Killing Game

by Felicity Heaton

  “Lily... Jack.” Cain waved his hand between them and then took another drag on his cigarette. His expression changed into one that Jack could read clearly—Cain wanted Lily to be well looked after.

  “You’re going to fit in well, Lily. One thing before you start.” Jack watched her nod, her eyes wide with interest as she waited for his information. He could see what had Cain worried. Fresh-faced girls in New York clubs were always the ones who got harassed the most. “We don’t get much trouble in here, but if any guys get a little too interested in you, just let the guys behind the bar know and we’ll take care of it. We don’t want our waitresses not enjoying their work. We’ll run through the other procedures shortly. Right now I’ve got to check the bar over and do the boring, responsible stuff.”

  Lily watched the dark haired guy grin goofily at her and smiled, her nerves dying away under the prospect of working for someone who seemed to be equally as nice as Cain, if a little less serious. Turning around, she saw Cain sitting at the bar nearby and took the stool next to him.

  He smiled when she settled down next to him and put her coat over her lap.

  “Not such a bad place, no?” He stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray and she watched the last of the smoke curl from it before it died.

  “Seems nice, your friend and the place.”

  He looked down at his leather glove coated fingers and then winced before looking back at her.

  “Are they still hurting?” She cocked her head to one side. His fingers moved stiffly and his expression was blank as he quite obviously tried to cover the pain.

  “Little.” He smiled briefly and then turned to look at the door as it opened.

  Lily’s eyes moved there also. She watched the girls walk into the club and noticed how their glances immediately settled on Cain and then came to rest on her. She noted the change of expression as they saw her sitting next to him, their brows wrinkling into a frown and their looks turning green. She knew what they were thinking, and she couldn’t blame them. Cain had looks that would make most men jealous and most women swoon, and even she wasn’t immune to them. The moment she’d laid eyes on him outside his apartment that night, his beauty had captured her.

  Leaning against the bar, she idly watched him as he lit up another cigarette. He looked relaxed as he openly ignored everyone but her and his friend Jack. He was a stark contrast to her. He seemed so calm while she was all panic and nerves, and his eyes were fixed on one place while hers leapt about the room, trying to absorb the scenes playing out all around her as the club got ready to open. As he turned to look at her, she gave him a small and awkward smile.

  “You’ll do fine.” Cain placed his hand over hers where it rested on the bar top. His eyes focused on the contrast of his gloved hand and her pale slender fingers.

  He frowned as he looked at them. Hers were all purity and goodness while his appeared dark—black gloves for a black-hearted killer. How many times had he pulled a trigger wearing these gloves? He yanked his hand away, feeling as though he was burning her goodness away and tainting her with his touch.

  Lily frown briefly and then thought the better of saying anything. She could clearly read that part of him was conflicted, and she wondered if it was about her. Maybe he thought he was showing misplaced affection. She almost laughed at herself for all the times over the past day that she’d thought he might like her. He’d never like her. He was just some guy trying to be nice to a naïve girl who got stuck in New York City. That was all. There was no way a guy like him would think of her as anything other than a little girl or a friend.

  Shaking her head to clear it of such thoughts, she realized Jack was calling her. Turning around, she saw him near the end of the bar with the girls she’d watched walk in.

  “Now or never, I guess. Wish me luck?” She didn’t know why she sounded so unsure, but she settled on the idea that it was either she was scared he wouldn’t wish her luck or she was petrified of her first night at work.

  “Good luck, love,” he said with a warm smile.

  Lily felt her cheeks flush hotly, the intensity of his smile going straight to her stomach while her knees weakened at his pet name for her.

  Cain relished the effect he had on her.

  He watched her bounce away towards the other girls, her beauty clearly outshining them as she joined the crowd under the pale yellow lights. He mused how they danced on her hair, making it vivid and bright, almost as bright as the smile she had on her face as she turned back to look at him. It hit him hard in the stomach, his knees turning to jelly as it grew wider, causing her eyes to narrow. He could see the other girls watching her closely and couldn’t stop himself from smiling back at her, making them all frown in jealously.

  Chuckling quietly, he took another drag on his cigarette and watched the first of the night’s patrons walk in through the door, hoping they would be good to his girl and keep their hands to themselves.

  * * *

  Cain looked up at the clock above the bar. It was nearing midnight and the room was crowded. People brushed against him as he sat on his stool at the bar, quietly enjoying his bourbon and pondering just what the hell was happening in his life. Sucking his cheeks in and staring at the amber liquid in front of him, he inhaled deeply, trying to catch a smell of her flowery scent in the smoke filled room.

  Jack walked past him on the other side of the bar and then stopped, moved backwards a few steps and looked down at him.

  He realized something was wrong straight away.

  “Okay, fess up.” Leaning against the bar, Jack placed the empty glasses he was holding down beside him.

  “What?” Cain looked up dreamily and blinked.

  “Something’s up, man. Do I look blind?”

  “Nothing. Just a long two days.” Cain sipped his bourbon and arched a brow, his look thoughtful.

  Jack wasn’t the slightest bit convinced.

  “I bet. She’s a real pretty one ain’t she?” He looked over at Lily where she was serving a table full of girls and then down at his friend.

  “Yeah,” Cain said and then backtracked. “I mean, don’t know who you’re talking about.”

  Jack just chuckled and enjoyed the indifferent expression on his friend’s face.

  “Try again without the dreamy sigh and the moon eyes.” He laughed. Cain scowled at him and tapped his left trigger finger against the bar. He stopped laughing and swallowed. “Hey, we have an agreement, no threatening the barkeep.”

  Cain’s lips broke into a wide smile. Like he’d ever hurt Jack. Not for a million dollars.

  “Better,” Jack said and nodded towards Lily. “So, do you want to tell me just what is going on, because your excuse doesn’t cut it anymore. Sure, she’s a runaway and you don’t want her to end up like you, but now that I’ve seen her and the way you act around her, you expect me to believe that’s the only reason you’re helping her?”

  Lighting a cigarette, Cain bought himself time to think. Jack was ruthless when it came to questioning, and he knew that he wasn’t going to get away with telling him a lie or even a half truth. Jack could sniff out when Cain didn’t tell him the whole truth.

  “Fine.” He held his hands up and gave Jack a look that said he’d won. “It’s nothing emotional. She saw me about two minutes after the alley balls up. I killed the driver, but the cops saw. I’ve been told to lie low, for fuck’s sake. Me! I never fuck up, Jack, you know that, but I fucked up royally that night. When I hit the asphalt, she was there, standing in the pouring fucking rain and damn near freezing to death. I did the only thing I could think of, I grabbed her and dragged her along with me. She thinks I saved her. I think fate gave me a kick in the balls.”

  “Well, you stopped her from being questioned by the cops. A girl in a strange city, in an alley at some unholy hour of the morning, they would’ve been all over her with the blame, man. You did the right thing.”

  “Yeah, I’m a real hero.” Cain sighed and arched a brow at his glass of bourbon as
it dangled from his fingertips.

  “Who’s a hero?” Lily said, smiling broadly at him. She placed her tray down on the bar and pulled a thoughtful face. “Um... crap... I forgot... hang on...” She scrabbled about for her little note pad and flicked through it, desperately looking for something. “Here we go. Two vodka lemonades, four shots tequila and a... eww... um...”

  Seeing her struggling with the rest, Cain took the scrap of paper from her and frowned at it. The ink had been smudged by her wet fingers and the last two drinks were almost a blur. He squinted as he tried to make them out. “One bourbon rocks, one martini.”

  “Thanks.” Lily gave him a sheepish smile and heaved a long sigh as she slumped onto the stool next to him. “I’m pooped.”

  Reaching over, Cain pushed a loose strand of her hair back into place. The fine sheen of sweat on her face glistened in the low light.

  “You look tired. Just another hour and then I’ll drive you back to your place. You could use some good sleep, but don’t forget about the deliveries coming tomorrow.” He smiled softly. Right now, he felt as though the world consisted of only her, the sounds of the club fading to nothing more than a distant noise.

  “Okay. So, who’s a hero?” she said and then pouted as the tray of drinks appeared. “Crap. Guess you’ll have to tell me later. Thanks for sticking around. It’s nice having you here for me.”

  With that, she disappeared into the crowd. The noises around Cain came rushing back in, and he heaved a long sigh.

  “Anytime, sweetheart.”

  A low laugh caught his attention and he turned to look at Jack.

  “Yeah, real hero, purely doing it to help her, nothing to do with the fact you’ve got the world’s biggest school boy crush on her.”

  “Piss off,” Cain mumbled into his drink, suddenly not feeling like the calm, collected killer he was supposed to be. He frowned as he looked into the mirror behind the bottles of liquor opposite him.

  What the hell was happening to him?

  She was unleashing his feelings, letting them all break free of the restraints he had held them deep down inside with all these years, and he needed to change that. Staring into the mirror, he nursed his drink and thought about everything that had happened recently, and then closed his eyes as he realized what he had to do.

  He had to let her go.

  If he continued like this, he’d get himself killed, or worse, get her killed. His life wasn’t any place for her, and he wouldn’t be able to protect her from the world if she was anywhere near him. To keep her safe, he had to push her away and get his focus back on the job.

  To keep them both safe.

  The more time he spent with her, the less he was able to face what he did for a profession, and the less he was able to face himself. He wanted her more than anything, but this wasn’t a movie. He couldn’t just walk into his boss’s office and tell him that he wanted to quit. Being a contract killer was a lifetime job. You could never walk away.

  And those that tried didn’t live long.

  He’d been responsible for fulfilling enough contracts on ex-hit men, and he knew his boss had made him carry them out so he knew just what happened when you tried to quit.

  Looking over his shoulder, he somberly watched Lily as she smiled and weaved her way through the crowd, ferrying drinks back and forth between the bar and the tables.

  He sighed as he caught her eye and then looked down at his drink.

  Could he really let her go?

  * * *

  Lily chatted on aimlessly about her night, unfazed by how quiet Cain was as he drove her back to her apartment. She’d never thought that working would be such an experience. The girls who were her workmates were all wonderful to her, helping her settle in and showing her the ropes. The jealousy she’d seen in their eyes at first had gradually disappeared and she knew she was in good hands there.

  She smiled as she told Cain all about the drinks she’d served and the people she’d met, and how great the bartenders were and how wonderful his friend Jack was.

  Cain just stared at the road ahead, not really seeing it as his eyes followed the motion of the windscreen wipers as they swished back and forth, cutting through the downpour. He let her ramble on, letting her be happy and trying to convince himself that he was making the right decision. She was better off without him.

  He was better off without her.

  Pulling up outside the apartment building, he smiled as he looked over at her.

  “And it was so hot in there. I got so sweaty and grimy just trying to move about. I mean, how the hell do people cope? I’m dying for a long bath now—” Lily looked at him and stopped talking when she saw how serious he looked. The excitement drained from her face. “What?”

  Cain just kept his face impassive as he saw her happiness falter.

  “I’m going to be busy for a few days,” he said and swore he caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes but she was so quick to mask everything with a smile again.

  “Oh... work?” Lily said, trying to convince herself that this had everything to do with his work and nothing to do with her. Looking over at him, she was amazed by how emotionless he seemed, how uncaring he was about the idea of being away from her. She swallowed her hurt and just held her head high, telling herself that it was fine. It was time she settled into her new life and this was the perfect opportunity. “I’m sure I’ll be busy anyway... with the new job and settling in. I’m going to try and get Jack to let me paint the place... and I’ll be fine... my stuff will arrive tomorrow and I’ll be fine.”

  Cain thought she was trying so hard to convince herself that she would be fine, that it was obvious that she was anything but. He chalked it up in his head as another reason to hate himself—hurting a girl that he had feelings for, whatever they were.

  “You’ll be fine.” He smiled slightly at her and she nodded resolutely.

  Lily suppressed her hurt and managed a smile in return. She told herself that he couldn’t help being busy, work had to come first, she supposed, and she knew in her heart that he’d be there for her if she needed him.

  Smiling bravely, she looked into his eyes and picked up her bag, opening the car door.

  “Anything happens, I’ll jump right on the line... but I’m sure I’ll be fine.” She struggled to keep her smile straight as it tried to falter, her lower lip wanting to tremble over how everything had been perfect and he’d ruined it all by not wanting to see her.

  “Take care, love.” Cain kept his hands firmly on the steering wheel, resisting his desire to reach out to her and let his fingers run down her cheek. She looked so hurt, her eyes telling him everything her smile was trying to hide.

  “You, too.” Lily looked briefly over her shoulder at him and then stepped out of the car, sniffing back the tears that wanted to fall. She was just tired. This had nothing to do with him, and she was sure a long soak would fix it. Walking up to the building, she opened the door and looked back at Cain, holding her hand up in a little wave before walking in.

  Cain waved back at her, watching her disappear into the building and hoping he’d made the right decision and she would be safer without him. In reality, he wanted to stay, wanted to protect her from the world, but in doing that, he wouldn’t be able to protect her from himself.

  He sighed as he pulled the car back out onto the road, listening to the water rushing off the wheels as they cut through the sheet of rain that was covering the asphalt.

  Heading home, he realized he’d have only a few days to clear her from his system and get things back to how they used to be. He had to do this. He had no other option but to turn his back on her. She’d be fine without him, safe without him. Jack would look after her, and she would be safe in her new life.

  He looked at his rear view mirror and her building as it disappeared from view.

  Could this be any harder?

  Could he really let her go?

  * * *

  Chapter 6

  Cain scanned
the main floor of Club Eden. It was loud, hot and sweaty, and people were far too close to him. Spotting the tall dark-haired bloke he’d been tailing all night, he put his hand to his ear and pushed his earpiece in so he could hear better over the din.

  “Target acquired, moving to follow,” he said as loudly as possible without drawing attention to himself.

  The owners of this club knew him, they would know why he was here, but the patrons were blissfully unaware of what was happening around them. They were too busy feeling up the waitresses and trying to score, and he wanted to keep it that way.

  “Copy. I have him in sight,” came the reply.

  Cain watched the waitresses and found his thoughts turning to Club Infinity and Lily. It had been almost two weeks since he’d last spoken to her and he was finally beginning to feel like his old self. He hated having to work as part of a team, but he knew as soon as his boss saw he wasn’t going to screw up again that he would be out on his own—like things should be. He grinned as he lit up a cigarette and sucked his cheeks in slightly as he looked around the room. It was full of the worst type of scum. They were low-life’s that had been scraping the underbelly of this city for years and running the underground that gave it the bad reputation it had for violent crime and murder.

  Hell, he was right there with them, with the worst of them.

  He just smirked as he looked at the bar manager, his eyes cold and emotionless as his fingers lovingly stroked the Walther P99 concealed under his coat. He loved to scare the people who ran this place.

  It gave him power. It gave him the conviction and the darkness he needed to do his job.

  Ignoring the way the waitresses were smiling at him, he pushed away from thoughts of Lily. He’d cleansed himself of feelings for her, had spent days just getting rid of everything she inspired in him until his world was cold and grey again, colorless. He’d even avoided speaking to Jack, knowing that whatever his friend had to say there would be a mention of the girl in there somewhere and it would make him falter again.