Good Intentions - Adrian Hell #6 (Adrian Hell Series)

by James P. Sumner

  I drive through, and it closes automatically behind me. The street is a long cul-de-sac, separated down the middle by a strip of grass roughly three feet wide, which has tall, thin trees planted at even intervals all the way along. There aren’t that many properties within the community, but each one is enormous—set back from the road behind a big driveway and front lawn.

  My place is the third one along on the left. It’s a single-story house made from brilliant white brick, with a decorative pillar standing either side of the front door. Inside is a large reception area that leads straight through to the kitchen. The hallway stretches away in both directions. Left takes you to the first of two lounge rooms at the front of the house, as well as another room at the back that families would probably use as a dining room. I’ve not bothered furnishing it—some free weights are stored along the left wall, with a heavy punch bag hanging from the ceiling in the middle. To the right is a second lounge room—which, again, I’ve not bothered too much with—and my bedroom, which has an en suite bathroom and shower.

  I ease my Aston Martin onto the drive, kill the engine, and climb out over the side. Mostly because I can, and it’s fun. I walk toward the front door, reaching for my keys, but stop when I near it.

  It’s open.

  What the hell?

  I look over my shoulder, glancing up and down the street. There’s no sign of anyone. No movement. No unfamiliar cars.

  Instinctively, I move my hand to my lower back and grab the Beretta I have holstered there. I’ve moved away from carrying two around with me all the time. I’ve even refrained from personalizing this one. It’s just a boring, stock 92FS.

  I quietly work the slide, chambering a round, and flick the safety off. I cautiously step forward and lean gently against the wall on the left. I place my hand on the door and hold my gun low by my side. I take a deep, quiet breath and slowly push it open, just wide enough for me to sidestep inside.

  Pausing in the doorway, I flash a glance along the hallway—first left, then right.

  Nothing.

  I continue slowly, just a few steps into the reception area. Only now do I bring my gun up, ready to fire if necessary. You should always lead with your head, not your hands. You only need a second to see if anyone’s there. Whereas, if you hold your gun out in front as you walk in, anyone who is there will see your weapon before they see you, which means they know you’re armed and can prepare for you before you even know they’re there.

  I don’t close the door behind me, as I want to keep any noise to a minimum. I tread carefully, silently, across the reception area and head left. There are two doors leading into the lounge that slide apart. They’re standing slightly separated. I ease the left hand door back, just enough to give me a view of the room.

  Empty.

  I continue down the hall, reaching the dining room-slash-makeshift gym. The door is wide open. I press my back against it, both hands on my gun. I quickly peer around it. The split-second glance is all I need to see this room is empty, too.

  I turn back around and walk down the hallway, past the front door, and on toward the second lounge area. The doors are the same as before. I slide them gently back and look inside, but there’s no one there.

  Whoever this is better not be on my goddamn bed!

  I turn around and—

  “Jesus Christ!”

  Lily is standing right in front of me, smiling, and eating an apple.

  I shake my head. “What the hell? Are you fucking crazy? I could’ve shot you!”

  She smiles. “Nah… you’re too good to make a silly mistake like that, aren’t you?”

  I breathe out heavily and relax. I flick the safety catch on and tuck my gun back into its holster behind me. I shake my head again. “Come on.”

  I turn and head toward the kitchen, diverting only to shut the front door on my way past. I walk inside and open the refrigerator, which is one of those huge, two-door things with an ice dispenser built into the front. I take out two beers, pop the tops, and hand one to Lily, who’s standing next to me. She takes it with a nod, places her half-eaten apple on the side, and takes a grateful gulp.

  Now the shock’s worn off, I finally take notice of her outfit.

  Damn…

  She’s wearing a thin, yellow cropped top, which is stretching over her obvious, impressive chest. It’s actually difficult not to stare… Her exposed midriff is toned with a visible six-pack, and her navel is pierced with a small vertical bar topped by a bejeweled butterfly. She’s also wearing very tight white jeans and black heeled boots.

  Heels…?

  I nod at her feet. “How the hell did you sneak up on me wearing them?”

  She shrugs. “Good question… you should really think about that, shouldn’t you? I could’ve been anyone.”

  She flicks her eyebrows, smiles playfully, takes another sip of her beer, and walks across to the counter in the middle of the room. She sits on one of the stools and continues drinking. She doesn’t say anything… she just stares at the microwave in front of her.

  I move over to join her, relishing the sensation of the cold bottle in my hand. “So… what are you doing here, Lily? Not that it isn’t nice to see you or anything, but… it’s a little out of the blue.”

  She doesn’t look up. “I was bored. Thought I’d say Hey.”

  I smile. “You could’ve just called… why break into my house?”

  She looks at me and shrugs. “Like I said, I was bored.”

  There’s clearly more to it than that, but I’ll play along, let her tell me in her own time.

  I sigh. “Okay… So, how’ve you been?”

  She stands, takes a breath, and has a deep swig of her drink, emptying the bottle. She places it heavily on the counter and turns to face me. In her heels, she’s not that much shorter than me—her eyes are level with my chin. “What do you do for fun around here? Besides sweat…”

  I laugh. “Yeah, it can get a little warm… Fun? What do you want to do? We have pretty much everything here.”

  “I want to drink. And dance.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “Okay… a club it is. Let me grab a quick shower and change.” I gesture to the refrigerator behind me with my thumb. “Help yourself to a beer.”

  I head out and left, toward my bedroom. I hear her behind me…

  I look over my shoulder. “You alright?”

  She’s smiling. “Yeah…”

  I nod slowly. “Okay then. I’m… gonna go shower now…”

  She’s still following me. This is weird!

  I walk inside my bedroom and she stops just outside, still smiling. I frown at her and close the door behind me. I pause for a moment, and then re-open it. She’s still there. Still smiling. I shake my head, feeling confused, and shut it again. I lock it this time.

  I walk into my bathroom and turn the shower on, peel my T-shirt off, throw it on the floor, and stare at my reflection in the mirror over the sink.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  21:23 AST

  The music—if you can call it that—is loud. The bass is thumping to the point where my chest is vibrating. It’s still early, but this place is already busy. It’s one of the more popular nightclubs in the city. I’ve been here a few times on my own. Not because I like partying, and definitely not because of the music… but because it’s easy to have a drink and turn invisible in a place like this.

  The black floor tiles have spotlights in them, and alternating colors flash in sync with whatever song the DJ is playing. The house lights are turned way down, but the tables and the bar are illuminated by pulsing neon, providing more than enough visibility.

  Lily and I are sitting next to each other at a small, round table in a booth against the back wall, looking out at the large dancefloor, crammed with bodies. The surface is glowing pink. I have a half-empty beer in front of me. Lily opted for a cocktail that looks like a fruit salad with a firework sticking out of it.

  We’ve not said much to each
other since we arrived. I don’t know whether that’s because it’s hard to hear each other speak, or simply because she doesn’t feel like talking. I’m happy either way. I’m comfortable sitting in silence.

  I can’t figure her out though. She’s just sitting here, moving her head slightly to the music and looking around absently at the people dancing, drinking, and having fun. When we first met, she was pretty frosty with me. Then she seemed to warm to me a little. Then she was all business. Then she walked away and I haven’t heard from her in almost a month. Then she breaks into my house because she’s bored and felt like saying Hello…

  I don’t know if it’s just her, or women in general, that I don’t understand.

  I nudge her arm with mine to get her attention. She looks at me and I smile. “Is everything alright?”

  She nods. “Great.”

  She says it with a smile, but even I can tell there’s something on her mind.

  “Be straight with me, Lily. What’s going on? Why are you really here?”

  She shrugs. “Can’t I just call in on a friend when I feel like it?”

  “Yeah, that would be perfectly fine. But I didn’t think we knew each other well enough to be friends… And you didn’t call in, you broke in—something you still haven’t properly explained or apologized for…”

  She finishes her drink and sighs heavily. She goes to speak, but stops herself. After a moment, she rolls her eyes. “Alright, fine. I was working a contract The Order gave me, and it didn’t quite go as planned. I needed to lay low for a while…”

  I frown. “What happened?”

  “I missed my target. I’ve been trying to stay under the radar while I tracked him down again. I can’t fail—Horizon will have my head.”

  “And you haven’t been able to find him?”

  She shakes her head. “Oh no, I’ve found him…”

  “So… what’s the problem?”

  She looks at the table for a moment, and then at me. The regret and apology in her eyes is obvious. She doesn’t need to say anything else.

  I sigh. “Your target’s here, isn’t he…? You didn’t call in to see me at all. You need my help.”

  She holds up a hand defensively. “Hey, I don’t need your help, okay? I just… thought you might want to tag along or something.”

  I shake my head and smile. “Uh-huh…”

  “Oh, whatever. I’m getting another drink. You want one?”

  “Yeah, I’ll have a beer, thanks.”

  She shuffles out of the seat and walks across the dancefloor toward the bar. I have to confess I can’t help but watch her go. Her hips are like poetry in motion, swaying with a natural flick to the side with each step. She really is—

  “Excuse me?”

  Distracted, I look to my right and see two women standing there, smiling at me. Both are gorgeous. They’re not in Lily’s league, but they’re undeniably attractive all the same. They could be twins—they both have long blonde hair, and are both wearing very tight black dresses that leave little to the imagination. They’re holding small handbags and standing very close together.

  I raise an eyebrow. “Can I… help you?”

  They look at each other and giggle. The one on the left steps forward and leans against the table. “We’ve… ah… we’ve seen you around here before. What’s your name?”

  I take a sip of my beer and try to remain casual. I’m doing my best to stay optimistic, but sadly, I’m too old and too experienced to avoid being cynical. I’ve been coming to this club, on average, maybe twice a week for the last three weeks. I come here for the atmosphere, and for the beer. I don’t come here to dance, socialize, or pick up women. And while I don’t consider myself to be bad looking, I wouldn’t ever assume I can attract any woman I want. So, when two stunning, seemingly eager, women approach me and start flirting—which I think is what this is—I’m immediately skeptical.

  I look at each woman in turn and smile courteously. “The name’s Brad. Brad Foley.”

  The one leaning on the table moves to my side, and her friend sits down and slides across the seat so she’s next to me. Both of them link my arms, laughing.

  “Nice to meet you, Brad,” says the one on my left. “I’m Nicki. That’s Hannah.”

  Her friend squeezes my arm. “Hi, Brad!”

  I smile politely. “Hi… Hannah. So what are you two doing in Abu Dhabi?”

  Nicki shrugs. “We’re on vacation. We wanted to see the world, y’know. After everything that’s been happening, we decided life’s too short, so we should seize the moment. Hannah, what’s that saying?”

  Her friend frowns. “Crap a dime, or something…?”

  I smile, trying not to laugh. “You mean carpe diem?”

  “That’s it!” squeals Nicki.

  Crap a dime? Seriously…

  “You’re so smart!” gushes Hannah. “And handsome… Oh my God, that watch is gorge! Can I try it on? It looks heavy…”

  And my skepticism prevails!

  I admit I may have been a little indulgent with my newfound wealth. I bought some nice sunglasses—Oakley, gold-rimmed, tinted lenses—and this watch, which is a gold Rolex, complemented with diamond and platinum highlights on the hands and face. It’s a bit extravagant, I know, but I thought I should allow myself a few luxuries, to go along with my new life.

  I gently remove her hand from my arm. “I don’t think my watch is really your style, sorry.”

  She looks a little deflated, but quickly bounces back. “So, me and Nicki are going to hit another couple of bars before going back to our hotel. Do you wanna join us? You would have a wicked time, promise!”

  Nicki leans in close. “You so would, Brad!”

  I annoy myself sometimes. Put me in a room full of guys armed to the teeth, all trying to kill me, and I’m fine. I’ll either talk my way out, or shoot my way out, every time. But give me two young, scantily-clad, willing women with dollar signs in their eyes, and I turn into an over-polite, apprehensive teenager who doesn’t have a clue!

  “Friends of yours?”

  I look up and see Lily standing here, holding our drinks.

  Oh, thank God!

  “Hey. So, Nicki, Hannah—this is my… ah… this is Lily.”

  The girls turn to look at her. I see their faces change in an instant. The territorial instincts of the wild woman in her natural habitat instantly take over. These two can’t be older than twenty-five. They must know they’re attractive, but they’ll know that neither of them can hold a candle to Lily. She’s stunning on a whole other level, and it’s effortless. She doesn’t need short dresses and make-up… she’s just that hot. And she’s probably aware of it, too, but she doesn’t let it influence her behavior in any way.

  Lily’s staring at each of them, challengingly. I don’t know if it’s just because I know she’s an assassin, but she looks really fucking scary right now! Hot… but scary.

  Hannah slides out of the booth and moves to stand beside Nicki. Both of them are a little taller than Lily, but that’s likely to do with their heels. Not that it matters—Lily’s not exactly going to back down from them.

  They’re standing with their backs to me. I take a sip of my beer and watch. Even I know it’s best to stay quiet when women are doing… whatever this is that they’re doing.

  Without a word, Lily pushes between them and stands next to me. She holds my gaze for a brief moment, and then leans forward, places one hand behind my head and—

  …

  …

  …

  …

  …

  —kisses me.

  Sorry—I was always taught it’s rude to talk with your mouth full…

  Holy crap, that was incredible! Her lips were soft, her tongue was warm, and I could feel the passion in her touch.

  She pulls away and smiles at me, and then turns to face Nicki and Hannah. “Beat it, you pair of whores. And if you come near my man again, I’ll shoot you.”

  Their eyes nearly po
p out of their heads, and they both turn and run across the dancefloor and out through the main doors. Well, I say run… it’s more of an awkward totter, in those shoes. Without saying anything, Lily slides my beer across the table to me and shuffles in beside me. She gets comfortable and has a sip of her drink.

  I’m not entirely sure what just happened there. Or why. Not that I’m complaining, I just feel… guilty—like I’ve been unfaithful or something. I think back to my session with Kaitlyn earlier, and the things she said about misplaced guilt and how people react differently to loss. In a split-second, I summarize a month’s worth of therapy and decide that, right now, I need a drink.

  I take a large gulp of my beer and turn to look at her. “So… that was new.”

  She shrugs, stares at her drink, and waves a hand dismissively. “They were only here for your money. I was just doing you a favor.”

  “I know they were. I had it handled…”

  She looks up at me. “Sure you did… ‘I don’t think my watch is really your style…’ Please!”

  I frown. “How do you—?”

  “I can lip-read. I was watching from the bar. You’re hopeless, d’you know that?”

  I nod and stare at the table. “I do.”

  Out the corner of my eye, I see her smiling at me. “Okay, Adrian, I… I do need your help. I’m sorry for randomly interrupting your new life like this, but—”

  “Hey, if this is your idea of interrupting me, don’t feel bad—I can learn to live with it!”

  We both laugh, and she goes a little flushed. “Listen, can we get out of here? Go somewhere quieter? I can fill you in on the details of my contract.”

  “Sounds good. Come on.”

  We both stand and head across the dancefloor, navigating our way through a growing sea of people, all jumping up and down to the music. We step out into the humid evening and take a right, walking side by side in the direction of the coast. Lily slides her arm around mine and leans in slightly.