“Come in.” The man opened the door and motioned for us to step inside. Owen pulled me along quickly and I sneered at him, continuing with my difficult hostage act. Inside, two men were waiting with guns drawn. Owen let go of me and held his arms out at his sides. One of the men stepped forward and patted him down, taking the weapons he had stashed in his pants and shirt. I had seen him hide all of them, but it still amazed me to see the pile that was growing on the table in the small foyer. His gaze was blank, as if there wasn’t a thought in his head.
“He’s clean.” The man stepped back and looked at the one holding the gun.
“Take the girl downstairs.” His gruff voice sent chills down my spine and I froze at the thought of what was downstairs.
“No.” Owen’s voice brokered no argument. “She’s my hostage. She stays with me until the trade is done. Or no trade, and I walk.”
“Boss said she gets put in the stables, you can barter by yourself.”
“The stables? Are you fucking serious?” The words burst out of my mouth before I could rethink them.
“Shut up, bitch.” The man with the gun looked at me. “You’ll do as you’re told.”
“She stays with me until I get what I want.” Owen stepped forward until the gun pressed into his sternum. “Or I kill you all and take what I want anyway.”
“Yeah right, mate.”
There was no hesitation in Owen’s movement when he grabbed the gun, breaking the man’s hold on it at the same time he delivered a painful, cracking kick to the man’s knee. The man crumpled to the floor, his face twisted in pain, and the sound of his neck snapping filled the foyer.
The other man took a step back, but it was too late. Owen moved so quickly there was nothing that could stop him. He slammed his fist into the man’s jaw, sending him sprawling.
Owen looked down at the man on the floor and pointed the gun at his head. “Did you think Marcus hired all of you to protect him because I would be easily intimidated?”
“Fuck you.” The man glared at Owen.
Owen’s finger tightened on the trigger and I was certain I was about to be covered in the man’s brain goo. He stopped just before looking toward the people making their way downstairs. Four men with machine guns stopped and stared at us, their faces set in angry lines. My heart dropped as they pointed their guns in our direction. For one beat of my heart I was certain we were about to be mowed down by a thousand bullets. But then a radio crackled, and a voice came over it, sounding steady and also bored.
“Hold your fire. Guns down.”
The man that had checked Owen for weapons grabbed my arm and pulled me against his chest. I wasn’t sure if he was intending to use me as a human shield or if he thought having control over me equaled control over Owen. If it was the latter thought then our ruse wasn’t worth playing any longer. Hoping that wasn’t the case I fought against him, but I couldn’t break away. Owen’s eyes darted to me before lowering his gun. With a few quick movements he dropped the clip and kicked it across the room before flipping the gun over in his hand and bringing the butt down across the kneeling man’s temple. The bodyguard crumpled to the floor with no sound. Owen calmly set the gun down on the table next to him before putting his hands on the back of his head.
“Well, you always did enjoy making an entrance.” A man stepped down the stairs around the armed guards. His hair was lighter and his eyes were blue, not the bright green of Owen’s, but there was no denying they were brothers. They shared the same nose and body build, but there was something softer and more metrosexual to Marcus. As if he had polished off all of Owen’s rougher edges. I’m sure he had meant to give himself a more relatable, relaxed businessman vibe, but instead he looked oily and untrustworthy.
“I’ve always known how to get your attention.” Owen lowered his arms. “We need to talk.”
“I’ll bet you have a lot to say.” Marcus tucked his hands into his suit pockets and smiled.
Owen didn’t respond, just looked at his brother with a steady gaze, and I wondered what was going through his mind. Regret? Curiosity? Anger? All of those? Maybe remorse? His features were settled into a blank look as if he was completely unfazed and unbothered by everything going on around him.
“Take the girl downstairs.” Marcus looked over at me. His eyes ran over my body in a slow perusal. “Contact Maria’s people.”
“Who is Maria? What the hell do you want with me?” I struggled against the man holding me, my voice coming out in pants. The thought of being taken somewhere called the ‘Stables’ made my blood freeze. “What are you going to do to me?”
“Relax.” Marcus smiled at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We’re just holding you for a little while. If you’re still here by dinner, I’ll even invite you to dine with me.”
“Who is Maria?” I yelled again as I fought the man trying to take me out of the room.
“She stays until we have a deal.” Owen never took his eyes off his brother and I tried to curtail my panic. He wouldn’t let them hurt me. He wouldn’t, I reminded myself. “I’m not the brother that put a price on the other ones head.”
“Fine. She stays.” Marcus looked at the men on the stairs. “He wouldn’t kill me. Leave us.”
“Sir?” The man holding me dropped my arms and I almost fell to the ground. He obviously didn’t agree with his boss’s decision. I pushed myself back into a standing position and jerked further away from the man. Owen still didn’t look at me and I was glad. I’m not sure why I did it. What possessed me to do it. Maybe it was the need to do something, the need to point my fear in some direction. Maybe it was to try and make our cover story look even more real. But no, I didn’t give it that much thought. I just took a step forward and slammed my fist into Owen’s side as hard as I could.
“You’re an asshole!”
He ‘oofed’ under his breath but barely moved. Marcus on the other hand laughed while the men with the large guns dropped them to their sides and filed out of the room.
Owen still didn’t look at me, which scared me. He wasn’t angry, or confused. He looked bored, as bored as his brother. Who could be bored in the middle of a situation like this? People were just waiting to shoot us—or worse.
“You really brought her here to trade?” Marcus walked toward me and ran his eyes over my cleavage and down my backside. I turned to keep him in my eyesight, afraid of what he might do if I couldn’t see him. There was lust in his eyes, but worse: there was calculation. Like a farmer at market, judging a new cow. He trailed his fingers down my arm and across my stomach. “Had a bit of fun first though, huh? Told her sweet nothings, took her for a ride, and then brought her here to me. I knew you were a cold fish, brother.”
I glared at Marcus even though my stomach was rolling. I told Owen I trusted him and I knew he had a part to play. I wouldn’t freak out just because Marcus seemed to be buying it.
“Why did you put a price on my head?” Owen stepped away from me as if he thought I might cling to his arm.
“You were in my way.” Marcus shrugged. “I needed the girl. And you had her.”
“You put a five million pound bounty on my head to collect a forty thousand dollar profit? Not buying it,” Owen said.
“Worth it not have to deal with you,” Marcus spat.
“You could have called.” Owen raised an eyebrow.
“What? And play Russian Roulette with your sweet conscience? No.” Marcus leaned against the wall with one shoulder. “No. I needed something that would ensure you would bring her in.”
“Who set up the contract?” Owen kept his hands at his sides as if assuring Marcus that he was harmless.
“Local business woman.” Marcus picked up one of Owen’s knives from the table and looked it over. “She’s quite the entrepreneur.”
“How many people did you have me kill for a slave trader?” Something hard glinted under Owen’s tone.
“See, there it is. Your annoying conscience. Do you know how much money we’ve
lost over the years because you would only take certain cases?” Marcus set the knife down. “The bad guys pay much better, Owen.” He shook his head and took a step toward me. “And she’s not a slave trader. She has more than enough women working for her willingly. It’s much easier to control someone when they want to make money and you’re the one that signs their check.”
“Why me?” I said the words quietly. We were here for information and I needed it. I needed to understand why people were after me.
“Why would I care?” Marcus twirled a lock of hair from my pony tail around his finger.
“Maria…this Maria you were talking about. Does she normally tell you to get specific women?” Every muscle in my body tensed. I felt like I was being sniffed by a rabid dog and at any minute he might bite.
“Usually I clean up her messes.” He leaned close to my ear. “Though I have helped her fill a few specific orders for clients.”
“How long?” Owen’s voice cut through the room. “How many did you lie about?”
“I didn’t.” Marcus looked away from me. “I kept you as far away from my profitable business as I could. In fact, I didn’t want you to have the Song case, but Maria insisted.” He sighed. “But I knew this would happen. You’d stick your nose into something that wasn’t your business and ruin what we had going.”
“I made you rich, Marcus. How much money do you need?” Owen’s lip twitched in disgust.
“We started out with so little, but there is much, much more out there for the taking.” Marcus shrugged. “You know I never was one to settle.”
“You knew I would come to you.” Owen narrowed his eyes.
“Of course.” Marcus turned away from him and looked back at me. “I knew those men wouldn’t be enough to take you out, but I knew it would make you bring me the girl.” His eyes watched my face carefully. “I had my doubts of course. She’s rather pretty. Then again, here you are.”
“Are we even, then?” Owen asked. “You call off the hunt for me. I walk away now. End of story.”
I knew Owen was bluffing, but his cold words still stung.
“We’re even.” Marcus touched my cheek and I twitched away from him. His words were for Owen, but his eyes were trained on me. “I called it off when I was certain you were heading to London.”
“And the girl?” Owen turned around and started picking up his weapons.
“She is Maria’s problem.” Marcus turned away from me. “Apparently this one’s husband has something that belongs to the woman.” He looked back at me. “Though I’m not sure she’ll be worth trading if her husband finds out she’s been fucking you.”
My insides froze and I fought to breathe. They were looking for Tess, not me. I tried to regain my composure, lest I give away the fact that I wasn’t who they really wanted. If they found out, they would start looking for my friend and she had no heads up, no one to protect her. No Owen.
“Who is Maria?” Owen tucked his gun into his pants while watching Marcus. From the angle I was standing at, I caught the glint of a knife as Owen palmed the blade.
“Not anyone that concerns you.” Marcus wrapped his fingers around my arm and I tried to jerk away. “I’m assuming that this is the end of our work arrangement?”
“I can’t trust you.” Owen shrugged. “I can’t work with you.”
“Mum always said to trust no one.”
“I don’t think she was talking about each other, Marcus.” Owen shook his head.
“We’ll never know.” Marcus pulled me closer to him. “I was certain you’d try to kill me. It’s much easier this way.”
“Just stay out of my way.” Owen turned toward the door, stooping down to grab his bag of weapons.
My heart dropped as I watched him walk away without looking back. He was leaving me; leaving me with the man that wanted to give me to some woman that sounded like the villain in a comic book. I had trusted him, but my faith was starting to waver. What did I really know about him?
“The least I can do.” Marcus used his free hand to reach in his jacket. The glint of metal caught my eye and I panicked.
“Owen!” I balled up my free hand and swung it down and backward into his crotch as hard as I could. He crumpled behind me.
“Bitch!” Marcus shoved me to the ground and my head slammed into the table as I fell. Pain exploded behind my eyes, but I scrambled to get upright. I couldn’t afford to be on the floor right now. Unfortunately, my legs weren’t working quite right.
I could hear people running through the house, shouting from upstairs, and Owen said something, but I couldn’t make out the words. I push to get off of the floor, adrenaline pumping through my veins, but my feet still wouldn’t support me. I caught a glimpse of Marcus pulling a knife out of his shoulder, blood dripping down his linen jacket.
Owen grabbed my hand and pulled me up, pushing his bag into my arms and me toward the front door. Just as I reached for the handle it turned and the door swung open. Owen moved like quicksilver, and his fists flew, rendering the new man impotent. Spinning around he pulled his gun and shot the first guard that came down the stairs.
It was like watching an action movie, but in slow motion. My ears were ringing and I couldn’t focus on anything. I pushed forward, trying to get out. After stepping on the man Owen had incapacitated, I was almost out the door when Owen’s voice ripped through the air.
“Ava!” There was so much anguish in his voice I turned in midstep, just in time to see the gun pointed at my head. My body froze, every muscle, every cell, every atom just stopped.
Something large and heavy slammed against me, knocking the wind out of my lungs. I fell face first on the cement stairs and for a moment wonder if I’d been shot, but the person on my back rolled off to the side. Slick fingers wrapped around mine, urging me to stand, and I looked up into Owen’s face. Once I was on my feet, he let go of me and pushed me toward the street.
Pulling one of his guns from his holster, he fired behind us. The sound was so loud it felt like a bomb going off in my head. Or maybe I had a concussion. I wasn’t really thinking straight. I reached to rub the sore spot on my head where I’d hit the table, and my hand came away red. Was that my blood, or someone else’s? But there was no time to think about it as another volley of gunshots rang out.
People were watching from behind cars and trash cans, afraid to move. A black car skidded around the corner and came to a screeching halt in front of us.
“Bloody hell.” Mavis rolled down her window and fired two quick shots past us. “Get in.”
I grabbed the door handle with still-bloody fingers, and the sight made me dizzy. I turned around in a panic, looking for Owen, but he was right behind me.
“Get in, Ava.” His eyes were calm, despite the red that stained his shirt.
Hurrying, I opened the door and threw myself across the bench seat, leaving room for Owen. He fired two shots before ducking into the seat. He reached for the door handle and winced, but made no sound. He almost didn’t get the door shut, but luckily when Mavis hit the gas, the door swung backward and latched.
“Oh my God.” I ran my hand over his arm but he shooed me away. “Stop that! You’ve been shot!”
“I noticed.” A little of his temper peeked through his calm façade.
“Let me look!” I reached for his shirt but he gave me a stern look.
“I’m fine. Right now we just need to get out of here.”
“I should kill you for going in there without me.” Mavis’s cool voice floated from the front of the car. “And if you lost my lead, I will kill you.”
“You wouldn’t have saved us if you were going to do that.” Owen shook his head. “And you’re looking for a Maria. She’s local.”
“Right then. Try to not bleed all over the seat.” Mavis responded calmly as if she wasn’t dodging cars and pedestrians, her anger dissipating.
“Where are you taking us?” I asked as I opened Owen’s bag and pulled out my sweater.
“A sa
fe place.”
“Right. I don’t believe in those anymore.” I ducked lower in the seat and noticed Owen’s eyes snap shut in pain when the car hit a large pot hole. “So where is it?”
“It’s fine, Ava.” He turned to look out the window.
“No one is following us,” Mavis told him. I could see her bright eyes watching us in the rear view mirror.
“Don’t go straight to your place.”
“Thank you, Owen, but I’ve done this once or twice on my own.” I could practically hear her rolling her eyes. “If you want to drive next time, don’t go into the bad guy’s house without back up, and don’t get shot along the way.”
I pulled at his sweater, trying to find the wound. I knew he was feeling bad if he wasn’t complaining any more. When I found the source of the blood, my stomach rolled. It took a minute before I could actually make sense of what I was seeing. I leaned close to try and see if there was any bullet, but couldn’t see anything.
“It’s a flesh wound.” I looked up into Owen’s calm eyes.
“How can you know?” I looked back at the wound.
“Would have made a bigger hole otherwise.” He took a deep breath.
I made him lean forward so I could wrap the sweater around his shoulder to try and slow the bleeding. As I held my hands pressed against the injury an ugly thought began to fill my mind. He had been shot from behind and in the top of his shoulder. As if he had been running.
Running to tackle someone.
“That bullet was meant for me.”
BEING SHOT WAS never fun. I’d been shot once before, in the leg. That hadn’t been fun either. The weird part was that it had happened before my current occupation. There was a reason becoming an assassin had seemed like a logical job choice. My childhood hadn’t been a picnic.
However, having Ava look at me with those big eyes while her tiny hands pressed against me almost made it worthwhile. Almost. Bruises were already developing along her cheekbone and above her left eye. They hurt me more than the damn gun shot.
The Accidental Assassin (Assassins #1) Page 14