They all turned to look at me. Misha’s face, as usual, was hard as a rock and difficult to read. I trusted the Russian man’s judgment though, and I knew he would be the first to protect me.
“What? You mean you don’t just want to spend time with us?” Leroi jokes, earning him a stern look from Noah. At thirty-one he was the youngest of the group, and this tended to show through his playful demeanor.
Noah, on the other hand, was always serious. Not unreadable like Misha, but instead like a calm and sturdy boulder that I always knew I could count on.
“Now is not the time, Leroi,” Gilles said, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. He was the only one who I had told beforehand. I needed him to be able to gather intel so we could properly plan things out. The information we had been able to find on Samuel was scarce, but it was better than nothing.
“What is it?” Noah asked, leaning towards me looking expectant. He probably had some idea of what was going on, he was intuitive like that.
He had known me for the longest, too, and I was sure that had something to do with it. After all, I didn’t think of myself as a man that’s easy to read, even if I am more emotive than Misha.
“I just got it confirmed yesterday, so we still have time,” I began, looking at each of them individually. “But I’m definitely being targeted.”
“By who?” Misha asked, his voice gruff and deep.
“Samuel Kline.”
There was a collective groan all around the table.
“Shit, that sucks,” Leroi said. “Liam, that dirty bastard.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions yet,” Gilles said. He always liked to reason things through, and not cause unnecessary conflict. “We’re not sure it’s Liam sending him.”
“But who else would?”
“It’s true that Liam has the means and the motive to send Samuel after Malcolm,” Noah said. He looked deep in thought, his forehead wrinkling with lines of determination and contemplation.
Liam Hawthorne could be called my rival in the business. There were two large gangs that ran the streets of Los Angeles when it came to drugs. He led one of them, and I led the other.
I had known for a while that Liam was tired of the competition, and of the ways that I kept his gang in check, but I hadn’t thought he would resort to hiring a hitman this quickly. After all, I had my Four, the friends that were with me now, and they wouldn’t just let the gang go to ruins if I was shot and killed.
No, I’d reckon if I was, Liam would have more to contend with than he had bargained for.
“The issue right now is not if it’s Liam sending Kline after me,” I said. “The issue is that Samuel is going to try to kill me. Unfortunately for him, we know what’s going on, so we have the advantage. So right now, we need to figure out what we want to do about it.”
“Now, we don’t have much information about him,” Gilles said. “We know he started as a hitman to provide for his family. He had a wife, dead now, and still has a daughter. As far as I know, she has no idea what her father does for a living.”
“Let’s keep her out of it then,” Noah said. “I would hate to drag an innocent person into this, even if she is his daughter.”
“Agreed,” I said.
“Can we kill him?” Misha asked.
“That would seem like the most logical solution,” Noah responded.
“Or we could get him shipped out somewhere overseas,” Leroi suggested.
“How in the hell would you make that happen?” Noah asked.
Leroi shrugged in response. “I don’t know. That’s for you to figure out.”
“So we kill him.” Misha took a long drink of his coffee.
I nodded. “It seems like our only option.”
“Hey!” Leroi said at the same time that Gilles tapped my arm, fear in his dark brown eyes.
“Gilles, what is it?” I asked in a whisper.
“He’s here, right now,” he said, pointing to a pair of figures walking up the street towards us.
It was Samuel, and his daughter Aurora.
They were talking together and laughing. The two of them were clearly close, from the way Aurora leaned in. The trusting look in her eyes killed me. She had no idea how bad of a man her father was. It made me want to tell her the truth.
Fuck.
I hadn’t been counting on this. I was terribly attracted to her. She was the kind of beautiful that people wrote poems and songs about. She had dark wavy hair that went to her collar bone, and the most enchanting green eyes I had ever seen. Her figure was short and curvy, and she was built in a way that reminded me of the muses of ancient Rome.
Truly a woman to inspire art. Or war.
“We should take care of it now, while we have the chance,” Misha said, interrupting my thoughts as the pair were seated by one of the wait staff.
They hadn’t seemed to notice us, and I couldn’t help but agree that now could very well be the most opportune time.
“I can make it quick, quiet, just like you like it,” Misha added, eyeing the pair as if he was already calculating the shot he would take to finish it.
“No, we can’t do this now,” Noah said. “Not with his daughter here. She’s innocent.”
“I’m not going to shoot her,” Misha said with a shrug as if that was the problem.
Noah glared at him. “That’s not what I’m worried about. Can you imagine how traumatizing it would be, to have her father die in front of her?”
“He will die either way.” Misha wasn’t getting it, but I could see where he was coming from. Now was our chance, and we had ourselves to worry about first.
“She’s getting up,” Gilles said. If we want to do it now, we should do it while she’s away.
Noah looked visibly torn. I knew he wanted to protect me, but it was likely he was thinking of his own trauma right now. I knew he didn’t want to inflict that on anyone else either.
“You guys can do what you want, just do it soon,” Leroi said. “There’ll be more people on this street the later it gets, and you guys know how much I hate damage control.”
Thoughts were spinning around in my mind as I took one last look at Samuel Kline, sitting there alone, waiting for his daughter to come back.
“Want me to do it now?” Misha asked, as serious as ever.
“No,” I said, knowing my answer would surprise all of them. I was a fan of getting things done quick and tidy-like, but in this situation, I knew that there was another way, a better way in fact.
“We’re not doing anything yet,” I said. “But don’t worry, I’m not going to let Kline get the better of me. I have an idea, one that will stop him from killing me without any bloodshed.”
“And how do you intend to do that?” Gilles asked.
“You’ll see, in time,” I said, watching as Aurora took her place back at the table with her father. “You’ll see.”
Aurora
“And then, this asshole thinks it’s perfectly alright to ask if I’ll blow him, can you believe that?”
“No, not at all.”
I was sitting in the front room of my workplace—The Humane Society—while my best friend graced me with tales of her man-scapades from the weekend.
I loved Hailey, with her short blonde bob that was currently styled into two spiky pigtails. She knew how to fill the silence when I didn’t want to talk. And even though we were supposed to be talking about both of our adventures with men, she knew I didn’t have much to add.
I was perpetually single, and I liked it that way. I didn’t exactly trust men at the moment, couldn’t after my boyfriend of six years cheated on me. We had started dating in high school, and I had thought he was the one until I walked in on him and another chick.
Then it was over, and I hadn’t exactly recovered enough to want to get back into the dating sphere anytime soon.
But I enjoyed hearing Hailey’s stories, especially on slow days like this. It was the middle of the workday, in the middle of t
he workweek, so we didn’t exactly have anyone coming in at the moment.
She was working at the front desk, and she would always complain of boredom until I agreed to join her for a bit. I would do my morning tasks, and then I would take out some of the younger animals to help socialize them.
Kittens were my absolute favorite, and I would let several of them roam around at a time, keeping a close eye on them and picking them up and playing with their paws every so often so they got used to being handled.
Sometimes I would bring out a puppy. A lot of the puppies at our shelter needed to be trained to walk on a leash so that they would be more adoptable, and playtime was always good for them too.
At the moment my animal of choice was a little sheepdog mix named Trixie. She was fluffy and so affectionate, but right now she was stumbling over herself as she tried to adjust to the harness. I righted her and continued to listen as Hailey told more tales.
“So obviously that was a no-go, but I was drunk and needed a ride home, so he offered to drive me. But of course, he takes me back to his apartment instead of mine. And guess who’s this asshole’s roommate?”
“Who?” I asked, attention on Trixie as she tugged at her leash with her mouth. I gently corrected her with a soft, “No Trixie,” and she stopped immediately.
“Aurora, I swear, you have such a way with these animals. You know she wouldn’t listen if I tried to tell her no.”
I smiled. “That’s why you work at the front desk.”
“Isn’t that the truth. Now, where were we? Ah yes, his roommate. It’s that hot guy I matched with who just never responded to me. And we just kind of have an awkward staring contest until he steps forward, glares at that asshole, and is like ‘I guess I should give you a ride home.’ And then guess what happens next?”
“What?”
“We totally hooked up, and honestly, he wasn’t bad.” She gives me a sidelong grin and a wink. “We’ve been texting too.”
I laughed. “I’m happy for you Hailey, just be careful.”
“Of course, you know me, always careful,” she joked in a sing-song voice. Then it was quiet for a few moments. “Aurora, are you alright?”
“Hmm?” I looked up, realizing I’d been spacing out. “Why do you ask?”
“You just seem like you have something on your mind. You know I’m always here for you if you need to talk about something.”
“I know.” I was trying to figure out if it was even worth talking to her about. Nothing had really happened. But still… that feeling.
“I was at brunch with my dad a couple of days ago,” I said, feeling a rush of relief as I started to talk about it. “It felt a bit like someone was watching me.”
“What you find arousing is your business Aurora, but that does not sound healthy.”
“I hadn’t finished yet,” I said, my cheeks growing red. “I turned around and saw probably the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, though he was older than I usually go for. He had the most piercing blue eyes, and his hair was the prettiest silver color—not like old silver, though there was some of that in it as well. Like dark grey silver, the kind everybody is trying to achieve but can never quite get, you know?”
“Anything else about this man you discovered?” Hailey teased, her eyebrows raised.
I ducked my head in shame, burying my face into Trixie’s fur as I brought her up to my face. “No.”
“Come on Aurora, don’t tell me you didn’t even talk to the guy? It’s been forever since you’ve actually been interested in someone.”
“I guess if it’s meant to be I’ll see him again. It’s not like I’m really remembering him that well anyway.” Trixie yipped from my arms, and I let her down to the floor again.
Hailey crossed her arms across her chest. “Don’t give me that romantic bullcrap. You need to promise me that next time you feel interested in someone you’ll actually talk to them!”
I was saved from having to answer her by the bell above our door ringing as someone walked in. Hailey immediately put on her best customer-greeting smile as I tried my best not to look terribly awkward.
“Welcome to the Humane Society, what can I do for you today?”
The stranger didn’t answer her immediately. Instead, he scanned the building, perhaps interested in the architecture. We were situated in one of the older buildings in the city, after all.
Then he made direct eye contact with me. His eyes were a deep, cold blue, and he had a smile that seemed so familiar, it was just nagging at the back of my brain. But I couldn’t quite seem to remember where I might have seen him before.
“Uh, can I help you, sir?” Hailey asked, clearly growing impatient.
“Not at the moment, just looking,” he said with a smile, his eyes never leaving mine.
“To adopt?”
“We’ll see.” His gaze traveled down my body, and then followed the leash I was holding to Trixie, sitting patiently on the end of it. “Is she yours?”
“No.” I shook my head. “My current apartment doesn’t allow animals. And if I let myself adopt her, I’m sure it would get out of hand.” I let out a little laugh, and Trixie looked up at me with wide eyes.
The man knelt and rubbed her fondly behind the ears. “She’s so sweet. I don’t know how you can resist her.”
“Maybe you’d like to see about adopting her then,” I ventured, but the man merely smiled up at me.
“I fear I don’t have enough time for a dog, especially a sheepdog puppy like her. If I was going to adopt one, I’d want to make sure I could give them everything they needed.”
His eyes were on me as he said this, and part of me wondered if he was saying it just to get on my good side. The tone was a little flirty after all.
“Perhaps a cat then?” I suggested. “They need less attention, and if you get a bonded pair they’ll pretty much keep each other entertained.”
“A bonded pair?”
“Yes, like really good friends.” I looked at Hailey with a smile. “Or sometimes lovers.” I blushed and looked down as I said this, not quite wanting to meet the man’s gaze.
“How lucky they must be,” he said. “The life of a cat is wondrous, to lounge around in bed all day, and eat all you want. And then to have a lover to share it with you…. ” His gaze was dark as he stared at me, and although I would normally cringe away from the suggestion behind the words, I couldn’t help but feel a strange pull to him.
“Only if they’re a good lover,” I countered, deciding I could afford to be a little flirty. “Most cats are known for being lazy.”
“On the contrary, I think they just know where to spend their energy.” His gaze traveled down the length of my body and then back up to my face. “In that way, they’re very smart creatures.”
I smiled. “Whatever makes you happy.”
“There are a lot of things that make me happy. And putting on a good face in front of pretty ladies is one of them,” he said, turning to Hailey and pulling a checkbook out of his pocket. “I’ve come here to make a donation, who do I write it out to?”
Hailey looked positively shocked, her mouth hanging open like a fish on land, so I stepped in for her. “The Humane Society of Los Angeles should be fine.”
“Got it.” He took a pen from behind the desk, and began making out a check, then handed it over to Hailey. “Hopefully I’ll see you again soon,” he said with a wink, directing this at me as he turned and left.
“Girl, did you just break your promise already?” Hailey asked when she finally came to her senses. “Why didn’t you get his number?”
“I never promised you anything! Besides, he was too old for me, and a little full of himself.”
“And why shouldn’t he be? Did you see that body of his? And how expensive his suit looked? That man would be a fine catch, and he was definitely into you.”
“It’s fine. If he really cares, he knows where I work, so he’ll come back.”
Hailey shook her head. “I can’t be
lieve you just let that one get away.”
“I’m gonna put Trixie back, and then take my break, okay?” I said, wanting to get away from the conversation. I needed some air, and a little bit of distance before Hailey started teasing me about the handsome stranger again.
Just because I felt attracted to him didn’t mean I wasn’t still wary, or ready to even try anything with anyone.
I put Trixie back in her kennel and then, after making sure she had food and water, headed out the back door to get some fresh air.
It was spring, so it was still chilly enough to actually feel refreshing outside. Once summer came, I wouldn’t want to take my breaks outside as much unless there was a nice breeze. It wasn’t like we had much scenery to look at either.
The back door led into an alleyway behind the buildings. It was the kind of place you wouldn’t necessarily want to be in after dark, but that was perfectly fine during the day.
At least, I thought it was.
I got a prickly feeling on the back of my neck again as if someone was watching me. But before I could turn around, a large hand placed a chemical-soaked rag over my nose and mouth and pulled me back against the hard frame of their body.
I tried my best to struggle but lost consciousness too quickly to do anything.
Before I knew it, my whole world was black.
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Author’s Note
Thank you to all my readers, especially those who are reading my work for the first time. I know there are so many books to choose from these days, and I am glad and thankful that you all chose to spend a day or two reading mine.
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XO, Bella
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