“You also wouldn’t insult me by hiding yourself while speaking to me,” I held my ground, “I thought gentlemen didn’t wear hats, or uh, cloaks, inside,” To be honest, I was really upset I didn’t have my cloak now, Caspien refused to let me wear it tonight and even threatened to burn it if I tried to sneak it out. Kill joy.
“Who says I’m a gentleman?”
“Just the company you keep, the bars you frequent,” I motioned to whatever this place was, “Screams nothing but class.”
He smiled again, that half-smile that looked actually amused, “Sit with me?” He motioned to a table behind him.
I nodded once and followed him, taking the seat he offered. I glanced at the bartender; the woman was shooting daggers at me, or him, no me, definitely me.
Was this him? It couldn’t be.
“I heard you were looking for someone,” He leaned forward, intertwining his hands.
“I am, but one person specifically. I need a job filled and I require an in-person meeting before starting a long-term relationship.” I leaned back and twirled a curl in my finger, absentmindedly looking at it. It was unnerving, to be only able to see half of his face, and annoying, really annoying. But I could play whatever game he was starting and win.
“Who sent you here? Who are you working for?”
I stopped playing with my hair and pinned him with a dead stare, “Why do you think anyone owns me?” I let some anger flicker in my voice that I tried to keep contained; it sparked up, “I am here on my own accord; I have no master but myself.” I let some more of that fire out before I reigned it in, but it still lapped up, willing to be unleashed.
He nodded once, “Apologies, I just-“
“You just assumed,” I cut him off, “I don’t like assumptions.”
“Noted,” There was an amused undertone in that word.
“I do have to be going; I’ve overstayed my welcome, it seems,” I smiled at him, and we both looked towards the old woman who wasn’t even pretending that she wasn’t watching us, “A friend of yours?” I asked him.
“Something like that,” He closed his eyes, shaking his head once. A smile tugged up both sides of his lips as he looked at the woman who had turned her back on us now, “You want to meet him?” His attention was back on me before I noticed.
“Yes,” He looked me over for a long while, or I thought he might be. He sniffed his drink before downing it.
He pushed back his hood, showing himself in the dim light. Black hair fell over his face, and he tucked it behind an ear. More scars than those visible peppered his face and almost looked like wrinkles adorning his lightly tanned face.
An assassin’s wrinkles must be scars; they probably didn’t live long enough to be awarded actual ones.
His gray eyes met mine, and I swallowed. In my past life, I might have found him attractive. Someone that was so clearly wrong for me, but the only thing I could think of now was going back to Holden and telling him everything about this weird night. I couldn’t wait to see his response and hear his input on it all.
A smile darted across my face before I could stop it, thinking of him.
“See something you like?” He purred.
“Gross,” My smile faltered.
“I do admire the confidence; where does it come from?”
“I would say it’s a coping mechanism from years of carefully constructed facades,” I shrugged, “But if I said that, I wouldn’t be telling the full truth.” I met his impassive stare with a firey one, “I was born with this, I have always known what I deserved, and I will not apologize for it.”
“I respect that,” He ran a hand through his unkempt hair.
“I don’t care,” I honestly didn’t, “Who are you?”
“I go by many names.”
I closed my eyes, “I really don’t have the time or energy for riddles.”
“I’m the one you’re looking for.” My eyes snapped open.
“I don’t believe you. Why would he be here?” I never thought to get a description from Caspien, and he never told me. There was no way in h.ell that he would be here.
“I like to keep tabs,” he shrugged, motioning to the bartender for another drink, “It’s not so bad.”
I looked around and scoffed, crossing my arms.
“It’s not,” he repeated and fixed me with a smile that seemed too old for his face.
“So, why show yourself? You don’t know me,” I c.ocked my head.
“Are you here to kill me?” He asked, “Do you think you can?” His voice dropped. He tilted his head towards me, and some of his dark hair fell forward. “No,” I replied honestly, no way in h.ell.
“Most people think they can,” He smiled at the old woman who brought him his drink; she lingered at our table.
“I’m assuming those people are dead,” I pinned him with a stare that earned me a full smile, the first one directed at me this evening.
He tilted his glass to me, “You’re right.” I gave him a few moments to drink, not sure why he invited me here if he was even who he claimed to be.
It didn’t add up; none of it did.
“You wanted a meeting, and I’m here,” he motioned to himself.
“Allegedly,” I countered.
“Well, I don’t have proof,” he smiled, amusement dancing on his sharp features.
“What? Your passport doesn’t say ‘The Silent Assassin’ on it,” I asked, leaning forward and whispering, “Or one of your thousand aliases,” I waved my hand.
Still smiling, he shook his head once and placed his glass on the table.
“As I told that woman, he can contact me if he wants to meet,” He opened his mouth to say something, “As I also told her I would not conduct business here,” I moved to stand up, “Thank you for your interesting company,” I looked down, dismissing him. He donned his hood again, “It has been,” He agreed, “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Names don’t matter. Besides, you never told me yours.”
“It’s John,” He said.
“You poor thing,” I turned on my heel and marched out, not stealing a backward glance at him, the woman, or the bar.
(Willa)
I waited with the kids and Nora while our guys went out to back up Cali. I trusted her, but I didn’t trust the situation. It sounded like we had no idea what we were going up against. All the rumors I heard had been more of fairytales, dark ones. An assassin king with an ever-changing team that roamed taking jobs not caring about who was at the other end of it as long as the jobs paid.
An assassin able to be bought by the highest bidder was something out of a nightmare.
“They will be fine,” Nora looked at me with sleepy eyes. I had just put the kids to sleep.
“How are you so sure? I feel like Griffen is the type to be first on the battlefield,” I went to pick up a blanket and draped it over her. She smiled at me appreciatively.
“I could be worried every time he walked out the door, and I used to be,” She shrugged, “But it did nothing for me, and I have seen him in action,” She looked at me, seeming a bit more awake, “They’re good, Willa. Like good good. I know you haven’t seen them fight but,” She shook her head, “I haven’t seen anything like it, not even close.” Her eyes dropped but a faraway smiled donned her face.
“Get some sleep. Can I get you anything?”
She groaned and sat up a bit, “Easier said than done, I keep getting jabbed every time I get comfortable,” She repositioned herself on a pillow and winced, “I guess you know what it’s like at the very end,”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.