Billionaire Games (Standalone)

by Kenya Wright

  Yeah. I’m going to kill this motherfucker.

  I leaned in. “He’s on the ceiling. We rush forward and blast the top. Whether we hit him or not get to Dawn’s room and protect her. No one goes in her room but you or me. Everyone else you kill, including Freddy.”

  Game over. You leveled the playing field. Now, I must teach you a hard lesson about my world.

  I gripped the gun hard. “Go.”

  My guy rushed off, charging to the opening of the hallway with his arms in the air, shooting at the ceiling. It was at that time where a tiny figure dressed in black stepped out of the shadows and sliced off his arm.

  I didn’t even move. The shit happened so fast and so unexpected.

  Short and tiny? Is that a kid or woman? What the fuck?

  I shot at the motherfucker as the figure sliced my guy’s eyes next. Leaving a deep red gash over his nose. Blood and other liquids spurted out.

  I shot at him and this motherfucker twisted and turned, the coat rippling around. I didn’t know if I was shooting at the coat, the figure, or shadows. And then the person disappeared but not before letting out another long whistle.

  It’s a woman. Too slick. Moves too much like a dancer. And damn near too much showing off.

  My now blinded man staggered back toward the lobby screaming like a wounded animal and falling over the other dead men on the floor.

  Fire crackled and popped around us. Blood and death soaked the air. If we’d been in a city on the mainland, ambulances and fire trucks would’ve already been out here.

  Someone’s going to see all of this and come out. We still don’t have much time. Where are you?

  I took a chance and tried to lure her out. “What’s your name?”

  I slid my finger along the cold metal in my hand, finding comfort in the weapon somehow. At least I could hold it there. At least I had the confidence to know that if the person ever revealed themselves, I’d destroy them. “Who trained you?”

  Not much of an ego problem.

  Most killers needed attention. It was a lonely world when you murdered as a professional. I’d lured many out with just simple conversation.

  “And why are you here today?” I asked.

  Movement came from my right, but I didn’t turn that way. I continued to stare at the hallway’s darkness as if I hadn’t heard anything.

  “What if I made you an offer to end this here?” I strained my ears, trying to see if she was really on my right or not.

  Smart and silent. I’m starting to like her.

  As if she heard my thoughts, she leaped from the left. Not even in the direction I’d thought she was. My two men shot at her. She flipped to the side. They screamed.

  Are you fucking kidding me?

  She ended up chasing after them, slashing the air before their chest and waists, before finally slamming both daggers into their chests. One fell to the floor. The other knocked her out of the way.

  And I stood there in awe, more entertained than scared. I’d never seen anything like this in my life. Sure, there were fabulous action movies of men and women beating the shit out of six or seven men at a time. In real life, it was damn near impossible. Numbers almost always beat the badass person, no matter how many guns he had. Here this woman worked by herself. No one else had come out to help.

  My other remaining men ran into the lobby and joined the fight.

  She dodged and rolled—her agile body barely avoiding the guards’ bullets.

  Maybe I should hire her, instead of killing her.

  Her mask lifted a little, only revealing her mouth and chin. Long black strands slipped out and laid against dark creamy skin.

  Beautiful.

  She tugged the mask back down and whizzed off. The trench coat would’ve slowed anyone else down or got in their way, but for her, it appeared to help confuse her enemies, shrouding her in shadow and making her hard to shoot.

  Once she was on the far side of the lobby, she turned and sprinted, rolling past the two closer men and straight for the wounded man. Down on one knee clutching his wound, he only had time to look up and curse before she stabbed a dagger in his eye.

  Jesus! She’s a goddess.

  She yanked it out as she passed, wincing at the eyeball lodged halfway up the jagged blade. She shook it off and leaped into the air, disappearing back into the shadows and flames rising in the destroyed lobby.

  Who the fuck is she?

  I stood there hypnotized. Never in my life had I been so fucking turned on and scared at the same time. My cock was stiff. Dead bodies lay on the floor. And my heart pounded in my chest like never before.

  I almost didn’t want my people to kill her. I could’ve studied her for days, but tonight wouldn’t be her night.

  She reappeared to finish us off, this time charging from my right.

  Okay. The show is over.

  I shot at her.

  She leaped into the air and spun, her hand a blur as daggers flew for me. I ducked, but the guys near me crossed their arms to block their faces. Not a good idea. The daggers drove into their arms, those sharp points digging into their flesh. Blood poured across the marble floor.

  “So close, but not good enough!” I charged for her and shot, missing with each pull of the trigger. I never missed. It pissed me the fuck off that I couldn’t get ahold of her. Once again, she’d given me a first in many years. Never had I had such difficulty killing someone. Anger thundered through me. “Come here!”

  She needed her weapons. I blocked the path to my men—where she’d left them in their arms. I shot at her again and missed.

  I need to get ahold of her. She’s too fast for a target.

  I rushed for her, reaching out to snatch her neck. She twisted around me, dancing almost, twirling and leaping. I grabbed for her. She blocked me and turned out of the way. The coat whipped around her, hiding and revealing her with each turn. Before I knew it, she’d maneuvered me away from blocking my own men.

  “Thanks.” She reached for my men and yanked the daggers out their arms.

  “Where’s your whistle?” I shot at her feet.

  She shrieked and jumped in the air, flipping back.

  I shot again and missed.

  She landed on her feet and whistled. “Do you like it when I do that?”

  “Yes.” I licked my lips, raised my gun, and targeted her forehead. “It sounds so sweet when you make those beautiful lips do that.”

  I shot.

  She twisted away.

  I didn’t have many bullets left, but I pointed at her again. “Take the mask off.”

  “Make me.” She probably was hoping I would be empty soon.

  I pulled the trigger. Nothing came but a click.

  “Fuck.” I dropped the gun and charged for her.

  She slashed those daggers at my chest.

  “I’m impressed.” I caught her arm and slammed her into the wall. “But not that impressed.”

  She sliced the right side of my neck.

  “Goddamn it.” I reared back.

  “No, come here.” She smashed her fist into my temple and followed it with a swift kick to my groin. Pain exploded. I staggered to one knee. Another punch struck my nose.

  I caught her wrist before she could pull her fist back. “You hit like a—”

  I tried to finish my sentence but was not prepared for her sudden maneuver. Her fingers wrapped around my wrist, her body twisted, and then I was down on both knees, wincing as my arm burned in pain.

  “Go ahead and finish your sentence.” She clawed my skin. “I hit like a bitch?”

  “Yes.” I slammed into her.

  We fell, rolled away, and recovered several feet from each other.

  Both of us jumped to our feet, ready to go at it some more.

  Face-to-face we glared at each other.

  There were things I was used to when fighting any opponent. I expected fear to decorate their face, desperation to ripple in their eyes. None came from this one. Only confidence and e
nergy radiated from her side like she was ready to fight for several more hours.

  The most breathtaking blue eyes sparkled back at me.

  She spun her daggers around in her hands and then whistled again. “I kill like a bitch too.”

  “You’re having fun,” I said. “Aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am.” Her voice was also unexpected. Soft and elegantly feminine. Nothing I would’ve have imagined coming from such a deadly person.

  “Are we done?” I asked. “Do you even have a plan?”

  “Not a plan, but I do have a game.” She cracked her neck and kept both daggers on her sides. “I heard you love games.”

  “I do. What’s this one called?”

  “It’s called catch the couple before they leave.” She whistled three times in a row.

  Couple?

  Noise sounded from behind me, right from the hallway. Someone had opened the door. Footsteps came next as if someone was running and then another door opened.

  Not wanting to have this deadly chick out of my sight for too long, I glanced down the hallway quickly. Two figures headed for the back entrance of the hallway.

  No. Is that Freddy and Dawn? No.

  Not thinking, I ran for Dawn. The crazy chick crashed into me, knocking me into a wall. She jumped back before I could punch her.

  “Get the fuck out of my way.” I kicked at her.

  She ducked, spun around me, jabbed my throat with her elbow, and then slammed a dagger in my thigh.

  No!

  I collapsed, trying to yank the dagger out as I rolled my body, avoiding the blows from her foot.

  I had no idea if Freddy and Dawn had made it to the exit yet. This chick had all my fucking attention and she wasn’t making it easy for me to get free of her as my usual enemies did.

  I glared at her. “That wasn’t nice.”

  “Sorry. I guess I’m a bitch.” She reared back and kicked me.

  I caught her heel on her third kick and then shoved it upward. She somersaulted backwards, landed on her feet, drew the last dagger, and hurled it across the room. The damn thing stabbed into the floor an inch from my head.

  A door slammed off in the distance.

  They left.

  “You lost that game.” She frowned and pulled a tiny gun out of her side. It appeared more like a toy weapon, something for a little kid with small hands.

  What is she going to do now?

  “I’m not happy.”

  “You don’t like to lose. That is okay.” She pointed the gun at me. “We will play more games.”

  She shot. A tiny arrow hit my neck. The whole area stung and then went numb.

  No.

  I grabbed at the arrow and yanked it out, but it was too late. Drowsiness set in. I struggled to keep my eyelids open. “Who are you?”

  “Lotus.”

  “Freddy sent you?”

  “Yes.”

  My breathing weakened. “I didn’t know he had such skilled friends.”

  “Freddy has many surprises.”

  My vision blurred. “And what will you do with me?”

  “Who are you?”

  I drunkenly wagged my finger, barely able to stay awake. “I’ll never tell.”

  “I believe you’re worth a lot to someone.”

  “I am.”

  Curiosity filled her eyes. “You are?”

  “Yes. I’m worth a lot to somebody.”

  She walked to me and kneeled. “Who?”

  “God.” And then darkness enclosed around me as I laughed.

  Chapter 38

  Freddy

  Is Dawn okay?

  Maddening chaos had erupted.

  I held Lotus’s letter in my hand. The shots came right as I finished it. I’d been on the ground like she’d instructed, but my mind was all over the place. Outside my door sounded like a war of mass destruction. I’d never been a soldier, but I bet I had a good idea what one dealt with. There’d been explosions and gun shots. Men screamed. Bodies crashed into the ground.

  I’ll never be able to hear a firecracker again and not jump.

  Whistles rang.

  Lotus had said that she would whistle when she was fine. Each time something detonated, my heart stopped and I waited for the longest seconds of my life to hear the sweet sound of her whistle. Each time I heard her, I thanked the merciful God above us for getting Dawn and me out of here.

  Lotus had enclosed a key with the letter that said room 69. An odd room number to pick in such a serious situation, but I had no critiques with her help. It could’ve been room 666 and I would’ve been happy to get Dawn and me there and far away from the devil himself—Caden.

  Finally, three whistles rang in the air. I jumped up, dropped the letter, and opened the door. Dawn bumped into me right as I stepped out into the hallway. She wore sneakers, jeans, and a white shirt. I’d picked something similar ready to carry her and run if I had to.

  “We have to go.” She grabbed my arm and dragged me in the other direction of the noise. “This way. . .I think.”

  “You think?”

  “She just told me not to run toward the guns firing.”

  “Good idea.”

  “I agreed.”

  “She gave me a key. We should find the building that has rooms in the 60s.”

  We raced down the hallway. More shots rang behind us. I could’ve sworn I heard Caden scream out no, but I never stopped or looked back. Dead men lay all around our feet. Dawn ran in front of me, got to the exit door, and opened it.

  “Wait.” I pulled her behind me and stepped outside first. “Just in case someone is out here.”

  I looked around. No one was in the area. Clouds of smoke hovered farther to the east where the bombs must’ve exploded. Cars had been set on fire. Fire and smoke swirled around the whole area.

  Men groaned on the ground. Others never moved and lay frozen. Puddles of blood decorated the sandy beach. Arrows jutted out of the ground. The scent of blood thickened the area.

  To the west, there was nothing but a rumbling sky and the promise of rain. Even the rooms were in black. Caden hadn’t rented those. An idea came to my mind.

  “Come on.” I pointed to the west. “Let’s go this way. It’s too dangerous to swim tonight. The storm looks like it’s going to be big, probably a hurricane or something could hit too. We need shelter and somewhere safe. Somewhere that no one would think of.”

  “Okay.” Dawn kept my pace.

  I grabbed her hand and squeezed, guiding her down the shadowed path. “How are you?”

  “Better.” She let out a long breath. “Yes, better.”

  “I think she killed him.”

  “Or at least he wants to be dead now.”

  “Even better.”

  A shiver ran through her voice. “I hope so.”

  “Lotus will keep him busy.”

  “And if she doesn’t?” Dawn asked.

  “Then I’ll have my second breath and I’ll keep him busy.”

  Her eyes widened. “I don’t like that idea.”

  We hit another building of luxury suites. I spotted two more farther back. This place could probably hold over a hundred couples.

  “We’re going to find this room and spend the night there. No need to turn on the lights or anything. Let’s wait the weather out and then get the fuck off this island as soon as it looks like it is clear with the weather and Caden.”

  We rounded the corner and headed further away. More explosions sounded off in the distance. Lotus hadn’t finished her beating of Caden and seemed she just began. More booms came, rocking the island. The building we passed had numbers in the 20s.

  Dawn fell into me. I stopped and held her. “Everything is going to be okay.”

  “I know.” She trembled against me. “I’m just trying to be strong.”

  “I wouldn’t be here if you weren’t strong.” I touched her chin and lifted her view to me. “You’re the strongest woman I know.”

  “I would say that I’
m the second strongest after meeting Lotus.” She gave me a weak smile as tears fell from her eyes. “And I’m quite alright with being second to her.”

  Keep her calm. Keep her walking. Keep her talking.

  “I’m not okay with it.” I wiped her tears away. “Strength comes in many forms and a hero is made in many ways. For the past months, I’ve watched you spend every free day trying to save the world one public service group at a time, volunteering, protesting, and everything else. You’re an inspiration. You’re the strongest woman I know.”

  “Lotus said that I remind you of your mother.”

  Unease hit me, but I kept the grin on my face as I guided us away. “Mom never knew a cause that she wouldn’t back and support. She hated materialistic people. Hated the whole world of the rich and greedy. She felt more comfortable spending time with regular people who didn’t put so much worth into wealth and status.”

  We rounded another building. The last one stood several feet away.

  “She sounds amazing.”

  “On the day of her funeral, the church was packed. People prayed outside several blocks away. And it was people of all races and levels of wealth. Homeless people sat right next to billionaires.” An odd laugh fled my lips. “Dad hated it.”

  Rain slammed down from the clouds. Quick and cold. Just like that. The dark sky rumbled with thunder. Lightning sliced the sky with a threatening glow.

  We picked up the pace, passing rooms in their 30s, 40s, and the 50s. Another bomb exploded right as we got to the building with suites in their 60s.

  I pulled the key out of my pocket. “Here we go. How are you?”

  She remained close to me. “Still scared but I’ll be fine.”

  “There’s a war behind us that’s making Syria look like a more peaceful place to vacation.” I was sure Caden probably felt right at home within the violence. Lotus had done even more than I hoped. I’d just wanted her to help us slip away and maybe. . .just maybe. . .stop Caden from breathing.

  I hadn’t told Dawn that part but what other solution did we have? Caden needed to die. I wouldn’t have her looking over her shoulder any fucking more. If that meant that his heart had to stop so that my love could have peace, then so be it.