Hers to Take

by Talia Ellison

  “I prefer the original you,” he said, a smile quirking his lips.

  “So what’s our plan?” I asked quietly. “How are we going to get out of here? Everyone’s still going to see us and the guards will be suspicious if different people go past them, don’t you think?”

  “That’s why we’re not going to go past the guards.”

  “Then how...?”

  “Terrace,” he said, and headed for the door. We emerged onto the dark terrace and a frown creased my brow when I realized there was nowhere to go from there, unless we jumped over onto the terrace next to ours, which was divided from ours only by a thick white fence, and climbed the stairs that led up.

  “Let me guess,” I said dryly. “We’ll have to jump over there and go to the roof.”

  “Yep. Come on.” Aaron easily climbed the fence and jumped over to the other terrace, then quickly peeked through the window of the room to ensure no one would come out to catch us there. Getting over the fence wasn’t that easy for me in my too tight leather pants, so Aaron had to catch me or I would’ve tumbled down. I wrapped my arm around his neck as he gently lowered me to my feet, a smile spreading across his lips. He was enjoying our little mission way too much.

  “You knew which room to pick, didn’t you?” I asked as we rushed up the stairs. The other terraces and balconies weren’t even close to each other, and jumping over would be nearly impossible.

  “Yeah. These rooms are usually free because no one wants to risk unwanted visitors.” He grinned. “I’d already rented one of these before, so it won’t be suspicious.”

  “Just what exactly were you doing here before?” My voice was a little strained and I didn’t even know why. As we reached the roof, Aaron faced me.

  “Why do you care?”

  “I don’t. I’m just naturally curious.”

  His smile faded a little. “It was just something my father expected me to do, so I brought a few girls here.”

  “Okay.” I grimaced. “Don’t need more info.”

  We ran across the rooftop and I could see the roof of another building coming closer. I stopped just before we reached the edge.

  “Whoa, that’s too much space between...” I stared at the gap between the two rooftops.

  “We have to jump.” Aaron grinned at me.

  “In these pants?” I made a show of pointing at the tight leather. “Do you want me to end up like a pancake in the alley below?” I wrinkled my nose as I glanced down at the dirty and dark alley that was filled with trash cans, rats, and who knows what else.

  “You’ll be fine. Just take my hand and we’ll jump.” Aaron offered me his hand, giving me a reassuring nod.

  “If you let go of me...” I shot him a glare, and his eyes sparkled in amusement.

  “I won’t. I promise.”

  “I don’t know why I even trust you.” I slipped my hand into his, and we took a few steps back, then raced forward, jumping up into the air. We landed on the hard concrete in a crouch, but we were unharmed and unscathed. I pushed myself to my feet and dusted off my pants.

  “See? It wasn’t so bad.” Aaron gave me a boyish grin. “Let’s go. We don’t want to be late.”

  “Late for what?” I followed him through a black door and we raced downstairs.

  “For our guy,” Aaron said when we emerged onto the street. We slowed down our steps, getting a few strange glances from the passersby. I pulled my jacket tighter over my breasts because that tight top was making them look bigger than they were. We didn’t need that much attention.

  “Our guy?” I asked. “You mean the assassin your father hired?”

  Aaron nodded. “Marco found out who he was. The guy goes by the name Wicked War. He’s the only one who’ll do just about anything for the right price.”

  “How did Marco find that out? Are you sure it’s not a trap?” I didn’t think Roberto trusted his son, and if this was some kind of a test, we’d fail epically. Who’d save my brother then?

  “It’s not a trap,” he said. “Marco went to his father’s office and decoded an encrypted file. His father is my father’s loyal bodyguard and has been for years.”

  “And what exactly are we doing?” I was sure we couldn’t just walk up to the guy and tell him not to do anything, or bribe him to change his mind. Calling the cops on him wasn’t an option either because he must have eluded arrest plenty of times and had strong connections, or he would’ve ended up in prison already.

  “We’re going to stop him.” Aaron’s cold eyes met mine, and I knew what that look meant. We’d have to kill the guy, which sounded easier than it was. The guy was a professional or he would’ve been dead, especially when he accepted such offers. Anyone crazy enough to accept a kill order on one of the Ferraras was either completely insane or very, very confident and good at what he did for a living.

  “Why didn’t you send someone else to deal with that if you knew where he’d be?” I could come up with a few ideas that didn’t involve us coming near a very dangerous man.

  “Because Mr. War is great at evading death and for some reason can avoid professionals. He’s probably working with someone who’s watching over him and tipping him off or he uses various devices to alert him of potential danger. He’d managed to come unharmed out of a shooting at a bar and survived a bomb planted in his car.”

  My eyes widened. “Are you sure the guy’s not superhuman or something?”

  “He’s not.” Aaron waited until a few people passed us by. “But he knows when someone’s coming for him and he escapes.”

  “But if he knew someone was after him, wouldn’t he drop all the jobs he’d accepted and go into hiding until the danger’s over?”

  Aaron shook his head. “No, he wouldn’t. He’d just hurry up with his jobs and be done with them, then disappear. We don’t want that to happen. That’s why it’s just you and me.”

  “What if he kills us first?” I said through my teeth. “I know a few things about fighting, but I’m no match for a professional assassin. Who knows what kind of weapons he has?”

  “We don’t look like a threat. He’ll never see us coming. Trust me.” The confidence in Aaron’s voice was only a bit reassuring at most. “There.” Aaron placed his hand on my arm, gently moving me in the direction of a bar in a dark alley. “He’s inside.”

  Chapter 15

  “What’s our plan again?” I gazed at the bar across the street.

  “We go inside, pretend to get drunk, and when he goes out, we follow him.” Aaron pulled out his phone and showed me a picture of a dark-haired man with dark brown eyes and a not very memorable face. “This is him.”

  “I don’t like the plan,” I said, and Aaron furrowed his brow.

  “What do you mean you don’t like the plan? It’s our only option.”

  “Only option? I don’t think so. Don’t you realize that bar is quite small and they probably know everyone who comes in there? We’ll attract attention and that’s not what we want. They probably have cameras inside. Your disguise isn’t as good as mine. Way too many dangerous men know what you look like. They’ll recognize you.”

  “Yeah, maybe if they look really hard, but it won’t be easy for them. Strangers and tourists sometimes wander in there, too. It’ll give us enough time to stop War from carrying out his task even if they figure out who did it eventually. I’ll just come up with some excuse for my father.” He started toward the bar, but I placed my hand against his chest and pushed him back.

  “No,” I said. “You think everything’s going to happen according to your perfect schedule, but what if it doesn’t?”

  “Then what do you suggest we do?” He pursed his lips.

  “I’ll go inside and get the guy out. You wait in that dark alley, and when he comes out... well, you know.” I gave him a pointed look.

  “No, absolutely not.” He vehemently shook his head.

  “Why not? Are you afraid I’m going to use the opportunity and run away?” That was a really good idea a
ctually, but Aaron was keeping an eye on me all the time and I didn’t think he’d trust me enough to let me go on my own.

  He tilted his head. “You wouldn’t be that stupid. I’d find you, and kill you and everyone you love.”

  “You know, you’re not very likeable when you say things like that.” I shook my head. “Still, if I go inside and get him to come out with me... it’s easier and better than waiting for him to leave with someone else or get suspicious of our presence. I mean, a random couple showing up and leaving just as he does will look very odd.”

  Aaron pressed his lips together into a straight line. “And what if you can’t seduce him? You’re beautiful, but if you’re not his type...”

  “Oh, I’m not planning to seduce him. He’d never fall for that. I’ll tell him I want to hire him.”

  Aaron’s face paled. “He’ll kill you if he thinks you...”

  “In a bar full of people? No, he’s not that stupid. He’ll come with me. Hopefully, you’ll be fast enough to get him before he tries anything with me.”

  “Just give me a second.” Aaron was busy with his phone, and then finally he looked up at me. “Don’t try to escape or get any funny ideas. I have many people working for me, and they’re all over town, including around here. One call from me, and they’ll find you no matter where you run.”

  “You done talking? Because I’m getting bored of you saying the same thing over and over again.” I glared at him. No matter what he said, if I got an opportunity, I was going to go for it. His men shouldn’t be seen anywhere near this place if he planned to take out War, unless their usual residence was in this area. Shit. This part of town was under the Viteris’ control, so for all I knew, he was telling the truth. “Are you sure no one can track that phone of yours?”

  “Yeah, I made sure it was impossible to track it or I’d never be able to get anything done. Now go,” he said. “Bring him to that alley.” He bobbed his head toward the alley to our left. The street light had been broken, so it was completely in the dark.

  “Just don’t shoot me by accident,” I muttered, and started toward the bar. A cloud of smoke engulfed me when I entered, and a few heads turned my way, but I ignored them, searching the crowd for the man I’d seen in the photo. I hoped he hadn’t changed his looks, because that would be a major problem.

  One of the men burst out laughing, and when I looked toward him, I noticed War sitting in the corner. I strutted over to him, leaning on the bar next to him. He didn’t even look my way, but I was sure he was watching me. I didn’t see any weapons on him, but he had to have them hidden somewhere.

  “Hi.” I turned toward him, giving him my sweetest smile. “Whatcha doing?”

  “Drinking.” He eyed me carefully, then leaned toward me, as if he was going to whisper into my ear. His fingers clutched my wrist as he pulled me toward him. A gasp escaped my throat as his lips brushed my ear. “Who are you and what do you want?” he hissed, and I felt something dig into my stomach. A gun. Shit. “That fake wig ain’t foolin’ anyone.”

  I swallowed past the lump in my throat, willing myself to stay calm, because if I didn’t, he’d shoot me. I was sure of it.

  “Talk, doll.” The gun dug harder into my stomach.

  “If you shoot me here, you’re going to have a lot of explaining to do and will miss an opportunity to earn a great deal of money. But sure, if you want me to leave, I will. We don’t have to talk,” I said. “I’ll just tell Viteri he recommended the wrong person for the job to me.”

  He pulled away, his eyes widening, then glanced around us. The gun disappeared, and his hand wrapped around my arm. “Come with me.” He tugged me toward the door. Good. Aaron better be ready outside. But as we emerged onto the street, a group of drunken people shouted loudly as they passed by. We couldn’t afford that many witnesses. Shit. If I suggested to War to go into that dark alley, he’d be suspicious.

  “We should go over there.” I pointed in the opposite direction of the alley, praying that my instincts were right. “We can’t talk in front of all these people.”

  “I could just take you wherever I wanted,” he said, drawing me against his strong body and tapping my clothes. “You’re unarmed.”

  “If I scream, someone will come running. Besides, is that really how you treat a potential client?” I wiggled out of his embrace and crossed my arms.

  War looked right and left, and we went toward the alley, out of everyone’s sight, but clearly not far enough because Aaron didn’t jump out from the shadows. “We’ll talk when the air’s clear.”

  “I don’t have that much time.” I scowled. War glanced at his phone, and I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. He knew Aaron was waiting for him in the dark, didn’t he? “Actually, why don’t you just tell me when and where to meet you and we can postpone this for a different time when you’re not so busy. I’m sure my boss will appreciate that.”

  But before I could break into a run, War grabbed me by the arm and pushed me in front of him as trash cans clattered. Aaron rushed out from the darkness, but a man jumped out at him from the rooftop of a small garage before he could get to War.

  “Shoot him!” an unknown man yelled as he grabbed Aaron and pushed him against the wall. All the passersby were conveniently gone, and no one came out from the bar. His grip still tight on me, War pulled out his gun and aimed at Aaron just as Aaron shoved his assailant to the ground and was trying to kick him in the stomach. For a split second, I debated whether to let War shoot Aaron, but considering his next action was most likely to put a bullet in my head...

  I stomped on War’s foot as hard as I could and twisted in his arms, kneeing him in the groin. He yelped, his face contorting with pain and anger, but he didn’t let go of the gun.

  “O, get down! Now!” Aaron yelled, and I threw myself to the ground without thinking. War fell next to me, his empty eyes staring into nothingness, blood leaking out of his forehead. I pushed myself up just as the attacker, probably War’s friend, roared in fury and punched Aaron so hard that he fell down, the gun flying from his hand.

  I picked up War’s gun and aimed, taking a deep breath, and then fired. The man crumpled to the ground and Aaron lifted himself up on his elbows, staring up at me, his chest moving up and down rapidly. There was blood on his face and shirt, but he seemed to be just fine. I was still holding the gun as I stood there, debating what to do. I could leave Aaron here or...

  I eyed the gun he’d dropped that was lying in between us. Aaron saw it too, and his lips parted slightly as his eyes met mine. The door of the bar started to open, and I realized I was standing over two dead bodies. Shit. Aaron got to his feet and motioned for me to give him the gun, then he picked up his and tucked it into the back of his pants. Well, there went that opportunity.

  I was completely numb, my hand feeling like someone else’s as I handed him the gun. He wiped it carefully with a handkerchief he’d pulled out of his pocket and placed it back in War’s hand. A drunken man stumbled toward us, probably not even seeing us in the darkness, and I flashed a panicked look at Aaron, whose face had gone entirely cold. The drunken man raised his eyes and took in the scene in front of him, his eyes flying wide, his mouth hanging open.

  Aaron’s eyes turned emotionless, and he whipped out his gun and pulled the trigger. The drunk toppled down and Aaron simply cleaned the gun and threw it at the body.

  “Let’s go,” he said, taking my hand. “We need to get out of here! Now!”

  I stared around me, his voice seeming so distant, and I let him drag me out of there.

  ***

  Once we were back in the room at the club, I couldn’t even remember how we’d gotten there. I’d killed someone tonight. My hands were shaking slightly as I looked down at them.

  “Your clothes, Octavia. Now,” Aaron said, and I felt him pull my top over my head and tug on my pants. He took everything into the bathroom, and the smell of smoke clung to him when he emerged.

  “Octavia, hey.” He knelt in
front of me, taking my hands in his, his eyes filled with worry. “Are you okay?”

  A laugh bubbled up in my throat. Was I okay? Oh, yeah, I was perfect. My family had taught me how to shoot, I’d seen people die, and yet... the feeling just wasn’t the same. I’d never pulled the trigger to end someone’s life before. That was something my family had always wanted to protect me from. They’d still wanted me to know how to protect myself, but they hadn’t expected it would be necessary for me to use those skills.

  “You’ll be fine,” he said. “War was an assassin, and his friend used to be a torturer. They killed a lot of people. We did the world a favor, trust me.” As if he was sure I wouldn’t believe him, he handed me his phone with a file and a photo of the man whose life I’d taken. I scrolled through it. Yeah, the guy was a scumbag, but that did nothing to help me get rid of the sour taste in my mouth.

  “And that drunk who...” I tossed the phone on the bed, unwilling to look at those eyes any longer.

  “Collateral damage,” Aaron said. “Most of the men in that bar aren’t innocents. They just like to gather in places where they can feel at home. We’re lucky no one else walked in on us.”

  “How can you...?” I was still having trouble forming words, and I wished I could slip on Aaron’s cold mask and just feel nothing. My father would always close himself in his study after having to deal with enemies and traitors, and my brothers sometimes just disappeared for a while. Now I understood why.

  Aaron’s perfectly cold mask cracked for a moment, and his smile faltered, but then he opened the mini bar and pulled out a bottle of something. He took a big gulp, shaking his head, then handed the bottle to me. I swallowed a mouthful without even looking at what it was and nearly gagged. The burning sensation spread down my throat, making me cough. Aaron found another bottle and brought it to his lips. Okay, get drunk. That sounded like a wonderful idea, and I took another gulp. Then another, and another... and I lost count.