“No kidding,” he mumbled as he pushed the accelerator down harder.
I let him. The faster we went, the more space we’d put between ourselves and my father. But I knew, no matter how far we went, it would never be enough. We’d never stop running until he was finally dead—or until I was.
Reid and I didn’t speak for several hours. I could almost feel the anger radiating off of him, but there was nothing I could do or say to make things right. I knew he wanted answers, but I couldn’t exactly break down and tell him my life story while he was driving down the interstate. No, he would have to stay angry for a few more hours.
I’d instructed him to head east for a little while. He’d done as I said without bothering to acknowledge my request. The morning slowly passed by, the tension in the car making the minutes feel like hours.
Reid stopped somewhere in Arkansas for gas and food a little after noon. We’d been in the car together for hours, and I felt like dancing over the fact that I had a few minutes of freedom. As Reid started filling up with gas, I walked into a convenience store and grabbed some food and a few bottles of soda. I was starving and thirsty, but I hadn’t wanted to stop until we had to. I also didn’t want to use any of the food or water I’d brought along in case we would need it later.
I watched Reid through the glass as I walked to the counter and paid. He was twisting the cap back onto his car with a pissed off look firmly etched into his face. I seriously doubted if that look would disappear while I was around. But I had to admit, even completely pissed off, Reid looked good. I wasn’t the only one who seemed to notice. Two girls stood a few cars away, watching him with identical looks of longing on their face.
I felt a surge of jealousy rush through my body. Reid is mine! No, he wasn’t—not anymore, not after I’d almost gotten him killed. I no longer had any right to him.
He hadn’t said the words, but it was obvious that he wanted nothing to do with me.
I couldn’t blame him for that. No one likes being lied to. Nor does he like to have his girlfriend’s best friend shoving a gun into his back.
Still, I couldn’t seem to stop myself from caring about him. I quickly finished paying for our stuff and walked outside. Reid was still standing next to the car. He didn’t notice that one of the girls had finally gathered enough nerve to approach him. I pretended not to see her as I called out Reid’s name. He turned to me with a questioning look on his face. I smiled as I stopped in front of him and wrapped my arms around his neck, not caring that the bag I was holding fell to the ground. Before he could ask what the hell I was doing, I pulled him down and slammed my mouth against his. He tensed for a minute, obviously wondering whether or not I’d somehow lost my mind in the chip aisle.
Finally, he gave in and kissed me back. I was surprised to say the least. I’d expected him to toss me aside once the initial shock wore off. I’d expected him to be angry. I’d never expected him to return my kisses with an eagerness that far outweighed my own—at first. He pushed me back against the car, neither of us remembering or caring that we were in public. I clung to him as I tasted him on my tongue. My body demanded that I get closer, but a tiny voice in the back of my head reminded me that we were out in plain sight, making a spectacle of ourselves. I groaned as I pushed on his chest until he released me. He licked his lips as he pulled away, and I regretted letting him go.
His chest rose and fell quickly as he looked down at me. “Want to tell me what that was all about?” he asked.
I glanced over to where the two girls had been earlier. They were gone now. Obviously, my message had been received. I didn’t want to tell him why I’d practically mauled him in public, but I’d kept enough secrets from him.
“Two girls were watching you, and one of them started to come over. I wanted to make sure they knew you were…unavailable at the moment.”
He chuckled, surprising me. “We’re running for our lives, or so you say, and you feel the need to mark your territory in the middle of a gas station parking lot? Typical female.”
I wasn’t sure whether or not he was joking, so I didn’t bother to answer. Instead, I bent down and grabbed our bag off of the ground.
“I got us food and soda,” I said without looking at him. I edged around him to my door and opened it. I tossed the bag on the floor before climbing in.
I swore that I heard him chuckle again before I slammed the door shut.
We didn’t stop again until nightfall.
When I’d seen signs for Springfield, Missouri, I’d instructed Reid to take the next exit. I would have preferred that we keep going, but Reid had been driving since early in the morning. The stubborn man that he was, he wouldn’t let me drive his car. He’d looked like he was ready to pass out behind the wheel.
It didn’t take us long to find a cheap hotel once we’d hit the outskirts of the city. I paid in cash while Reid waited for me in the car. I gave him a thumbs-up as I walked to the car, and he climbed out. After grabbing our bags, we carried them to our room.
I unlocked the door, hoping that the room wouldn’t be totally disgusting. I flipped on the light and looked around. While the room smelled a bit stale, it seemed clean enough, which surprised me. The only problem was the queen-sized bed in the middle of the room. The hotel didn’t have any rooms with double beds available. I hoped that Reid wouldn’t throw a fit.
I dropped my bag down onto the floor and went to check out the bathroom. Again, I was surprised to see that it was much cleaner than I’d expected. It was small, but I could handle that. Once I finished inspecting the bathroom, I walked back out to where Reid was standing.
“I need your keys,” I said as I held out my hand.
“Why?” he asked suspiciously.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not going to steal your car and leave you to fend for yourself. I just want to move it to the other side of the building, so no one can see it from the road.”
“I can do that,” he said as he walked to the door.
As soon as he disappeared from the room, I groaned. Obviously, he still didn’t trust me. Things had been less tense in the car after our little scene at the gas station. We still hadn’t talked much, but it hadn’t felt like he was about to reach across the console to strangle me either.
I unzipped my bag and pulled out my toiletries, underwear, shorts, and a tank top. I’d packed a few pairs of pajamas, but I didn’t want to chance being caught in them in the middle of the night. Random fleeing was best done in actual pants—or shorts.
I headed for the bathroom and turned the shower knob. I stripped as I waited for the water to heat up. After hours in a car, I felt grimy. Once the water warmed, I stepped under the spray, enjoying the feel of the hot water pelting my skin.
I showered and quickly washed my hair. I didn’t like being caught off guard, and the shower was one of the few places where I was almost helpless. Fighting my father while nude and wet wasn’t exactly the way I wanted to go out, not that I wanted to go out at all. I’d just prefer that it wasn’t on those terms.
After toweling off and dressing, I walked back into the room. Reid was sitting on the end of the bed, waiting for me.
“You move the car?” I asked.
“Yeah, I parked it where you said.” Reid paused. “We need to talk.”
“I know. Go shower while I order us something to eat. I promise we’ll talk after that,” I said as I looked away from him.
I knew that he would need answers, but I still didn’t want to tell him the ugly truth that was my past. He had a right to know everything though. At this point, he was as deep in this as I was.
He didn’t say a word as he grabbed the pile of clothes next to him and disappeared into the bathroom. I winced when the door slammed behind him. He wasn’t happy, not that I blamed him.
I fought the urge to hit something. My nerves were fried. But that was what happened when my father was around—everything went to hell, and I fought to stay in control. Even now, I could feel my control slippi
ng. I had no idea where we were going or what we should do once we made it there.
I had no doubt that my father would be tracing my fake social security number. I would have to find a way to get another social security number before I could even begin to hunt for a job. Reid would have the same problem. My father had us trapped at the moment.
I couldn’t help but think, yet again, that it would come down to me or him. I just prayed that I would be able to pull the trigger on my father. He wouldn’t hesitate, and that gave me no room for screw-ups. I had a gun, and I knew how to use it. I just had to talk myself through it. It wasn’t as if I would enjoy it. No matter how much I hated him, the thought of him dying at my hands didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t want that on my conscience for the rest of my life. I had enough on it already.
Unable to sit still any longer, I stood and grabbed my bag off the bed. After zipping it, I put it down next to the door. I did the same with Reid’s in case we’d need to make a fast getaway.
I walked over to the bed and sat down on it as I pulled out my phone. After searching for a nearby pizza place, I called in our order. I hoped Reid was up for some carbs because that was all we would be eating tonight. After a day of nothing but gas station food and soda, pizza and breadsticks sounded like heaven in a box.
I heard the water shut off in the shower, and less than a minute later, Reid appeared. It was obvious that he was finished waiting on answers. I stared at him from across the room, unable to help myself. Reid brought out a primal side of me—one that constantly thought about sex. It wasn’t completely my fault though. Reid was the perfect guy. It would’ve been a shame if he hadn’t found a job as a stripper. With a body like his, the world deserved the chance to just take a moment to stare.
“If you keep watching me like that, I’ll take off my pants. Then, we won’t talk about anything.” He smirked as he walked across the room and sat down on the bed next to me.
“I’ve already seen the Christmas present inside. Too late to make threats like that.”
“That is exactly why you want to unwrap this present,” Reid said with a grin. He shook his head and forced the grin away. “Enough. We need to talk.”
I nodded. “Indeed, we do. I just don’t know where to start.”
“The beginning is probably the best place.”
“I couldn’t have roomed with a guy who was the strong, silent type, could I? Oh no, I had to land you,” I mumbled under my breath.
He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Finally, I gave in and spoke, “I need you to let me get everything all out at once. Don’t interrupt me or ask questions until I’m finished. Can you do that?”
“I’m all ears,” he said as he held his hands up in feigned innocence.
I sucked in a deep breath as I prepared to tell Reid everything I’d tried so hard to hide from him. “There are a few things I want to say before I give you my whole sordid history. I grew up in London—that much is true. My first name is Bree, but my real last name is Bowen.” I fought to say the next few words. I knew he’d probably feel disgusted with himself when he learned the truth. “I’m also not twenty-one. I’m eighteen.”
His eyes widened, and he shook his head in dismay. “Christ, woman. You…we fucked, and you’re barely legal!”
I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Age is just a number.”
He looked as if he was about to argue, but I shook my head.
“No, if you want to argue, then I’ll tell you nothing.” I waited for a moment before I started speaking again, “As I said, I was born in London. I was raised differently from most children. My best friend, Wesley, was the one who held you at gunpoint. He grew up with me. We’ve been inseparable since we were children. We were all each other had. Our fathers…neither are good men. They left us to our training and each other. We’ve been through more together than most people could even imagine.”
“Training?” Reid asked.
“Yes, training. Wes and I were trained from the moment we could walk—fighting, knife skills, guns…anything that would help us in our tasks. You see, my father is an important man who works—or rather, worked for another very important man, Nico. The two of them have run the London underground together for years. It’s easy to be at the top when everyone is terrified of you.”
I needed to know how he would handle the truth. I looked straight into Reid’s eyes as I spoke my next words, “Being at the top was easy when they had their very own army of trained assassins. I grew up learning how to be one. I’ve been on several jobs with Wes. I’m good at what I was trained to do—killing people. I’m a goddamn assassin, Reid.”
The room seemed frozen in time for a moment. Instead of freaking out like I’d expected him to, he simply stared at me with a blank expression on his face.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he opened his mouth. Instead of shouting, he started laughing. “You can’t be serious, Bree. I get that your family has to be into some messed-up shit, but there’s no way you’re an assassin. That shit isn’t real, and even if it were, you’re not exactly assassin material,” he said once he stopped laughing.
“Reid, you asked for the truth, and I’m giving it to you. Everything I’ve said since we walked into this room is true. I am an assassin. I’ve killed people, and if it came to it, I’d kill again. I’m not the girl I pretended to be in Dallas. I’ve done things I’m not proud of, things that haunt me.”
He stared at me with his mouth gaping open. “You’re serious.”
“As a heart attack,” I said.
He slowly stood and moved a few feet away from me. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“It’s not really something you can accept instantly. You just have to hear it and understand that despite how crazy it sounds, it is the truth.” I sighed. “My situation isn’t normal. I wouldn’t expect you to be okay with it, but I’m done lying to you. You deserve to know the truth. Wes is the reason I left London—or rather, he’s the one who gave me the chance. My father agreed to trade me to an Irish family in exchange for an alliance between the London and Irish houses. I hate the Irish. My family isn’t any better, but at least I had Wes around to keep me sane. When he found out that the arrangement with the Irish was a done deal, he got me the documentation and cash to get me to the US.”
“Wait—Wes helped you escape? Then, why is he here with your father? He didn’t seem like he was playing on your team last night.”
“They’ll kill him if they knew,” I said. “Wes helped me get away last night. He killed Bradley and told me to run.”
Reid shook his head. “This is all unbelievable. You’re an assassin being chased by other assassins. And I’m stuck in the middle because I couldn’t keep my dick to myself.”
I glared at him. “Actually, your dick had nothing to do with it. It was the simple fact that I care about you that caused you all this heartache.”
My words stunned him. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, he took a step backward. I clenched my fists at the sight.
“So, what? Now, you’re scared of me? You can’t even stand to be near me?” I growled, my temper getting the best of me.
“The girl I thought I knew doesn’t even exist, Bree! How can you expect me to still want anything to do with you after learning all of this about you?”
My anger evaporated instantly. How could I expect him to be okay with me now, let alone even want me still? I had to be a monster in his eyes. If our roles were reversed, I’d feel the same way about him. Reid was a genuinely good person, and I was nothing more than a criminal, a killer.
“You’re right. I can’t expect that of you. I just…” My voice cracked as tears filled my eyes. “I don’t know if I can let you go yet, Reid. I care about you more than I realized. Seeing Wes pointing that gun at you made me realize just how much I care about you. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You never even had me, Bree. The girl I wanted, the one I had, she doesn’
t exist. She never did.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “The Bree I fell for was sweet and naive. She made me want to protect her. The woman in front of me is none of those things.”
I looked away. “I’m not proud of the things I’ve done, but I never had a choice. My life was mapped out the moment I was born. Do you think I would have chosen this life if I’d had the chance? Of course not! I just want to be normal. I want to be like every other eighteen-year-old girl out there. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You are who you are, and I am who I am. I don’t know anything about the real you besides the facts that you’ve cost me my life already, and you’ve done much worse to others. How could you expect me to accept that?”
“Because underneath it all, I am the Bree you met! I had a chance to start over, to reinvent myself, and the girl you met, the one you care about, that was who I chose to be. Who I was before is something I’ll never be proud of. But her, the girl who walked the streets of Dallas? I’ll always want to be her. I envy her.” I looked him straight in the eye. “She has everything I want. She has freedom. And she has you.”
He stared at me, a look of longing on his face. “No one has me, Bree. No one.”
I fought not to reach out and touch him. “Just, please, don’t decide anything yet. This will all be over soon. And then—”
“Then, what? We’ll be dead at the hands of your father? Or he’ll be dead because of you? What will happen if it’s the latter? You think I’ll be able to go back home with you and pretend that none of this ever happened?”
“I don’t expect that,” I said. “Just…don’t make your decision based off of the past twenty-four hours. When this is over and we’re free, I want you to give me another chance. I want you to know the real me, the girl who doesn’t have to hide anything from you.”
He turned away from me without a word. I watched in silence as he walked to the door and opened it.
The Consequences of Sin Page 14