, and from what I could tell, they were all wearing plain, white clothing.

“What are they doing?” I asked as Liam continued to draw circles on my inner thigh.

“Who cares.” He mumbled into my neck, making me turn towards him.

“I do.” I said with annoyance before I grabbed his hand from between my legs and pulled it up. I quickly placed my other hand across Liams muscular chest before roughly pressing him off of me.

“Mila,” I heard him say behind me as I straightened my dress while walking towards the stage.

“Now ladies and gentlemen, the event we’ve all been waiting for!” Micah said on the microphone in a theatrical voice. I maneuvered through the crowd, getting a better view of what was happening.

“Now, first on the auction is lovely Janessa.” Micah said as he motioned her forward. My heart sank as I watched the girl walk up with her head down. The crowd began to mummer, examining her as if she was some sort of livestock. I didn’t hear what Micah said after that, my heart began to race and my thoughts began to blur.

“The starting price is two hundred and fifty thousand, do I have any takers?” Micah said with a wicked smile.

“I’ll take her.” I said quickly. The crowd went silent as they turned to look at me.

“Oh, Mila.” Micah said with a grin from ear to ear. “This is… unexpected.”

“I can assume you’re making this purchase for your employer… The Knights?” Micah said slowly as he tilted his head.

“No.” Liams said loudly. He was standing behind me, and he quickly gripped my wrist as he looked up at Micah. He squeezed it tightly, as if he was telling me to stay silent.

“Such a shame.” Micah said before he pursed his lips. “Unfortunately I won’t be able to sell to you unless I have their permission. You do understand, right Mila?” Micah said as he glared at us.

“Money’s money, right? What’s the difference between my money and the Knights money?” I said loudly as I walked closer to the stage.

“Everything.” Micah said as he stood in front of me.

“Sorry for the confusion, Micah. Just disregard what she said.” Liam said cordially as he began to turn his back, nearly dragging me by my wrist beside him.

“Hm. I should have known better than to listen to a girl trying to talk business.” Micah said with a chuckle. The crowd around us began laughing along with him as I grit my teeth.

“Now, run along, I have an auction to run.” Micah said quietly as he looked down at me.

“Excuse me?” I said as I tilted my head. I could tell that Liam recognized my tone, it was the same tone that I used with the De Leon brothers. He quickly gripped my wrist, yanking me away from Micah before I could smash his face in.

“What are you doing?” I said as I turned to him.

“You can’t buy her, Mila.” Liam said under his breath as I followed him.

“And why the hell not?” I said quickly. Liam remained silent as he pulled out his phone with his free hand.

“Pull the car around.” He said quickly before hanging up. We were walking quickly, away from the stage and the gossiping patrons that were eyeing us.

“Liam, why the fuck not?” I seethed as I walked beside him. Liam clenched his jaw as he turned to face me. His brows were furrowed and a deep scowl adorned his lips as we stood on the side of the street.

“Because I said so. Now can you stop being so fucking disobedient for once in your goddamn life!” Liam yelled.

I stood there, my breathing erratic from the anger that coursed through me. We stared at each other, as if we were locked in a battle for dominance as a car pulled up beside us. Liam sighed before he ran a hand through his hair and opened the door for me. I narrowed my eyes at him before walking to the other side of the car. I looked back at the stage, watching as the small girl began walking off the stage, most likely recently bought, and the crowd began applauding loudly. I clenched my jaw before getting into the car, sliding into the seat and slamming the door. We sat there in silence for a moment as the venue began to disappear behind us.

“I don’t understand why this is such a big deal for you.” Liam said as he looked over at me.

“I didn’t know that you worked in the human trafficking business.” I said as I continued to look out the window.

“I didn’t think that you’d care.” Liam said as he tilted his head.

“Yeah, well I do.” I said seriously as I glared over at him. The look on my face meant death, and the second I saw Liam’s brown eyes widen, I knew he understood that too.

“You kill people for a living, I didn’t think you of all people would have any morals left.” Liam said bitterly before narrowing his eyes. For some reason, his words cut me deep, and I felt my anger getting the better of me.

“Besides, I still don’t understand why you’re so upset about children being sold.” Liam said after a moment.

“Because I was one of those kids.” I said angrily before looking out the window. Silence grew between us as the hum of the engine filled the air.

“You don’t get it. You have a family. You have a business to inherit. You probably grew up going to private schools and getting anything you wanted handed to you on a silver platter by one of your maids. But me and my sister, we had to earn our place in this world.” I said as I looked over at him.

“I still remember everything. Every detail. I remember the men my mom would bring home at night. The drugs she would leave laying around the house. The times she would forget we were there when she was working, bringing a new guy to her room. I remember the men she borrowed money from killing her in front of us before taking us. The nights we spent sleeping on the cold, dirty floor. The brown, muddied water they would give us.” I said as I stared off into the distance.

“Thankfully, they didn’t touch us… at least not like that. They wanted us pure, innocent. So all they did was beat us for fun instead.” I said emotionlessly.

“I remember laying there at night, hoping… wishing that someone would come and kill me. Give me the mercy of ending my life so I wouldn’t have to endure the never ending torture of my existence.” I said before I looked back over at him.

His eyes were wide as he took in my words, his brow furrowed slightly as he looked at me. But what I didn’t tell him was that Maria and I went for a higher price because we were twins, but even then, someone bought her separately. I lost it when they started dragging her away, and I grabbed a knife from the waistband of a nearby guard and began stabbing the man dragging my sister away from me.

That was the first person I’ve ever killed, and luckily for me, a recruiter for Corporate was in the audience. They bought us together, and took us to a training facility. Three years later, we were brought to Monroe.

“You called me disobedient, when in reality, the only thing I’ve done with my life so far is take orders.” I said, only he didn’t understand the depth within my words. 

I’m not sure why I shared so much. The only person who knew about my past was Monroe, and that’s only because Corporate told him. I always thought I’d hate talking about it, but it was… somewhat relieving to have some there to listen, even if it wasn’t the full story. After about a minute of silence, Liam gently placed his hand over mine, squeezing it tightly.

“I’m sorry, Mila.” Liam said softly. I looked over at him, seeing the pity within his brown eyes. Talking about my past put me in a dark headspace, and I didn’t even bother to shake his hand off of mine.

“My father cut off our deals with Micah almost a year ago.” Liam began. “They were mostly one sided, with us supplying weapons to him. But since we terminated our contracts with him, I’ve been trying to find ways to supplement the income we lost.”

“So that’s why you put in those loopholes?” I said. He nodded.

“I didn’t want to rip off our current clients, but when you lose one of your top clients overnight, you either have to solve that disparity quickly, or feel the repercussions of it down the road. That’s something my father still doesn’t understand.” Liam said as he furrowed his brows. “I did what I had to do to keep our business steady.”

“I’m sorry for how I acted back there. If I knew, I wouldn’t have…” Liam said hesitantly as he looked over at me, his hand squeezing the back of mine once more.

“It’s fine. You didn’t know.” I said as I looked over at him. “But in the future, please exclude me from any of Micahs events.”

“Of course.” Liam said quickly. “The only reason I have to go is to make sure he’s not going to do something irrational. He’s an unstable man, and he didn’t particularly enjoy the fact that we terminated his contracts. But in the future if I have to attend anything, I’ll make sure to go alone.”

“Thank you, Liam.” I said as I looked over at him. I turned my hand over, watching as he slowly intertwined his fingers within mine.

“I might have handled a few things … poorly tonight.” I said with a small smile as I looked up at him through my lashes.

“Hm…” Liam mused as he looked down at our hands. “You only shot three cartel leaders… I’d say that’s pretty tamed for you.” He said with a smirk.

“Is that going to affect anything for you?” I asked curiously.

“If it does, I’ll handle it. You don’t have to worry about anything.” Liam said as he brought my hand up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back of my hand.

I gave him a small smile as we sat in silence the rest of the drive, our hands never leaving one another’s until we reached the estate.

Liam got out of the car first, making sure to walk around and open my door for me. He reached his hand out, helping me get out of the car before closing it behind us.

“Nine am tomorrow, make sure you’re ready and packed.” Liam said as we began walking towards the door.

“For what? You’ll be in Greece?” I said.

“ We’ll be in Greece.“ Liam said as he looked over at me with a small smirk as we walked though the door.

“I thought that guards, weapon, and any sort of protection was banned?” I said as I tilted my head.

“It is. So you’ll be going as my date instead.” Liam said with a small smirk before turning the corner and walking towards his room.

After our exchange I didn’t know how to feel about that. He was right, maybe I didn’t have the strongest morals, if anything, tonight was a display of that. I never mix business and pleasure, but with him, that line is starting to blur, to fade away the closer we get to each other.

I chuckled under my breath as I began walking to my room, making a silent promise to myself that nothing will happen on this trip. That I won’t make the same mistake I made tonight, that when it comes to Liam Knight, the line must be drawn between us.

I walked into my room, locking the door behind me before making my way over to the closet. I walked up to the corner drawer, opening it quickly before taking out the Manila envelope. I carefully unfolded it as I walked to my desk. I pulled out dozens of papers and quickly examined them. There wasn’t a name, an address, but instead, thousands of wire transfers.

I placed it on my desk, eying that small, tattered teddy bear in the corner. It was the last thing Maria gave to me, it was the last time I saw her alive before she was butchered. I grit my teeth before turning on a dim lamp and starting up my laptop. I pushed through the fatigue, through the nagging pain from my stitches, running on willpower and the thought of what I’m going to do when I find out who helped murder her.

27

The flight to Greece was short, mainly due to the fact that I slept during the entire thing. I was up all night running the wire transfers through a database and finding out who the accounts belonged to. But unfortunately for me, Nadia had a busy year.

“So why are we here for two days again?” I asked as I walked next to Liam. Like usual, we were dressed formally. My black gown covered my lower back, hiding the newly formed scars that now replaced the stitches.

“Because weddings take too long and are a waste of time.” Liam said under his breath as he nodded towards a couple waving at him.

“I didn’t know anyone even had a welcome party before a wedding.” I said. Now that I think of it, I’ve never even been to a wedding before.

“The Drakos are… an extravagant family to say the least.” Liam said as two men opened the doors to the venue.

The most of the room looked as if it was plated in gold. Massive white pillars lined the outer corners of the room, while in the center was a dance floor. Round tables adorned with white cloth sat towards the back of the room, leading to the massive garden and courtyard. Servers dressed in white gracefully weaved between dancing patrons, offering all kinds of drinks and appetizers. They were all wearing gold masks, decorated with feathers, jewels, and diamonds. The room was filled with laughing and dancing as music from a live band played from a small stage. The entire venue resembled more of a street fair than anything.

“Your masks.” A man said as he held a tray up towards us. On them sat two masquerade masks, one white and one black. Like the servers masks, they were detailed beautifully with diamonds that shimmered underneath the lights. Liam grabbed the larger white one, while I put on the smaller black one.

“Enjoy your evening, Mr. Knight.” The man said with a small bow before turning on his heel.

“A masquerade, how fun.” I said with a small smile.

“I thought you hated these events.” Liam said with an eyebrow raised.

“I do. But this one seems tolerable.” I said as I grabbed a glass of whiskey from a nearby tray. Liam shook his head slightly before chuckling under his breath.

“Liam Knight!” A man yelled over the crowd. We turned over our shoulders to see a man in a tuxedo walking over towards us, his tie undone and hanging from his neck, his hair disheveled.

“Alexander.” Liam said with a smile on his face as he hugged him. “Congratulations, my friend.”

“Thank you, thank you.” Alexander said, the alcohol on his breath filling the air. “It has always been my dream to get married.” He said as he placed a heavy hand on Liams shoulder. After a moment the two men burst out laughing.

Alexander was a built and strong looking man. His blond hair was wavy, and reached his square jawline. His nose was slightly crooked, as if it had been broken a few times. He was a tall man, even taller than Liam and standing at about six

“Oh, I thought you got the memo, no bodyguards.” Alexander said as he waved a drunken finger towards me.

“She’s not a body guard, Alex, she’s my date.” Liam said as he placed his arm around my waist.

“Lucky you, you get to date… and be around beautiful women, an-and bring them to things.” Alexander slurred.

“Well, it was a pleasure seeing you, but I must do stuff… like avoid my bride to be. So, please have fun, and make sure he relaxes for once in his damn life.” Alexander said with a small, drunken bow before he scurried off into the crowd.

“Wow, his fiancé is so lucky.” I said sarcastically as I watched him bump into a server, spilling the drinks all over the floor. Alexander raised his hands up, cheering at the glass breaking before stumbling into a group of women, make Liam chuckle under his breath.

We continued walking through the venue, Liam doing his usual handshakes and greetings while I continued downing different whiskeys and bourbons.

“Isabella I’d like to introduce you to Mila.” Liam said as he motioned towards me. “Isabella is Alexanders fiancé.”

“Pleasure.” I said as I shook her hand and gave her a small smile. Her short black hair sat above her shoulders. She was dressed in an elegant looking, white cocktail dress. She was a pale woman, and her dark makeup and lipstick only exaggerated that. She looked unamused, annoyed even, but she still gave me a polite smile as she nodded her head in acknowledgement. She was beautiful, but I could tell she was just as excited about this marriage as her fiancé was.

“So,” I said as I attempted to make small talk with Isabella. “Are you excited about tomorrow?”

“I’d rather die.” Isabella said seriously as she glared at me. She sat down, crossing her arms as she stared off onto the dance floor.

“Or maybe I’ll just kill him.” Isabella said as her eyes darted towards her fiancé.

“Well then.” I said under my breath with an awkward smile before I drank the rest of my whiskey.

“I could some air, what about you?” I said as I looked up at Liam, who gave me an amused smile before nodding. We politely said our goodbyes before walking out of the venue and into the massive garden.

Rose bushes lined the walkway, leading to a circular maze of hedges. Scattered through the garden were drunk guests, stumbling and fumbling in their own world away from the party inside. Liam and I walked up a large staircase, getting a wonderful view of the garden from a balcony. There were a set of massive, open double doors leading to an almost empty hallway inside the venue.

“Well,” I began as I walked towards the railing. “Alexander and Isabella seem like a lovely couple.” I said sarcastically. I looked down to see Alexander sitting on a bench, a red headed woman straddling him. His hands were buried in her hair as they drunkenly kissed each other.

“Why are they getting married if they can’t stand each other?” I asked as I looked over at Liam.

“It’s an arranged marriage, set up for them by their families.” Liam said as he stood next to me, he placed his hands in his pockets as he looked towards the gardens beneath us.

“Arranged marriage? I didn’t know those were still a thing.” I said as I leaned on the railing.

“Unfortunately, they are more common in this world than marrying for love.” Liam said seriously.

“So, like everything else, marriage is no more than a business arrangement then?” I asked as I raised a brow.

“Most of them, yes.” Liam said stoically as he drank from his glass.

“That sounds terrible.” I said with a scowl. “I can’t imagine being trapped in a relationship with some stranger.”

“Neither can I.” Liam said after a moment.

“I can’t even imagine you in a relationship.” I said with a smirk, making Liam look over at me with a brow raised.

“I’ve had a few.” Liam said with amusement.

“Oh yeah?” I said with a smile. “They didn’t work out?”

“Oh yes, obviously.” Liam said before he finished the rest of his drink. A server came from inside, taking his empty glass before giving him a fresh one.

“So you’ve never been in love before?” I asked as I looked over at him. He was silent for a moment, and any hint of amusement had vanished from his face.

“Once, yeah.” He said as he looked off into the garden.

“What happened?” I asked as I tilted my head. I remembered what Nova once told me, the rumor that he love his lover. But the thought of him being in love was… shocking to me. This man was borderline intolerable on his good days. Silence stretched between us once more, as if Liam was battling with his own thoughts.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” I said softly.

“No, it’s alright.” Liam said before he gave me a small smile.

“Her name was Olivia.” Liam said as he looked over the gardens once more. “Her father was a drug lord, and was one of our top clients. My father and her family frequently did business together, so I saw her often.”

“It wasn’t long before I fell in love with her.” Liam said after a moment.

“But we were dumb teenagers. Her father forbid her to date, but… I saw her anyway. When he found out he separated us.” Liam said.

“But that didn’t stop you, did it?” I said with a small smile.

“No.” Liam said, his own smile stretching on his lips.

“After a few months of sneaking around, he finally caught us. He sent her to live with her Aunt in Mexico and…” Liam said, the small smile on his lips vanishing.

“They were ambushed by a rival and… without going into details, she was killed.” Liam said as he stared off into the distance.

“I’m so sorry.” I said as I placed a hand on Liam’s back. The Liam I knew was strong headed, stubborn… it was strange seeing him so vulnerable.

“It’s fine, it happened a long time ago.” Liam said as he looked over at me. “I got my revenge, I did my mourning.” Liam said stoically as he finished his drink.

“What about you?” He said, quickly changing the subject.

“I thought I was in love once.” I said as I leaned up against the railing.

“And? What happened?” Liam said as he looked over at me.

“When I met her, I thought she was perfect. She made me feel wild, and free. But eventually, her true colors started to show and… everything became toxic. She did something that I could never forgive.” I said as I looked up at the sky. “And I killed her because of it.”

Liam was silent for a moment as he processed my words.

“The other night, when you helped me,” I said as I looked over at him. “That’s where I went.”

“What did-” Liam began, but was cut off by the sound of a familiar voice.

“Liam!” I scowled as I recognized Micahs voice. I didn’t even turn to face him.

“Micah, what impeccable timing you have.” Liam said with annoyance as he turned on his heel. He walked away from me, thankfully bringing Micah along with him.

I stood there, watching as people frolicked in the garden beneath me. Some drinking, some kissing, one of the couples was even shamelessly fucking in the corner.

I wasn’t sure why I felt comfortable around Liam. When I first met him, I couldn’t stand him, now here I am, sharing intimate details of my love life with him. I chuckled to myself before I finished the remaining liquor in my glass.

“Mila,” A man said from behind me, I turned to see a tall man wearing a red and black mask. His black hair was styled neatly, and his lean physique shown from his tuxedo hugging his every muscle. His gaze was sharp, and his entire demeanor was intimidating and powerful. His voice sounded vaguely familiar, yet I couldn’t quite figure out where I’ve heard it before.

“Shall we dance?” He asked as he held out his hand towards me. I never told him my name, and his question was more of a demand than anything. I looked over to see Liam in the venue, talking to Micah in the corner of the room before I looked back at the man in front of me.

“Or do you have to ask permission first?” He said as he tilted his head. I narrowed my eyes at him before I slowly placed my hand on his extended palm.

We walked in silence towards the center of the dance floor. He placed his hand on the small of my back as we extended out our arms and began dancing elegantly across the floor.

“Who are you and what do you want?” I asked.

“I’m hurt you don’t recognize me.” He said seriously as he looked down at me. “We’ve done so many missions together.”

My heart sank at his words, and I could help by tense as we continued dancing together. His voice, his demeanor, I should have known, I should have recognized him earlier.

“Hello, Kenji.” I said as I looked up at him, my jaw clenched. He gave me a wicked smile in return.

Kenji Sato, an S-Ranked assassin also known as “The Demon”. He was a madman, a batshit crazy assassin who could kill you before you even knew what was happening. He stood among the greats in Corporate, rivaling even my sister in terms of completed missions. I’ve worked with him dozens of times, and each time he surprised me with the sheer level of brutality he displayed. The only think he loved more than killing was himself, and he was known to be extremely vain.

“You’ve quite a bounty on your head.” He said as I glared at him.

“What’s it up to now?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes.

“Three million.” Kenji said as he twirled me gracefully.

“Oh, it went up.” I said with an unamused tone.

“Significantly.” Kenji said as he pulled me closer to him.

“Well, if you’re going to kill me, hurry up and get on with it.” I said, our chest pressing against each other. Kenji held me gaze as a small smile grew on his lips as I mentally prepared myself. Kenji was fast, much faster than I was. Even worse, my back wasn’t completely healed from my fight with Nadia.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Now, don’t be hasty. It’s a lovely evening, I wouldn’t dare ruin it with bloodshed.” He said as he pulled me closer. He dipped me slowly, his hand slowly gliding up my spine. He dipped his head, brining his lips closer to my ear.

“Besides, you and I both know you’re untouchable… at least for the moment.” He said, his lips caressing my ear. He looked over to his side, glancing at Liam who was now looking over at us. His expression was stoic as he glared at Kenji, then over to me.

“But that protection won’t last forever.” He said as pulled me upright and we began dancing once more.

“Then why are you here?” I asked seriously.

“As a courtesy.” He said as the music began to increase in pace. “Corporate sent me to kill you. And since you were always one of my favorites to work with, I figured I’d give you a professional courtesy that I’ll be the one who will end your life.” Kenji said before he spun me around once more.

“How thoughtful of you.” I said sarcastically.

“Hm. Adorable. He can’t keep his eyes off of you.” Kenji said as he looked over to the side once more. The music began to end, and we stood there in the center of the dance floor. He lifted his hand, placing it gently under my chin, forcing me to look at him.

“I’ve heard rumors about him. Heard the man has one hell of a temper. What do you think he would do if I slit your throat right here on the dance floor?” Kenji said seriously.

“It’s cute that you think you could kill me.” I said as I glared up at him, making him chuckle softly.

“I wonder if he knows who he’s protecting.” Kenji mused as he tilted his head, inching his face closer to mine. My jaw clenched and a scowl stretched across my face.

“Something tells me you haven’t told him yet.” He said with a wicked smile. “Would be a shame if he found out.”

“Oh look, here he comes.” Kenji said as we both looked over to see Liam quickly making his way through the crowd.

“Try not to die before I get to you.” He said as he bowed his head. Not even a moment later, Liam walked up beside him, an annoyed look on his face.

“Mila.” Liam said as he placed his hand possessively on the small of my back.

“If you’ll excuse us, we have somewhere to be.” Liam said with a harsh tone as he glared at Kenji.

Kenji simply nodded at Liam, a small smile on his lips as we walked away from him.

“See you soon, Mila.” Kenji said, making Liam pull me closer to him.

28

The rest of the night was awkward, Liam hardly said a word to me after my exchange with Kenji. As a matter of fact, he hardly said a word to anyone that wasn’t a woman. After Liam pulled me away from Kenji, he kept his distance from me as he went around the venue getting a bit handsy with the female guests.

I sat in a corner, by myself, drinking whiskey most of the night.

I looked over to see him still in a corner of the garden, sitting with a woman on his lap and is arm around her waist. He said something, making the women around him erupt in laughter. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit jealous. It was unlike me, I can’t remember the last time I was jealous of anyone, but one thing I knew for sure:

It pissed me the fuck off.

Behind Liam and the crowd of women that surrounded him, was Kenji. He was standing there by himself and leaning against the wall. He was staring at me, a wicked smile twisted on his lips as he raised up his glass of wine at me before drinking it entirely.

Uneasiness, jealously, annoyance, it was all a blur of emotions that swirled together and ruined my night. I wasn’t sure what bothering me more: the man that I’ve been somewhat interested in having his hands all over other women in front of me, or the fact that a psychotic assassin is waiting right in front of me for the perfect opportunity to kill me.

Either way, I was done with bullshit.

I downed my drink before standing up and walking towards the entrance of the venue. It was late, and the party was still going strong. I placed my empty glass on a servers tray as he passed by before walking out of the door. I looked over my shoulder to see Kenji following me, slowly maneuvering through the crowd, his brown eyes locked onto me.

Part of me wanted to kill him. To end this before he had the chance to do anything. But Kenji wasn’t a fool, he was doing this on purpose. He was trying to get into my head, to make me anxious enough to make a mistake. I know firsthand the kind of skill this man had, and even without my current injuries it would be a difficult fight to win. Not to mention the attention it would attract. If I did attack him, it would cause chaos, and I would either have to tell Liam the truth about my past, or come up with an elaborate lie about what happened. Either way, causing a fight at a welcome party didn’t seem like my best option.

I walked over to valet, waiting for Liam’s driver to pull up. It was quiet, empty even as guests continued to party inside the venue. I heard footsteps behind me, and I looked over my shoulder to see Kenji standing there with his hands in his pockets.

“Leaving so soon?” Kenji said as he tilted his head.

“Yes, I’m rather bored.” I said with a dull tone.

“Really? I’m having a wonderful time.” He said.

“I can tell.” I said as I narrowed my eyes. We stood there in silence for a moment before an all black SUV pulled up beside me. The back door opened up, and to my surprise Liam quickly walked out of the car and walked up to Kenji.

“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.” Liam said, his tone was cold and threatening.

“I don’t think we have.” Kenji said as he extended out his hand. “But, you are a man that needs no introduction, Mr. Knight.”

“Kenji.” He said as he extended out his hand. Liam looked him in the eyes with a cold glare as he took his hand and shook it tightly.

“Well, we have somewhere to be, Kenji. Enjoy your night.” Liam said. Even though his words were somewhat cordial, his tone and demeanor insinuated otherwise.

“Of course.” Kenji said as he stepped closer to me. He grabbed my hand, making Liam clench his jaw. I held back the scowl that threatened my lips as he kissed the back of my hand.

“I’m looking forward to seeing you again, Mila.” Kenji said with a smirk.

Liam placed his hand on my back, guiding me away from Kenji and towards the car. He stared at Kenji as he opened the back door for me, as if the two men were in an unspoken fight for dominance.

He closed the door and got in the car, and I looked over to see Kenji standing there, watching us drive off into the distance until he was no longer in view.

Liam and I sat in silence, both looking out our windows and away from each other for the entire drive. We were staying in a lavish and spacious villa that overlooked the ocean. The entrance was guard gated, and once we passed through the initial security checkpoint, I nearly jumped out of the car.

I opened the door while we were still coming to a stop before I quickly exited the car. I was done with tonight, and the only thing I wanted to do was relax and contemplate how I would make Kenji’s death as slow and painful as possible.

“Mila.” Liam said, his tone dark and cold.

I ignored him. I didn’t even turn around as he called my name out once more.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about him, but what I did know is that seeing him all over other women tonight sparked some sort of rage and jealously within me.

And I didn’t like it.

When we were talking about our past loves, for the first time I felt a deeper connection with him. For a moment, I saw him as a friend, someone I could confide in. Obviously the attraction is there, it’s always been there whether I want to admit it or not.

I’m not sure why I’m even surprised. This was the Liam I knew. I would get glimpses of vulnerability from him, times where he was charming, kind, and sweet. Then in the blink of an eye, his entire demeanor and mood would change because something didn’t go his way, or something pissed him off.

I opened the door to the villa, quickly making my way through the modern living room and up the stairs towards my room.

“Mila,” he said once more, and again, I ignored him.

“MILA!” Liam yelled behind me, his deep voice echoing through the room. I clenched my jaw, and gripping the railing beside me, I turned around and glared at him.

“What.” I said, not even bothering to hide the annoyance in my voice as I looked down at him.

“Who was that?” Liam asked.

“I don’t know.” I lied.

“Well you two seemed pretty fucking comfortable for not knowing each other.” Liam said with a scowl.

“Do not even start with me on this.” I said before I turned around and continued up the stairs. “You have no right to talk to be about being ‘comfortable’ with someone when you had your hands over every woman at that party.”

“Oh, is that jealousy I hear?” Liam said before he scoffed.

“Really?” I said as I walked down the hallway. Liam quickly increased his pace to catch up to me. “You think I’m the one that’s jealous here?”

“Why else would you be watching me all night?” Liam said with a cocky smirk.

“When you were the one who had a mental breakdown after seeing me with another man.” I said as I looked over my shoulder. Liam narrowed his eyes as he continued after me.

“You could fuck whoever you want, doesn’t matter to me.” Liam scoffed, making me stop walking before I turned around to face him.

“Oh, really? In that case.” I said as I pulled out my phone.

“What are you doing?” He said as he took a step closer to me.

“I’m gonna call Kenji.” I lied with a straight face. Liam froze, his eyes narrowed as he stared at me.

“I thought you said you didn’t know him.” Liam said in a dark tone.

“I don’t.” I said as I stared down at my phone. I dialed a random number before placing it up to my ear. “But I’d like to.” I said before turning around.

I began walking away, and after a few moments the phone was snatched from my hand. I turned around to see Liam throwing it down the stairs, shattering it before he began walking towards me.

“Really?” I said as I glared at him.

“You’re intolerable, did you know that?” Liam said as he scowled.

“I’m intolerable? Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I said tilted my head.

“You unstable!” I yelled as I took a step closer to him.

“And you’re infuriating!” Liam screamed as we got in each other’s faces.

“You are the most immature, annoying… selfish prick that I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting.” I shouted.

“I hate you.” Liam said as he leaned forward, our noses grazing each other.

“I hate you more.” I said as I narrowed my eyes at him.

Anger coursed through my veins as we stood there for a moment, silence filling the air. Our breaths began to get heavy as our faces began to inch closer together.

In an instant, Liams hands were cupping my face, pressing me into him and causing our lips to crash into each other. The intensity of the kiss made my head spin. The months of pent up tension erupting to the surface in a wave of lust and ecstasy.

His tongue quickly found its way to mine, dancing for dominance as my hands gripped onto his shirt. Liams hands moved from my face, caressing my body until they quickly found their way behind my thighs. He quickly lifted me up, carrying me down the hallway and to the nearest bedroom.

He roughly slammed against the door with his shoulder, nearly breaking it off its hinges as he carried me through the entrance. We fell onto the bed, his hands now gripping my thighs as we continued to explore each other’s bodies. My hands traveled down his torso, feeling his exquisite muscles that flexed with every movement he made. While our lips still locked, I frantically grabbed his suit jacket, pulling it off of him. He maneuvered his shoulders to assist me, and once it was off, I carelessly tossed it to the side. I started undoing the buttons of his shirt as he began pushing my dress up until I was pooling around my waist, revealing my lace thong.

Once his shirt was unbuttoned, I quickly sat up, helping him remove it completely before it joined his jacket on the somewhere on the floor. He wrapped his arms around my thighs, gripping the top of them roughly before pulling me towards the edge of the bed. He quickly gripped my panties, removing them completely before tossing them over his shoulder.

Without wasting any time, he wrapped his arms around my thighs once more before he got down on his knees. He spread my legs wide as he dipped his head, kissing me in my most sensitive area. I threw my head back as I intertwined my fingers within his hair. He mumbled a string of profanities, telling me how delicious I tasted before he began running his tongue up and down my folds.

I moaned as I threw my head back, closing my eyes and enjoying every second of him fucking me with his tongue. He groaned as he continued to devour me, and I felt my climax rapidly approaching. He gripped my thighs tighter, bringing me closer and closer to the orgasm I’ve been desperately needing for months.

I nearly screamed as I came on his tongue, my legs shaking and my back arching as pure pleasure crashed over me. I laid there for a moment as Liam moaned while he continued to suck and lick my folds. He quickly lifted his head, and placing his hands beside me, he lifted himself up so that he was hovering over my body. He dipped his head, kissing me, making me taste my own orgasm on his lips. I intertwined my fingers in his hair once more, pulling him closer as his hand moved up my torso and to my breast.

He pulled me, making me sit up before he unzipped my dress and slipped it over my head. He let it drop to the floor, his brown eyes traveling down my chest. He lowered his head, licking my and sucking my nipple while his other hand began massaging my other breast. He pressed against me, and I felt his massive erection pressing up against my thigh. I moaned loudly as I kissed his neck, sucking and biting as he continued to pleasure me.

After a moment, Liam quickly stood up, unbuckling his belt before dropping his pants and letting them pool around his ankles. His dick was massive, springing free from the constraints and standing tall in all its glory. I sat up, crawling towards him erect cock as I looked up at him.

Without hesitation, I took him in my mouth, fitting as much of him as I could. He moan loudly as his hands moved to the back of my head, his fingers tangling within my hair as he continued to press deeper and deeper.

He increased his pace, making me bob my head rapidly as I pleasured him. His moans encouraged me, and I brought my hand up, using it to twist and turn on the base of his cock, making him moan out once more in pleasure.

He mumbled something about not wanting to cum immediately as he pulled me away from him. He quickly walked over to the nightstand, rummaging through its contents before pulling out a condom. He quickly ripped it open before rolling it on and walking back over to me.

He grabbed me by my thighs once more, pulling me closer so that my calves were on both sides of his neck. He leaned forward as he lined up his cock at my entrance, staring at me for a moment before he thrust completely inside of me. We moaned in unison, both throwing our heads back at the pleasure, and without hesitation, he began thrusting in and out of me.

He fucked me, hard and relentlessly. His grunts and groans were like music to my ears, and seeing him pleasure himself with my body turned me on more than anything. He spread my legs as far as they could go as before he gripped my hips, lifting them off the bed slightly as he pounded into me.

He bent down, kissing me passionately as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I rotated my hips, getting on top of him. While his cock was still inside of me, I spun around and placed my hands on his thighs as I leaned forward, bouncing up and down. He groaned as his hands gripped my ass, spreading me as moaned loudly. I increased my pace as I felt another climax quickly approaching. Liam must have caught on, because he sat up and gripped my thighs. He guided my thighs forward, so I was sitting on his lap. He lifted me up as he stood up, pressing my back down so he was fucking me from behind. Liam gripped my hips roughly as he thrusted in and out of me, his balls slapping against me. I arched my back and gripped the bedsheets tightly as another orgasm ripped through my body, making me clench around him. Soon after, he quickly found his own release, cursing my name like a mantra.

Our heavy breathing filled the air, and after a moment, he pulled out of me and tossed the condom in a nearby bin.

He gently gripped my shoulders, rotating me so that I was on my back before he hovered over me and began kissing me passionately.

I moved my hands down his torso, taking his cock in my hand before I began massaging it gently. I smiled as I felt him harden once more, and he let out a groan into my lips.

“I don’t think we’re going to make it to that wedding tomorrow.” He said in a low voice as a smile stretched across his lips.

29

We didn’t make it to the wedding.

But neither did the groom. Turns out Isabella did try to kill him, and Alexander was in the hospital for a few stab wounds, so the wedding was postponed until further notice. From what we’ve heard, he’ll make a full recovery, much to Isabellas dismay.

A month has passed since that night in Greece.

We made love the entire next day, nearly destroying every room in the villa as we explored each other’s bodies and gave into our primal urges. I could hardly walk the next day, giving Liam an unneeded boost to his ego.

The past few weeks were amazing. I can’t remember a time I felt so… spoiled. I knew Liam was a lavish man, but the gifts he showered me with were somewhat overwhelming. He had a spare room conjoined with mine, and transformed it into a massive closet where he filled it with outfits from top designers. Granted, most of the outfits were light pink, but that didn’t matter to me. Not only that, he bought dozens of expensive necklaces, bracelets, and rings for me. He also surprised me a white LaFerrari out of the blue.

Although, not everything he did for me was extravagant. Every Sunday, he would have fresh Lily’s delivered to my room, along with a small note. Every morning he would kiss me goodbye, making sure to stroke my hair gently before leaving to start his day. Every night, he would rent out a new restaurant so we could have dinner together. He’ll always order me the most delicious meals, and I looked forward to it everyday. We spent so much time together that I’ve barely had time to go through the wire transfers I got from Nadias villa.

Liam and I decided to keep our relationship hidden from James. Liam didn’t know how he was going to react, and didn’t feel like having that kind of conversation with his father, so I respected his wishes. It was easy to hide considering that Liam was the one who handled the books, and he made sure his father never saw any of the expenses from the lavish gifts he gave me.

At first, every moment with Liam was lovely. He’d make me feel as though I was his entire world. We’d make love to each other most of the night, and I’ve never felt more special. What started off as a lustful attraction for me, grew into something I could never have imagined. I could see a future with Liam, a future I could never see with Aiden, and a future I could only dream about with Nadia.

But after about two weeks, things started to change. The lilies I usually got delivered on Sunday was late, and the week after that, it didn’t come at all. He’d start getting up in the morning without a word, sometimes even leaving without saying anything to me. At our dinners, he would be on his phone half the time, partially paying attention to our conversation.

Granted, he’s been stressed out recently. Some of his contracts fell through, and he’s been scrambling to try and close the gaps, working late in the evening typing up new contracts and coming up with new clauses to make his clients happy enough to sign.

I looked down at my plate, twirling the pasta around with my fork as the sounds of smooth jazz filled the air. I looked up at Liam, who was on his phone, texting away with his brow furrowed. I wasn’t sure how long we’ve been here like this, saying nothing as we ate in silence.

“So… how’s the Devo’s deal coming along?” I said after a moment.

“Good.” He said, not adding anything more to the conversation.

“Good.” I said softly, giving him a small nod before continuing to push my pasta around aimlessly.

We sat there for a few minutes in silence until he finally looked up from his phone, his brow raised as he looked at me.

“Something wrong with your food?” He asked.

“No, it’s lovely actually. It’s my date that’s the problem.” I said with an annoyed smile. “He can’t seem to get off his phone.”

“I’m sorry, Mila.” Liam said as he quickly typed something on his phone before placing it on the table. “Today has been… trying.” He said as he ran a hand through his hair. He reached across the table, gripping my hands within his.

I smiled at him as he brought my hand up to his lips, planting a kiss on the side of my palm.

I looked down at his phone, the screen lighting up as it vibrated. He pursed his lips as he looked at me, trying to ignore it. After a few moments, it vibrated once more… then again… and again, until he let out a deep sigh.

“Sorry, just one minute.” He said before he quickly gripped the phone off the table. The server came by, thankfully refilling my wine. I quickly swirled it before taking a few chugs of the Merlot. As I was putting my glass down, I hit the end of my fork, sending it flying to the floor. I sighed as I looked over at Liam, who was in his own world before I bent down to grab it.

I heard the sound of something hitting the wall to my right. I slowly looked to my left, and tensed as I saw the bullet that now penetrated the wall. I looked in the direction from which it came, and scowled as I saw Kenji sitting at a large table on the other side of the restaurant, a smoking gun in his hand with a silencer attached to the end.

The patrons of the restaurant were quick to react, screaming and running frantically towards the doors. The commotion was loud enough to draw Liam away from his phone, and his eyes grew wide as he began to put the pieces together of what was happening.

Kenji was sitting at a table on the other side of the restaurant, a wicked smile on his face and a Glock in his hand. There were eight other men seated at the table with him, all dressed in black. Kenji looked over at the men for a moment before he nodded his head in my direction, and the eight men stood up before they began making their way over towards me.

“The fuck?” Liam said as he quickly stood up. I quickly pushed the slit of my light pink dress to the side, revealing the handgun I kept strapped to my thigh. I grabbed it, flicking the safety off before I looked over at Kenji. He aimed his gun at me once more, and I quickly ducked while I ran away from Liam.

Bullets hit the wall above me before I rolled forward, hiding behind the bar. I stayed down for a moment, the glass bottles being shattered from the bullets that were aimed for me. I quickly stood up, scanning the room as I aimed my gun. The crowd of patrons were already out of the building, most of them shoving past each other in an attempt to get out of the entrance.

Liam was in the corner of the room, and he quickly grabbed a table, flipping it over and using it as cover. But the men ignored him completely, most of them not even looking in his direction as they focused solely on me.

A man came running towards me, jumping over the bar and throwing a swift right hook towards my face. I quickly rotated my body, dodging the punch and grabbing a knife off the bar counter. I quickly maneuvered myself so I was behind the man, using my shoulder to push his back so he staggered forward.

He placed his hand on the wooden countertop, and I quickly brought the knife down. He screamed as the knife penetrated his hand, going all the way through and into the countertop. In one fluid motion, I brought my other hand up, raising my gun and aiming it. I pulled the trigger, hitting my mark perfectly, the wall behind the man painted crimson as the bullet lodged into his skull.

Two of the other men began aiming at me, and I quickly rotated my body, hiding behind the man and using him as a shield. He grunted loudly as the bullets pierced his body. I waited for a moment of silence, and once that finally came, I quickly stepped out from behind him and grabbed the knife that was lodged in his hand. He quickly gripped my hand that held the gun, lifting it up and rotating it, forcing me to let go. He tossed to the side before I turned to face him, slicing his throat with one swift movement with the knife before I took a step forward. I brought the knife up over my head before throwing it at a man closing in on me. It stabbed him directly in the center of the forehead, killing him instantly.

I looked to my side to see another man aiming his gun at me, but while he was so focused on me, he didn’t see that was Liam sprinting towards him. Liam quickly brought his arm back before jabbing the man in the face so hard, that I heard the crack of bone from where I was standing. He then took a step back before he roundhouse kicked the man in the side of the head, making him fall to the ground.

“Handle them for me?” I said as I nodded my head towards the men surrounding me. Liam narrowed his eyes at me before giving me a small nod, and I turned my attention towards Kenji.

Kenji was still seated at his table, enjoying the steak in front of him. He looked over at me before he took a long sip of his wine. I began to make my way across the room towards him, not even stopping as Liam threw one of the men into my path.

He quickly walked over to the man on the floor, grabbing him by his hair before punching him rapidly in the face. The man attempted to stand up, and Liam lifted his left, kicking him in the center of the chest and making him roll backwards.

I stepped around them as I stared at Kenji, who was now dabbing his mouth with a napkin. He finally stood up, his hands in his pockets as he walked over to me.

“Oh, how I’ve been looking forward to this day.” Kenji said with a wide grin as he tilted his chin up.

“Hurry up and let’s get this over with.” I said impatiently, making him chuckle.

“As you wish.” He said with a smirk. And just like that, in the blink of an eye, he lunged towards me.

Kenji Sato was known for three things: his speed, his brutality, and his love for expensive wine. His hand to hand combat was nearly unmatched. He knew exactly where to strike to inflict the most amount of pain possible, and I knew that if I wanted to survive this fight I would have be calm, calculating, and patient. I’d have to wait for my openings, and strike quickly before he can launch a counterattack.

We stayed there for a moment, neither one of us wanting to make the first move. The only sound Liam’s knuckles making impact with a mans face as he fought in the corner of the room.

Kenji smirked, letting out a soft chuckle before he lunged towards me. He cocked his arm back, throwing a jab towards my face. I quickly maneuvered to the side, dodging his attack. He rapidly brought his other fist forward, grazing my waist as I rotated my body. While his arm was extended, I quickly circled my hand around his wrist, moving his arm out and preventing him from blocking the jab I sent towards his body. He gripped my wrist with his free hand, pushing my arm to the side before he rotated his body, dodging my attack completely.

He sent a quick jab to my body, and I grunted as he made contact with my ribs. I grit my teeth as I heard a crack, and I already knew that it was broken from the pain with each sharp breath I took.

This is why Kenji is so lethal, this is why he was one of the greats. Each strike had its purpose, whether it was to open his enemies defenses, or to inflict the most amount of damage possible with a single blow.

I staggered back gripping my rib as he sent another jab in my direction. Using both hands, I blocked his attack, only to bring my hands down to block the attack he sent towards the ribs he just broke. I looked around me, trying to find my gun, only to see it a few meters behind me. I began stepping backwards as Kenji launched a series of kicks and jabs at me, moving to a move defensive stance.

I patiently waited for an opportunity to present itself, and when he took a step back and began rotating his hips, I knew a kick was coming. Just as I predicted, it was aimed for my face, and I quickly ducked, using this opportunity to grab the gun off the floor. I stood up, quickly aiming it at him, but he ran. He was fast, and weaved through the tables of the restaurant, even jumping over some, and making me miss each shot.

He ran towards the back of the restaurant, running into the kitchen. I looked over at Liam as I gripped my rib, he’s killed three of the men so far, and the remaining two were on both sides of him. His collared shirt was now stained with blood, and he held a knife in his hand as he glared at them.

I looked back towards the kitchen, already knowing that it was a bait. Everything that man does has a purpose behind it. Since he excelled in hand to hand combat, he wanted to have the upper hand and make me fight him in a confined space.

I grit my teeth as pain shot through my torso. I placed a hand over my rib as I tossed my gun to the side. I limped towards the kitchen door, taking short breaths as to not aggravate my rib any more than it already is. Maybe this’ll be the last mistake I’d ever make, but part of me wanted to step up to his challenge. Part of me wanted to take down “The Demon” on his own terms, to still be able to kill him when he had the advantage. I didn’t just want to kill him, no. I wanted to send a message to anyone dumb enough to come after me what kind of cruel fate awaits them.

I walked over the dead bodies on the floor, making my way over to the kitchen as I glanced at Liam. He looked at me for a moment, then his gaze traveled down to my ribs. His jaw clenched before he turned his attention back to the man who was running towards him.

I pushed open the kitchen door as the sound of a table shattering filled the air behind me. I looked around, trying to find where Kenji was hiding. In front of me was a small walkway, lined with food warmers adorned with entrees that were undelivered. Down the walkway was the chefs line, filled with pots left on the fire, stove tops that were still running, ovens that were left open in the panic that ensued. Steam filled part of the room as a nearby pot overflowed, and I cautiously took in my surroundings.

I inhaled sharply before I quickly stepped to the side and rotated my body. I looked to my right to see Kenji, holding a large knife, his arm was extended forward where my body was only moments ago.

He slashed the knife across my body, making me take a step back. I was fast, but he was faster, and the tip of the blade cut across my light pink dress, cutting the fabric high on my leg and revealing my thigh. He shot the blade forward, making me rotate to avoid it, but I was too late, and a hiss left my lips as the blade cut open the side of my arm. I threw a quick right hook while he was extended forward, hoping to get him to move backwards so I can create some space between us.

He caught my fist with his left hand, pulling me in before he slashed the blade forward once more, aiming for my neck. He was trapping me, making it so I couldn’t move to dodge his attack. I pursed my lips as I brought my hand up and gripped the blade tightly.

Blood began to drip down my hand as I pressed against it, but no matter how hard I pushed against the knife, Kenji was stronger. The blade began to slowly inch towards my neck, until it was grazing my skin. I quickly kneed him in the groin, making him wince as he hunched forward. This gave me an opportunity to move, and I quickly let go of the blade in my hand before I punched him in the throat.

He quickly shot the blade forward, and I gripped his wrist as I side stepped him once more. I quickly used my body weight to bend his wrist back, making him drop the blade before I kicked it to the side.

He quickly threw jabs at my face, two of them landing and making me stagger back. He then quickly hit my ribs once more, making me yell out as pain radiated through my body. I tasted the blood in my mouth as I quickly took a step back before I roundhouse kicked him in the stomach, making him lose his balance and step to the side. He ran into an overflowing pot, and he yelled out as his hand touched the hot metal, burning his skin. I used this to my advantage, ignoring my body protesting in pain as I quickly sent a right hook aimed directly for his face.

He leaned back, rotating his body as my knuckles grazed his nose. We moved through the kitchen, trading blows as we blocked each others attacks. Both of my hands were down, protecting my ribs and blocking a body shot when he threw a jab at my face. His knuckles struck their target, and I fell over onto the countertop, sending produce and plates scattered to the floor. I looked up to see a pan on the stove, I quickly grabbed the handle before turning around and swinging it at Kenji. He leaned back, dodging it, but I quickly kicked the front of his knee, making him fall forward.

I struck him across the face with the searing hot pan while he was down, making him scream out in pain before I kicked the center of his chest, making him roll backwards until his back was resting on against the stove. While he cupped his face, I quickly stepped forward, grabbing the large, overflowing pot of water and tipping it over and stepping back.

Kenji’s screams of agony filled the air as his hands lifted up towards his face, the searing hot water burning his skin. He picked up the knife once more, and he came towards me with staggering steps. He lunged towards me, but unlike his previous attacks, this one was sloppy, slow even. I quickly gripped his wrist, and using my other hand to bend it backward, forced the knife from his hand. I gripped the handle, and rotated quickly before I turned and shot the knife forward, stabbing him in the stomach. He didn’t move for a moment as blood began to saturate his clothes.

“Mila!” Liam screamed from behind me. I didn’t turn around as I cautiously watched Kenji, waiting for his next move. He placed a shaky hand on his stomach before he looked at the blood that now stained his hand before a chuckle left his lips.

“We need to go,” Liam said as he walked up to me and gripped my arm. But my eyes were locked on Kenji’s. His breathing became sporadic as blood began to pool around him.

“Now!” Liam yelled as he gripped my arm. He began pulling me away, and I looked back one more time, watching as Kenji’s arm fell lazily at his side as he bled out, laughing under his breath.

Liam rushed me out of the restaurant, nearly making me sprint to keep up with him. We got into my LaFerrari, and he quickly slid into the drivers seat. He peeled out of the parking lot, both hands white knuckling the steering wheel. After a few minutes of driving, I looked out the window to see dozens of police vehicles speeding past us, all headed towards the restaurant.

I gripped my rib as pain coursed through my torso, I breaths were short, mainly due to the fact that anything bigger than a shallow breath send a sharp pain through my chest. Liam quickly pulled out his phone, dialing a number before pressing it up to his ear.

I listened as he called his father, explaining that something had happened and that we all need to rendezvous at the safe house.

After about thirty minutes of speeding through the streets of Italy, we arrived at a large mansion on the outskirts of the city. There were more guards here than at the actual estate. We went through four security checkpoints before he pulled up to the entrance where James was waiting for us.

Liam exited the car, and I opened the door, struggling with my bad arm before James ran down to help me.

“Get a doctor!” James yelled to one of the guards.

“No, I’m fine.” I said.

He helped me walk up the steps to the house as Liam walked ahead of us. We walked through the safe house, which was just as lavish and extravagant as the estate, until we reached a large, wooden door.

Inside the office was a man. He was smoking a cigar, and had his back turned towards us as he looked out the window. He was dressed in a collared shirt, with its sleeves rolled up to his elbow. His black hair had specks for grey in it, and after a moment, I recognized who it was immediately.

“Uncle.” Liam said with annoyance in his voice.

Monroe turned around, a cigar in his mouth and a serious expression plastered across his face.

30

“Monroe.” I nearly gasped as I began limping towards him.

The cigar dropped from his mouth as he quickly walked towards me. I nearly fell into his arms as I hugged him. The last time I saw him was when he tracked me down, found me disguised as an elderly woman in Florida.

“Hey kiddo.” He said as he wrapped his arms around me, not even caring that my wounds stained his shirt with blood.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as I looked up at him.

“I was able to slip away for a night without them noticing.” Monroe said with a small smile.

“Why the fuck are you here?” Liam said with his eyes narrowed. He didn’t even bother trying to hide the annoyance in his voice as he looked over at me and Monroe.

“Is that anyway to greet your Uncle?” Monroe said, making me look up at him with my brow raised.

“It is when every time you come around there’s a mess I have to clean up.” Liam said as he crossed his arms. He looked at me for a moment, before he looked back at Monroe.

“Uncle?” I asked as my brows furrowed.

“James is my brother in law.” Monroe said. He only mentioned his sister once, but didn’t go into details about her death. There were rumors around the estate about Mrs. Knight, but no one ever mentioned anything beyond how much James adored her, and how heartbroken he was when she passed.

“Sit, I’ll explain everything.” James said as he motioned towards a chair.

“I don’t want an explanation from you.” Liam said. We all watched as a scowl stretched across Liams lips as he didn’t move. I walked over to a chair, sitting down as I cupped ribs, not even caring that I was getting blood everywhere.

“I want an explanation from her.” He said as he looked over at me. His tone was dark, as he glared at me.

“Why were they attacking you?” Liam said as his eyes narrowed. I looked over at James, who gave me a small nod, encouraging me to tell him the truth.

“Well? I’m waiting?” Liam said raising his voice at me. Monroe took a step forward, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Liam.

“Before I came to work for your family, I was an assassin at Corporate.” I said as I looked up at Liam.

“Corporate, as in our biggest client?” Liam said as he glanced over at his father. James nodded slightly as he placed his hands in his pockets.

“They put a hit out on my sister, and since then I’ve been tracking down the team that killed her. It was going smooth until… my name ended up on a kill order.” I said. Liam stood there, motionless listening to what I was saying.

“Monroe referred me to your father, and he offered me employment in exchange for protection.” I said slowly, my eyes never leaving his brown irises.

“Corporate terminated our contract a few hours ago. That’s why they were able to attack us on our property.” James said.

Silence loomed over us as Liam didn’t move. He didn’t speak, he didn’t look anywhere besides directly at me. After what felt like a few minutes, he inhaled deeply before he grabbed the chair next to him and threw it across the room as he yelled out a string of profanities. The chair hit the wall, breaking and sending pieces of wood flying all over the floor.

He then walked over to his father, getting in his face as his nostrils flared with anger.

“You risked the largest contract we have- for what? For a friendship with him?” Liam spat as he pointed to Monroe.

“He’s family, Liam. The only family that your mother had. He’s always been there for-” James began, only to get cut off by Liam.

“Your irrational need to maintain relationships with people outweighs your logic!” Liam screamed at his father. “In what world did this arrangement make sense to you?”

His words stung a bit, but we all know Liam. We all know his temper, and we all knew he’d react like this, regardless of whatever our relationship is at the moment.

“Do you know how much Corporate brings in for us? How badly we’re going to struggle without that income?” Liam seethed.

“We will figure it out son, we always do.” James said calmly.

“No, I always do! I always figure it out! Somehow I always manage to cover up your fuck ups!” Liam screamed, making James narrow his eyes.

“What makes you think they’re not going to come after us for protecting her?” Liam screamed. “Your shortsightedness has put everything I’ve worked for at risk!”

“Well, Corporate is offended, and pretty fucking pissed at you at the moment, but you’re not their primary concern. Mila is.” Monroe said as he leaned up against a wall.

“So, not only did we lose our biggest client, but we’re also at risk of having a massive organization of assassins come after us,” Liam said as he glanced over at me. “All of this, over one woman.”

“And you just didn’t bother to fucking tell me any of this? You didn’t think any of this was important for me to know at all? Hm?” Liam screamed as he took a step closer to me.

“Do not fucking yell at me.” I said slowly and in a tone so deadly that even Monroe look surprised.

“You didn’t need to know at the time, and now you do. Yelling isn’t going to change anything.” I said as I limped towards him.

“If you’re done throwing your temper tantrum, there’s some things we need to figure out.” Monroe said as he tilted his head. “Like how to protect Mila.”

“I already told you, she can continue to stay with us.” James said as he looked over at Monroe.

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” Liam said, making me grit my teeth and annoyance. “The target on her head is large enough that we risk getting caught in the cross fire.”

His words stung deeper than I could have imagined, as if the past month we’ve spent together and the nights we shared meant nothing to him. It was as if the Liam I knew, the funny, charming, giving man that I’ve been sharing my bed with vanished. The warmth and kindness that swam in his eyes when he looked at me was now replaced with anger.

I stood up, cupping my ribs as I slowly began limping towards the door. Monroe was quick to assist me, and he pushed off the wall before swiftly coming to my side and helping me walk.

“This is the safest place for her until we figure out what our next step is.” James argued.

Liam began to argue with his father, but I was exhausted. Exhausted from the arguing, exhausted from my fight with Kenji, exhausted from Liam’s intolerable mood swings. We walked out of the office, and I waited for a moment as Monroe closed the door behind us.

“FUCK EVERYONE ELSE. OUR BUSINESS COMES BEFORE ANYONE AND ANYTHING.” I heard Liam scream from behind the door. At this point, James was also screaming at his son, both men nearly yelling over each other.

I clenched my jaw, holding back that anger and sadness from seeing how Liam reacted. Granted, I did keep this from him. He asked how his father found me, and I chose to hide the truth from him. I chose to deceive the man I’ve grown to care about, the man that I’d even dare say I might love.

So I can understand his anger, I can understand the betrayal he was feeling. But I never would have imagined how cold he would turn to me, how he could just cast me out in a heartbeat. If there was one thing I knew about Liam it was that this business, this empire he’s been dreaming of running since he was a child, meant more to him than anything.

I just didn’t think it meant more to him than I did.

31

We sat in silence as Monroe gently and carefully stitched up my arm for me. He had already stitched up my hand, and wrapping it tightly. Of course, I fought him on it, but after the fourth time he threatened to strangle me, I finally gave in and let him help me.

He was good doctor, and instead of any pain killers, he instead handed me a bottle of whiskey to ease the pain.

“So how are things at Corporate?” I asked, looking over at him. There were more grey hairs adorning his hair and beard. He looked tired, the bags under his eyes and his sunken in face told me that he hasn’t been taking care of himself. His reading glasses hung low on his nose, and his chin was pointed upward as he carefully worked on my arm.

“Chaotic, as usual.” He simply said.

“I don’t like that you’re there still.” I said after a moment of silence.

“Neither do I” He said softly.

“Then leave.” I said.

“And go where?” He said as he furrowed his brow, concentrating on the stitch he was preforming.

“Stay here, with the me, with the Knights… we can figure it out.” I said before I took a swig of the whiskey.

Monroe took a deep sigh before he pursed his lips.

“I wish I could, kid.” He said before he looked over at me with a small smile.

“Why not?” I said as I tilted my head. He finished up the last stitch before he gently grabbed the scissors on the table beside him. He remained silent for a moment before he finished up my stitches, tilting his head as he examined his work.

“Someone has to feed them false information about your whereabouts.” Monroe said as he looked up at me.

“The higher ups at Corporate have been… skeptical of me lately. They think that because I mentored you and your sister, that our relationship, clouds my fucking judgement. So they gave me a task to test my loyalty.” He said before he clenched his jaw.

“And what task is that?” I said before I took another swig of the bottle.

“To get information on you. Your location, cars, assets, family, friends, anything they could use to find you.” He said before he took a deep breath.

“And when did they assign this to you?” I asked as I looked up at him.

“Four months ago.” He said before he chuckled under his breath. “They knew they were going to be cutting ties with James, it was only a matter of time. They wanted to be prepared for when they actually did, to have all this intel on you so they could send everyone they could once that contract was terminated.”

“That’s why I couldn’t reach out, I was scared that if I messed up one fucking time, that if they found that burner phone, or found any trace of me reaching out to you, they’d find you.” Monroe said with his brow furrowed.

“I know.” I said, gently placing my hand on top of Monroes. We stayed there, silent for a moment.

“Kenji posed the biggest threat. He didn’t trust my intel, so he went out on his own to find you. When he reported that he made contact with you in Greece, I did everything I could to throw them off your trail.” He said.

“But now that he’s dead, I should be able to buy you a few more months. Their may be some assassins that slip through the cracks, but it’ll be nothing compared to the amount of people who are hunting you down right now.” Monroe said seriously.

“So who did they replace James with?” I asked, taking another swig of the bottle.

“Some Cartel leaders, a trio of brothers who are missing a few fucking brain cells.” Monroe said he raised a brow.

“The De Leon brothers?” I asked as I tilted my head.

“You know them?” Monroe asked as he looked over at me with a surprised look.

“I may have blown their kneecaps out.” I said with a bored tone before drinking from the bottle once more while Monroe let out a deep laugh that echoed off the walls.

“That’s my girl. Proud of you.” He said with a smile on his face, making me smirk at his words.

“I feel bad.” I said after a moment. “James has given me so much. He stuck his neck out for me, and because of that, I put him and everyone here in harms way.”

“Don’t worry about him. My brother in law is one of the smartest men I’ve ever know. Ballsy as hell, but smart. Even though he seems nonchalant, that man is always four steps ahead of everyone.” Monroe said as I leaned back against the chair.

“Helping you was a calculated decision. His end goal goes much deeper than you can imagine.” He said as he stood up.

“When I asked him to protect you, he made me promise him one thing.” Monroe said hesitantly, making me furrow my brows.

“That if he helps you, we eliminate Corporate completely.” He said. I took a deep breath before I took a large swig from the bottle.

“That’s a suicide mission, Monroe. You know that.” I said emotionlessly.

“And you know that no one ever truly walks away from Corporate.” He said.

“What would he even gain from that?” I asked as I furrowed my brows.

“What every business man wants, money. Corporate is his biggest middle man. If he can eliminate them completely, he can double, if not triple his income generated from its assassins.” Monroe said as he began walking towards the back of the room.

“So he wants to become the new Corporate?” I asked as I looked over at him.

“In a sense, yeah.” Monroe said as he grabbed another bottle from the bar.

“Makes sense though. The worlds most successful arm dealer, selling weapons to assassins and giving them jobs to do, so they could make money and buy more weapons from him.” Monroe said as he opened the bottle.

“What a perfect plan… you know, minus the fact that taking down Corporate is a fucking death wish.” I said as I shook my head. Silence loomed over us once more as we both continued to drink.

“So, brother in law huh?” I asked as I looked over at him.

“Yeah.” Monroe said as he looked down at his bottle. “My sister… she married James young.” Monroe began. Maybe it was the liquor opening him up, but he very rarely spoke about his family.

“They had the type of love that made everyone in the room smile. James absolutely adored her, and did everything he could to give her the best life imaginable.” Monroe said with a small smirk.

“When she told me she was pregnant, they were overjoyed. God, I’ve never seen her so happy.” Monroe said with a smile on his face as he looked up, as if he was recalling the memory.

“What happened to her?” I asked softly.

“She had complications during child birth and… she chose to save Liam instead of herself.” He said, sadness penetrating his voice. He sighed before he took a swig of the bottle, drinking a large portion of it before he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

We sat there talking for hours, but mainly just enjoying each other’s company. Times like these were rare, now more than ever. But it felt nice to just sit here and talk to Monroe as if I wasn’t being hunted down, as if we weren’t assassins that murder for a living, as if we were just family, catching up after not seeing each other.

“Thank you, Monroe. For everything. I can never repay you for what you’ve done, and what you continue to do for me.” I said as I looked up at him. We were standing in the hallway, saying our goodnights.

I gave him a small smile before I stepped forward, hugging him tightly. He was going back tomorrow, and I cherished this small moment, knowing that I won’t know the next time I’ll see him again. He wrapped his arms around me, his hand cupping the back of my head as he held me for a moment.

“I love you.” I said softly. Monroe was the only father figure I ever had in my life. If anything, he played both parental roles for me… he was all I had. He was the man that trained me, raised me, looked out for Maria and I and always had our backs.

“I love you too, kiddo.” He said, his voice gentle. We stayed there for a moment before we said our goodnights and went our separate ways.

I slowly walked through the dark hallway, grateful that the alcohol has numbed the pain in my ribs. I continued down when I passed a door with its light on. It was the office, and somehow, I already knew the frustrated and anger man that lay beyond that door.

I took a deep breath as I stood outside the door, my hand hovering over the wood for a few moments until I finally knocked gently.

“Fuck off.” Liam said, annoyance clear in his tone.

I rolled by eyes as I ignored him, grabbing the handle and opening the door.

He was sitting behind a desk, his hair disheveled and messy, most likely from running his hand through it. Like me, he didn’t bothered to change, and was still wearing the blood stained collared shirt from the restaurant. Papers were scattered on the desk, and he didn’t even bother to look up as I walked into the lavish office.

I watched as he began typing away on his laptop, busy at work as I sat down on the edge of his desk. He ignored me completely, and I sighed as I chose my words carefully.

“You’re right.” I said as I looked over at him. He said nothing as he continued typing. “Maybe staying here isn’t the best idea.” I said. He stopped typing, but he still didn’t look at me.

“I’ll be leaving first thing in the morning, and you’ll never have to hear from me again.” I said before I patted the desk twice before I began to stand up. Liam sighed deeply before he reached his hand across the desk, grabbing mine.

“Stop.” He said, his voice raspy from the screaming that took place hours earlier. He stood up, slowly making his way around the desk until he was standing in front of me.

“Don’t leave.” He said in a soft voice as he pressed his forehead against mine.

“But you were so adamant about it.” I said, turning my head away from him. “I wouldn’t want to stay here and ruin things for you business.” I said with a slight edge to my voice making Liam take a deep breath.

“I didn’t mean what I said.” Liam said after a moment. “You know how I get when I’m angry.”

He gripped my cheeks, turning my head and forcing me to look at him.

“But you lied to me, Mila.” Liam said as he looked down at me.

“I didn’t lie, I just didn’t tell you.” I said.

“Is there a difference? You left me in the dark with this.” Liam said, his eyes narrowing and the grip on my face tightening slightly. “I was completely blindsided.”

“Because I knew you’d react like this. We all knew you’d react like this, so what difference would it make.” I said with annoyance. There were so many times, so many moments that I wanted to tell him the truth.

But like I’ve done my entire life… I was just following orders.

At least that’s what I’ve been telling myself when the guilt started to sink in.

“Besides, your business is the most important thing in the world to you. I’d hate to get in the way of that.” I said as I looked away from him once more.

“God dammit you are fucking infuriating.” Liam said through gritted teeth as he turned my face roughly, forcing me to look at him.

“Mila, you are the most important thing to me, don’t you fucking get that?” He said angrily. “You are the only thing that fucking matters to me.” Liam said, his face inching closer to mine, our noses beginning to graze each other’s.

He placed his free hand on the table next to where I was sitting. With his grip still on my face, he began to lean forward, dipping his head and grazing his lips against mine. Our breaths mingled together before he crashed his lips onto mine.

I could tell this was his way of ending the conversation, that he was done with it. Part of me was grateful, it was a long day, and I was exhausted. But the other part of me scolded myself for avoiding the conflict between us. For pushing the issues we have under the rug, and not addressing it like an adult.

Fuck it.

I closed my eyes, and leaned into the kiss as I wrapped my arms around his neck. He pushed all the paperwork to the side, his laptop along with it, before he roughly laid me down on the table. I hissed in pain from my ribs hitting the wood, making him freeze as his eyes widened.

“Shit.” He hissed as he looked at me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I said as I gripped his shirt and pulled me towards me once more.

He gently moved me towards the edge of the table, guiding my legs to the floor before he gripped my hips. I turned around, letting him unzip my dress before letting it fall to the floor. I leaned my head back onto him as I heard him unbuckle his belt. He placed a hand on my upper back, pushing me down until I was gripping the desk in front of me.

In one quick thrust, he filled me completely, making me inhale sharply in pleasure.

We’ve spent so many nights together, more nights than most of my relationships. There were nights where he cherished my body, kissed every inch of me and made love to me. But tonight was no one of those nights.

No, he didn’t make love to me. He fucked me.

His grip on my hips tightened as he continued thrusting in and out of me, his grunts filling the air along side the slap of his balls against me. I tried to lift my head up, but he shoved it back down. I stared at the wooden desk beneath me, feeling how he was doing everything he usually does… but for some reason… it felt different.

And at the end of it, only one of us found our release.

32

Liam began to come into my room less and less over the next few days. The nights began to grow long for me as I waited for him to come to bed… but he never did. Instead, he would spend his nights in his office, working long hours in isolation.

I used to go in his office, check in on him, try and make any kind of conversation I could. But each time I did, I felt like an annoyance to him. He would just type away on his computer, not even bothering to engage in conversation with me. If anything, he would just flat out ignore me, only to give me a halfhearted apology and blame it on his work.

We hadn’t gone out to eat, or had dinner together either. The only interaction I’ve had with him is when I sit in on his meetings with him, but even those have been going poorly lately. There were some days where he would even attend meetings by himself, leaving the estate without a word only to come back late in the evening. He would occasionally give me a quick kiss on the forehead, or a peck on the lips before returning to his office, but other than that, we didn’t talk much. Actually, there were days where we didn’t talk at all.

I know he was stressed out, I know that he was trying his best to hold everything together, but I felt lonely. I felt ignored and unheard. Even though I tried to fight it, I began to feel resentful. I resented the fact that he had this kind of control over me, over my emotions.

I’ve never cared for relationships. I never longed for one, never wished for anyones attention before. But with Liam… he has me all sorts of fucked up. I missed him. I missed the way we used to talk over dinner, I miss the way he used to hold me while we slept, I miss the way he used to look at me, how he used to kiss me.

It was miserable. I felt as if I couldn’t be alone with my own thoughts, because every thought I had was of missing him. Even when we were in the same room, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of loneliness.

So instead of wallowing in a pool of my own self pity, I kept myself busy. James had tasked me with overseeing the security for the estate, and to say their security was a joke would be an understatement. All their flashy security measures would do nothing to stop anyone with a sliver of skill, so revamping everything was just the distraction I needed.

When I wasn’t working on that, I was with Nova. Usually we would eat in the dining hall, or I would spend some time sparing and training with her. She was one of the best here, and I could tell she was getting better everyday.

And in the evenings instead of spending time alone in my room, waiting for Liam to come by, I instead worked on deciphering the wire transfers, looking at the transfers that occurred within three months of Marias death. It was calming, getting lost within the routing numbers, looking at each account holding wondering if they were going to be the one I get to kill.

I was sitting at my desk, crossing yet another name off my list. One thing I knew about Nadia was that she never liked to have the same people on her crew. I wasn’t sure why, but she was always paranoid that if she saw the same person twice in her crew, they were going to try and kill her. And the wire transfers show proof of that. Each person was different, and she never paid the same person twice.

I inputted the routing number that I was on, waiting for a moment as my computer processed who it belong to. I raised a brow as I saw Feliepe Lombardi’s name pop up on my screen. I stared at his name for a moment as his words echoed through my mind.

She still owes me money from that job. I’ve been trying to track down the little bitch for months.

She paid him.

I opened up his profile. Looking into his accounting and routing number one more time. I recited the numbers in my head, memorizing them quickly before cross referencing them on the list. My eyes scanned the document, looking through page after page until I found what I was looking for.

There was another person Nadia paid, who had the same account and routing information. On the documents, it showed that she paid Feliepe Lombardi, but the money was sent to someone else’s account. Nadia was meticulous, she didn’t make mistakes.

I quickly inputted the account information into my program, waiting for a moment as it processed the data, my eyes staring at the screen in anticipation. When it finally finished processing, I grit my teeth as I saw the name.

Leah LeCroix.

The name that popped up wasn’t unfamiliar to me. It was a woman that I did dozens of missions with. A woman who was known in Corporate as a genius, a revolutionary hacker.

No one ever knew the truth about Leah LeCroix. But rumor has it that she a genius. She could completely destroy any security system from behind a screen. It was even whispered that she hacked into the Pentagon just because she was bored. Her skill, and her genius made it easy for her to climb the Corporate ladder. I’ve known her since I was a girl, and she was apart of the training program at a young age. No one ever knew where she came from, or what her story was. But she rarely talked, always going to her room after training and sitting behind a computer for hours.

She grew up to be an intimidating woman, mainly because you know that she can find out your entire life with a click of a button. She would find out your weaknesses, whether it was your friends, family, any bit of information she can find on you, she would use it against you.

Back when we grew up together, she was Maria’s rival. Leah and her were always top of the class, and the instructors would always put them against each other. Maria would always tell me how frustrating it was going against her, how she was training harder everyday just to beat her. I would watch as Leah would play dirty, breaking nearly every rule just to beat my sister, but in the end, Maria always came out on top.

Everyone knew about Leahs competitive nature, so each time my sister beat her, she grew more and more hateful towards her. So part of me wasn’t surprised that she was apart of the crew that killed her.

I spent hours doing research, spending more time than usual hacking into her bank accounts. I already knew that she was going to add extra cyber protection to everything she was tied to, so I spent most of the night programming software to bypass her security.

After a few hours, I finally thought I had it, only to run my program and hit a wall. I groaned slightly as I hit my head on my desk, closing my burning eyes and resting for a moment. I heard a ping on my computer, and I looked up to my cursor moving across my screen. I furrowed my brows as I watched it move, opening up a notepad before someone began typing.

Hello Mila. Trying to find me?

My heart sank. I knew she was good, but never to this extent. She found me immediately, getting through my own security software with ease.

I’ll save you the trouble. 741 Via Condoli. One hour.

I grit my teeth as I stared at the screen in front of me for a few minutes, waiting for Leah to say something else, but she never did. I narrowed my eyes before checking my security software, kicking her out of my computer before wiping it completely and erasing all of its data.

The address she sent me was for an abandoned warehouse that was under construction not far from here. I stood up, gripping my injured ribs in the process. I did want to wait until I was fully healed before doing anything, but this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. She openly gave me her location, and part of me knew that if I didn’t meet up with her today, it was only a matter of time before she came after me, or even worse, gave my real location to Corporate.

I slowly looked over towards the closet Liam bought for me, the light colored, lavish clothes hung neatly on the hangers. I looked at it for a moment before turning towards my old closet. I walked in, looking at the sea of black clothes and guns. I quickly changed into a casual outfit before I turned to the cases on guns in the center of the room. I quickly opened the case, taking out two handguns, a few knives, and some ammo before walking out of the room.

I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket, walking through the empty hallways as I made my way towards the front door. I glanced over at Liam’s office, surprised to see that the door was open.

Like always, he was behind his desk, his laptop in front of him, papers scattered everywhere. I stood in front of the door, looking over at him. I waited there for a moment, waiting to see if he’d even notice me.

I wasn’t even surprised when he didn’t lift his head, nor acknowledge my presence at all.

33

I stood in front of 741 Via Condoli. The moon illuminated the barren streets around me. It was the middle of the night, and not a single soul was out. It was too quiet for my taste, and I narrowed my eyes slightly before walking towards the building. I fought the urge to grip my still very much broken ribs. As a child, Leah always played dirty, targeting injuries, kicking you while you were down, and I would be surprised if she grew out of it.

My hand was still wrapped up, the stitches healing from my fight with Kenji. My body hurt, ached even. I felt as though I have never fully gotten to recover from my injuries, that I was always thrown into another situation where I had to push through, had to keep fighting.

But I didn’t care. At this point, I just had to stay alive long enough to avenge my sister. After that, I didn’t really care what happened to me.

The location that Leah picked wasn’t just any warehouse. It was the same warehouse that Maria died in. Knowing Leah, she did this on purpose.

I walked through the door, looking around at the empty and barren space. Half of the ceiling was done, leaving a large, gaping hole above us. There were no lights, and only the moonlight from above illuminated the area. Work tables were scattered amongst the edges of the room, different tools scattered on the tops of them.

Sitting in the center of it was Leah. She was sitting on metal chair, a cigarette in her mouth and her head tilted up towards the ceiling. She exhaled, sending the smoke above her as continued looking upward.

“You’re late.” Leah said as she glanced over at me, her British accent still as strong as it was when she was a child.

Her platinum blonde hair was almost white, and was cut short. It was shaved on the sides, the top slightly longer as it fell to one side. Her hooked nose was slightly crooked from when Maria broke it as a child. Her lips were set in an annoyed scowl as she looked me over, come to think of it, I don’t think anyone has ever seen her smile. She was a slender woman, always has been. Her light blue eyes swam with anger as she stared at me, smoke still lingering the air around her.

“I’m right on time.” I said as I lifted a brow.

“Right on time is late.” Leah said as she stood up.

“So, let me guess.” Leah said as she began walking towards me slowly. I narrowed my eyes at her while I watched her every move. “You’re here because of what I did to Maria.” Leah spoke out before she took another puff of her cigarette.

“Yeah.” I said with a small nod.

“Wish I could say I was surprised, but you’re dreadfully predictable.” Leah said as she brought the cigarette up to her lips once more.

“How you managed to stay alive this long is beyond me.” She said with her brow raised.

“I didn’t come here to get lectured, Leah. So let’s just skip to the part where I kill you, yeah?” I said impatiently. I wasn’t in the mood for her shit.

Leah scoffed under her breath before she tossed the cigarette to the side carelessly.

“Let’s hope you’re better than your sister.” She said with a smirk before she began walking towards me.

And that was all I needed to hear. A small part of me wanted to take out my gun, shoot her right between the eyes, and get it over quickly. But that wouldn’t do Maria justice. I wanted Leah to suffer, to spend her last moments on this Earth screaming in agony as I took her life.

A bullet would be too easy, no. I wanted to do this with my bare fucking hands.

I narrowed my eyes as I matched her pace, both of us closing the distance between each other. We began walking faster, and faster, until we quickly began sprinting towards the other. I threw the first punch, and she quickly dodged it before retaliating.

Leah wasn’t just a world class hacker, her skills easily helped her become the S-Rank she was today. She easily was one of the most skilled in all of Corporate and I knew that this wasn’t going to be easy.

I wasn’t sure how long we’ve been fighting for, but I felt the fatigue begin to set in my muscles as my lungs began to burn. I could tell she was also feeling the effects of fatigue from her own breathing. The longer the fight went on, the more mistakes were made. She was getting sloppy, and I was able to land a few hits, but so was she.

I cocked my arm back, aiming it directly for her face. She circled her arm, blocking it before bringing her arm back and trying to send a jab towards my stomach. I blocked it with one hand before quickly pressing forward with my shoulder, pushing here away from me and opening up some space.

I threw another hook towards her, and with both hands, she caught it. She glanced down at my bandaged hand before she bent it backwards, making the stitches stretch and rip underneath. I hissed in pain as she looked at me with a small, wicked grin. She rotated my arm, forcing me to move so my face was facing her before she kicked the small of my back hard. I screamed as my shoulder popped, dislocating out of its socket. I turned back towards her, and with my good arm, I quickly launched a jab towards her stomach which she easily dodged.

I stepped back before I threw a roundhouse kick directly towards her face. She caught my ankle with both of her hands, and while holding my leg up, she quickly kicked the side of my knee, making me buckle. I quickly bent the leg she was holding, bringing myself closer to her as I grabbed the back of her neck with my good hand.

I dropped to my back, bringing my free leg between hers and throwing her over my shoulders as I rolled. Pain coursed through my now swollen shoulder as she quickly tucked her head before landing on her back.

I rolled on top of her, I punched her in the face with my left hand, my right arm limp from being dislocated. I continued throwing more quick jabs before she gripped the hand that I had around her throat and pressed her hips up, bumping me off of her. I quickly rolled to the side as she tried to get on top of me, getting to my feet once more.

Leah ran to me as I got my footing, kicking me in the chest and hitting me directly in the ribs. I couldn’t help the loud, grunt of pain that left my lips. I struggled to breath as I placed my hand on the floor, hunching over as I waited for the pain to stop.

“Interesting.” Leah said slowly as she looked down at me.

She quickly stepped towards me, and she brought her leg back, kicking me once more in the stomach while I was down. Pain radiated throughout my body, it was so intense that my vision began to blur.

“At least Maria put up more of a fight.” Leah scoffed as she kicked me one more time while I was down.

“You know,” Leah said as she bent down beside me. She gripped my hair by the root as she pulled it up, forcing me to look at her.

“I really enjoyed watching her suffer like that. Just really, really gruesome stuff we did to her. Hours and hours of her screaming… it was music to my ears.” She said as she tilted her head.

“And then when I found you I thought… hey, wouldn’t it be nice if Mila, her darling sister, went through the same thing.” Leah said as a small smirk stretched on her lips. “Wouldn’t it just be delightful to relive her last moments? To feel every little thing that we did to her for yourself?”

“She held out for a while… maybe a few hours. But when she broke… oh it was lovely.” Leah said as she stood up and kicked me once more.

“I think she even screamed for you at one point.” Leah said with a small chuckle. My breathing became uneasy as I felt my self control begin to slip away. Leah knew what she was doing, she was trying to get under my skin, trying to get a reaction from me. She always did love playing with her prey, and

I grit my teeth, fighting through the stabbing pain in my chest and my shoulder as I quickly got up, wrapping my good arm around the back of her knees and tackling her to the ground.

I yelled out as I got on top of her once more. I began slamming my knuckles into her face as I yelled out in anger, relentlessly throwing jab after jab after jab with one hand. Blood began to splatter on the pavement next to us as she attempted to push me off of her. She tried to grab my wrist, but I roughly yanked it back before I continued my assault.

Her face was drenched in blood as her body began to stop moving underneath me. But I couldn’t control myself. I kept punching her, kept going even after my knuckles spit, after she stopped moving.

Her face was almost unrecognizable when I was done, and I sat there, staring down at her as I tried to catch my breath. I bent down, placing my hands on her neck to check for a pulse, relieved that there was still one, even if it was weak.

I took a deep breath as I slowly got off of her. I grabbed one of her hands, dragging her to the chair she was sitting on before walking over to the tables in the corner of the room. I grabbed some rope before I walked back to her. I got her up onto the chair before tying her to it. It was difficult with a dislocated shoulder, but I managed. I sat down in front of her, trying to catch my breath and calm my temper. I took off my jacket, making it into a temporary sling for my arm as I patiently waited for her to wake up.

---

Four hours. It took her four hours to regain consciousness. I twirled the knife in my hand as Leah began to stir in her chair. Most of the blood on her face had dried, but I knew that from the damage I did to her, that I would have less time with her than I would have wanted.

“The fuck.” She said as she began to lift her head up. She looked at me for a moment before a scowl stretched on her lips.

“Morning.” I said as I stood up from my own chair and began walking over to her. While she was unconscious, I rearranged a table to that it was next to her.

“You already know what I’m going to ask you.” I said as I walked over to her. Her scowl grew even deeper as she looked up at me.

“And you already know, that no matter what you do to me, I’m not gonna tell you shit.” Leah said as she looked back at me, making me chuckle slightly.

I walked over to her, reaching into her pocket until I felt her box of cigarettes. I pulled them out, making sure to grab the lighter as well.

“I’ve never been much of a smoker.” I said as I grabbed her lighter. I put the cigarette in my mouth, inhaling as I lit it before exhaling the smoke.

“But, I think I’ll make an exception today.” I said as I puffed it once more, making sure it was well lit. I took the cigarette in my hands, pressing it against Leah’s neck, making sure it was the exact spot they did to to on Maria. She winced at the pain, making sure to keep a straight face.

“You think a little burn is going to make me talk?” She said with annoyance after I was finished. “I’d rather die then tell you who else was in that crew.”

“Why be so stubborn?” I asked as I looked down at her. “Everyone else happily gave me names before their death.”

“Of course they would. No one gives a fuck about anyone in this industry.” Leah said as she tilted her head. “But I would rather die then let you get the satisfaction of revenge.”

“You know, I had quite a bit of time while I waited for you to wake up.” I said after a moment as I pulled out another cigarette, lighting it before putting it on the other side of her neck.

“I considered torturing you myself but.. I already know that Corporate has trained you on how to handle most of the methods I know.” I said as I tilted my head. “So I called in a favor.”

The door immediately flew open, and Nova walked in with two large briefcases in her hands. She was wearing all black, her hair tied in a neat ponytail.

She glanced over at Leah, examining her bloody face before turning over to me.

“Jesus, Mila. Your shoulder.” She said as she walked over to the table, roughly placing the briefcases on top of it.

“No questions asked?” I said as I raised a brow. She quickly walked over to me, removing my makeshift sling before she examined the damage.

“Fine, but you owe me one.” Nova said. “Deep breath.” She said, I inhaled as she quickly popped my shoulder back into place, making me wince slightly.

“Of course.” I said with a small smile as I began to move my shoulder around. It was still swollen and hurt like hell, but at least I could move it again.

“I mean, you owe me a no questions asked. No matter how fucked up.” Nova said as she looked at me with her brow raised.

“So, am I killing her or saving her?” She said once more as she walked over to Leah. She placed her hands behind her back as she began to slowly walk around her, examining her current wounds.

“Extracting information.” I said as I sat back down.

“Got it, so I’m killing her.” Nova said with a nod. She quickly walked over to the table and opened the briefcases. Inside was different tools, most of them I’ve never seen before. Each one looked menacing, and I could only imagine the pain she has caused with each one.

I walked over to Nova as she grabbed a pair of gloves from the briefcase. I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as she grabbed a small object, twirling it in her hands slowly.

“This is personal for me. She killed someone very dear to me. So if you could…” I said.

“Say less.” Nova said with a small nod. She quickly put the device back in the briefcase before picking up a larger one.

“Who else was in the crew?” I asked as I stood in front of Leah.

“Go fuck yourself.” Leah said as she lifted her chin up and narrowed her eyes. I nodded over to Nova, who quickly got to work.

I’ve seen Nova’s work before, but this… this was overkill. I’ve never seen such a sadistic display of torture in my life, and even I was surprised that Leah lasted as long as she did. But at the end of it, she was covered in blood, crying out in agony for it to stop.

“I’ll ask you again then, who was the last person in the crew?” I asked as I crossed my arms.

“This… this will ne-never s-s-… stop.” Leah said before she began coughing, blood dripping out of the corner of her mouth. “I…I made sure… of it…” She said, and with a weak smile she let out one breath of a laugh.

“Last person…” Leah chucked slightly. “You… you already…know them.” She said weakly.

“Ke… Ke… Kenji…” Leah managed to get out as her eyes drooped. “A…and…” She said, making my eyes widen slightly.

“Oh fuck, I might have overdone it.” Nova said as she furrowed her brows. She quickly walked over to the suitcase, pulling out a needle of clear liquid. She walked over, sticking it into Leahs chest quickly before looking up at her face.

I watched as Leahs eyes closed completely as her head went limp and fell forward.

“Fuck.” Nova said as she opened Leahs eyes, checking them for a moment before she began slapping her face in an attempt to wake her up. I watched as Nova checked her vitals before slowly looking back at me.

“Fuck… she’s gone.” Nova said.

34

Nova and I walked into the Knight estate covered in blood, her more so than I.

“Thank you.” I said as I glanced over her. I was limping, badly, and thankfully she was walking slowly to allow me to keep up with her pace.

“You know, I would never turn down an opportunity to torture someone.” Nova said with an evil smirk. “She was tough too, I usually never get to do fun shit like I did on her.”

Crazy. This woman was crazy.

“About what she said…” I began.

“Save it.” Nova said as she raised her hand up. “Your business, is your own.” She said seriously. I looked at her for a moment, thankful that she didn’t pry. We turned the corner, and I hissed in pain as I ran into a body that felt as though it was made of steel.

I gripped my ribs, holding them tightly as I stepped back. I looked up to see Liam, looking down at me with anger swimming in his brown eyes.

“Where the fuck have you been?” He said.

“Out.” I replied as I looked up at him. His jaw clenched, and I could tell that he knew that was the best answer he was going to get from me.

“Where was she?” Liam said as he looked over at Nova. His tone was threatening and his hands were balled into fists. “Tell me, that’s an order.”

“She called me cause her rib was hurting, so I handled it.” Nova said as she looked back at Liam.

“You’re drenched in blood.” Liam said as he narrowed his eyes.

“Her rib was really hurting,” Nova said after a moment. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m bleeding all over your fancy floor and I need to shower.” She simply said before she turned on her heel, leaving us alone in the hallway.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Liam said as I began to limp away from him.

“You think you can just leave without telling me? When there’s god knows how many assassins out there trying to kill you?” Liam said as he walked after me. He tried to place his arm around my waist.

“Why do you care?” I said as I pushed him off of me. “You don’t even talk to me.”

“What do you want me to say?” He snapped.

Everything that I felt the past few weeks began to boil to the surface. The frustration, the loneliness, the resentment, the anger I felt towards him. The problems we continuously ignored now became a rift between us, a rift that neither of us knew how to navigate.

I started walking away from him, but stopped as I felt him grip my shoulder. He quickly turned to to face him before he drug me into his office.

He pushed me inside, making me take a step forward before he slammed the door behind him. He quickly closed the distance between us, pressing me against the wall.

“Sorry I’ve been busy cleaning up the mess you made.” Liam said through gritted teeth as he dipped his head lower. Our noses were grazing each other as he glared down at me.

“Do you even comprehend what my family has lost because of you?” He said seriously as he held me in place. I looked up at him, feeling a sting of guilt.

“My father doesn’t know this… but we are about to lose everything, Mila. Everything. Everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve built, everything is at stake. So I’m sorry if I haven’t talked to you as much, or given you enough attention, but I’m trying, Mila. I’m trying to hold everything together by myself and it’s fucking hard.” Liam said, his tone transforming from anger to frustration. His grip on my shoulder loosened as it slid down my arm. He took a deep breath as he rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes.

“If I don’t fix this… the entire business will go under in a manner of months,” Liam said after a moment, making me furrow my brows.

“You will figure this out.” I said, cupping his face. “I know you will.”

“Yet every time I do figure something out, I’m scolded for it. Made out to look like the bad guy for doing whatever it takes to keep up afloat.” Liam said. He slammed his hand on the wall next to my head in anger. Silence filled the air as Liam took a deep breath, attempting to control his breathing.

“Liam, I-” I began as I brought my thumb across his cheek. He tilted his head, leaning against my hand as he closed his eyes for a moment. But this closeness I’ve been craving was short-lived, and was quickly interrupted by someone knocking on the door.

Liam quickly took a step back, leaving my hand still extended where his cheek was. I dropped my hand as I took a step forward, quickly regaining my composure as the door handle turned.

We watched as James walked in the room, a worried expression on his face as he stared at his son.

“Someone’s here for you.” He said quickly. His tone was rushed, worried even.

“I’m busy.” Liam said as he walked over to his desk.

“I think… you’ll want to make time for this one, son.” James said. “They’re also not taking no for an answer.”

James looked over at me, and tilted his head in confusion as he took in my appearance. He grabbed his pocket square, opening it as he walked towards me.

“You have… a little something.” He said as he motioned towards his face. I grabbed the pocket square as I wiped my cheek, not surprised when I saw the blood that now stained the light fabric.

“Fuck, bring them in.” Liam said to a guard in the hallway as he sat at his desk. He nodded quickly before he scurried off. I said nothing as James sat down, and I began walking towards the door, silently taking my leave.

“Stay.” Liam said, making me look over my shoulder. “We’ll finish our conversation after this meeting.”

I let out a breath before I walked back to the corner of the wall, leaning against it as I crossed my arms. After a few moments, the guards escorted a woman into the office. She was accompanied by a guard of her own, and I watched the man as he stood on the other side of the room, placing his hands behind his back as he eyed me cautiously.

She was older, probably in her mid-fifties. Her black hair was cut into a sharp bob, barely touching her shoulders. Even with little or no makeup, her tan skin was flawless. She was a slender woman, and wore a stylish blue blazer and slacks. Her brown eyes were piercing, intimidating even. Her upturned nose and high cheekbones made her look more like a model, but I knew from her demeanor that she deadly, lethal even.

“Juliet Estrada II. But you can call me Jules.” She said, her Spanish accent dripping off her words as she walked right up to Liam and extended out her hand.

“Liam Knight.” He said as he stood up and shook her hand. He motioned for her to sit down next to his father.

“Now, Jules, may I ask what is so important that you show up at my home unannounced?” Liam said, failing to hide his annoyance.

“I wanted to discuss business.” She said as she reached over to the side table next to her chair. She grabbed the glass bottle of whiskey before pouring herself a glass.

“Well, I hate to tell you this, but you’re already off to a poor start,” Liam said as he narrowed his eyes. Juliet smirked at him as she took a sip of the dark liquor.

“I apologize for my unexpected visit. It’s just… word has traveled about your contracts. Or might I say, the loss of a certain one.” She said, making Liam clench his jaw in annoyance.

“I came here with a proposition that could be beneficial for both us.” She said with a smile.

“I’m listening,” Liam said as he leaned back in his chair.

“I currently run one of the largest drug trades in the world, Mr. Knight. As you can already imagine, guns are a necessity in our line of work.” She said as she crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair.

“I’ll stop you right there,” Liam said as he narrowed his eyes at her. “We stopped doing deals with large drug organizations years ago. Every time we did it ended poorly for us.” He said as he tapped his finger lightly against his desk.

“I’m aware.” She said with a small smile.

“But you underestimate the size of my organization, Mr. Knight, and excuse me if I am being to straightforward when I say that given the situation you are in, it would be wise to listen to my proposition.” She said, making me raise a brow at the woman.

She’s got moxie. I could only imagine the backbone of a woman in her industry. But one look at Liam and I could tell that he wasn’t impressed by her bravado. If anything he looked as if he was going to end the meeting at any moment. But to my surprise, he bit his tongue, simply raising a brow and waiting for the woman to continue.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how much was Corporate paying you to supply their organization?” She asked as she took another sip of her whiskey. Liam stared at her as if he was debating telling her the truth.

“Five hundred million,” Liam said after a moment. I glanced over at James, who looked over at his son for a moment. I knew immediately from that interaction that Liam was lying.

“Hmph,” Juliet said before she sipped on her whiskey once more. “I will fill that contract on one condition.” She said, making Liam lean forward in his chair.

“I’m listening.” He said as he interlaced his fingers on his desk.

“I’ve been having issues with the De Leon brothers. They have started to sell on my territory, and are proving to be more troublesome than I originally anticipated. I know of your territory struggles with them in America.” She said.

“If I sign a contract with you, I want your guarantee, your promise, that you will take them out. As well as terminate all your contracts with the smaller organizations within our territories.” She said.

“That’s quite a proposition from someone whom I just met,” Liam said as he narrowed his eyes.

“Yes, I expected some skepticism. After all, I am aware of what happened the last time you did business with my family.” She said as he looked over to her guard. She nodded towards him, and he quickly walked out of the room.

“I don’t recall doing any business with Estradas,” Liam said as he furrowed his brows.

“No, but you have done business with my brother, Fernando Ramos.” She said as she tilted her head. I watched as Liam and James both froze.

“Don’t worry. He was killed a few months ago, the De Leon brothers made sure of that.” She said as she poured herself another glass of whiskey. “I was never fond of my brother’s methods, and I can guarantee you that I am nothing like that tyrant.” She scoffed before she took another sip of glass.

“Given our family’s past, I want to offer another deal, a sign of goodwill between our organizations.” She said as she finished her drink, placing the glass on the table beside her.

“A marriage between you and my niece.” She said.

My heart sank. I knew that this was what this world was like… that arranged marriages were nothing more than contractual agreements. But Liam couldn’t seriously be thinking of agreeing to this… he couldn’t seriously be considering this.

The door opened, and my eyes stayed glued onto Liam as a young woman walked through the door.

“Olivia.” Liam breathed as he shot up from his seat.

35

Olivia was one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.

Her long, wavy black hair reached down to her hips. Her brown eyes were soft, gentle. Her upturned nose, plump cheeks, and heart shaped lips made her look somewhat innocent. She was around my height, and looked young. Her tan skin was flawless, as if it was never touched, or scarred, or ruined from combat. The light pink dress she was wearing grazed as she gracefully walked into the office.

Her eyes began to water as she stared at Liam, and I couldn’t help but look between the two. Liams brows furrowed slightly, and his breathing became unsteady as he took her in.

“Hi Liam.” She said softly, a smile forming on her lips. Even her voice was angelic and tender.

“I thought you were dead.” He said, his voice having an uneasiness I never heard before.

“Her father, that tyrant, would do anything to maintain her purity, even at the extent of her own happiness.” Juliet said as she looked over at her niece.

“If I remember correctly, you two were quite fond of each other as children. He hated that. So, in typical Fernando fashion, he took excessive measures to keep you two apart.” Juliet said before she rolled her eyes and took a sip of her whiskey once more.

Silence filled the air, no one knowing how to react to this situation. James was staring at Olivia, occasionally glancing over at his son with his brow furrowed. Liam and Olivia continued to gaze into each other’s eyes, while Juliet continued to drink her whiskey.

I felt like the air was quickly leaving the room. My head began to spin as I continued to look over at Liam, waiting… hoping that he’d rip his attention off of her. That he’d tell Juliet that her proposition was insane, that he refuses to marry her.

Time felt as if it wasn’t moving, like we were frozen waiting in anticipation, all waiting to hear Liams answer. His brows furrowed slightly as he glanced over in my direction, then quickly back to Olivia.

“Please, take some time to think about my proposition. I’m sure this is… quite overwhelming.” Juliet said with a smile as rotated her wrist, stirring her drink while she looked at Liam.

“Please, reach out once you’ve come to your decision.” Juliet said as she placed her glass down and stood up.

“Juliet,” James said as he stood up next to her. “We’d love for you to stay, at least for dinner. I know the flight from Mexico was a long one. And if you would like to stay the night, we have more than enough room to accommodate you and your guards.” He said politely.

“Tomorrow we are hosting a soirée. We would love if you all would attend.” James so cordially.

“Hm. We would love that, thank you James.” Juliet said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. I tuned out their conversation as my eyes stayed glued on Liam. He was still standing there, staring at Olivia as if the two were alone in the room.

I limped over to the whiskey bottle that Juliet was drinking from, poured myself a large glass, and downed it in one go before slamming the glass on the side table. This must have been loud enough to pull Liam’s attention for once, and I gripped my ribs as I began walking out of the door.

“Mila,” he said quickly as he looked over at me. I ignored him, and I simply just walked out of the office, slamming the door behind me.

I clenched my jaw as I walked down the hallway, waiting for him follow me like he usually does, waiting for him to yell after me for walking away from him, waiting for him to come.

My heart fluttered slightly as I heard the sound of footsteps behind me, and I turned over my shoulder only to be met with disappointment when I saw James walking towards me.

“Mila, may I speak with you for a moment.” James said as he motioned for me to walk into a nearby room. I nodded before following him into the room. I looked at him as he closed the door behind him.

“I’m sorry that you had to sit through that while injured, and I promise that this’ll be quick.” James said as his brows furrowed in worry.

“I’m… unsure about all of this.” James said as he placed his hands behind his back and began pacing slowly back and forth.

“Her brother was a menace, and I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t happy to hear of his recent death.” James said.

“But even though Juliet has said she doesn’t agree with his ways, I still don’t fully trust her. I’m sure she means well, but…” James said as he looked over at me.

“I need you to stay on guard while they are here, and please make sure that nothing happens to Liam.” James said.

“I’d like you to be at the dinner tonight, and any event where they may be at in the future just to ensure Liam’s safety. You already do a wonderful job protecting him, but if you could… just stay extra close to him. At least while they are here. Just in case.” James said with a small smile.

Part of me wondered if James would assign me this task if he knew I was fucking his son. If he knew I had feelings for him, and that the thought of him with another woman is slowly tearing me to shreds.

I thought about telling him the truth, telling him what Liam really is to me and that this task would be a conflict of interest.

But instead, I simply nodded before walking out of the room.

---

It’s been a few hours since that meeting, and I got myself cleaned up before I went the infirmary where Nova examined my ribs once more.

“Congratulations, you’ve managed to break two more.” Nova said as she looked at me with a brow raised. I didn’t say anything as I gripped the edge of the bed and stared at the floor. Putting on a shirt with this amount of swelling didn’t seem like the best idea, so I slowly and carefully put on a zip up jacket before standing up.

“Hey, are you okay?” Nova asked as she looked at me with her brow raised.

“I’m fine.” I said, but even I could tell by my tone that I was anything but.

“What makes you think you can lie to me?” Nova said with a deadly expression on her face.

“I’m not?” I lied.

“Oh, don’t you bullshit me, I can see it on your face. You’re not very hiding it, and frankly, you look miserable. Now tell me what’s wrong.” She said aggressively. I waited for a moment before I sighed.

I didn’t like talking about my personal life, and I hated talking about my feelings. But it was boiling over, and after weeks of building up I felt as if I would explode at any moment. Besides, if there was anyone I would let into my life here, it would be Nova.

“Let’s take a walk.” I said as I slowly began walking out of the door. Nova followed after me, slowing her pace down so we could walk side by side.

We walked down the hallway for a bit until we reached a balcony. And we sat there, looking over the garden and watching the sunset as I told her everything. I told her about Corporate, Maria, Liam… everything that’s happened over the past few months. I told her about my relationship with Liam and about the proposal from Juliet. I felt so vulnerable, but it also felt good to finally let it all out. It was as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders, and I was grateful that Nova said nothing as she let me vent, listening intensely to my story.

“Well shit.” She said once I finally finished. We looked towards the balcony to hear a woman laughing, and I narrowed my eyes as I saw Liam and Olivia walking through the garden.

“You know, I only save this for emergencies but,” Nova said as she reached into her jacket and pulled out a flask. She quickly unscrewed the lid before handing it to me. I gladly accepted it, taking a large swig of whatever liquid was inside. I quickly winced as my throat began to burn.

“What is this?” I asked as I wiped my mouth.

“Moonshine.” She said as she reached for the flask, taking a large swig.

“So, that’s her?” Nova said, nodding towards Olivia and Liam beneath us.

“Yeah.” I said as I leaned back in my chair. Nova squinted her eyes for a moment before she handed me the flask once more.

“You know… she kinda looks like you. Not exactly like you, but enough to notice.” She said as she tilted her head.

I said nothing as I took the flask once more, watching as the two strolled through the rose bushes. I watched as Liam took off his jacket before gently draping it over her shoulders.

The only thing we had in common were our tan skin, our black hair, and brown eyes. But other than that, I didn’t see the resemblance.

“I could kill her, you know.” Nova said seriously as she looked over at me. “Quick and easy, middle of the night, sneak in her room, pillow over her face, pull the trigger, bam. Easy.”

“Actually, now that I think of it, I could kill him too. I’d be out of a job probably, but I could get it done.” Nova said as she tapped a finger on her bottom lip. I chuckled slightly at her words.

“Trust me, I thought about. Not worth it.” I simply said.

“Do you think he’s gonna take the offer?” Nova said after a moment as she looked at me.

“I’m not sure anymore.” I said.

“I can’t imagine being trapped in a relationship with some stranger.”

“Neither can I.”

Truth is, I’m not sure whether he’ll accept the proposal or not. If there’s one thing I know about Liam Knight, it’s that this business comes before anything. It’s more important than friends, family… lovers. There’s a part of me that’s still holding onto the hope that he’ll say no. That he’ll reject the woman he once loved, the woman he thought he lost. But there’s another part of me, the more logical part, that’s telling me to cut my losses, to let him go.

We haven’t been the best lately, if anything, our relationship or whatever we were doing was unstable. Nadia was the only serious relationship I’ve been in, that that was toxic as hell. I wasn’t sure how to navigate a relationship, let alone make one work. But for him… I’d try. I’d try to understand him, try harder to make this work.

But I guess what was killing me the most, was that this was out of my control. That I was just sitting here, waiting for Liam to make up his mind… waiting to see if I would be the one that Liam chose.

36

I went to the dinner a bit more drunk that I would have liked to. We ate in the dining hall, and it was the first time I saw Liam eating within the walls of his own home. I stayed quiet the entire time, watching as Liam and Olivia chatted amongst themselves on the other side of the table.

Turns out Olivia’s father faked her death and sent her to an all girl boarding school in the states. She went to Harvard, studied international law, and graduated top of her class. She’s been handing the legal side of things for her family’s business ever since. She also runs a number of charities, mainly working towards helping homeless women and children all around the world.

But for most of the dinner, they chatted amongst themselves, laughing on their end of the table as I sat silently, drowning myself in the endless glasses of wine the servers brought over. I watched as Olivia whispered something into Liam’s ear, making him smile… making him chuckle under his breath. He would occasionally look over at me, stiffening his back and tensing as we made eye contact. But most of the time, I simply took another sip of my wine and looked away, unable to look at him.

As soon as the dinner was over, I shot up from my seat, leaving the dining hall as quick as I could. Today was exhausting, and all I wanted to do was go to my room and pass out. I hard the sound of footsteps behind me, and I ignored them as I quickly turned the corner.

I slammed the door to my room, locking it before pressing my back against it. I stayed there for a moment, listening as he tried to open my door. I took a deep breath, listening to him sigh loudly before his footsteps began to echo through the hallway.

---

The next day I woke up to the sound of maids and servers scurrying through the hallways. Today was the stupid soirée James was hosting, and I scowled as I got up from my bed. I looked out my window, confused as I saw the sun setting. I guess my body finally gave into my exhaustion, and I accidentally slept the entire day. I got up, stretching my stiff and sore body before walking over to my computer, hoping that work would get my mind off of everything that was happening.

When I double checked Nadia’s records, Kenji’s name was on the list, but he received his payment a month before the range I was checking. Felipe said there were four on the crew that killed my sister, and Leah confirmed that Kenji was the last, but something didn’t sit right with me.

Ke…Ken… Ke… Kenji…A…and…

Those were the last words she was able to mummer before she died. I wasn’t sure if she was just trying to talk more shit to me in her last breath, or if she was trying to give me another name.

But I was quickly pulled from my thoughts from the sound of someone knocking on my door, and I quickly shut my laptop before walking over to open it.

Nova was standing there, in a long navy gown that caresses the floor. Her hair was put up in a tight bun, and for the first time, she was wearing makeup.

“You aren’t ready?” she said as she looked at me and tilted her head.

“I just woke up.” I said, my eyes still half closed. “When does this thing start?” I said as I wiped the sleep from my eyes.

“Right now, and James is looking for you so you better hurry the up.” She said as she looked me up and down before walking into my room.

“Fuck.” I said as I quickly walked towards the closet. I stopped for a moment, looking at the door that led to the closet that Liam bought for me. I took a deep breath before I walked over and opened the door. I turned on the light, walking through the light colored clothes before I picked a blush colored dress.

I quickly threw it on, wincing as I tried to zip up the back of it. Nova must have heard me, and she quickly walked into the room and helped me.

I looked in the mirror as Nova zipped the back of the dress, admiring how the fabric clung to my waist before cascading down to the floor. It was a simple dress, the thin straps were delicate, and the neckline was low enough to show a bit of cleavage, but not too much.

“Oh, he’s going to lose it over you tonight.” Nova said with a wicked smile before she gently guided me towards the bathroom.

“We have exactly five minutes to make Liam regret every life decision he’s ever made.” She said as she tapped a makeup brush against her palm. Nova worked fast, but beautifully, and when she was finished I couldn’t help but smile. I’ve been to countless balls, charity events, and gatherings with Liam, but for the first time, I actually felt comfortable, beautiful, and confident in what I was wearing.

We quickly made our way downstairs to the garden, maneuvering through the crowd that already began to gather. Servers weaved in and out of the crowd, handing out a variety of drinks. They garden had fairy lights above it, illuminating the beautiful flowers beneath them. Like always, everyone was dressed in gowns, mingling amongst themselves. The giant staircase that led up to the second floor was adorned with flowers, most of them light pink and white all in planters of all sizes.

I wasn’t phased anymore by the extravagance of the entire affair. If anything, I was bored of it. Bored of the dancing, the meaningless small talk, the fake relationships. At this point, the only thing I looked forward to was the expensive liquor.

But as I looked around the garden, I noticed lilies. They were everywhere, and the large planters that housed them were scattered amongst the garden, filling up the space with the fresh aroma. They were also the centerpiece of every table. The food was also familiar, and I looked around at the trays to see that it was catered from an Italian restaurant Liam often took me to. I couldn’t help the flood of sadness that washed over me as I remembered my time with Liam. The fresh lilies he used to have delivered to my room, the dates we went on, the nights we shared together.

I grabbed a drink off a nearby tray, looking around the room until I spotted James talking with Juliet in the corner of the garden. I downed half my drink before walking over to them.

“Mila, you look lovely!” James said as he gave me a hug, gently pressing his cheek against mine.

“Thank you. You did a wonderful job hosting. The lilies are a nice touch.” I said as I looked around the room.

“Thank you, they were actually Juliet’s idea.” James said as he smiled at Juliet.

“They’ve always been Olivia’s favorite.” Juliet said as she glanced around the room.

“You don’t say?” I said as I tilted my head slightly before downing my drink in one go.

“I do hope Olivia is still a fan of Al Prato, if I do recall, her and Liam were rather fond of the restaurant as children.” James said with a small smile as I clenched my jaw.

I placed my empty glass on a a tray, quickly replacing it with a stronger drink.

“Oh, please. I think now would be a good time to make the announcement.” James said to Juliet as he motioned towards the staircase. I watched them with furrowed brows as they walked up the staircase, James holding his hand out for Juliet. She held onto his hand, and with her other hand she grabbed her gown, pulling it up so it was easier to walk up the stairs. A crowd gathered at the bottom, watching as the two ascended the staircase.

“I wanted to thank everyone for coming out tonight.” James said loudly as he held up his glass. The crowd around him began clapping cordially before quieting down to listen to him.

“I know we do these soirées often, but I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to announce some exciting news.” James said, making my heart drop.

“I wanted to use this evening to celebrate the engagement of my son, Liam, and his beautiful fiancée, Oliva Ramos.” James said as he raised his glass up.

The doors behind them opened, revealing Olivia and Liam as applause and cheers filled the air. Her hand was wrapped around his arm, and they were both smiling as they walked out onto the staircase. She was wearing a light pink dress, similar to mine. He placed his hand over hers as they smiled out into the crowd.

My breathing became uneasy as my mind began to spin. Before I knew it, the glass slipped from my hand, shattering on the floor beneath me, and causing a few people to turn and look in my direction. But I didn’t care. My eyes were glued to Liam as he glanced down at me, the smile on his face fading as we made eye contact. Tears began to line my eyes, and before one had the chance to fall, I quickly turned on my heel, walking into the house and away from the commotion.

As soon as I was inside the house, I turned the corner, opened a random door to a bedroom, and walked in to make sure I was alone. I slammed the door behind me before I pressed my back up against the wall. I threw my head back, hitting it against the wall behind me as I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall.

The last time I cried was when Maria died, and even though everything in my life has managed to go to shit since then, I resisted the urge to breakdown. I resisted the urge to fall apart. I felt weak, fragile as I broke down in the hallway, giving into the emotions I’ve suppressed the past few months. The stress, the anxiety… the heartbreak. I let all of it go as the tears streamed down my face.

The door opened quickly, and Liam walked in, his eyes wide as he saw me.

“Mila,” He breathed.

Suddenly, the sadness I felt vanished and was replaced by rage.

“You didn’t even have the decency to tell me yourself?” I screamed as I pressed off against the wall and pushed him away from me.

“I was going to last night but you locked me out.” He said.

“Right, so it’s my fault!” I said as I threw my hands up. “Like always, it’s my fucking fault.”

“What do you want me to do, huh?” Liam screamed in my face. “I have to fucking do this!”

“You don’t have to do shit!” I screamed back.

“I have to clean up the mess you made Mila, and right now this is the only way!” He yelled.

“Oh, fuck off.” I said as I pushed him once more. “Stop acting like you’re so high and mighty, Liam. Like everything you do is selfless and for the family and the business,” I screamed, my hands balled into fists at my side.

“The only reason why you’re doing this is because you want to do this!” I screamed.

“I’m not an idiot. I see the way you look at her, Liam.” I said, my voice cracking slightly.

“Do you love her?” I asked as I tilted my head. Liam stared at me, his eyes wide before he quickly closed the distance between us.

“I love you!” He breathed as he cupped my face. His voice cracked slightly and his brows furrowed.

“But not as much as her, right?” I asked again as I glared at him, the tears beginning to pool in my eyes as he said nothing.

“Mila, please can we just-” He said as he tried to walk towards me once more.

“Oh god.” I said under my breath as I walked away from him, running my hands through my hair.

“You never stopped loving her, did you?” I said as I looked back at him, the pain in my voice evident. “Did you?” I yelled.

“You don’t think I noticed how similar we look? What was it… did you see her when you looked at me? When you fucked me? Was that all I was to you? A replacement ?” I yelled at him. He stood there, his jaw clenched and a pained expression on his face as he stared at me. I scowled as I began taking off the pair of earrings that he gave me before I threw it at him. He didn’t even try to defend himself, letting the gold jewelry hit him in the face.

“What, did you think that if you bought me her favorite flowers and took me to her favorite restaurant and dressed me like her that one day I’d just be her ?!” I screamed as I ripped off the necklace he gave me, sending the pearls falling to the floor.

“Mila…I…” He said as he ran a hand through his hair before letting out a deep sigh.

And for the first time, Liam Knight was at a loss for words.

I wasn’t sure what hurt more, the fact that I was right, or the fact that he wasn’t even trying to defend himself against my accusations.

I took a deep breath, regaining my composure before I walked towards the door.

“Mila, please just let me-” Liam said as he took a step towards me, grabbing my wrist.

“Save it.” I said as I stripped his grip off my wrist. “Whatever this is… whatever we had… it’s done.” I said as I walked away from him.

“Congratulations on your engagement.” I said sarcastically before I opened the door and walked out. I looked to my right to see Olivia standing there, her brown eyes wide as she looked at me.

I stared at her for a moment before turning on my heel and walking away without a word. I went down the hallway until I reached the a bathroom and I quickly walked inside and locked the door behind me. I looked in the mirror, furrowing my brows at the woman I saw.

My makeup was running. All of Nova’s work running down my cheeks in black, muddied lines. The dress that I felt so confident in, so comfortable in felt as if it was suffocating me. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see myself, I saw a reflection of her… of Olivia. Dressed up how Liam wanted me to be, acting how Liam wanted me to act.

Maybe that’s why we didn’t get along at first, I didn’t match his image of what Olivia should be. He always discouraged me from making a scene, arguing, sticking up for myself… from being myself. He didn’t like me doing anything that wasn’t ladylike, or fit in his paradigm of what he thought she would be.

I quickly straightened my back and lifted my chin, quickly regaining my composure before I wiped away a stray tear that was falling down my cheek. I quickly grabbed a tissue, dabbing my eyes and cleaning myself up while taking a few deep breaths.

My job was to protect Liam, but right now, I felt as though I was the biggest threat to him.

But I was a professional above all else, something that my temporary lapse of morals and judgement made me forget. I was here for a job, because at the end of the day, that’s all he is to me now.

A job. A task. A body I had to protect.

So with my head held high, I opened the door walked into the hallway, grabbing a drink off a nearby tray before I made my way back into the garden.

37

I sat by myself, drinking liquor and watching from the second story balcony as everyone celebrated the new couple. I watched for a while as Liam and Olivia walked through the party, shaking hands and conversing.

She was a natural. Poised, polite, charming, and beautiful. She didn’t get the same looks that I did when I used to walk beside Liam. She didn’t get the looks of disgust, the scowls that followed in my wake. I would often see everyone dote on her as they laughed at her wit and humor, looking at her with admiration as she walked away. She was perfect for this world, for the political games that Liam loved to play.

I sighed as I looked up at the sky, finishing my drink in one go before waving my hand, calling over the server who has been attending to me. After my breakdown, I slipped the server a few hundred dollars to make sure my glass was never empty, and it was the best investment I’ve made in my life so far. He quickly switched out my glass before I took a sip of the fresh whiskey.

This where I preferred to be. In the background, watching those around me. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I hated these events with a passion. I hated walking around and talking the entire night to these fucks pretending I gave a damn about them. I suppose the only reason I humored Liam was because I cared about him.

I looked down at the garden, watching as Olivia excused herself before walking away, leaving Liam to talk to a group of men. After a few moments of being alone, Liam looked up at me. Instantly a scowl stretched across my lips, and I rolled my eyes before taking a sip of my liquor and looking away from him.

“Oh, well if it isn’t the body guard.” A woman said from behind me. I lazily looked over my shoulder at her, and saw a group of women walking beside her.

It was Amora Lavella, the leader of a new up and coming Mafia here in Italy. She was also the first job I did with Liam. Her platinum blond hair was stick straight, and her exaggerated winged eyeliner was so sharp it looked as if it could cut someone. Like everyone else, she was wearing a long, expensive gown that shimmered underneath the lights. She was also a regular at these events, and I’ve noticed her presence at every single one.

“Such wonderful news about the happy couple.” She said with a wicked smile as she looked down at Liam.

“Sure is.” I said before I took another sip of my whiskey.

“Oh, why so glum?” She said as she tilted her head. “You didn’t really think that you two would work out did you?” Amora said, making me grit my teeth in annoyance. She gasped slightly, noticing my demeanor.

“You did, didn’t you? Oh… and here I thought you were only foolish. Turns out your downright delusional.” Amora said before she and her ladies laughed at me. She bent down as she grabbed my arm rest, getting closer to my ear.

“What, did you think that you can put on a pretty dress and fancy jewels and you’d be one of us? That you’d be good enough to be with him?” She said with a wicked smile, her Italian accent dripped off her every word.

“You will never belong here.” Amora whispered in my ear, making the other woman snicker and laugh.

Murder. That was the only thing going through my mind. How I was going to murder this stupid, pretentious bitch.

“Amora.” A woman spoke out softly from behind us. I didn’t even look, I knew that voice already. It was a voice that made me finish my drink in one go. I held the empty glass to my side, and the server was quick to replace it.

“Oh, Olivia, darling.” Amora said, the venom in her voice gone in an instant as she turned to face her.

“Amora, pleasure.” Olivia said politely. “Where’s your husband tonight, was he able to join you?”

“Oh yes, Fredric is here somewhere, most likely mingling downstairs.” Amora said cordially as she waved her hand and let out a fake laugh.

“Oh, good. I knew that was him. Oh he’s so helpful.” Olivia said with a smile.

“What do you mean, helpful?” Amora said as she tilted her head.

“Last time I saw him he was helping one of our servers. They must know each other quite well, they seemed… rather close .” Olivia said slowly, insinuating something.

Amora’s smile slowly dropped as the woman behind her tried to hide their surprise.

“Oh, yes. Fredric has always been helpful.” Amora said. “Where did you last see him?”

“Oh, somewhere inside. I’m still getting used to the estate, but I think he’s helping him in some room.” Olivia said innocently as she smiled.

“I see.” Amora said as her smile completely dropped. “Well, it’s about time I go get him to join the festivities. Please, excuse me.” Amora said as she quickly walked inside the house. Her entourage began whispering and giggling about her and her husband before they scurried off.

“Would you mind if I sat with you?” Olivia said as she motioned towards the chair beside me. I glanced over at her, thinking for a moment before I shrugged and took another sip of my drink.

“I just… I don’t even know how to start this conversation.” Olivia said as she furrowed her brows. A server passed by with a tray of liquor, and she was quick to grab a glass of champagne. She took a large gulp before letting out an exasperated sigh.

“I guess I just wanted to say that… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for ruining what you and Liam have.” Oliva began, her brow furrowed and a pained expression on her face.

“Don’t be.” I said after a moment. “What we had was ending long before you even arrived.”

“But still.” Olivia said. “You probably hate me, and I don’t blame you. I would hate me too if I were in your situation.” She said with a small chuckle before sipping her drink once more.

I wasn’t entirely sure what I felt towards her. Jealously, resentment maybe… but not hatred. None of this was her fault, she had no say in her situation. Liam was the one at fault here. Liam was the one who made his decision. Liam was the one who fucked everything up.

“I don’t hate you.” I said softly as I continued to look out into the garden.

“Good, I’m glad.” Olivia said as a small smile crossed her lips. We sat in silence, drinking from our glasses as the party continued underneath us.

“You know, I’ve heard stories about you, from James… and Liam.” She said as she looked over at me. I glanced in her direction, waiting for her to continue.

“They told me about how strong and how skilled you are. How you blew out the De Leon brothers knees at Micahs charity event, how you almost set a new record when you did the Gauntlet for the first time, how you’re probably the most lethal woman on the planet-” she said with a smile.

“Wait, probably?” I said with a straight face with my brow raised. “I am the most lethal woman on the planet.” I said.

“I believe it.” She said before she extended her drink out. Our glasses clinked together before we both took another sip, letting silence fall over us.

“I wish I was strong like you.” Olivia said after a moment.

“Apparently, no one likes a strong woman.” I said, glancing down at the crowd, dancing and laughing in the garden.

“Or a weak one.” Olivia said as she tilted her head.

“Growing up, I was always told that marrying someone was going to be my biggest contribution to my family’s business. My father controlled everything, how my hair was done, how I looked, what I read, everything. He wanted to make sure I was as desirable as possible for whatever drug lord he was going to pair me up with.” Olivia said as she looked down at the glass in her hand.

“I often think that… maybe… maybe if I was strong like you, I would have had the courage to stand up to him. To make my own decisions. I often wonder what my life would be like if I did.” She said with a sad expression.

“That maybe if I was strong like you, then I’d be able to offer more to my families businesses than being used as a bargaining chip for marriage.” She said with a pained smile.

“Are you not happy that you’re marrying Liam?” I asked as I tilted my head. She paused for a moment before she looked at me with her doe eyes.

“I… I am.” She said hesitantly. “Drug lords… aren’t very kind to their wives. So if I had to be forced to marry anyone… I’m happy that it’s Liam.” She said with a small smile.

“I’m sorry if that’s insensitive. I can only imagine what you’re going through, and-” She began, speaking quickly.

“Do you always apologize this much?” I asked as I looked at her. She looked down as she nodded slightly.

“Well stop.” I said before taking a sip of my drink once more. “I was the one who asked, you don’t have to be sorry for answering my question.” I said.

“Sorry.” She said with a smile, making me give her a pointed glare before we sat in silence once more.

“He never stopped loving you, you know.” I said, breaking the silence. I looked over at her, and she was staring down at Liam with a loving expression.

“I can tell you haven’t either.” I said. Olivia blushed as she looked down, smiling shyly.

“I know that it may not be possible but…” Olivia began as she looked at me. “I hope we can be friends one day.”

“I’d like that.” I said as I gave her a small smile. I didn’t hate Olivia. Maybe what I felt towards her was more jealously than anything, but how could you hate her? She was kind, sweet, caring… and I could relate to her. Both she and I have had our entire lives chosen for us. Granted, those lives are wildly different, but she and I were both tamed, controlled from a young age and set on a path that others wanted for us.

I felt my phone vibrate in my clutch, and I grabbed it only to realize that it was the burner phone from Monroe.

“Excuse me.” I said as I nodded my head towards Olivia and stood up.

I walked over to the corner, far enough from Olivia that I was out of ear shot before I answered the phone.

“Hey.” I said as I held the phone up to my ear.

“Hello, Mila.” A voice said from the other line, making my head spin and my heart sink. It was a voice that I immediately recognized, a voice that sent chills down my spine and anger coursing through my veins.

“Kenji.” I breathed.

38

“You’re supposed to be dead.” I said.

“You almost had me, but not quite.” He said in a low tone.

“Where’s Monroe?” I said quickly, the adrenaline sobering me up quickly.

“He and I are… spending some quality time together.” Kenji said. After a moment I heard Monroe scream in pain behind him.

“Fuck.” I breathed as I ran a hand through my hair.

“It’s a good thing Leah got into your computer before you killed her.” Kenji began as I swung open the door to my room, I grit my teeth as I heard Monroe screaming in pain once more. “She was able to see some documents this idiot sent you, something about Nadia Bales.” He said.

“I told them… I told them time and time again that we can’t trust him. That he was just too close to you and your sister, that his judgement was compromised. But no . No one wanted to listen to me. Now look where we are. I could have saved everyone months of trying to find you.” Kenji said.

“But I suppose it worked out for me. You’re worth more than your sister was.” Kenji said, making fury flow through my body.

“Is that all you have, you fuck?” I heard Monroe yell in the background, but it was quickly followed by another grunt of pain.

“I did suggest that we go to your little boyfriends house tonight and shoot up the entire place. But you know… politics.” He said in a nonchalant and annoyed tone. “Turns out there are some of our clients that really adore those Knights, although, I have no idea why.”

My breathing was shallow, and I felt as though the room was spinning. Monroe’s been compromised, and who knows for how long. The fact that he’s still alive is a miracle. Corporate never took kindly to people betraying them, and I could only imagine the things that they were doing to him.

“I will find you. And when I do, you’ll wish you died back in that restaurant.” I said, my voice darker and colder than ever before.

“Oh, Mila, Mila, Mila. Who said I was hiding? What kind of coward do you think I am? I’ll happily tell you where I am, and we can settle this once and for all.” Kenji said. I pursed my lips as I heard Monroes heavy breathing behind him.

“784 Via de Venturi. There will be a car waiting for you in exactly one hour. If you don’t show, I’ll kill Monroe.” He said, his tone calm and deadly.

“And don’t even think about bringing any of Jame’s men. They’ll all die, and you know it. So let’s just make this easier for both of us, and come alone. If anyone comes with you, I will put a bullet straight through his skull.” Kenji said, yet another grunt from Monroe filling the silence. 

“See you soon, Mila.” Kenji said, and my skin crawled as I heard the anticipation in his voice before the line disconnected.

I nearly ran into the house, my heart racing as I made my way over to my room. I turned the corner and ran into Nova, who dropped her glass on the floor, shattering it before looking up at me with wide eyes.

“The fuck, Mila.” She said, but I quickly pushed past her.

“Mila!” She yelled after me, but I ignored her. I quickly got to my room and swung open the door, Nova following quickly behind me. She gently closed the door behind her as I quickly ran into my closet.

“What’s happening?” She said, but I stayed silent. I nearly ripped off my dress before changing into a more mobile outfit. I threw on a pair of pants, and a simple black long sleeve shirt. Nova walked into the closet after I was done changing, watching as I began strapping knives to my thighs.

“Listen, okay- I know that this engagement must be hard for you, but if you’re going to kill them, and not invite me- that’s just fucked up.” She said, her brows furrowed and her eyes swimming with hurt. I said nothing as I continued to grab different kinds of gun from the display case in the center of the room.

“I’ve worked for that man for eight years… eight! Do you know how many times I thought about killing him? And for you to just go off and do that by yourself is just… you’re killing my dream, Mila!” She said dramatically as she pouted. I grabbed two small devices from the display case, checking them before putting them in my pocket.

“Are those… bombs?” She said as she tilted her head. I quickly walked over to her, and grabbed both of her shoulders roughly.

“Nova, something has happened. Something very, very bad, and I need to take care of it.” I said seriously. Her somewhat playful demeanor vanished in an instant as she stared at me.

“I’m coming with you.” Nova said as she took a step towards me.

“No, I need you here.” I said as I picked up a semi-automatic rifle before strapping it to my belt.

“Like hell.” Nova said seriously as she grabbed my arm, turning me to face her. “Mila you are in no condition to fight.”

“I don’t have a choice.” I said before I grabbed a hand gun, making sure that it was loaded. I walked over, grabbing a trench coat from the hanger before. I moved my still swollen shoulder, wincing in pain as I put the coat on.

“You couldn’t even zip up your dress earlier, Mila. Your arm, your rib, your hand… how do you expect to do anything right now?” Nova said as she quickly walked over to help me.

“Like I said, I don’t have a choice.” I said as I glared at her.

“Stubborn as always.” Nova whispered under her breath as she quickly walked out of the closet and towards the bedroom. She came back after a moment with her purse in hand, and grabbed three prescription bottles.

“Here, at least take these. It’ll help, but it won’t make you invincible, alright? It’ll just help with the pain and swelling.” Nova said as she handed me three different pills.

“Thank you.” I said as I looked over at her. Silence spread between us as I prepared everything I would need.

“For everything.” I said as I looked at her. “You’ve been a great friend to me, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you.”

“No… no, no, no.” She said as she shook her head. “Don’t talk to me like you’re not coming back.” She said with her brow furrowed. I just looked at her as I stayed silent. I’ve fought injured before, but never to this extent.

Last time I fought Kenji I was pretty much healed, and I still barely walked out alive. I wasn’t sure how this was going to go, or even if I would survive this, and I knew that going in my condition was stupid but… I had to try. If the roles were reversed, I know that Monroe would do the same for me, no questions asked.

Nova quickly walked over to me, and carefully wrapped her arms around me as she embraced me.

“You gotta stay alive, okay? You owe me one, and I’ll be pissed as shit if you die before I get to cash in that favor, alright?” Nova said, making me chuckle slightly. I hugged her back before she pulled away, wiping a tear from her eye. It was strange, seeing a woman as strong as her cry, even if it was just one tear.

“If I’m not back in twenty-four hours, then something bad happened to me. And if that’s the case, you need to look after James and Liam, okay?” I said seriously. Nova nodded before we both walked out of the room.

“After I leave, tell James that Monroe has been compromised, that I went to go handle it.” I said as I placed my hands in my pockets, ignoring the stares I received from everyone dressed in their lavish gowns and suits.

“Why not just tell him now? He could help.” Nova said.

“No. It’s too dangerous.” I said as I walked out onto the balcony once more. I looked down, staring at Liam while he smiled at his guests. “I’ve already caused enough problems for them.” I said.

It was true, I made a mess here, another mess for Liam to clean up. My heart began to ache as I looked down at him, longing to speak to him, longing to feel his lips press against mine for what could very well be the last time. I stared at him, trying to memorize his face, his eyes, his features. Even after our fights, his engagement, after everything we’ve been through I still cared about him. Hell, maybe I even loved him.

But one thing I knew for sure, was that I would also do anything to protect him. He’s given so much for his business, for his family, and for once, I wanted to be something other than a headache for him.

Lately, that’s all I’ve been feeling like: a problem. I’m the reason Monroe was compromised, I’m the reason they lost their biggest contract, I’m the reason Liam has been scrambling to keep his business together. I’ve been nothing but a nuisance since I arrived, and if going on this suicide mission meant that I could do one thing right, I’ll go without hesitation.

I watched as he looked down at Olivia, who was happily standing by his side. My heart strained at the sight, and I quickly turned on my heel before making my way towards the front door, Nova by my side. I walked over to my LaFerrari starting the engine before I rolled my window down, looking at Nova who was standing there with a worried expression on her face.

“Take care of them.” I said to her. I gave her a small smirk before peeling out of the driveway, watching as the Knight estate slowly began to fade from my view for what is most likely the last time.

39

The rendezvous spot was at a pier. It was empty, and eerily quiet. And like Kenji said, there was an all black SUV waiting for me. Standing outside of the car were four men, and from what I could see, there was someone in the drivers seat. The men outside of the car were heavily armed, watching the entrance as they waited for me to arrive. I stood over them, standing on top of a nearby crate, twirling the knife in my hand as I waited for the perfect moment to strike.

Kenji must think I’m an idiot if he thought I’d just pull up to this ambush. I knew I’d be outnumbered, I knew that they would either kill me here, knock me out, or drug me until they took me to the location. Either way, if I just strolled up in here, I would be at a disadvantage. Besides, there’s nothing stopping Kenji from just killing Monroe when I get there. The only reason he was still alive was because he was using him to get to me.

And if it’s me he wants, I’ll give it to him… but on my own terms.

I jumped down from the crate, grabbing the guards head as I landed before slicing my blade across his throat. A nearby guard aimed his weapon at me, and I quickly threw the knife, hitting him directly in his throat. I quickly ran towards him, grabbing the blade before quickly pulling it out.

I grabbed another knife from my thigh as I sprinted towards the remaining two guards, and before they even had a chance to raise their weapons, I quickly bent down, rotating my body and slicing the blade across their knees, making them both fall before I quickly rotated again, bringing the blades across their throats and killing them instantly.

I walked over to the car, staring at the wide-eyed driver. I quickly opened the passenger side door as he lifted a gun up to me. I quickly gripped his wrist, pressing it down before stabbing my knife through the top of his hand, trapping it on the center console.

“Drive.” I said as I glared at him. He grit his teeth in pain as he scowled at me.

“Now.” I said, my tone cold and lethal as I twisted the knife in his hand, making him yell out once more before he reached over with his good hand and started the engine. We drove for about thirty minutes through the city, the driver occasionally grunting in pain.

Eventually we turned the corner and at the end of the street there was a large building. It was modern, and hardly had any windows. It was a building that I recognized immediately as one of Corporates rendezvous spots for their agents. It was a spot that was often used for… intense interrogation.

Corporate would have these locations set up all over the country, and every agent that worked for them had access to these facilities. The first two floors were used as a cover, just in case shit hit the fan. Their cover was usual some sort data facility or another façade that didn’t involve many people in order to be believable. But underneath that… was the basement. The basement held rooms designed specifically for torture. They were soundproof, easy to clean, and had everything you could ever need to complete your job.

My breathing became unsteady. I knew what happens within the walls of that building, and the fact that Monroe was in there… I couldn’t even being to imagine what Kenji was doing to him.

Because of my injuries, I wanted to use stealth to my advantage, to be able to strike when I was ready, to move when I wanted to. But as I looked over at the warehouse, I saw dozens of guards, all standing outside with handguns strapped to their waists. There were too many for me to take down in hand to hand combat, at least not in the condition I was in right now.

There was only one entrance on the first floor, and since it was heavily guarded, that didn’t seem like the best option. I glanced at the building, recalling the interior of it before I settled on a small window on the second floor. If I remembered correctly, it was a window in a bathroom. The rooms that were used for torture and interrogation were underground in the basement, so if I were to enter through the second story, I would have to fight my way through. It will be tough, but better than going through the front door guns blazing. But in order to get there, I’d have to handle the patrol out front.

We were a few hundred feet away from the building, and I quickly pulled out my gun from my belt before shooting the drive in the side of the head. The mans body fell forward, his head falling on the steering wheel and his foot slamming on the gas. Blood splattered on the windows, and I quickly pulled out a small bomb before tossing it on the mans lap. I quickly opened the door before rolling out of the car, sending it speeding towards the warehouse.

My shoulder and ribs both sending a shooting pain through my body as I rolled to my feet, but I grit my teeth, holding back the pain as I eyed the guards surrounding the warehouse. One began screaming orders, and soon, they were all pointing their guns at the car that speeding towards them.

They began open firing, and were so focused on the car, they didn’t notice me walking towards the side of the building. The car sped towards them, before it hit the wall. Dozens and dozens of guards ran towards the car, their guns up and ready. As they neared the car, I pulled out the detonator. I pressed the button, and the car quickly exploded, taking out most of the guards that were outside the building. I tossed it to the side before I quickly began scaling the side of the building.

I jumped from ledge to ledge, pursing my lips from the pain in my shoulder before I finally reached a window on the second story. I looked down to see more guards pouring out of the building, examining the explosion. I quickly broke the window open in one, swift motion before I pulled myself through it.

I landed in the bathroom, quickly ducking as a woman threw a jab towards my face. I quickly stepped back, dodging another punch she threw at me before I quickly gripped her wrist, twisting before grabbing my knife and slicing her throat open.

I quickly walked out of the restroom, peeking my head out before looking down the long hallway. Towards the end was an elevator. There were a few guards patrolling, and unlike the ones outside, their had large, automatic rifles in their hands. The hallway was narrow, and I’d have to clear the entire area before I could reach the elevator and get down to the basement.

I waited for a patrol to walk by before sprinting out of the bathroom and across the hallway until I was in a small corner, out of sight from the patrolling guards. I turned the corner, my back facing the wall as I listened to the footsteps of a nearby guard.

I waited patiently, listening as I held the blade in my hand. Just as the guard turned the corner, I struck. I quickly pulled the guard towards me, away from the hallway with the other patrol before I quickly covered his mouth and slit his throat. I held him close as the life drained from his body, slowly lowering him to the floor and placing him down. My eyes grew wide as I saw the puddle of blood begin to form at my feet, quickly spreading until it was pooling into the main hallway.

“What’s that?” A guard said, making me mentally curse as I grabbed my gun from my thigh. I pressed up against the wall, waiting as I heard heavy footsteps slowly approach me.

I pointed my gun up, shooting the light and using darkness as my cover as I went back into my corner. I watched as bullets rained down the hallway, the guards shooting straight into the darkness and missing me.

I waited until the bullets stopped before I stepped out of the shadows, a gun in each hand as I began killing the guards one by one. They were dead before they even knew what was happening.

I walked towards the elevator, stepping over the dead bodies that now littered the floor. I pressed the down arrow on the wall, waiting a few moments before the doors slid open. A guard was inside on his phone, and before he even looked up at me, I lifted my gun and shot him in the head, paining the walls behind him crimson.

I walked inside before I bent down and grabbed the guards wrist. I held his hand up against the scanner on the wall, watching as it was scanned before flashing green. I then went through his jacket, looking for the key card that Corporate gave each of their agents. Once I found it, I dropped his hand as the doors closed, checking my ammo before switching out the clip.

I’ve been to the basement hundreds, if not thousands of times. I’ve even been to this very facility dozens of times. Before, it wouldn’t even phase me. I would come here, do my job, get my money, then leave as if nothing happened. But now… knowing that Monroe is here, knowing that the man who murdered my sister is within these walls… I couldn’t let anything distract me.

The elevator stopped moving, and I held onto my knife tightly as the doors slid open. Thankfully I did, because standing in front of me was a guard. His eyes widened slightly before I quickly sliced the blade across his throat, paining me and the walls surrounding us in crimson.

I quickly stepped over his body, as I made my way down the hallway. The basement was exactly as I remembered. The large hallway was empty, and well lit from the bright lights above me. Dozens and dozens of rooms lined the walls on both sides of me. Above each door, there was a light that was either red, yellow, or green. Red meant the room was occupied, and green meant that it was open, and yellow meant that it was dirty. It was an automated system that Corporate put in place to keep things orderly here.

I put my knife back onto the holster wrapped around my thigh as I looked up at the lights, seeing that a good portion of them were red. I grabbed my gun, holding it up as I put the guards key card against the scanner on the wall. It flashed green for a moment before the door slid open, and standing inside the first room was a woman beating a man to a pulp.

He was tied to the chair and she was punching his face repeatedly before she quickly looked over at me. Her eyes widened as she saw me, and before she had the chance to pull out her gun, I put a bullet between both of their eyes.

I went room by room, killing everyone in my path. I cleared about half of the rooms, leaving nothing but dead bodies in my wake. I reloaded my clip before I pressed the card against the scanner on the wall, making the door slid open before I looked inside, my gun raised up in front of me.

My heart stopped as I saw Monroe, shirtless, bloodied and beaten. His hands and legs were chained to the wall, suspending him above the floor. Blood dripped down, creating a pool beneath him. His head was bowed, and his breathing was weak and shallow. His shoulder was disfigured, turned and broken. Cuts and incisions covered his body, and fresh bruises adorned his skin.

He looked up slowly at me, his eyes nearly shut completely from the beatings he endured. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and a pained expression hit his face the moment his eyes met mine.

Five guards surrounded him, various bloody tools in their hands. They quickly looked over at me before they all began running in my direction.

40

I quickly raised up my gun, gritting my teeth as I fired off bullet after bullet. I shot three of them between the eyes before I lifted my elbow up, slamming it into the face of a woman who was close by. She threw a jab at me, and I quickly caught her wrist, twisting it and dislocating her shoulder, making her scream out in pain. As I held onto her arm, I lifted my gun up, shooting the remaining guard in the face before putting the tip of the gun against the side of her head and pulling the trigger.

I quickly searched the pockets of the guards until I found the key that could free Monroe. I sprinted over to him, my brows furrowing as I examined his condition while working on his restraints.

“Mila, you shouldn’t have come. It’s a trap.” Monroe said weakly as I got on of his ankles free.

“I know. But you would have done the same for me, trap or not.” I said as I freed his other ankle, it hung loosely and it was swollen, and looked as if it was badly sprained.

“He knew that you would come, he’s waiting for you.” Monroe said as I freed his arm before quickly working towards the next one. I quickly snaked my arm under his before the chain around his wrist opened, and I caught him, trying to soften the fall for him on his bad ankle. He still hissed out in pain, nearly falling over as his feet made contact with the concrete floor beneath him, making me stumble forward as well.

Monroe was limping badly, he was in no condition to run, let alone fight. While we were slowly walking towards the door, I pulled out my phone. I quickly sent my location to Nova before I dialed her number, pressing my phone against my ear with my shoulder as I helped Monroe walk.

“Mila-” She breathed, worry evident in her tone.

“The address I just sent you, how fast can you get here.” I said quickly as we walked out of the door and into the hallway.

“About… thirty minutes. Fifteen if I speed.” Nova said. The lights above us turned red as an alarm began to sound throughout the building.

“I’m gonna need you to speed.” I said as I began walking a bit faster, picking up the pace as we walked towards the elevator.

“On my way.” Nova said quickly. I hung up the phone as the doors in the hallway slid open, revealing dozens of agents pouring out of the rooms I didn’t clear. I quickly reached into my pocket and pulled out the keycard before opening a nearby vacant room.

“Go, I’ll handle this.” I said as I removed my arm from around Monroes waist.

“Like hell.” Monroe said as he attempted to stand up on his own. He quickly gripped the wall beside him before scowling. “I’m not just going to sit around and let you have all the fun.” He said weakly.

I smirked at him before I handed him a handgun. He weakly grabbed it before lifting it up, cocking it with a shaky hand.

“Stay safe. This’ll just take a moment.” I said as I turned around to face the agents that were now staring at me.

I stood my ground as they all began sprinting towards me. Just as a group of three men came close, I quickly bent down, grabbing my knife in one hand and my other handgun in the other. I rotated my arm, slicing the blade across the neck of a guard before I lifted my gun, pulling the trigger and shooting another directly between the eyes.

Beside me, Monroe sunk down so he was now sitting on the floor. He was using the door frame for cover while he stuck his head out, shooting some of the agents. Even in his condition, he was still shooting with a lethal precision, the bullet hitting its mark with every shot he took.

I continued to stand my ground, letting the agents come to me. I made sure to take out the ones with guns first, and those who managed to push through the crowd of people and get close to me were met with my blade.

Some of these faces were familiar to me. They were all agents I’ve done missions with in the past, but I couldn’t help but feel nothing as I ended their life. Granted, they were familiar, yet I didn’t know them, I only knew their skill. None of them were friends, if anything, they were barely acquaintances.

Blood began to pool around me, staining my clothes, skin, the walls, everything was soon drenched in blood. I lifted up my arm, shooting an agent that reached for their weapon before I bent down, cutting the inside of a woman’s knee as she ran towards me. I quickly turned, plunging the blade into the side of her neck as she fell. I lifted my gun up, shooting the last agent before a silence fell upon the hallway.

I bent down, helping Monroe up before we made our way towards the elevator, stepping over the dead bodies that now littered the floor. We stepped into the elevator, and I took a deep breath before I pressed the first floor.

Monroe was in no condition to scale a building, or fall from the second floor without sustaining even more injuries than he has already. The only viable exit would be out the entrance… the entrance that I nearly blew up with an explosive.

By now, the guards were on high alert, and I knew that getting out of this building wasn’t going to be easy. I watched as the lights above us illuminated and the elevator began moving. Monroe groaned in pain as he clutched a large gash on his stomach, and I furrowed my brows as I looked over at him.

“As soon as these doors open, we’re going to have to run.” I said as I looked over at him. My heart sank. I’ve never seen Monroe in such a condition before. He was always my rock, the strongest man I’ve ever known. To me, he seemed almost invincible. But there was something about seeing one of the most deadliest men in the world… the only father figure I’ve ever know… groaning in pain, bloodied and beaten that broke a piece of me.

“I know.” Monroe said. “If I slow you down, you better fucking leave me behind.”

There he was, protecting me again. Protecting me like he always did, even forfeiting his own life if that meant I was safe.

“I’m not leaving you behind.” I said as I narrowed my eyes and looked forward once more. “No matter what.”

Just as Monroe was about to say something, the doors slid open, revealing at least fifty guards, their guns aimed directly at us. I quickly sprinted, pulling Monroe along with me as we ran for cover behind a nearby concrete wall. Just as we were about to turn the corner, I grit my teeth in pain as a bullet pierced through my calf, making me fall forward. I pushed Monroe safely behind the wall before I rolled forward and out of the rain of bullets that were now pouring down on us.

I pressed my back against the wall, looking down at my now bleeding leg. It was a clean shot, and thankfully it went all the way through. I quickly ripped off a sleeve of my trench coat before tightly wrapping it. I tried to stand up, only to let out a hiss of pain and fall back down. I popped my head from behind the wall, shooting at the guards that were coming towards us, but I knew that all I was doing was buying us time.

I couldn’t run, I could barely even walk with this wound in my leg. At least fifty guards were on the other side of that wall, and neither of us were in any condition to fight, not to mention that my ammo was running low, dangerously low. I managed to take out twenty more guards before I tossed my handgun to the side. I looked up to see Monroe shakily standing up, his hand pressed against the wall as he lifted himself.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my eyes wide.

“Giving you an opening to run.” Monroe said as he began limping towards the edge of the wall, moving directly out of our cover.

“No!” I said as I gripped his hand, pulling him roughly towards me. I peered into the other room, firing off a few more rounds and taking out a handful of guards in the process.

“Mila, god dammit just let me do this!” Monroe nearly yelled as he attempted to stand up once more, struggling against my grip on his hand.

“What you think dying is going to help me?” I said as I glared at him, bullets hitting the thick wall behind us.

“It’s the only fucking thing I can do for you right now!” Monroe said, a scowl on his lips.

“Stop.” I said as I pressed his bloodied hand against my forehead. “Stop, Monroe please.” I said, my voice cracking slightly.

“You’ve always been there for me, protecting me, saving me, looking out for me. Please… just one fucking time… let me do that for you… let me protect you.” I said, my eyes burning as I looked at him. A pained expression painted his face as he looked at me. He brought his shaky arm around me before he pulled me closer, kissing my hair as the guards behind the wall began getting closer and closer to us.

“I love you kiddo.” He said. Something in his voice made it sound like a goodbye, as if he knew what I was thinking.

“I love you too.” I said as I closed my eyes and pressed into him. We both knew this situation wasn’t looking good. We both knew that this was hopeless, and somewhere…. Deep down inside of me, I knew that this was a suicide mission all along. No one ever leaves Corporate and lives. I knew this… I knew this for months yet I still continued to bring people I cared about down with me. I continued going down a path that I knew I could never return from.

I stood up slowly, helping Monroe up as I heard the footsteps from the guards behind us. I never put much thought into how I would die, but one thing I knew for sure was that I wasn’t just going to sit here. I was going to die on my terms, how I wanted to.

I looked over at Monroe, and he gave me a small smile as he nodded. Having him by my side made this easier. I suppose that if I were going to die, at least he’d be by my side.

Just as we were about to step out from behind the wall, the sound of an engine roaring in the distance quickly began to close in on us. We watched as a black SUV slammed through the entrance, drifting into the center of the room, hitting a handful of guards.

“Nova.” I breathed. I watched as she quickly spotted us, giving me a small smirk before she ran out of the car, ducking and rolling towards us as she dodged the bullets that were being fired at her. She gripped our wrists as she neared us, and swiftly pulled us behind the wall as bullets rained down on us once more.

“Fuck am I happy to see you.” Nova said as she gave me a large smile. “Even if you do look like shit.” She said as she looked me up and down.

“They’ve probably called for more reinforcements by now, we gotta get out of here.” I said as I grabbed Monroes hand, lifting it off my shoulders and giving him to Nova. She glanced at the car, watching as stray bullets began to chip away it.

“That car’s not going to be able to take much more, we gotta move now if we wanna make it out of here.” Nova said seriously. “James is sending men over here, they’re about ten minutes out.”

“Good. Get him to the car, I’ll cover you.” I said as I stood up, leaning against the wall for support and making Nova look at me with her brows furrowed.

“How? You can barely stand.” Nova said quickly.

“I’ll manage. But Nova I need you to promise me that you’ll get him to safety, with or without me.” I said as I reached for the gun on her waistband.

“What?” Monroe said weakly as he shook his head, the blood loss effecting him. I clicked the safety off before I checked the clip.

“Mila, I can’t-” Nova said, shaking her head.

“There isn’t any time to argue. I’ll hold them off, and when you get the chance, you get the fuck out of here. Got it?” I said seriously. Nova stared at me for a moment, the pain clear in her eyes.

“I’ll hold them off until James’s men get here, I’ll be fine.” I said as I looked over at her, and after a few moments she gave me a hesitant nod before adjusting Monroe on her shoulder.

“Alright, get ready to move in three, two, one… now.” I ordered. Nova began sprinting towards the car, and I rolled out from behind the wall and began firing at the guards aiming at them. I quickly limped towards a concrete pillar, hiding behind it for a moment before I bent down and grabbed another gun from a body on the floor.

With a gun in each hand, I walked out from behind my cover and walked towards the guards, shooting as quickly as I could. I turned over my shoulder to see Nova pushing Monroe into the car before she closed the door and ran to the drivers seat. Just as I was about to run towards the car, I yelled out in pain as a bullet hit my shoulder. I fell to the floor, bending down and catching myself by slamming my fist into the floor.

“Go!” I yelled out to Nova, gritting my teeth from the pain.

“No!” I heard Monroe scream from the backseat of the car, pain evident in his cracked voice. I looked over my shoulder to see Nova with the car door open, as if she was about to run towards me. But we were heavily outnumbered, if she tried to help me, she’d die. And I couldn’t have that.

“GO!” I screamed once more. She looked at me with a pained expression on her face before she reluctantly got into the car, peeling out of the room and through the hole she created when she entered.

I gripped my shoulder as I watched them disappear into the distance, feeling a bit of relief flood through me. I had at least ten more minutes until James’s men arrived, and by then it would already be too late.

The second I got that call from Kenji, part of me knew that I was going to die here. That only one of us would make it out that door alive. But I’m glad. I’m glad that it was me for once. I’m glad that I finally was able to do something for Monroe, the man who gave so much of his taking care of me. So much of his life looking out for Maria and I.

I smirked as I gripped my shoulder, turning back to face the dozens of guards with their guns pointed directly at me, waiting for them to pull the trigger. I watched them, my eyes moving across the room as silence stretched between us.

“What are you all waiting for?” I said before a small smirk caressed my lips. “Do it already. Kill me.”

The sound of uneven footsteps began to echo through the room, the group of guards separating as they made room for someone. I tried to stand up, only to wince in pain from my calf. I felt lightheaded from the blood loss, and I lifted my head up, watching as the group in front of me parted down the middle, making way for a man.

A matte black Oni mask adorned his face, the demon carved into looking menacing and hiding the man underneath. The only thing I could see of the man were his eyes through the slits of the mask, and even though he was hidden, I could still see the hatred swimming within his brown eyes.

“Kill you?” He said in a somewhat playful tone. I recognized his voice immediately.

Kenji Sato.

He walked up to me, a gun in his hand as he bent down and gripped my chin roughly. He tilted my chin up, forcing me to look at him as he tilted his head.

“Now where’s the fun in that?” He said before he brought the gun up, quickly hitting me in the temple and knocking me unconscious.

41

I slowly opened my eyes, blinking a few times as I adjusted to the bright lights that were shining down on me. My head throbbed, sending a shooting pain through my temple every few seconds. The room was spinning. I narrowed my eyes, trying to focus as I glanced around the room.

The room was large, and somewhat empty. Tables surrounded me with various tools… tools I’ve seen before… tools I’ve used before.

My hands were chained above my head. Metal shackles were on my wrists, a chain connecting the two. The chain hung from deceive from the wall, preventing me from escaping. I glanced at my shoulder to see that it was bandaged. I looked down at my car to see that it too was also taken care of, making me tense slightly. I knew what was about to happen. I’ve been on the other side of this scene more times than I can count. Kenji wanted to keep me alive, wanted to make sure that my last moments before death were as painful as human possible. That’s why they took care of my wounds… to make sure I wouldn’t die quickly.

The door opened, making me look up to see Kenji walking into the room, the Oni mask still on his face.

“Took you long enough.” Kenji said as the large door shut loudly behind him.

“You had us worried there for a second. We had to resuscitate you a couple of times, but eventually you pulled through.” He said as he continued to close the distance between us until he was eventually standing in front of me.

“Wouldn’t want you dying so easily, now would we?” Kenji said as he cupped my face for a moment before he tapped it twice and walked towards the table. I said nothing as I watched him, his fingertips caressing the tools.

“Oh and the Knights. They were so close to saving you. But… they were a few minutes too late.” Kenji said with a small smirk.

“I know you’ve had a terribly difficult life, Mila. Part of me even thought to give you the mercy of a quick death.” He said.

Kenji let out a breath before his hands went up to his face, gripping his Oni mask before slowly removing in it an placing it on the table.

“But that was before you did this to me.” He said as he turned towards me.

His entire face and neck were covered in third degree burns. His har was patchy, and he looked like a completely different person. Kenji Sato was known for his vanity, and it can only imagine how his newly disfigured and burned face effected him.

“My beautiful face,” He said as he brought his finger up to his cheek, only to retract it away quickly. “My beautiful face.” He said one more, his voice cracking slightly.

“You ruined me!” Kenji screamed as he got in my face. I didn’t react, I didn’t say a single word as I just glared at him.

“You’re going to suffer until your last breath for what you did to me, Mila Cruz. If you thought what I did to your sister was bad… just wait and see what I have planned for you.” He said as he reached up and grabbed the chains around my wrist. He rotated me so my face was pressed up against the wall, securing me so I couldn’t move.

I was trained for this, forged in the fire of death. I mentally prepared myself for what was about to happen, prepared myself for unspeakable pain. Even though I knew I was going to die, I’d be damned if I gave him the satisfaction of breaking me.

My body tensed as I felt him grip my shirt, and in one quickly motion he ripped the fabric off my body, leaving me in only a bra.

I listened as he walked away from him me and grabbed something from the table. Within a few seconds, I heard him chuckle before a searing pain shot through my back.

The sound of a whip snapping filled the air, and I closed my eyes tightly as I grit my teeth, choking down the whimper of pain that threatened to leave my lips. My body jolted as the whip broke my skin once more, slashing directly across my back.

I clenched my jaw, my hands turning into fists with each lash to my back. My body tensed with each crack of the whip. But I stayed strong, holding my composure silently as he inflicted more pain upon me. I grit my teeth as a scowl stretched across my lips.

I refuse to let this bastard break me.

I lost count of how many times the whip hit my back. I think the last number I remember was twenty before the searing pain became too much for my mind to focus. Blood dripped down my back, soaking my pants and dripping down to the floor beneath me. But no matter how bad the pain got, no matter how much I wanted to scream in agony, I resisted. I stayed silent the entire time, not a single tear falling from my eyes or a single sound leaving my lips.

The sound of Kenjis footsteps echoed in the room, accompanied only by my sporadic breathing. I felt him reach above me, releasing the chain hanging from the wall above me. With my hands still chained together, I fell to the floor.

My legs immediately buckled underneath me, my calf sending a shooting pain through my leg. I fell to the side, directly on my shoulder wound, making me grit my teeth as I hit the hard, concrete floor.

I turned so my elbows were on the floor in front of me, my back hunched as I attempted to stand up. Kenji quickly brought his leg forward, kicking me directly in the stomach multiple times.

He beat me… severely. Making sure that every inch of my body was touched by his knuckles. The only thing I could do was take my mind elsewhere, disassociate from the pain that rampaged though my body.

I thought about Maria, James, Nova, Monroe…. Liam. I couldn’t stop thinking about Liam. About his brown eyes, his soft touch, the taste of his lips, the feel of his skin against mine. Our memories played through my mind as I withstood the beatings. I didn’t think of our fights, our countless arguments where we spent hours yelling at each other. I didn’t think about how I tried to kill him, or how he hated me at first. I didn’t think his engagement or Olivia.

I would close my eyes and think of our good memories, the loving times we shared, the days that were only filled with happiness and love. It helped me escape from the reality of my situation, escape from the torment that Kenji was putting me through.

Kenji kicked me once more in the stomach, making blood spill out of my mouth as I coughed, attempting to catch my breath. He looked down at me, a deep scowl on his face before he turned on his heel, walking to the table and grabbing his Oni mask. He placed it on his face before walking out of the room, the sound of locks clicking on the other side echoed through the space before silence fell upon me.

I moved a bit, trying to get comfortable on the hard floor. But every movement I made, no matter how small, sent pain radiating through me. I settled where I was, trying not to move, trying not to aggravate my wounds. Bruises already started to form on my skin, and blood was still seeping out of the wounds on my back.

I closed my eyes, desperate for some small speck of sleep to grace me. A small part of me wanted to close my eyes and never wake up. To be done with this, to give Kenji a final fuck you by dying so easily.

But after a few moments, the light inside the room grew brighter, and loud music began blaring through the air. I knew what this was, I’ve even used it before. It was a technique used to break down your target, to inflict psychological torture by depriving them of sleep. The heavy metal made my headache, and I laid there, my eyes open as I waited for death to come and claim me.

42

The days began to blur together and after a while, I wasn’t sure how long I’ve been here. But either way, I was hoping to be dead by now.

The only rest I’ve gotten was when I passed out from the pain. Sometimes it was in the middle of Kenji’s little torture session, other times it was when the heavy metal music was blasting through the speakers.

I tried dying, but despite my best efforts, Kenji would send in a crew of doctors to resuscitate me when I got to close to the brink of death. They would bandage my wounds, stitch up any cuts that went too deep. Kenji made sure they didn’t do anything for my pain, they just did the bare minimum to keep me alive.

Each day was different. Kenji would use different tools on me, and eventually, nearly every inch of my skin was covered in blood and bruises. But one thing was consistent – The lashes. That was what he always started with. He would have his men hang me from the wall, turn me over, and give me so many lashes I lost count. The first time wasn’t as bad, but when he started reopening the wounds again and again… the pain was almost unbearable. The lack of sleep was also taking its toll on me. Unfortunately, the delusion that clouded my mind wasn’t enough to kill me.

Over the past few days, I thought a lot about my life as I laid awake on the cold, hard floor. Being tortured really gives you time to think about things and put things in perspective.

At first, thinking of Liam helped me get through this, helped me disassociate through the pain and torture. But thinking of him only brought on more pain and sadness. I tried to put up a front, tried to be angry with him and maybe it’s the delusion speaking but the truth is… I think I loved him. I still love him. And deep down, somewhere within me I believe he loved me too. But there was one thing that haunted me, one thing that made my heart twist at the thought of it.

I never told him.

He said to me. Our last conversation he said those three words, and I never said it back. He never knew that I loved him. Maybe if I told him how I felt instead of bottling it in the entire time, things could have been different.

There was a part of me that believed that I deserved this. That I deserved this unspeakable torture… that I deserved to die. I don’t even know how many lives I’ve taken. After a while, it doesn’t faze you. You stop thinking of people as people. Forget that they’re mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. You only see them as a target that needs to be taken care of. I’ve done terrible things, and it’s only fitting that my death cause me even a fraction of the pain that I’ve caused others.

But the other part of me, the louder and more chaotic side… couldn’t stop thinking about killing Kenji Sato in the most violent and brutal ways possible. He had broken me, but I’d be dammed if I let him see that. He was the only remaining crew member that killed my sister, and I’m going to make sure that I kill him, even if it’s the last thing I ever did. If I was going to die in this hell hole… so was he.

I was laying on the cold, hard concrete floor as before I lifted my head as the door to the room opened, and Kenji walked inside with his Oni mask adorning his face. The door closed behind him as he made his way towards me.

“Good morning, Mila. How’d you sleep?” He said, and edge to his voice. He placed his Oni mask on the table beside him before he tilted his head, examining each tool that was laid out in front of him. His burns were grotesque, the scabs peeling and shedding from his face. The handsome man that Kenji once was now nothing but a memory.

“Like a baby.” I said. I didn’t even recognize my own voice. It was raspy, dry from the lack of water and weak from the endless torture. He gave me a forced smile as he looked down at the table in front of him.

“No lashes today?” I said before I let out a feeble chuckle, making Kenji look up at me with narrowed eyes. “They were my favorite.” I said sarcastically with a small smile. He stared at me for a moment, a deep scowl now adorning his face.

“I have to hand it to you, you’re stronger than your sister was.” He said before he looked away from me, turning his attention towards the table beside him.

I struggled to keep my bruised eyes open as I watched him, his fingers grazing the metal of each tool carefully before he picked up a small, sharp device that resembled an elongated pair of scissors.

“Even after everything I’ve done to you, you still manage to keep that horrible attitude of yours.” Kenji said as he held the device up, turning as he tilted his head and examined it. I knew what that tool did… I’ve used it dozens of times. My heart dropped as he began closing the distance between us.

“Hopefully I can remedy that.” He said as he clamped the scissors together, making the blades come together in a smooth, sharp motion. “Let’s hope that when you lose your tongue, you also lose that fucking attitude.”

I pursed my lips as he bent down, gripping my knotted hair roughly and yanking it up, forcing me to look up at him. He quickly let go of my hair before he gripped my face tightly, trying to pry my mouth open. I clamped my jaw shut, turning my head as I attempted to fight his grip. He let out a grunt of frustration before he lifted his other hand up, punching me across the face.

I felt weak… so weak. My head dropped, hitting the concrete floor beneath me before he gripped my hair once more. He held the tool against my pursed lips, cutting my skin as he tried to open my mouth once more.

But he froze as the sound of gunshots rang out in the distance. He turned his head, quickly looking at the door as he continued to hold my head up by my hair.

“Looks like they found you.” He said with a scoff. He carelessly dropped the tool before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He stared at me for a moment as he held the phone to his ear.

“How many?” Kenji said, his eyes narrowing.

I looked at him for a moment, watching as his expression morphed from rage into confusion.

“What do you mean five ?” he yelled as he turned his head, looking away from me for a moment. His hand loosened slightly on my hair, making my head almost drop.

For the first time since I’ve been here, Kenji was distracted. Someone managed to locate and breach Corporate’s facility, and whether they were here for me or not, it gave me what is most likely the last opportunity I would ever get to end his life.

“How are five people giving you such trouble? Kill them, or I’ll-” Kenji said, but I quickly let out a yell as I shot my head forward, headbutting him with as much strength as I could muster. The sound of bone cracking filled the air, and he dropped his phone before stagging back, losing his balance. I quickly stood up, my muscles screaming in protest.

My hands were cuffed behind my back, and I quickly stepped up onto the nearest wall, jumping up to gain extra height before I crunched my body, pressing my knees against my chest. I quickly swung my cuffed hands forward, bringing them under my feet before I extended my legs, nearly falling as I landed on the floor.

Gunshots continued to fire off in the distance, getting louder with each passing moment as I lunged towards Kenji. Our movements were fast, and I was at an obvious disadvantage. But as the time passed, we continued to exchange blows. He punched me across the face, and without flinching, without making a sound, I snapped my gaze back towards him before I launched a few jabs of my own. I lifted both my hands to the side before launching them forward, hitting him across the face.

He screamed as the metal scraped against his burned skin, cutting him deeply across his cheek. Kenji scowled before he reached for the device beside him, plunging it forward and stabbing my in the stomach. I grit my teeth as pain shot through my abdomen.

I let out a yell as I gripped the tool, yanking it out with both hands before I quickly rotated it in my palm, pointing the blade towards him. I quickly launched a series of jabs towards him, but he dodged them with ease. I was slow, weak. My body was in no physical condition to be fighting anyone right now, let alone Kenji Sato.

But the one thing that was driving me was rage. Stupid, blind rage. I knew I was going to die. It was inevitable. But I didn’t care about that. What I did care about, was killing Kenji before I left his Earth. So, fuck it, I could be reckless, I could be stupid. As long he died, it didn’t matter what happened to me.

I lifted his leg, attempting to kick the tool out of my hand. I ducked slightly, rotating my body to dodge him before extending both of my arms forward, stabbing him in the stomach with the blade of the tool. His hand lifted towards his stomach as I took a step back. I quickly jumped up, kicking him with both of my legs, hitting the device and pressing it deeper into his chest. He grunted as he took a step back, hitting the wall before falling onto his knee as I hit the floor.

I quickly rolled onto my back before lifting my knees to my chest. I hunched my back before whipping my body forwards, using the momentum to get back onto my feet in a one fluid motion. He lunged towards me once more, but I side stepped him and hit the back of his knee, making him fall once more. I quickly stepped behind him, wrapping my handcuff around his neck before falling to my side.

I secured my legs around his waist as I lifted up my hands, choking him with my handcuffs. Blood from my countless injuries soaked my clothes, and I grit my teeth, trying my best to keep from going unconscious from the blood loss. Black began to blur my vision, but I pulled up my arms up tighter. Kenji struggled against my body, clawing at my arms as the handcuffs around my wrist began to cut my skin.

I held him there, listening as the life left his body and the gunshots rang out in the hallway outside. Kenji began moving less and less, until he stopped moving all together. But I held him there for another moment, waiting to make sure that he was really gone.

That it was really over.

I lifted my arms above my head as I pushed his dead body off me. Even with adrenaline coursing through me, the pain was nearly unbearable. The wounds on my back reopened, and I rolled onto my side as my hand cupped the wound on my stomach. I let out a small chuckle as a smile stretched across my lips as my breathing became more and more sporadic.

He was dead. They’re all dead. I killed all of them. I finally did it, Maria.

I felt a tear slide down my face as I laid there. But it wasn’t a tear of sadness, it was a tear of joy. I did it. I avenged my sister, the person who was the most important person to me in the entire world. I killed them all… I ended it. The weight on my shoulders that had plagued me for months was finally lifted, and I felt as though I could breathe again.

I watched as the door to the room burst open, a large figure running towards me.

Liam…he came for me.

I couldn’t hear what they were saying, or if they were even speaking at all. The room began to spin, as he ran towards me. I couldn’t think of a better way to go, and I thanked whatever god was out there for letting me see Liam one last time. I lifted my hand up towards him, a smile on my lips and a tear sliding down my face as I closed my eyes before letting death finally take me. 

To be continued…