by AJ Sherwood
The assassin’s espresso eyes came up to meet his in a sharp cut. “Who says we were doing that?”
“Come on, Ari, I’m not an idiot. It’s all well and good to talk her through it, but she doesn’t know the city. And she’s never had to travel on her own before. Of course it makes sense to do a few dry runs with us following her.”
“Us?” Ari parroted the word, both questioning and suspicious.
“Why do it alone if you don’t have to?” Carter responded reasonably. “Another pair of eyes can’t hurt. You okay with that game plan, honey?”
Remi nodded, her eyes trained on her sire. “I’d like to practice it, just in case. Daddy?”
He stared at Carter a little longer before tearing his eyes away and giving Remi a smile. “Sure. Let’s do that after breakfast.”
14
Ari
Remi might know, intellectually, how to get out of the city. But she didn’t really know the city or how to avoid the cameras. Hard to avoid something when you didn’t know where it was. For that matter, Ari had flown in and out of DC before, but he really didn’t know the city either.
For their benefit (and sanity), they decided to do a mock run with Remi. Ivan went to scope out Knowles a little more, see if he couldn’t get a better head count of how many guards were on day roster. Harrison and Ari followed Remi at a ten-foot distance, letting her go first as they headed into the metro.
At nine in the morning on a Sunday, it wasn’t too crowded. They didn’t speak to each other as Remi led the way into the first metro car. She flashed them a triumphant look, pleased with herself for navigating this far.
“She’s surprisingly good about retaining instructions,” Harrison mentioned, and he sounded downright pleased. “I’ve worked with adults who would have screwed it up by now.”
“Tell me about it. It’s my one saving grace with her. She’s a show-once kind of person. If she was anything else, I’d be in trouble.” Ari held onto the pole above his head, feet braced as the train car gently rocked him side to side.
“Are you really encouraging her to be an assassin?”
Harrison didn’t sound judgey, mostly curious. Ari took the question in stride and shrugged. “I’m not the kind of parent who makes decisions for their kids. Between you and me, though, I’m hoping she becomes a hacker. K’s been teaching her and says she’s got a gift for tech. We’re all trying to encourage her in that direction.”
“It would mean she’s shot at less often.”
“Yup. I’d rather she not be in the line of fire most of her adult life. Up to her, though.”
The conversation stalled as they got off that subway and went back out of the station, still following Remi. She stopped at a map, got her bearings, and then headed off. No one stopped her. No one asked any questions of her. It hurt Ari’s heart in a way he wasn’t sure how to explain. Was a child that invisible to most adults? Was she someone else’s problem?
Harrison’s thoughts must have run along the same line, since he muttered, “I know I told her she could do this, but it’s pissing me off in a way that it is working. You’d think at least one adult would stop her and ask why she’s alone.”
“Yeah, non va bene. But good for us she can do it if she needs to.” It frankly gave Ari chills, though. He couldn’t help but think about that night, six months ago, when Remi had first approached him. If he’d not paid attention to her and just left, what would have happened? His imagination provided nothing good.
Random rain drops fell and Ari grimaced up at the sky. It had felt humid and heavy all morning but he’d hoped the rain would hold off for a little longer until they were back under cover.
“Figured this would happen.” Harrison reached into the messenger bag over his shoulder and pulled out an umbrella. With a press of the switch, he popped it up over their heads, then took a step closer so they were both under its cover. It meant their shoulders overlapped, as two grown men didn’t really fit under an umbrella well. Harrison seemed to be eyeing him sideways, making sure this was alright. Ari forced a smile and deliberately relaxed his shoulders. It was fine. This was fine.
Okay, it wasn’t, the touches were still playing havoc with his instincts, but part of him was honest enough to admit the attraction. Carter Harrison was a ruggedly beautiful man. He was good natured. Kind. Competent. Great with kids. Patient. The combination of all that slipped underneath Ari’s guard and ambushed him.
Harrison may or may not prove to be the exception to Ari’s dating issues. He couldn’t really say one way or another at this point, as he didn’t know the man well enough to predict him. He felt torn about the opportunity Harrison presented, though. Did he even want to try?
Shaking the thought off, Ari focused back on the here and now. Remi was his priority. He didn’t want to lose her on this crowded sidewalk. He could think about vexing and attractive mercenaries later.
Remi’s three dry runs getting safely to the airport and booking a ticket were a success. She found the best and most efficient method during the third run, and Ari breathed easier knowing she had it down. If it all went to shit, at least she’d get out fine.
All of the walking and thinking had worn her out. Remi lay sound asleep in her bed, snoring a little. Ari took the opportunity to slip out, heading for Ivan’s room next door. He gave a soft rap on the door, not surprised when Ivan opened it within seconds. There was a knowing look on his friend’s face as he gestured him inside.
“Vodka?” Ivan offered with a smug tilt to his mouth that spoke of trouble.
Not sure if he wanted to know, Ari tried deflecting as he settled on the end of the king-sized bed. The bland hotel room had gained a little personality because Ivan had apparently bought a street artist’s work. The bold sunset picture of a beach was at odds with the blank white walls and bland khaki colored carpet of the room. “Isn’t that a bad idea this time of night?”
The thief scoffed, already pouring a shot for him from the mini bar. “Vodka is medicine.”
“How very Russian of you.” Shaking his head, Ari took the glass and downed it in one go, as frankly, he needed something to settle him. And it was good vodka.
Ivan grabbed the single wooden chair in the room, straddling it so that his arms could rest on the back, watching him steadily. “Something eats at you. Not Remi.”
“No, I’m…good with how we’ve got things worked out. Even if it all goes to shit, she’ll be able to get out and to Luca.” Ari opened his mouth, froze, then closed it with a frown. He really had no idea how to express the emotions swirling through him. It wasn’t that he felt embarrassed about doing so either. A real man expressed his feelings and didn’t shy from his own emotions.
“Carter Harrison.” Ivan said his name like it was the answer to a complicated word problem.
Blowing out a breath, Ari stared at the glass in his hands, finding it easier. “Yeah. I don’t know what to do about this. At first, I was ready to take him out just because he knew about Remi. But he’s been so…reassuring, I think is the word. He swore he wouldn’t breathe a word about her to anyone, and I believe him. And that’s a very strange feeling, believing someone other than you guys.”
Ivan nodded. “Da, I see what you mean. But I feel the same, that he can be trusted.”
Relief coursed through Ari. So it wasn’t just him feeling that way? “Is it his reputation? Or the way he’s been responding to Remi?”
“Both, I think.” The smug tilt to Ivan’s mouth came back with a vengeance. “But is that why you’re attracted to him?”
Ari wished he had another shot of vodka in his hands with fierce longing. “This stays between me and you, okay?”
“Da,” Ivan agreed immediately.
“I have no idea why the fuck he’s affecting me like this.” Ari ran a hand roughly through his hair, his mind a whirling dervish that wouldn’t settle. “You know me, I’m not attracted to men all that often. I’m a take it or leave it kinda guy most of the time. But something about
him makes my nerves light on fire whenever he gets near me. The man’s pushing buttons I didn’t know I had.”
“This is not bad thing,” Ivan pointed out, taking his glass and pouring him another shot.
Ari took it gratefully as Ivan settled back into his chair. He didn’t drink it just yet, though. “Isn’t it? My life wasn’t conducive to romance before Remi. Having an eight-year-old to keep track of makes it even harder. And you know as well as I do, she’s too soft a target.”
“You think Harrison would not protect her?”
As much as he’d like to argue, Ari didn’t want to lie. Shaking his head, his hand tightened on the glass until his knuckles shone white with strain. “We both know if shit hit the fan, Harrison would protect her automatically. It’s one of those buttons he’s pushing. I didn’t know ‘protective’ was sexy until yesterday. That whole thing on the train about turned me into goo.”
“I saw you melting.” Ivan winked at him. “Do not be alarmed. It takes one who knows you well to read the expression. I don’t think he realized. Ari. What are you really scared of? It’s alright to date, you know. Or even hookup, if you want to try that. If he does something stupid, I’ll kill him for you later.”
That actually did make Ari feel better. “Is it really that easy? Can I just blindly try? You know I suck at hookups.”
Ivan shrugged. “Not all men can relax their guard enough to be intimate with a stranger. Your guard is higher than most. Date, then.”
“The only time I’ve really been on a date was to get close to a mark, though.”
Ivan pursed his lips. “I would not think I had more dating history than you. This makes me worry about Kyou.”
Snorting a laugh, Ari tossed back his vodka before snarking, “You really think he leaves his batcave for any length of time? He’s more attached to his computers than a man with a new mistress.”
Grimacing, Ivan didn’t disagree. “Da, you have good point there. We need to drag him outside more often.”
“That’s what Remi’s for. She’s our lure.”
Ivan lifted his glass, still undrunk, in a toast for a good idea.
As much as Ari felt better about airing all of this, he didn’t feel inspired to actually do anything about it. Quite the opposite, really. It was all well and good to admit to being attracted, but did he really want to act on said attraction? And knowing how he operated, it would mean easing into a physical relationship, which Harrison might not be interested in. Dating seemed even more impossible of an option. Ari absolutely did not want to upset the balance by trying for something he wasn’t sure Harrison was even interested in. The man was touchy-feely, sure, but that didn’t make him gay. Or bi. Or anything else, really.
Ivan sighed gustily. “You just talked yourself out of it, didn’t you? Chert durak, why do you do this? Life will give you only so many chances, you know.”
“While we’re trying to tackle Knowles, you want me to date?” Ari objected, a touch defensively. “While we’re trying to tackle Knowles in four weeks?”
His friend didn’t budge an inch. “There will always be good reasons for not taking that leap. Just like there will always be good reasons for trying. Decisions made by fear are never good ones.”
“I know that, but I can’t risk Remi.”
Ivan sighed the sigh of a very exasperated man who wanted to pound sense into someone and was exercising virtuous restraint in not giving into the compulsion. “Then I hope, for both your sakes, Carter Harrison knows how to make a move.”
15
Carter
Carter arrived at the townhome later the next morning with no fanfare. Two furniture moving trucks were unloading, mostly beds, Carter noted. A table, chairs, desk, and some couches as well, but mostly beds. It made sense. They only needed the essentials for the next four weeks and this place would likely be abandoned after that. Although it did beg the question: who covered the costs for expenses on this project?
The townhome was a typical red brick, two-story building matching with all of the others around it. Anonymous in the best sense and Carter approved. The side of the house had white siding and a two-car attached garage, which he also approved of. Being able to keep the vehicles out of sight while they prepped would be important. K apparently knew how to set up a safehouse. The parking spaces in the front would work for the four vehicles they needed to park, as of course each man had driven his own car in.
He slipped in behind two of the furniture movers, following the dulcet tones of an irate man’s voice. Mid-western dialect twined through the words the louder he got. Carter got a good look at the place as he moved. It was so neutral in tone and color, he found it bland. Beige carpet, off-white walls, no personality whatsoever. At least it was perfectly clean and in good condition. He’d stayed in worse places. Although somehow Carter got the impression that if Remi hadn’t been with them, the accommodations wouldn’t have been nearly so nice.
The speaker was in the kitchen, leaning against a granite-topped island, his free hand gesturing in the air as he spoke. He wasn’t much taller than Carter’s five-ten, slim and wiry, his messy, shortish-textured black hair not styled. He looked pale, the sort of pale stemming from too much time spent indoors. He was in loose jeans, flipflops, and a t-shirt faded to grey from many, many washings.
The hacker, K, had arrived. As he turned, Carter blinked. Huh. He was actually cuter in person. He reminded Carter of those K-pop idols his sister liked to drool over. He had that pretty-boy look to him.
K gave him a quick smile and held up a finger, asking for a minute. Then his face hardened as he practically snarled into the phone, “I’m not mad you called me that. I’m sad you lack the creativity to call me anything else, you knuckle dragging, inbred swamp twat. You listen to me; I have to go dark for a month or so. I can’t watch your back during that time, and I can’t help you unravel this current problem more than I have. Use the brain your daddy gave you, and the painstaking intel I gave you, and watch your back, you hear me? What? No, I’m not in trouble. Brannigan. Bran, quit it. I’m just on a job, it’s not something you can help me with. Oh you’re so sweet,” K’s tone made it clear he thought the opposite, “but I have my criminal friends to help me, and I don’t need your hot ass in the middle of this. You focus on your own problem, hmm? Don’t give me that lip, you ingrate. You have a hacker as your guardian angel, you don’t get to make that argument. Shut up.”
Carter’s eyebrows rested in his hairline at this point. Just who was K talking to?!
Something that might have been a blush crossed that pale skin before K muttered more gently, “Watch your back, okay? I’ll be back in a month.” K hung up the phone and slid it into his pocket before offering a hand. “Sorry for that. I’m Kyou, nice to meet you.”
Carter shook his hand and found it firmer than he expected. “Nice to meet you. Thanks for taking this on. I know it was very last minute.”
Kyou canted his head, looking intrigued. “I’m amazed you found Ari at all, frankly. Walk me through step by step how you did so later, when I have the computer up.”
“So you can wipe any electronic footprint they have? Sure. I’d rather no one else put the pieces together about Remi.”
“Good, thank you. And we’re always up for a challenge. Just live up to your reputation and don’t do anything stupid.”
That sounded like a warning. Carter gave him a game smile. “I’ll do my best. What can I help you with?”
He got another funny look and this time Kyou was slower to respond. “I’ve got my gear in the car. A lot of it’s too delicate to trust to movers. If you want to help me with that?”
“Sure. And I meant to ask, who’s in charge of expenses on this trip?”
“I’ve been keeping a record of it. I figured we’d split costs evenly at the end.”
“If you want me to take that on, I can. I have to report expenses when the job is over anyway.”
Kyou stopped and scrutinized him again. “Huh. Ivan’s rig
ht, you’re really a nice guy. No wonder Ari hasn’t killed you yet.”
“I’m actually a little surprised by that myself.” More like, he was astonished the assassin hadn’t already done so and instead seemed to be steadily thawing towards him. At least, he’d come into contact with Ari several times over the past few days and every time, instead of flinching, Ari seemed to lean into the contact. Carter wasn’t quite sure what to make of the body language he was reading. Either Ari was touch starved (possible), was attracted to him (doubtful, but still possible), or buttering him up to kill him later (most likely).
“I’ve got a corner in the living room reserved for setting everything up,” Kyou informed him, leading the way through the kitchen and into the attached garage. “For now, let’s set the boxes in the kitchen. I think the desk will need some assembling. There’s five bedrooms in the house, so when we’re done, just pick one and throw your stuff in. If you don’t mind, let Ivan or I have the master downstairs. Ari will sleep better if Remi’s within a short distance of him.”
“Sure.” There wasn’t much else to discuss. They went back and forth, unloading the many, many boxes in Kyou’s Jeep Wrangler. Heeding the hacker’s warning, Carter was careful in setting them down. He absolutely did not want to break anything. For one thing, Kyou might murder him in his sleep. For another, they might not have the necessary time to replace broken equipment.
The rest of the gang arrived while he was unloading things. Remi went straight for her Uncle Kyou and got a hug in, her smile wide on her face. She kept a hand on the hacker even as Ivan called to her, switching hands to respond to Ivan’s request so she held onto the thief instead. Carter took an unobserved moment to really watch her reactions to the men and felt his instincts stir once again. There was something…off. Not wrong, just subtly off, like a picture out of focus. It took him a minute to see it.
Remi stayed in constant physical contact.
