by Arthurs, Nia
If this is how women function, it’s no wonder most assassins choose to form a brotherhood rather than settle down.
Kendall immediately heads for her own suite. I make one last effort to placate her. Heading for her door, I don a sorrowful countenance
“Kendall, can’t we talk about-”
Bang!
The door collides in my face, narrowly missing my nose. I guess Kendall’s decided that she’s not going to talk to me. The door remains closed though I linger around for a few moments longer.
Realizing that I’m wasting my time, I give up and head for my own room. Damien is sitting in front of the television. When I draw closer, I recognize the orange woman from earlier parading on the screen. I knew I wasn’t the only one astonished by the housewives’ antics.
“Hey,” Damien shuts the television off when he sees me. “Where’s Kendall?”
“She’s in her room.”
“She’s tired, huh?” Damien grins.
I shrug. I don’t want to discuss Kendall with Damien, especially now that he’s out rightly expressed his interest.
“Did you copy the writings?”
“I did and I’m ready for tonight ,” Damien arches an eyebrow when I say nothing in response. “I’m gonna go talk to Kendall.”
“She may not be open to conversation.” I warn.
“I’ll just check on her then.”
He disappears into the other room. I’m surprised that Kendall didn’t lock the door. Perhaps she forgot that the suites are connected. I fool around with collecting the gear and changing into proper league attire while I wait for Damien to emerge.
He takes less than five minutes. In that time, I manage to prepare all our things. When Damien returns I’m ready to go.
The younger man hooks a thumb in the direction of Kendall’s room.
“It looks like she’s pretty set on coming with us.”
“She can’t.” I grouse.
Damien strolls to his pack and stores the traditional robes in his pouch. They will serve as a sign of our respect when the time comes.
“Unless you plan on tying her down, I don’t think there’s much we can do to stop her. Trust me.”
I narrow my eyes at him.
“She can’t.”
“If that’s your only argument, good luck.” Damien slaps me on the shoulder before heading to the bathroom.
His words spark an idea.
Damien, do you still have your own rappel and hook?” I shout.
“Yeah! Why?” Damien strides into the settee and slips his feet into leather boots.
“I won’t be able to take mine.” I stand and shuffle in my bag for the rope.
“What are you gonna do?” Damien sends me a frightened stare.
I stride toward Kendall’s room. “If you hear screaming, don’t come in.”
“Dude,” Damien is before me in a flash. He slaps his hand against my chest to keep me from moving forward.
I look up at him, daring him to make another move.
He steps back and bows his head. “Do it gently.”
I nod in reply and walk through the shared bathroom to the suite linked to ours. Kendall is sitting on her bed reading a book. Her hair is down and the curls fall around her shoulders with vibrant energy.
She’s heartbreakingly beautiful, so much so that all my irritation toward her disappears. I stay still and breathe her in. After what I’m about to do, I’m not sure that Kendall will ever speak to me again.
When I’ve had my fill, I clear my throat to let her know that I’ve entered. Kendall startles and glances up. I expect her to ignore me or maybe toss an aggravated comment. When she gives me a smile, I’m extremely confused.
“Alistair, hey.”
I’m so taken aback by the change in attitude that it puts me on edge. If I’m not careful, Kendall will have me wrapped around her little finger. I can’t afford to lose my focus.
“Could you come here?” she pats the side of the bed.
And … my focus is gone.
I dive to the side of the bed, drawn by my desire to be close to her.
“I’m sorry that I upset you,” I begin.
“It’s okay,” Kendal throws a section of dark hair behind her shoulder. “I understand why you don’t want me to go.”
“Really?”
That’s a relief.
“And,” she scoots closer, “I had a good time today too.”
Her words are a balm to my mind. “Yeah?”
“You know, Alistair,” Kendall’s gaze darts away, “the last time we went on a date, I gave you permission to do something and you never did.”
My mind immediately connects her words to the kiss that was thwarted by Maveth’s presence.
“I mean,” Kendall’s gaze darts back to mine, “you don’t have to if you’re no longer interested. I’m not begging for a k-”
The rest of her words are lost against my lips. I kiss her deeply, keeping my hands stubbornly at my sides in respect of her boundaries. When Kendall throws her arms around my neck, those good intentions are cast to the side. I twist around without disengaging from her lips and set her horizontal on the mattress.
I’m enjoying her touch when I feel her hands tugging at my coat. I manage to direct enough brain power to decipher what she’s doing. When I do, I know that this kiss will definitely not end well.
Chapter 19
Kendall
So, I’ve decided that I’m not going to be the damsel in distress type. This is the twenty first century after all! I don’t need a man to protect me, especially when he’s doing something extremely stupid and needs protection himself.
I’ve already made up my mind. I am going with Damien and Alistair to the fortress tonight. But I’m not delusional. Chasing after them won’t be easy. There are some things I need to work out first before I can tag along.
On the way to the hotel, I came up with a plan. Once again, it’s probably not a very good one. It involves distracting one of the assassins, stealing a weapon, and trailing their movements when they head to the fortress later tonight.
Boom, baby!
I’ve watched my fair share of super secret agent movies. On a scale of one to ten, the Seduction Distraction technique always ranks a ten out of ten.
Since I’m more comfortable manipulating Alistair than Damien (I know I’m a terrible person, but these are hard times), I choose to ‘seduce’ the taller assassin. It’s supposed to be easy… at least that’s how they make it look on television.
How hard can it be?
Alistair always carries a knife in his jacket lining. I picked up on the habit when he nearly chopped my head off a few weeks ago. It won’t be hard to pick his pocket when he’s otherwise occupied. All I had to do now was get him alone.
I was genuinely surprised when Alistair solved that problem for me. I’d assumed that I’d have to go to him in order to put my plan into motion, but when he stepped into my suite I figured it was time to make my move.
I’ve never intentionally flirted in my life, but before I even fully get into it, Alistair takes the bait.
For a minute, I am the distracted one. The guy knows how to smooch, I’ll give him that. When Alistair tips me backward onto the mattress, my hand comes to rest naturally against his chest. I feel the handle of his dagger against my palm.
The feeling shakes me back to the mission. I slip the dagger out, internally squealing because of how easy it was to steal it. Arching upward, I shove the dagger into the waist band of my jeans, careful to avoid the sharp edge as much as possible. The entire robbery took less than three seconds to achieve.
I am such a great spy.
If it didn’t involve murder, I probably wouldn’t make a half-bad assassin.
“Kendall,” Alistair uses his arms as braces and he looks down on me.
“Yeah?” I tilt my head, internally groaning.
Why did he have to pull away when I was just starting to focus?
Keep o
n kissing. Keep on kissing.
Alistair ignores my silent plea.
“Nothing,” Alistair shakes his head.
I shrug my shoulders and happily continue where we left off. When his large hands slip down my waist, however, I get a little antsy. I’m not a prude, but I’m not ready to go any farther than kissing with him.
I’m about to shove Alistair away for being handsy when I feel the scabbard of the knife rasping against my back. My eyes widen, as I realize that he’s found the weapon. I try to sit up but I can’t. In less than a minute, Alistair produces a rope from out of nowhere.
With practiced ease, he wraps it around my hands and then scoots me up. I’m half-way to the office chair stuffed into the desk by the time I realize what’s going on.
“Hey, let me go!” I shout.
Alistair holds me fast and sets me in the chair. He then takes another section of rope and wraps it snugly around my torso. I squirm and shout, hoping to get Damien’s attention, but no one appears.
“I hope that’s not too tight,” Alistair remarks when he’s tied the knot.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this. Do you know how many laws you’re breaking?”
“You’ll be safe,” he replies. “That’s all that matters.”
“Alistair,” I change tactics and soften my tone, “I won’t come with you guys. I promise, I’ll stay right here and watch TV.”
Alistair quirks an eyebrow. “Is that why you have my dagger in your pants?”
I freeze.
Shoot, I should have tried to pull the wool over Damien instead.
Alistair grabs a pillow and wrenches the case from it.
“Alistair, let me go this minute!” I order.
His brown eyes skitter away from mine.
“I really am sorry about this,” Alistair apologizes as he wraps the sheet around my mouth like a gag.
I glare at him with all the anger in my soul. Seriously? Every time I feel like we’re making strides toward a relationship, Alistair goes and ties someone up. Now that I’m the one on the other side of the rope, I must say… I can understand Maveth’s obsession with killing us.
The cloth is annoyingly dry against my tongue. I try to test Alistair’s handiwork by squirming around, but the ropes hold fast. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.
Stupid assassin.
***
Alistair
I feel terrible leaving Kendall bound and gagged in the suite, but I make sure to turn the television on to the housewives documentary before Damien and I leave. She’ll be duly entertained.
Perhaps watching the dramatic lives of other women will soften her regard toward me.
Damien and I hop into the rental car he secured during the afternoon. I watch the hotel lights until they blur out of sight as he drives.
Damien chuckles. “You just shot yourself in the foot, man.”
I rub my chin. “I know.”
Damien stretches smugly. “It’ll be easier for me.”
I grit my teeth. “Let’s focus on the mission. Are you sure you can get us in?”
“Yes,” Damien looks offended. “I grew up around these parts. Why do you think I’m so good at my job?”
“Because you’re arrogant?” I mumble.
Damien narrows his eyes. “Anyway, we’ll be taking a boat. I hope you don’t get seasick.”
I have been on many boats and Damien is aware of this.
He parks near a dock. I alight from the car and follow Damien to the boat that bobs in the water.
“I paid the owner an arm and leg for her, but she’s worth it,” Damien explains as we untie the rope and propel the vessel into deeper waters.
The further we journey, the more I feel as if we’re sailing straight into darkness. The twinkling lights of the city merge with the stars until I can no longer see the structures on the shore.
A prickle of misgiving soars in my stomach. Perhaps I should have found another way to restrain, Kendall. Binding her to the chair was a bit harsh. Still, what can I do now? Our mission is underway. Losing concentration is not only dangerous, but foolish.
Kendall is safe. I must accept it and turn my attention to the duel that will ensue. It is a fight to the death. If I win and come back alive, I may have a chance to gain Kendall’s forgiveness. But there are no second chances for a dead man.
Chapter 20
Alistair
The tunnel beneath the fortress is pitch black and very narrow. If we so much as sneeze the rooftop will cave in and bury us in a heavy pile of rubble.
The canoe that Damien stored on deck and removed for this portion of the journey is questionable at best. Every movement upsets its balance and threatens to upturn us.
I feel no fear, though our path is riddled with obstacles. Alligators could be swimming beneath us, next to us, ahead of us. Our canoe may soon be submerged. A loud echo could bring the entire rooftop crumbling down.
Yet energy pumps through my veins. Adrenaline grabs my heart and squeezes it tight. It has been such a long time since I have been a part of an important mission. The camaraderie, the exhilaration, the feeling of purpose, it is all coming back to me.
I see a pale hand gesturing to the left. It is Damien’s signal.
We are in.
I allow him to guide the boat by heart so that my strokes don’t oppose his. The scratch of wood against the shore is loud in the darkness. Damien flashes another signal.
I grab my bag and my sword to trail him. The man continues to lead me through signals. Though we are now in the dark fortress, we are still unable to use our voices. Any sound that does not belong will be noticed by the guards.
The path is smooth beneath our feet. This even surface is trickier to move silently on. At least grass and soft dirt can camouflage a person’s steps. The rustling of fabric, though we try to calm it, is too loud. For the first time, I wonder if we will be caught.
Thankfully, this wing of the fortress is completely dark. Damien has chosen a secret tunnel that leads directly to the chief’s bedroom. According to the younger man, it was once used by the chief to usher concubines in and out of the fortress without notice.
This pursuit of lustful pleasures will cost him.
Damien’s hands slash through the dark. I stop immediately. He works in silence, but after a moment I hear the creaking of a door. I stiffen, feeling each of my bones coiled for action. The sound is enough to alert Toqueph if he chances to be awake.
The more the door opens, the more light steals into the secret passageway. Damien turns to look at me. I nod my head slowly. This is my last will and testament. If I die tonight, he must take care of Kendall. The younger man dips his head in acknowledgement.
And then we are off.
I sprint toward the large bed in the middle of the room, guided by the flames flickering above the candles on the dresser. The sound of a lock plugging into place is Damien barricading the doors from the guards outside.
I need Toqueph alone for this.
The short, brawny man with thick red hair atop his head and blanketing his chin straightens immediately. His brown eyes blaze in shadows.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“I am Thanathus, former member of the League of Firenzes.”
“Thanathus!” His eyes widen in recognition. “What is the meaning of this? Have you come to kill me or to die?”
Toqueph jumps out of bed. He wears a long tunic that will undoubtedly hamper his movements. The fight will not be fair.
“Neither. I have come to battle for mercy.”
Toqueph’s eyes dart to the left where Damien stands in the shadows.
“You have brought your friend, I see.”
Damien dips his head low.
“If I had meant to kill you, I would have done so by now,” I relate as the doors begin to rattle from the efforts of the warriors outside. They have been alerted to our presence.
“A battle for mercy?” Toqueph rubs his chin. “In the end you wil
l die. Does this suit you?”
“If it is so, I shall accept my fate.”
“Very well.”
He whirls around, faster than a flash and grabs a sword from a rack behind him. I unsheathe my own weapon and block his move. We parry around the room to the sound of metal clashing against metal.
What I had first deemed as an obstacle, Toqueph easily discards. His cloak serves his purposes. His movements are sharp and quick, belying his age.
Sweat forms on my forehead as I realize that I might have underestimated Toqueph’s prowess. There is a natural flow to his movements so that I can find no vulnerabilities. His experience is evenly matched with my youth.
Toqueph notices my shaken confidence. He pushes forward with a flurry of offensive swoops so that I can do nothing but retreat. The chief has me backed up against the curtains so fast all I can do is focus on keeping his sword away from my chest.
“You dare rebuff my daughter’s affections and then come for mercy?” Toqueph hisses.
I push forward in a frantic attempt to disarm him. Toqueph anticipates the move and uses my own force against me so that my sword clatters to the ground. Damien is in the background, prepared to leave the minute my life is taken.
He will take Kendall and flee.
I groan, sensing that the end is coming and wishing I had left Kendall on better terms.
“When I am through with your friend, I am coming for you.” Toqueph threatens Damien.
I close my eyes in preparation for death when the doors burst open. Toqueph’s attention is shifted. I use the opportunity to my advantage. I slip to a crouching position and then into a sweeping kick that lands the large chief on his side.
Toqueph scrambles for his sword, but I use my momentum to kick the weapon away and grasp my own. I lift the chief roughly in one hand and slide the sword against his neck with the other.
Damien advances, holding his own weapon at his side. We brought our guns along, but in a league of honor, guns are a sign of war. We will only withdraw ours if the league does so first.
“Hold your form!” I yell to the warriors slowly forming a circle around us. “Hold your form!”
