by RJ Blain
“Gentry Adams handles the legitimate bounties for proven criminals. Didn’t you wonder at all why he was so upfront with me last night? Dawnfire handles the open, legitimate bounties. My Lancers’ Alliance handles the less savory ones—the ones the government doesn’t want tracked back to them. The government sends me tips on who needs a bounty and the amount, I take care of the rest. I set it up anonymously and handle payments to the networks. I do it all. I handled the bounties of both guild masters you killed. I vetted their guilt. I wanted to know if you had vetted their guilt before killing them.”
With my expectations shattered, I remained silent a long time, struggling to come to terms with what Todd had told me. Instead of rage, he startled me with his understanding. Instead of hatred, he made no judgement. “I thought you’d hate me when you found out.”
Todd snorted. “Hardly. It’s a part of the business. Assassins and their handlers strike fear into the hearts of those who might stray from the straight and narrow, and the smart assassins know what will happen if they’re caught. Some go vigilante, but a few, like the ever-mysterious Water Viper, toe that line. My job—and Gentry’s—involves monitoring the known assassins and separating them from serial killers and other criminals. The good ones? We nurture their reputations, spread the word about what they’ve done, and make sure those in power who go astray have a reason to fear.”
“I don’t have a handler.”
“So the mayor told me. That startled him quite a lot—and concerned him, too. Last I checked, Blossom and Gabriel were having a marvelous argument over the situation. So far, I think she’s winning.”
I sat up, turning to face him, my face chilling as my blood drained to my feet. “What? I don’t understand.”
“People like Mayor Longfellow feel much better when talented assassins have handlers. It gives an atmosphere of legitimacy, and it gives bounty holders a contact for jobs they want kept off the open networks. For example, if you, the Water Viper, had a handler, instead of opening the bounty on the guild masters to the networks, I would have sent a mystic specialized in covert ops to give your handler the bounty offer. Your handler would contact you, and you would decide if you wanted to pursue the job.” Todd chuckled, shaking his head. With a final stomp of his feet on the floor, he swung his legs up and thumped his heels onto the bed beside me. “Blossom wants to be your handler. I also think she wants you to sleep with her clan brother.”
Blossom, a woman I’d never met, wanted to be my what? “You can’t be serious.”
Laughing, Todd stretched his foot out and poked my leg. “Very serious. First, don’t sound so surprised. You evaded six of Gentry’s best, led everyone on a massive goose chase, and have a hit list worth writing home about. Her father’s a smart man, and he knows the value of a good assassin with integrity. If his daughter is handling you, he keeps track of you and has some reassurance you’re not a threat to Charlotte’s interests. If he isn’t encouraging her, I’d be very surprised. Gabriel’s smart and is the leader of a lion pride. He understands the value of a killer. If he’s handling you, he has some real skill helping to protect his pride’s interests.”
“There’s a half a million dollar bounty on my head, Todd.”
“No, it’s not on your head. It’s on your entire body—your unharmed body. Which was harmed, regardless.” Snorting, Todd slid his feet off the bed, rose, and leaned over me, grabbing hold of my arm and peeling the collar of my pajamas back so he could get a look at my shoulder. “It’s healing.”
“I’m sorry I worried you.”
“You got scared. In your shoes, I’d be pretty scared, too, especially since you seem to have some rather gaping holes in your education. You bolted out of the banquet hall like you were expecting Gentry to kill you then and there.”
“I was. Expecting that, I mean. I’ve always known if I got caught I’d be killed.”
“Well, you’re wrong. Sure, if the wrong people find out, you’ll get killed. No doubt about it. If anyone loyal to those two guilds finds you, you’re in trouble. Other guilds? It’s common knowledge they were scum, just like it was common knowledge the mayor was scum.”
“Ferdinand wanted to bite me,” I growled.
Todd snorted, dropped his hand on my head, and ruffled my hair. “That’d be reason enough for me to run, too. Hell, I would’ve stopped long enough to shift and kick him in the face before leaving. I’d trample anyone in my way, too. Last thing I want or need is a wolf in the herd. I won’t lie. I enjoyed breaking his legs and warning him off. You don’t want to know what I said I’d do to him if I found out he bit an unwilling woman.”
“He’s never acted that way before.” My experiences with Ferdinand weren’t many, but nothing in his behavior had made me believe, for an instant, he had wanted anything to do with me.
“You weren’t worth half a million dollars before, either. He’s a true mercenary, that one.” At the rate Todd was snorting, huffing, and blowing air, he’d break something in his little stallion brain. “Tonight and tomorrow are the masquerade balls, and only those who are looking for partners—or are to be wedded—are invited. As the marrying pair, Blossom and Gabriel will be the king and queen of the banquet, ‘hidden’ among the other participants. Everyone will know who they are, but no one will admit it. There’s a second party in one of the lesser halls for those who are mated, married, or simply not invited. Ferdinand is not invited. I’m not invited, either, as I’ve been informed I’m insufferable enough as I already am and should give my sad little colts a fair chance to find new mares for their herds.”
I sighed, but grateful for the change of subject, I played along. “Which party am I expected to attend?”
“The masquerade. Blossom wants your company if you’re feeling up for it. You will be the only one allowed to address her by name, with the exception of Gabriel, and will be expected to function as her bodyguard. You’re essentially functioning as her herald and handmaiden for the evening. Cleo’s already hunted down a new scabbard for your katana, and he took it to someone I trust to rewrap the hilt in a new color. The guard will also be disguised with resin, and the pommel stone covered.”
“That’s a lot of effort for a banquet.”
“Masquerade.”
I shook my head, not caring about the party meant for the social elite rather than exposed assassins like me. No matter what Todd, or anyone said, I worried I was living on borrowed time. “Explain to me why, Todd.”
“Explain what?”
“You aren’t mad. You’re basically treating me like you always do. I don’t get it.”
He surprised me with his laughter. “Because we’re friends, Jesse. You watch my back, I watch yours. Is that such a difficult concept for you to understand?”
I thought about it, the fear of loss having friends entailed, and the uncertainty of my trust in him—and his in me. Todd knew my secrets, but he didn’t seem to hate me for them, although I didn’t understand why. “Yes.”
“You’ll figure it out. You’re wearing your woman panties now after all.” Todd leered at me.
I kicked at him and flung curses at him while he retreated out of the room, laughing every step of the way.
Chapter Sixteen
I took a long, hot bath in my effort to dispel the lingering influence of sedation. It helped a little but not enough. Instead of dressing, I wrapped a towel around myself and piled my hair on top of my head. When I emerged from the bathroom connected to my room, Cleo was waiting, sitting in Todd’s armchair.
“If you keep worrying Todd, you’re going to have a permanent second shadow.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“I’d say because you’re not stupid, but you decided to jump in a pool and go for a swim after being shot with a tranquilizer. That’s stupidity of the highest order. You’re lucky you didn’t stop breathing. You’re really lucky you didn’t stop breathing. If the dosage had been any higher, you would have.”
The raw anger in Cleo’s voic
e brought me to a halt. “How bad was I?”
“Your lungs were partially paralyzed, and your airways were constricted. It’s a fucking good thing Todd beat the name of the sedatives from that damned wolf, else I would have had to make guesses, potentially lethal ones. I don’t like guessing. It’s even better Gentry’s such a good bully and the mayor’s household has a good stock of medications. I wanted to take you to the nearest hospital and put you on a respirator to be safe, but we decided it’d take long enough to get you there it was probably best to just keep you here.”
The situation—and Todd’s reaction—became clear as I thought about it. One of the poisons I used to kill when someone was sedated prevented my victim from breathing while also stopping their heart.
It would have been a fitting end to my life if I had died the same way I often killed.
“How about now?”
“Avoid alcohol, no heavy exertion, and no running away from people in a panic. If you get short on breath, tell Blossom. The masquerade is the best place for you. You have so many different drugs in you right now you need to be supervised. I don’t know what bullshit Todd fed you, but Blossom’s there to make sure you keep breathing, and you’re there so you can feel like you’re being useful, something Todd has warned me is necessary.”
I grimaced at the anger in his voice. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re stupid. That was stupid. You should have just gone quietly, then at least when you started wheezing and had trouble breathing, someone would have noticed. You’re alive because you’re lucky. That’s it.” Cleo sucked in a breath as though he had more he wanted to say, but he snapped his teeth together and glared at me.
Until I’d met people like Todd and Cleo, I hadn’t understood anger could happen because of anything other than dislike or hatred. The realization fear fueled them both bothered me. I swallowed and sat on the bed, clasping my hands in front of me. “I thought I was as good as dead either way. I wanted it to be on my terms.”
“Typical. Consider yourself corrected.”
“Ferdinand wanted to bite me.”
“For that reason alone, I’m going to forgive you for your loss of common sense and display of utter stupidity. I really didn’t want to set that mutt’s legs, but Todd made me.”
“I have a hard time imagining Todd being able to force you to do anything.”
“He may have said Adrian could probably do a better job of it even when pissed.”
I liked Todd’s son; Adrian had a competitive streak a mile wide, which meant Cleo probably did too, if they’d been brought up training together. “Couldn’t let the unicorn best you?”
“Damn straight. Ferdinand won’t be bothering you again, not for a while. I fixed his legs, but he’s going to be in a wheelchair for a while. I refused to fuse the bones. I set the breaks, took care of the critical damage Todd inflicted, and informed them I was reserving my strength for you, since respiratory paralysis isn’t easy on a good day. No one dared to question me on it, and the mayor didn’t offer one of his mystics. Gentry didn’t call for any, either. I think he got the point. I’m sure he’ll shift and repair the damage soon enough. Until then, he can enjoy his broken bones. I hope he limps his first few shifts.”
“Great. Someone else who’ll be after my blood.”
“For what it’s worth, Todd’s been itching for a reason to put that wolf in his place for a while. He’s rude and views himself as better than a guild master. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. You’re safe from the bounty during the banquet and for a short time after, and I fully intend to help you get out of the city the instant this is over.”
The unexpected offer of aid stunned me into silence.
“Now, you have a masquerade ball to dress for, and I’m certain Marie, Blossom, and Danielle are itching to get started. Remember, you’re to take it easy. If you have any problems breathing, you tell Blossom immediately. Understood?”
“Understood.”
Blossom, Marie, and Danielle descended on me with the eagerness of predators cornering prey. They brought a dress with them, a sweeping, frilly thing in red and white, and Todd’s mare and daughter held me down while the laughing tigress stuffed me in the gown despite my howled complaints and cursing.
When my protests crested, Todd laughed in the other room, and I could imagine him doubled over, tears of mirth glistening in his eyes.
“You can’t kill him,” Marie informed me, her grip tight on my arm and around my waist so I wouldn’t escape her and head for the other room. “Be still already, or we’ll be at this for hours.”
The dress had more laces, snaps, and buttons than I cared to think about, and mindful of Cleo’s warnings, I settled with curling my fingers into claws and reaching for the door.
Blossom laughed. Gabriel’s future bride and the mayor’s daughter struck me as the type of woman I’d never associate with under normal circumstances. She suited the sleek black and golden gown she wore, its stripes mimicking a tiger’s. Only a fool wouldn’t realize who she was behind the black and orange feathered mask, which was waiting on the dresser.
She carried her elegance with ease, and while her features were plain, her smile was anything but, and her green eyes twinkled with her merriment. “When I heard the rumor you were a woman not even the Stallion of Charlotte could tame, I wondered how such a thing could be true. But it seems it is. I pity the one who tries to win you. He will find his work quite difficult.”
I stopped and stared at the mayor’s daughter, thinking over her words and trying to comprehend how she spoke such flowery nonsense so easily. “Say what?”
“Forgive her, Miss Blossom. She’s used to men, cussing, and hick speak.”
“Well, fuck,” the bride-to-be blurted. “Damn it to hell. And to think I was tryin’ to be all soo-phee-stee-cay-ted.”
Her cursing and mockery of polite society broke me. By the time I regained control over myself, I sprawled over my bed, my arms around my stomach while I gasped for air, choking on my giggles. An angry-faced Cleo scowled at me.
I hadn’t heard him come in.
“What did I tell you?” the donkey brayed.
“Not to wheeze?” I squeaked before dissolving into another laughing fit.
“What brought this on?” he demanded.
I pointed at Blossom, giggled, and caught my breath enough to whisper, “She’s all soo-phee-stee-cay-ted.”
Blossom turned her head, chuffed, and stared at the wall as though there was something of great interest there while Marie and Danielle chuckled.
“Do I want to know, Marie?”
“Probably not. She’s okay?”
“She looks normal for someone who is having a fit of the bloody vapors. You know what? Fine. Come get me if she stops breathing. If that hysterical laughter makes her happy, so be it. I’m not going to ask.” Cleo stomped out the door and slammed it behind him.
“Buh-bye,” Blossom chirped, waving.
It took the three of them working together over an hour to make me presentable to their standards. The white and red gown and its matching, feathered mask conspired to transform me into a demented white parrot with a bloodied crest.
I regarded the mirror with a mixture of interest and disdain. “I’m a bloody bird.”
“That tends to happen at a masquerade,” Blossom informed me, giving my gown a final tug. “Your first time?”
I nodded.
“It’s easy. If you recognize someone, don’t use their name. Everyone is a lord or lady, and it’s not uncommon for people to give fake names, usually horribly cheesy and obnoxious ones. Mingle. Talk. After the two nights of the masquerade ball, we’ll have a third ball, where potential suitors will approach those they found of interest during the masquerade—or try to find that mysterious person who interested them. It’s a social game. You don’t have to acknowledge anyone you don’t want to acknowledge.”
Marie laughed, giving my shoulder a pat. “You’ll catch on quick, I’m sure. For tonight,
just keep close to Blossom and watch the festivities. If you see someone who catches your eye, ask her for advice. She’ll help you as needed.”
“You can count on it,” the tigress confirmed.
“We’re about as ready as we’re going to be. I need to return to my room for a few minutes. I’ll meet you here?” Blossom fluffed her skirts before heading towards the door.
Marie nodded and waved the bride-to-be away. “I’ll take care of the finishing touches. Take Todd with you. Your father would hamstring him if anything happened to you.”
“I’d like to see them try,” she growled, the promise of death in her narrowed eyes.
When I had last been in the banquet hall, tables had lined the walls for refreshments. They’d been removed, hammering home just how long I’d spent unconscious due to Ferdinand and his dart. Blossom, Danielle, and I were the first arrivals, and the vast space made me want to turn tail and retreat to the safety of Todd’s suite.
I hated feeling small.
The middle of the room remained open, likely for dancing, and smaller, circular tables with pristine white cloths draped over them dotted the rest of room. Pyramids of tiny cocktails and appetizers stirred my appetite and my worries.
One assassin could kill every last person in attendance without much effort; no one stood guard over the food, and the oversight annoyed a huff out of me.
Blossom glanced at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Anyone could come in here and spike the drinks or food.” I sighed, scowling at the lack of guards.
“That’d be quite the trick. There are some shifters here with very sensitive noses, and plenty of mystics who can probably detect things like that.” Then the tigress paused, taking in the room as though seeing it for the first time. “You haven’t shifted yet. You can’t find things like that by smell, can you?”
“Some poisons don’t have a smell nor can the be tasted. Even a shifter doesn’t notice some of them.” I could list at least ten poisons I’d use against shifters for those reasons, and most of them could be lethal. “But no, I can’t.”