The Laughing Assassin [Assassin's Diary] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Jennifer Willows

  “Make sure you’re back by seven tonight.” Kris gave a rushed agreement on the way out, and Jaden just hoped the girl wouldn’t forget.

  “I will. Oh yeah, by the way… I had a dream last night.”

  Not now, Jaden thought. I need this like I need another hole in the head.

  Kris had a tendency to see things when she was asleep that always came to pass eventually. The last time Kris had a dream of that nature, she told Jaden that she couldn’t leave town. It was at end of March 2011. Jaden was supposed to fly to Sacramento with a transfer in Phoenix. But Kris was frantic and begged her not to go.

  Jaden spent the entire day calming her best friend and opted to wait until the following day to depart ILM. When April 1st came around, Jaden watched the news with Kris, and they both looked on in horror as the featured story was about the connecting flight to Sacramento. No one was killed when a six foot hole opened into the cabin of the plane. But the flight was aborted and forced to land in Yuma.

  “What is it?”

  “You’re going to meet a man.” Kris winked and walked out of the door, which was the only point in the younger woman’s favor. Otherwise, Kris would get the blessing out of a lifetime.

  It’s not possible.

  For Jaden to meet someone, she had to actually be visible to other people.

  Between the bakery, everyday life, training Kris on the fine arts necessary for an assassin, and the occasional mercenary job that she took to keep her skills honed, Jaden had her schedule so packed that she was barely able to keep her legs shaved, let alone actually have a man test out the smoothness of her skin.

  And tonight was no different. Jaden and Kris had to practice their latest cake recipe for an upcoming wedding, and they were just a handful of weeks away from the big event.

  The bride had some issues making up her mind about what she wanted. At first, it was red velvet cake, and then she wanted blueberry. After that she asked to taste the chocoholic until she decided on champagne. It was already out of hand at that point, but there was no choice other than to pacify the woman.

  Not to mention the order was huge. As there were a little under eight hundred guests, and the order per dozen was thirty dollars without decorations, there was quite a bit of money to be made. For the sixty-six dozen cakes, she was going to net two grand before the first pearl was made to go on top. The fee for the decorations, fondant, and the like would make her another fifteen hundred, so she tried to make whatever the rich customer wanted work out.

  The bride, Thalia, was a tried-and-true debutante, southern royalty complete with plantation, and Jaden was certain her business would boom even more after the wedding ceremony. Thalia’s family came from a long line of statesmen, and her father was angling for the governor’s mansion right now. There was nothing she could do but give the indecisive woman what she asked for if Jaden wanted to take her business to the next level.

  The afternoon was busier than normal for a weekday, and Jaden could have used her extra pair of hands, but Krisliva wasn’t due back for another hour. So she made do and cleared the impatient queue of sweet-toothed customers with pitchers of sweet tea and free milk to wash their pastries down with.

  When the last person left, she was grateful to prop her tired feet up on a stepstool in her back office.

  But the leaning tower of paperwork called her name, and she scanned each document with her handheld to be dealt with later. The only thing that couldn’t wait for her lazy spell to blow over was her purchasing order for next week’s groceries. If that didn’t go in by nine tonight, she wouldn’t have enough staples to last two days.

  But as she checked off her order, she heard the tinkle of her door chimes, and without regret she sat the paper slip to the side of her desk.

  Her mouth delivered the standard greeting before she even reached the counter. “Welcome to Sweet Tooth Bakery—” But the words dried up when she saw the man across the lovingly polished marble. He was immense, not in stature, but something else, something more. She wanted to say machismo, but the allure was greater than that. He looked like a man that didn’t make idle threats. He just took action. This was someone that had fought plenty and most likely didn’t know the burn of losing either.

  His eyes were slate gray, and his coal-black hair gleamed in a short brush cut. He was just over average male height, maybe a hair shy of six feet. His build was that of a man who knew his body well. He carried just enough mass to support his masculine frame and not make him appear to be an obsessed gym rat. In short, he was gorgeous. But there was a glint in his eyes that said he sought more than a simple cupcake to fulfill a late-evening craving.

  “Thank you.” His voice melted like butter over her. The smooth and deep tones washed her flesh with desire she didn’t know she possessed. But she did own her share of lust in spades apparently.

  “How can I help you today?” Why was her voice so breathless? So husky? She sounded like a cow with laryngitis. Jaden made the attempt to clear her throat unobtrusively, but she knew he heard her as his ears twitched along with his lips. He must have been used to women semi-fawning over him, as he didn’t let the mirthful lift of his mouth take control of his face, and just as quickly he was deadpan again.

  “I would like a vanilla cupcake, please.” That was funny, considering they were the only thing left.

  “I guessed that, seeing as that is all I have to offer.”

  “But your menu seems to have a little more variation that this.” Sweet Tooth was like Baskin Robbins only for cakes, and the bakery had an ever changing menu of fun flavors, including bubble gum, and the list was playfully printed in neon blocky script on a large chalkboard.

  “Well, as you’re the last customer of the day, you have to take what I’ve got. Or walk. It’s up to you.” Jaden really didn’t want him to walk away, but she felt the urge to tease the man.

  “I’ll take the vanilla, but I will make sure to taste something new next time.”

  Jaden couldn’t help the laugh that spilled from her lips. Her mind was in the gutter, and his play on words only made her thoughts worse. She found a duo of tiny boxes and carefully sealed the handsome man’s baked goods. He was too attractive, and she needed to find a polite way to give him the boot.

  Now, before she did something she might regret later, after he became her ex-lover with too many questions and she couldn’t provide feasible answers as that was the same way she had lost her two prior lovers. If nothing else, her life dictated that she remain a woman of mystery.

  “How much do I owe you?” he asked politely with a twenty-dollar bill extended in her direction.

  “For those?” She pointed at the boxes, and continued, “Nothing.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because if I closed shop now, I would have eaten them anyway. It’s better for my figure if I don’t indulge too much.” Damn skippy, Jaden thought. It was hard to not eat her body weight in cake daily. But she learned after month one that she couldn’t taste everything, just the new stuff to make sure of the quality of her product. And occasionally to have a sample of her favorite treats just because.

  “You look great to me.” The gleam in his eyes said he was being completely honest, which she had to admit surprised her. If he was less hard around the eyes, she would have loved to see if Kris would like him. He seemed the perfect type of man for a young woman who needed love.

  “Thanks, I work hard at it.” It was the truth. She practiced every day.

  For right now, she trained Kris on guns Mondays, Tuesdays were for Krav Maga, Wednesday was tai chi, Thursday was dedicated to Yoga, and Fridays were spent in the field using their skills on an unknown location for a little hands-on training. Saturday was another story, and she normally weight trained, followed with a form of boot camp. Sunday was the only day she took for herself. The bakery was closed, and she did nothing more than spend time with Kris doing girly approved activities. Normally they would get manicures and matching pedicures, followed with a mass
age, then dinner and a movie.

  “Since they are free and all…want to have one with me?” His gaze was mischievous, as if he was the naughty devil over her left shoulder brought to life full size.

  “Thanks, but I shouldn’t.” Why not? her body asked. But her mind knew that he wasn’t the kind of guy she could toy with and escape being singed in the aftermath. A real relationship in her life was nearly impossible. She couldn’t let a man get that close, not and successfully hide the truth of who she was day in and out.

  “Come on. I know you want to.” She bit her lip. Yes, she wanted to. Badly, and that was the problem. She couldn’t afford to truly want anything or anyone. But his face told her that he would ask her until she agreed, and she would give in this time.

  He pushed one of the packaged cakes toward her, and her eyes met his as she accepted the tiny confetti-printed box. But the way she felt when her fingers brushed his made it seem as if she accepted not just a box, but him as well.

  * * * *

  Jonah had been watching the shop most of the day as he waited for the right time to meet the proprietor. When the rush was over, he waited just a few more minutes. Somehow, he knew that Jaden needed a moment to defrag from front line customer service before she would be receptive to his advances. It wasn’t because he was nervous, even though his heart raced for some odd reason. She was more beautiful than her photos. In fact, she was far from photogenic, but she was a stunner in reality.

  If he hadn’t done the research himself, he would have assumed his information was wrong. But he knew this woman was the one he sought, one of the most deadly females alive right now. The few others he had met were not quite as talented as she was in many areas. There were two or three that may have been able to best her in a fight, but that was hand to hand only. If she had a weapon, her opponent was toast. And her skills as a hacker were bar none.

  Ms. Jaden Bishop was amazing in every way that counted and perfect for everything that he needed for his next op. The only thing was convincing her to do it. She had been highly sought for many years, but she was very good at covering her trail. She was good enough to be thought of as a virtual ghost, rumored to exist but no proof to confirm or deny either way. If he were a run-of-the-mill G-man, there would have been no way her identity would have been breached. Lucky for him, he was far from average. But this woman could certainly give him a run for her money. Her IQ was nearly as high as his, and he could join MENSA with his eyes closed.

  That in itself was a turn-on. Most people couldn’t compete with him in any way, shape, or form. He wondered what a woman like her would be like in bed, if she could match him, maybe even surpass him. He truly hoped so, but if she wasn’t up to speed, he could happily show her the ropes.

  When he walked in the shop, the scent of spun sugar teased his nostrils and lured him toward the counter before he could stop himself. When she walked from the tiny office, he saw he belt her apron around a small waist tightly and efficiently. Her hips were wide enough to barely be covered by the enveloping embrace of the frilled garment.

  Jaden’s hair scattered around her face with a barely there swish over her scalp, and even though the cut was an uneven shock of locks, the choppy bangs were beautiful on her. Her eyes were huge, round, the color of dark, molten chocolate that only accentuated the faint mocha of her skin and made her a living confection that he wished he could taste. She had a full set of lips that seemed to pout at him without hesitation, dewy and slathered all over with a glossy sheen.

  Her shop was clean, but the ravages of the customer stampede had made a mark on the place. The multitude of racks before him were nearly barren and held only two fully decorated cupcakes. All he knew was that she surprised him, especially as she acknowledged his presence. Her voice sounded like caramel-dipped popcorn. She had a faint brush of northern crisp syllables on certain letters, mingled with a sultry southern sweetness.

  He certainly wanted to see if her lips were as sweet as the rest of the package, but now wasn’t the time for that. He wasn’t a vain man, but he did take decent care of himself and knew when women were attracted to him. She definitely was intrigued, but the look in her eyes was cautious. The careful glint was perfect for his professional needs, but wasn’t going to help his personal desires at all.

  But regardless of what he wanted, there was a job to do. There were lives to save, and he couldn’t afford to forget what he came here for. Even if he found he wanted something more than he initially sought. But she appeared to find him attractive just the same as he saw her. And she was a woman who could understand the man that he was and respect him for it without fear.

  When she offered him the tiny cakes, his mouth watered in more than one way. His lips itched to taste her, and his tongue craved to lick the frosting from the delicacy that she offered him. She was multifaceted in so many ways, and he could imagine that she was a deep pool of water. Still and shallow in appearance on the surface, but below there was so much more to explore, and a thousand years would never be enough to find out everything that lived beneath the superficial exterior.

  But he was good as finding out secrets, and he knew when it was all said and done that he would plumb the depths in the velvet pools of her eyes until there was nothing left hidden from him. It would take more time than they had today, but he planned on learning something more than the dry facts his hack job had equipped him with. Jaden may as well call him Ishmael.

  He wanted to know everything. Who she was before she became Jaden, why did she open a bakery, and what was her relationship to her assistant? There was less intel on the girl than he found on Jaden, and that said a lot for her computer abilities. She was something special if she could hide the identity of a child as well as she had.

  The girl appeared to come from nowhere, just as if she sprang fully grown from Jaden’s brain. Like Athena and her virgin births. But he did recall the video retrieved from Jourdain’s. Although the footage was grainy, there were marked similarities that time couldn’t erase. And that was despite all of the changes that had already altered her appearance. There were the tattoos, the hair, the piercings, but none of that changed bone structure or features. Then he had another thought as he did the math pertaining to when the young woman known as Krisliva Vescovo came on the scene.

  What if Krisliva was the unknown victim from the tape? It made sense considering the fact that vescovo was Italian for bishop. Jonah didn’t believe in coincidences, and the fact that the women both had the same last name in different languages was too much of one to ignore.

  Before the recent history, he couldn’t find hide or hair of the child. There wasn’t so much as a school record or birth document registered before that point, though the way the cover was established was for a foreign resident. But he did need more info. A little extra knowledge was always useful. The last thing he needed was Jaden’s personal obligations getting in the way of the mission at hand. But he didn’t care if she came with a family of ten. Either way he would get what he came for.

  No sooner than she boxed the cakes did he spontaneously decide to offer her one. He couldn’t help but watch her mouth water for a taste, even as he could see the refusal she wanted to give in her eyes. But he wasn’t going to let her say no. She was in good shape, and a single cupcake wasn’t going to hurt her. Hell, with her body she could eat some more and it would only make her softer for his hands.

  But even as he tugged the gold foil cup away from the cake, he found he couldn’t look away from her, as she mirrored his actions enough to eat the delicacy. Jaden seemed to feel the same way he did as he saw her toy with the crisp cake papers. The foil-wrapped treat she made with her own hands was nearly too pretty to eat, and he felt as if he would fall under her spell if he consumed it. He already sank in the quagmire that she represented, but he had to give it the good old college try and somehow keep his head above water.

  When he took the first bite carefully from the side of the fondant-flower-topped baked good, he was in insta
nt lust. The flavor of vanilla beans with a gentle hint of sunflower seeds burst along his palate, and for some odd reason he caught a hint of sea salt. His dick rose to full mast before he could even think about the fact that he was hard.

  Damn, this woman could burn the house down with her skills, he thought. The center was filled with a fluffy sweet cream that melted smoothly the moment it hit his lips. He still watched her mimic his movements, only this time he caught a peek of her tongue when she dipped into the center for a taste of the filing. Her eyes closed for a moment before a look of rapture crossed her face and her eyes heated. He appreciated the fact that she could enjoy the confections even when she was hip-deep in them all day.

  Not to mention that the facial expression of delight told him that she didn’t indulge in them too often.

  There was no way that he could imagine working here every day, with the delicious goodies being produced. He would gain ten pounds in the first week as he ate everything in sight. She must have better self-control than he did.

  Jonah hoped that this first bite would be the prelude to a series of firsts with her. A first kiss, a first fuck, a first fight ended with makeup sex, he was ready for it all with the initial exchange between them.

  There was something about her. He couldn’t say anything more than that, but the package the woman was wrapped in was enough to intrigue his body. His brain had already been captivated by the genius that lay within her. So it was no far stretch in his mind at least to take the few inches necessary to lean across the counter and take a taste of her, whether she knew who he was or not.

  It was only a reminder of the fact that while he knew her down to what underwear she preferred, she knew nothing of him that kept Jonah’s hands and lips where they were. And not where he was certain the digits belonged instead.

  “Did you enjoy the cupcake?” she asked, but her tone seemed to inquire about much more than her baked goods.