“Georgie?” I looked up at the driver. He was an older man, nondescript, his little black hat covering short gray hair.
“Georgie has done odd jobs for me for a very long time.” She smiled at the man watching us in his mirror. “Isn’t that right, Georgie?”
“Aye, it is. Long time now.” His accent was so thick I could barely make out the words. “Ever since I caught her trying to steal my wallet.”
“It wasn’t your wallet, Georgie.” Mavis pretended to frown. “I’d watched you nick it from the mark talking to a PC. Fair game.”
“A’ight then.” He smiled the way a grandfather would at his favorite grandchild. “I’ve not been able to shake her since. Somehow ended up on her payroll.”
“You know the most interesting people, Mavis.” I put the tablet and phone in the briefcase. Careful so I wouldn’t bend anything, I put the tickets and my new identification in the purse. Both bags looked obscenely empty.
“You have no idea, dear.” She smiled. “But Georgie is useful.”
“Aye, and trustworthy.” He winked at me through the mirror.
“As long as I’m paying the best.” Mavis glowered.
“Ah now, you never let me down,” Georgie announced. “I printed out the papers you asked for and picked up the little things.”
I wasn’t sure exactly what Georgie had said, but looked through the bag and smiled.
“Chapstick!” I pulled a tube from the bag and held it to my chest. “Oh, I’ve missed having my Chapstick.”
“It’s the little things in life.” Mavis held her hand out for the bag and passed out the pens and mints. She handed me the rest of the stuff, which consisted of toiletries, and I put them in the overnight bag.
“Where are we headed now?” I looked out the window, watching as the city rushed by. I’d barely scratched the surface while touring the last week. There was still so much more to see.
“Kings Cross.” Mavis was playing with her cell phone.
“Are we taking the Hogwarts Express?” I couldn’t help my grin. Kings Cross was one of the places I’d been planning on visiting. “Will you take my picture at platform 9 ¾?”
“Sure, we’ll stop and take selfies pushing the pretend cart through the wall.” She leveled her gaze at me, her best you-are-an-idiot look firmly in place.
“C’mon. It’s Harry Potter! I need my picture taken there.” I leaned back in my seat. “This whole being on England’s most wanted list has put a real cramp into my tourist plans.”
“After this is all over I’ll take your picture wherever you want.” Mavis closed her purse and clasped her hands. “And think about it. You’re about to ride a private jet all the way to Paris. I bet you didn’t plan on that when you decided to move to England.”
“True.” I shrugged. “Of course, I won’t be me on the flight, and I’ll be praying that no one tries to kill us the whole time.”
“Focus on Paris. We’ll make time to stop at a bakery. Nothing smells quite as good as a Parisian bakery first thing in the morning. The fresh bread, the sweet fillings, candies. You have to experience it.” She looked over at me. “I’m sure we’ll be able to make time for that at some point.”
“So we can make time for éclairs, but not for the Hogwarts Express?” I pouted.
“You know, I thought it would be easier to travel with you than with Kenny.”
“Funny.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s Harry Potter. Shouldn’t you have some sort of British pride when it comes to the Boy Who Lived?”
“Of course I do, but I’m not going to take your picture while you pretend to run through a brick wall. We need to look professional and dignified. Have Owen bring you back.”
Right. I was going to ask Owen to take me to Kings Cross just for a picture. I sighed. I’d love to do normal things with him, like traveling, picking out where to eat, or apartment shopping. Hell, I’d love to know that I could yell at him for not replacing the toilet paper. And was I really considering finding a place to live with him? Like the big bad assassin would be happy to settle down and have plants. Or pets? A little puppy, maybe. Not to mention I’d sort of like to have kids one day which would definitely send Owen running for the nearest assassin bunker.
Thinking about him made my chest hurt. What if something had happened to him and Kenny? What if they didn’t make it to Scotland? Would I go through with the plan without him? Just me and Mavis?
No. We were in this together. If he didn’t show up, I’d be hell bent on finding out why. For some reason I had this horrible feeling that he was just waiting to die, waiting to go down in a blaze of glory, and it made me sick to my stomach. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to go back to being normal after all of this, but I knew I wouldn’t manage even a fake normal without Owen to lean on.
“Have you heard from the guys?” I managed to keep my voice calm. Maybe she wouldn’t even think it was odd to ask.
“We’ll see them when we get there.” She didn’t say anything else, which I took to mean she hadn’t heard from them, not that she thought they were dead.
I watched the scenery as we drove, taking in the sights, trying to memorize street names. I’d learned that seeing distant places in movies and television shows rarely conveyed the reality of the location.
When you got to this place that you had built up in your mind from television shows or movies, you were either let down or overwhelmed. Your reaction rarely hit in the middle. Unless you went somewhere you’d never thought about visiting before. When I’d been in high school I’d gone to Ottawa. It wasn’t a place I’d ever daydreamed of traveling to, but I’d enjoyed it. There hadn’t been any big shock and awe moment and no real letdowns.
London had a lot of places that were everything that I had pictured and very few places that had been a disappointment. I’d really enjoyed most of my time in the city. Well, until I was being shot at.
Or accidently killing people with my car.
Kings Cross was another one of those places that I’d looked at online, read about in travel magazines, and looked forward to seeing. This place was in movies, books, television shows that I adored. I’d imagined a massive hub, where people were always coming and going. I’d grab a train to go see different things, maybe meet new people.
I wasn’t disappointed. People on forums had complained that the station was dingy and not very attractive, but thankfully, they had just finished a major refurbishment. The bricks looked fresh and there was a ton of natural light streaming through skylights.
Georgie had dropped us off and I’d followed behind Mavis like a good little employee. We had exactly zero problems getting on the train, which I found a bit worrisome. Either they were very lax or Mavis had greased some palms. I was willing to bet on the latter.
The pistol strapped to the small of my back felt like a blinking beacon to everyone that looked in my direction.
“Keep up, dear. I don’t want to lose you in the car. I’ll need my laptop once we’re settled.” Mavis’s voice carried back to me.
“Yes, ma’am.” I picked up my speed and stopped looking around like an idiot. I wasn’t here as a tourist today. I was here to play the part of adoring assistant.
It was unlikely that anyone was watching for us, but it didn’t hurt to be in character. The more I practiced, the easier it would become. Plus, Mavis enjoyed the charade, which made it hard to stay peppy and adoring. When she’d thrust her jacket at me to carry, I’d thought about stomping her into the ground.
She’d make a little squish sound.
Instead, I kept my head down and followed the clicking of her heels as we walked. It was difficult to keep from looking around to see if we were being followed.
The train was what I expected. Mavis had bought First Class seats, so we weren’t crowded or stuck with someone else’s arm in our ribs. We were on the single side of the car, which meant our seats faced one another and there was a small table in the middle. A window lined up perfectly with our seats and I was exc
ited to watch the countryside slip by before night fell. We wouldn’t be making it into Edinburgh until late tonight.
“Why don’t you sleep?” Mavis set her laptop on the small table. “I have a few things to take care of and you look tired.”
“Really, Ms. Thomasino, I look tired? That’s so odd after my week at the spa.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t roll out of bed looking like a female hygiene commercial.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“I think I want to watch the scenery for a bit.” I settled back into my chair. “Unless you’d like me to help you with anything.”
“No, I’m working on stuff that has nothing to do with our current trip.” She leaned closer to her computer. “I have a book in my bag if you’d rather read.”
“No thanks, I’m good.” This conversation was eerily normal considering that we were traveling under aliases and in possession of illegal weapons.
Instead of focusing on my current situation, I let my mind drift as the train began to move. Being in another country made even the simplest things seem foreign and exotic. I was going to enjoy watching all of the green grass and trees before the crap started to fall.
PACING WAS NOT making the waiting any easier. Stakeouts had never been a problem in the past; I enjoyed the solitude, the peace, gleaning information from my mark. But this was not peaceful. Worry ate at my stomach and my nerves were shot.
“Are they here yet?” Kenny looked up from his plate. A very solemn looking maid had placed food for us at the kitchen island before returning to wherever she had appeared from. When Mavis told me she had a safe place in Edinburgh, I hadn’t thought there would be a household staff. It made me itchy to know there were people skulking around the house with feather dusters and brooms. A butler had opened the door for us when we arrived. A butler.
What was the woman thinking?
“No.” The word came out in a growl and I stopped to scrub my chin with my fingers. “Have you seen anything online?”
“No, but I don’t expect to. Aunt Mavis knows what she’s doing.” Kenny shrugged and took another bite of his food.
I’d fed the boy an hour before we arrived at the house because he was starving. He’d wolfed down every bit of the food, even asking if I was planning on finishing mine. Now he was tearing into the sandwich as if he’d not eaten in years.
“You should slow down or you could choke.” I leaned over and braced my arms on the marble top of the island.
“I’m not a baby.” The boy rolled his eyes and I fought that urge to smack him upside his head.
That impulse had become more frequent the longer I was stuck with Kenny. It wasn’t that I didn’t get where he was coming from, but taking care of a teenager was turning out to be similar to taking care of a toddler, only the teenager was certain they knew what they were doing, even as they drove off a cliff. And he would need absolutely zero help retrieving his car from the bottom of a ravine as he complained about strong winds and an unstable road.
Hormones did that to people. Thankfully age smoothed most of that out.
“I’m frustrated,” I explained as way of apology. It wasn’t his fault that I was all twisted up inside.
“I get it.” He took a long pull of his bottled drink. “Your girl’s out there without you. Freaks you out.”
My girl. Huh.
“I don’t like not being in control.” I looked down at the counter. I didn’t like not having Ava by my side. “So, this Laura that you and Mavis are looking for. Is she your girl?”
“Nah.” That one word spoke volumes in the quiet kitchen. She might not be his girl, but he would have liked it that way. Suddenly I had more patience for his behavior. A little more. Not a ton.
“Women.” I frowned. “They’re a lot of trouble.”
“Worth it.” He looked over at me with dark eyes. “At least you know she wants to be with you.”
“Maybe.” I stood up and walked to the window over the sink. I wasn’t really in the mood to discuss my relationship with Ava. It was still too new, too confusing. If I’d been a stronger man I would have kept her at arm’s length. She didn’t belong with someone like me.
“She’s the real thing, man.” Kenny’s eyes glazed over a bit and the urge to smack the back of his head returned. “She’s hot, but with a brain. And funny. You shouldn’t let her get away.”
“Life isn’t that simple.” I frowned. Where were they? It was almost midnight.
“Yeah, sometimes it really is that simple.” He looked at me with eyes that were much older than his sixteen years.
I looked at him, really thinking about what he was saying. I wanted to hold on to Ava; wanted to wake up next to her every morning that I possibly could. But was that a real possibility? With her I didn’t despise myself, I didn’t hide away from the world, and she didn’t look at me as if I was broken. I felt whole with her around. Or I would…if we weren’t constantly running for our lives.
That had to stop. I couldn’t see all of the possibilities while dodging bullets, only focused on keeping us alive.
“I suppose simple doesn’t mean easy.” I raised one eyebrow.
“You wouldn’t want it if it was easy,” he replied.
Out of the mouths of babes…
“Besides, her rack is so worth fighting for. I mean, damn.” He dragged out the last word and I didn’t fight the impulse this time. Reaching out I boxed his ear, sending him leaning in the opposite direction.
“Have some respect, boy.” I leveled my gaze at him, letting him see the anger simmering just under the surface. “Next time you’ll hit the floor. I don’t care who you’re related to.”
“Ow. Damnit! That hurt!” He covered his ear and ducked away from me. “I’m sorry. It was just a compliment.”
“If you think that was a compliment, then it’s no wonder Laura doesn’t want to date you.” I pointed at him. “Being in this business doesn’t give you a right to be a perv. In fact, if you follow in your aunt’s footsteps the way you intend, you need to walk the straight and narrow in every other way. Otherwise you’ll get yourself killed.”
“Right. I’m sorry.” He pulled his hand away from his ear before tracing it delicately with his fingertips. “Damn, that hurt. Can you show me how to do that to someone?”
“Sure, turn your head and pay attention.”
“Never mind. I’ll figure it out myself.” He took a step further away from me.
“You need to learn how to fight.” I shook my head. “You’re going to be slaughtered if you can’t protect yourself.”
“My aunt won’t let me take classes. She thinks I’ll get myself in trouble.”
I looked pointedly at his ear.
“Okay, she’s probably right.” He frowned. “Or I would have been quick enough to avoid you. You caught me off guard.”
I reached out and cuffed his other ear. Keeping my face blank I waited for his reaction. Part of me was willing to fight, not that I’d really hurt him. The other part of me wanted to see if he would be dumb enough to try it.
“Jesus Christ! What is wrong with you?” He hopped out of my way and glared at me. “You’re a sadistic fuck! I need my ears!”
I just stood there with my arms by my sides. “I am a sadistic fuck, but I wasn’t being one to you. I merely pointed out that you are really not ready to take anyone on. If I’d had a knife, you’d be bleeding to death on your aunt’s floor.”
“That’s why I need to learn to fight.” He stood there covering both of his ears. “I want to be able to take care of Aunt Mavis and myself.”
“And Laura.” I kept my face blank.
“Yes, and Laura. She barely knows I’m alive! I’d just left her house after our tutoring session when they took her. If I’d stayed I might have been able to stop them. Especially if I knew how to fight.” He glared at me with so much defiance I actually felt a twinge of pity.
“If you can find time to stop eating, I could teach you som
e things.” I shrugged. “But if your aunt finds out and says no, I’m going to back off.”
“You’ll teach me?” His expression was skeptical.
“I have some ground rules.” I held up my hand. “One, you do what I say without question, without arguing. Two, you don’t use what I teach you until I say you’re ready.”
He started to open his mouth and I just looked at him until he snapped it shut.
“Good. Three, even if I’m not around, you practice what I teach you. If you don’t then it’s all pointless.” I waited for a response but he didn’t say anything. “If you can abide by that, then I will teach you what I can. I’m not going to promise that you’ll make an amazing boxer or win medals at a tournament, but I promise to try and make you the best fighter you can be.”
I fought the urge to suck in a breath at my words. I’d just offered a string to tie me to this boy. I didn’t do things like this. I could have told him to find a gym or martial arts studio, but instead had offered to teach him myself. I’d basically bound myself to him. If he took me up on my offer and ended up dead, I’d be the one responsible.
“Agreed.” Kenny held his hand out and I shook it. There it went. I’d tied myself to him now. First Ava and now the gangly computer whiz. Life had turned fucking upside down.
“And you need to learn some respect.” I pulled him a little closer, not letting go of his hand. “I’m not your aunt. I won’t put up with your smart ass mouth. If you cop an attitude or insult your aunt or Ava in my hearing, I’m going to take it out of your ass. Understood?”
“Yes sir.” His smile grew. “When do we start?”
“Tomorrow.” I let go of his hand and pushed him toward the kitchen door. “Go shower and get some sleep. You stink.”
“Let me know when they get back?” His eyes focused on mine. The nonchalant teenage shrug didn’t hide his need to know his aunt was safe.
The Accidental Assassin (Assassins #1) Page 22