Assassins the Florist Book One Part One

by Haley Langwood

  Keith eyed them intently; finally, he said, “Who are you?” Marc looked confused. “What do you mean, I’m Marc Blake, and this,” he pointed at Byron, “Is my brother, Byron.” “Very funny. I know your names, but what I don’t know is, who you really are. Or do I need to ask what you are?” Keith said, and Marc could tell that the man was getting angry. Plus, they needed to get back to Bailey. No one knew that Bailey was back in town, but the man still was in danger.

  “Tell me. We need to be honest with each other if we want to keep Bailey safe. I don’t know you, but my gut feeling tells me that something isn’t right,” Keith said. Marc knew that he had to give the man something, without telling him that he was an assassin. “I like Bailey. I like him a lot. Then I went to see him, and you were there, and you weren’t very friendly. You were protective, but you’re not gay. So, I asked myself, why are you so protective of Bailey? It aroused my curiosity, so I asked my little brother if he could get some information about him,” Marc explained, and he hoped that Keith would buy it.

  “That sounds plausible, but I know that there’s more; this isn’t the entire story. You are holding back. Why?” said Keith. Marc sighed because he knew that this man wouldn’t be satisfied until Marc had told him the truth. Shit, this was not good.

  “We are here for quite some time now; why don’t we go inside and see if Bailey is awake?” said Byron. Keith eyed Byron intently, and for a moment, Marc thought that Keith would refuse, but then to his relief, the man relented.

  Bailey was awake when they entered the room. Marc could see that Bailey was in pain, so he pressed the red button to summon a doctor. “How are you feeling, baby?” Marc questioned while he gently stroked the hair out of the man’s face. “Pain,” Bailey croaked. “The doctor is on his way, sweetheart,” Marc soothed. Bailey softly moaned, and then he closed his eyes again.

  ******

  “Your wounds are healing nicely,” said Marc as he covered Bailey with a blanket and took the chair opposite Bailey. They were sitting on the back deck, and even though the sun didn’t shine, it wasn’t cold. Nevertheless, Bailey had requested a blanket, and Marc had gone inside to get one.

  It was two weeks after they had rescued Bailey, and physically, the man was healing rapidly. Marc’s concern was the emotional state that Bailey was in because he was too quiet. Emotional wounds aren’t visible; that’s why people with emotional problems mostly suffered in silence. A broken leg one could see, but the pain that was inside of someone was invisible. So, Marc had decided to keep a close eye on the man that he was slowly falling in love with. It was a thought that hit him hard. Was he falling in love with Bailey?

  Marc sighed; maybe his mind and soul allowed him to develop feelings for Bailey, now that he knew that the man wasn’t Fabian Copely. “Are you alright?” Bailey’s soft voice shook Marc out of his thoughts. He eyed the man opposite him and smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine, but I worry about you, Bailey,” Marc replied in honesty.

  “Why? My body is healing perfectly; the doctors are satisfied,” Bailey replied. Marc debated with himself if he should tell Bailey why he was worried. Most people didn’t like it when they were questioned about their emotional state. Still, he had to be honest, at least with Bailey. Yep, he was definitely falling for the man.

  Keith and Marc had told Bailey how they had discovered that he was taken, how he had fallen through the bushes and had disappeared into the depths. Bailey had been shocked to hear what had happened and especially how they had found them. He knew that Keith cared enough to start searching, but apparently, Marc and Byron cared a lot about him too. Why else would they team up with Keith?

  Bailey knew that he was lucky to be alive because this particular part of the mountain road ran along the steepest part. Tumbling down that part of the mountain road should have killed him, but he had survived, and now it was time to end the pity party and participate in life again.

  He had heard the worry in Marc’s voice when the man had uttered his concern about his emotional state of mind had been a wake-up call for Bailey. He barely recognized himself because this wasn’t who he was, throwing himself a pity party. No, enough was enough. Bailey was a cheerful person, who loved life, but Brendan’s death and the attempt to kidnap him had taken their toll. Not to forget the knowledge that someone still was after him and wanted him dead.

  “Would you walk with me?” Bailey asked. The question was so unexpected that Marc didn’t reply immediately. “It’s okay if you don’t want to,” Bailey softly said. “What? No no, I would love to walk with you. We could take a stroll through the garden; it’s big enough. That way, if you get tired, I could carry you back to the house,” Marc said. Bailey thought that Marc was joking, but the man didn’t laugh; in fact, his expression was serious. “That sounds good,” Bailey said.

  They walked to the back of the garden where different fruit trees stood, and Bailey was mesmerized by the diversity. “I didn’t know that you had an orchard and a large one at that,” Bailey whispered. “I have a gardener who keeps the trees in shape. He and his wife are turning the fruit into all kinds of fruit compote; it tastes delicious,” Marc said, smiling. “There’s something else I want to show you,” Marc said as he gently guided Bailey to another part of the garden.

  “That’s beautiful,” Bailey whispered in awe as they stopped at a particular part of the garden. “This is for the bees, butterflies, and all the other insects which need a safe place. My gardener pointed out that each year there are fewer insects, so I told him to create a natural habitat for the insects and other animals,” Marc explained. Bailey noticed that the man was proud that his garden was turned into a natural habitat for all sorts of animals. It was at that moment that Bailey realized that he was falling in love with Marc Blake.

  Chapter Twenty

  Marc smiled at the thought of how Bailey had been impressed with the garden, yep he was falling for the man, and he didn’t mind. Bailey was kind, funny, and so freaking sexy.

  Today they would go to Bailey’s apartment because Bailey had to check the mail, and he wanted to reopen the shop again. For that to happen, he needed to buy flowers and others supplies. Marc would accompany him to make sure that Bailey was safe. Keith would spend time at Vintage Treasures, Brendan’s antique shop, because Bailey wanted to reopen that shop too. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue with Vintage Treasures, but Bailey knew he wanted to keep Vintage Treasurers. It was the only thing that was left of Brendan, and the man had loved his little shop. Sure, Bailey carried Brendan in his heart, he always would, but still, he needed something tangible.

  Marc had parked his car two blocks from the flower shop because he expected that whoever was after Bailey would keep the Flower Hut under surveillance; it’s what Marc would do. He had explained that to Bailey when he had asked why Marc parked the car away from the flower shop.

  Bailey hurried to reach the stairs that led to his apartment, but Marc was faster, and his hand on Bailey’s arm stopped the man from ascending the stairs. “Wait,” Marc whispered. Bailey frowned, but when he saw Marc’s expression, he knew that something wasn’t right. “Listen,” Marc whispered again. Bailey listened, and just when he wanted to let Marc know that he didn’t hear anything, he heard it. Someone was in his apartment, damn!

  Even though Marc was eager to go into the apartment and kick-ass, he didn’t want to enter because Bailey was with him, and he didn’t want to put him in even more danger. Someone was after Bailey, and this person was determined to kill him. Well, Byron would have to do more digging because they needed to know who was after Bailey and why? Marc silently guided Bailey away from the apartment and the shop.

  “But I need to order flowers and other things to reopen the shop again,” Bailey protested. “I know, baby. I know. But I believe that the two men who want you dead are in your apartment, doing God knows what. Marc expected that they would place a bomb that would explode as soon as someone entered the apartment.

  “So, they know that I didn’t
die that evening when I escaped after they kidnapped me,” Bailey’s voice was soft, but much to Marc’s surprise, it was steady. The man even sounded angry, and Marc didn’t know if he should be happy about that.

  They stayed out of sight but close enough so they would see the men leave Bailey’s place. Marc had his phone at the ready; he would take pictures of the two. It was about time that he ended this once and for all. It was about time that Bailey could continue living his life again without having to look over his shoulder every time he heard something.

  Bailey leaned heavily against Marc, and together they waited. It wasn’t long before two men carefully opened the front door of Bailey’s apartment. The first one looked left and right, and then both men hurried outside. “Scum,” Bailey mumbled. These two thugs had been in his apartment; it was terrifying, even so, if it were up to Bailey, then he would have gone in and kicked ass, even though he didn’t know how to fight.

  As if he had read Bailey’s mind, Marc softly said, “Don’t worry, we will get them, one way or another.” And they would pay dearly, but that were Marc’s thoughts, and he wouldn’t share that with Bailey. Marc had taken pictures of the two men while they were leaving Bailey’s place, and he hoped that Byron would be able to identify the two.

  “I really want to reopen the shop; I’m afraid that I lose too many customers; otherwise,” Bailey whispered. Marc understood because the Flower Hut had only been open for six months, which wasn’t long to build a bond with customers. Nevertheless, Marc knew that they couldn’t enter the shop or Bailey’s apartment; it was simply too dangerous.

  “Listen, baby. The last thing we want is to go inside with the possibility that we might trigger explosives. Your apartment and the shop could be booby-trapped; we need to secure things first before I let you inside the shop or the apartment. Remember that those two men we just saw leaving your apartment placed a bomb under your car,” Marc said. And the moment he said the words, he regretted them because Bailey still was mourning Brendan.

  Bailey flinched, but even so, he quietly said, “I want them dead. Does that make me a terrible person?” Marc put his arm around Bailey, held him tight, and said in a soothing voice, “No, that makes you human. After all, they killed your brother, and they are after you, and God only knows why. Isn’t there anything that you can think of why someone wants you dead?”

  “I miss him so much,” Bailey whispered as he hastily wiped the tears from his face. Marc pulled Bailey even closer and gently kissed the top of his head. It felt good to hold the man in his arms; it felt damn good. “Come,” Marc said as he took Bailey’s hand. Together they walked to Marc’s car.

  When they came home, Bailey immediately went into the garden. Marc had noticed that the garden, and especially the orchard, had become Bailey’s sanctuary. The man had told Marc that sitting under the fruit trees calmed him. It was where he had found his peace and quiet. “Do you want to eat something? It’s almost time for lunch,” Marc said. Bailey looked up. Was he hungry? His stomach told him that he needed to eat, but the thought of food made him feel queasy. “I don’t know,” he finally replied.

  Marc knew that Bailey needed to eat something, so he said, “I’ll make us something nice, and then I will be joining you, alright?” Bailey raised his eyebrows, didn’t say anything, but he nodded. Marc went inside and straight to Byron’s study, where he placed the phone on the desk. Since Byron was at work, it meant that Marc would have to wait until his brother came home to hand him the pictures that he had taken from the two thugs. Then he went into the kitchen to prepare sandwiches.

  Even though Bailey wasn’t that hungry, he ate two sandwiches and emptied a glass of freshly pressed orange juice. Marc was relieved that Bailey had eaten because the man had skipped breakfast. He sat down beside Bailey and put his arm around the man’s shoulders and was surprised that Bailey leaned into him as he let his head rest on Marc’s shoulder. Marc had so many things to say, but he didn’t want to break this special moment.

  Marc heard a car approach, and he knew that it was Byron. “I need to go inside for a while. Will you be alright?” Marc quietly said as he carefully removed his arm from Bailey’s shoulders. Bailey lifted his head, and their eyes met. “I want to go with you when you talk to Byron because this concerns me too,” he said, and even though he had spoken in a low tone, Marc had heard the message, loud and clear. Bailey wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  Byron smiled when he saw Marc and Bailey coming toward him. The smile turned into a frown when he saw the grim expression on his brother’s face. “What’s wrong?” Byron asked. Marc put his arm around Bailey’s shoulders again and explained what had happened that morning when they wanted to get Bailey’s things out of his apartment.

  Byron walked into his study and connected the phone to his laptop. He turned his head to eye Marc and said, “This will take a while. I’ll let you know the moment I have news, okay?” “That’s our cue to leave,” Marc chuckled. Bailey pressed his lips together as if he wanted to say something, but he quietly followed Marc to the back deck.

  “What do we do now?” Bailey asked. Marc frowned. “What do you want to do?” “I want to go to my shop and order fresh flowers and the supplies I need before opening the shop,” Bailey answered. “Since that’s not possible, I want to go into the garden for a while,” he added. “The orchard,” Marc said. Bailey nodded. Marc knew that the garden was safe, so he didn’t need to stop Bailey from going to his favorite place, the orchard.

  Marc went inside because Bailey had let him know, in a subtle way, that he wanted to be alone for a while. Marc strolled into Byron’s study, but the man still was busy with facial recognition. He shouldn’t have been, but he was stunned when he saw the computer program Byron was working with.

  “Do I dare to ask how you got that program?” “You can, but I won’t answer,” Byron grinned. “You have way too much fun, little brother,” Marc chuckled. Byron didn’t reply; he was focused on the computer screen again.

  Marc called Keith to ask if everything was alright, but the man didn’t answer his phone. He knew that Keith was preparing to reopen Vintage Treasures. Marc went into the garden to ask Bailey if he had heard from Keith. He found Bailey, as expected, in the orchard.

  Bailey looked up and smiled when he saw Marc approach him. “Hey,” Marc smiled. “Hey,” Bailey softly replied. Marc sat down in front of Bailey and gently stroked a stray lock of hair out of his face. Bailey leaned into the touch, and Marc saw that as a sign that he was allowed to touch the man. He let his fingers slowly glide over Bailey’s cheeks and liked it when he saw Bailey close his eyes.

  Marc didn’t want to spoil the moment, but he had to ask Bailey if he had heard from Keith. It didn’t sit well with Marc that he couldn’t reach Keith, but he would enjoy being with Bailey for just a few minutes more.

  It was after they had finished dinner that Bailey became worried because they still hadn’t been able to reach Keith. “Still nothing,” said Bailey as he put down the phone. “I know that he is out of town to visit an antique auction because he wanted to buy more things for Vintage Treasures. When Keith is on a mission, he often ignores his phone, or he’s leaving it behind in the car,” Bailey added. Marc could see that Bailey was worried, and he was too.

  A loud thunder made Bailey jump, and Marc and Byron frown. “Was that an explosion we just heard?” Byron whispered. Marc nodded. “The Flower Hut. My apartment,” Bailey whispered. “Shit,” Byron and Marc said simultaneously.

  Chapter Twenty One

  Marc felt Bailey tremble, and he held him even tighter. They stood in front of what once was The Flower Hut and Bailey’s apartment. The fire department was still busy putting out the fire. A large area was cordoned with ribbons that read; police line do not cross. So, Bailey, Marc, and Byron weren’t able to come near Bailey’s apartment.

  Bailey had spoken to one of the officers, Detective Dennis Murphy, and he had many questions. However, Bailey still was trembling, and the detective agr
eed with Marc that he would see Bailey the following day, downtown. Bailey was grateful that he didn’t need to talk to the detective right this minute. “Let’s go home; there’s nothing that we can do right now,” Marc said.

  Bailey hadn’t said a word during the ride back to the mansion, and that worried Marc. It was dark when they arrived home, and Bailey went upstairs to his room to shower. Marc didn’t stop him because he knew that Bailey needed some alone time.

  Somewhere in the house was a phone ringing. Marc recognized the ringtone and knew that it had to be Bailey’s phone. He walked into the living room and looked at the display; it wasn’t Keith because he knew that number.