“Mags, stop annoying the lovely lady,” a gruff voice said behind me.
I swivelled around to face a burly man carrying himself in some kind of bearlike manner. His eyes lingered uncomfortably on my breasts for longer than I deemed necessary and instantly I felt my face flush with anger.
“Watch where you’re walking,” I snapped, brushing a strand of hair from my face and looking past the man.
“Yeah Mitch, you almost gave the poor girl a heart attack.” Mags stepped in, narrowing her eyes slightly. Mitch took a step past me and clenched his fists as he watched Mags and I couldn’t help but want to throw his ass down the stairs.
“Excuse my wife,” he grunted and turned his back on her to face me.
“Don’t excuse her, she was being perfectly polite until you came along,” I snapped, not breaking my deathly eye contact.
Mags looked away suddenly before jumping into a bubble of excitement and turning to hug another woman.
Mitch let out a bark of laughter before taking a step toward me. Sandwiched between him and the bannister I held my ground and tilted my head to face him.
“I like you,” he mumbled huskily, breathing into my face until I caught a whiff of stale tobacco. I refrained myself from slapping him and instead smiled sweetly.
“See you around.” I ducked quickly under his arm and made it out, without pressing my heels into his face. Lucky for him.
Noticing a few familiar faces, I smiled, making small talk and glancing towards the clock. The night was nearly over and I didn’t want to risk spending another day here until I completed the job.
I glanced around the room quickly until I caught sight of my Totem. Its familiarity gave me the boost of confidence I needed and so I continued to talk to people, subtly questioning where the owner could be and if they had met him before.
“I heard he was an American spy in the World War.”
“That’s just a rumour, he’s actually a close cousin of Al Capone - runs this place for him.”
“And here I was thinking he was an immigrant serial killer,” gasped a woman laughing
“You never know these days Betty,” her husband said, glancing around the room wearily.
Nobody seemed to know who the owner was and it was probably for the best. Owning a speakeasy this popular with no well-known owner was what made it run for so long. I’d just about given up on the mission when a glass of champagne was almost spilt over me.
“Oh, hi there,” chirped a voice I thought I had escaped. Mags took a sip of her golden champagne, letting a waterfall of bubbles cascade to the floor.
“Hi,” I mumbled, smiling and taking a drink from a passing waiter. I chugged it down in one and looked at Mags who had a grin plastered to her face.
“Sorry about my husband, he’s a bit of a brute really. He gave me this you know!” She pulled back her glove to reveal a purple bruise around her wrist and I instantly felt my blood boil. “Such an animal.”
Stick to the rules, Nova. Need I remind myself of them? No. Blowing. Up.
“Why are you with him?” I asked, staring at the bruise with wide eyes before her glove concealed it.
She cleared her throat and took another sip of her drink. “That’s not really any of your business is it?”
Well, I tried. It wasn’t my fault if she didn’t want my help or advice. Her loss.
It was silent for a moment and I quickly scanned the room. My eyes landed on a dark-haired gentleman standing at the bottom of the stairs alone, black hair gelled back. He turned his head to face me and I paused momentarily, wondering how I hadn’t noticed him before.
I didn’t look long before gazing up to the glass chandelier in the centre of the room and admired its beauty. If you paid closer attention to it you could see the reflection of people fluttering in and out like a changing tide of faces, all painted with smiles and laughing, all talking to people about their lives, how much they earned in their different businesses, about the new movie they’d seen on the weekend and exchanging compliments of how wonderfully perfect everyone looked, how they were thankful for alcohol because they couldn’t live without it and how great America was. How great life was.
It was all a joke, stepping into this time was like a bubble of fun but inside it was full of lies and materialistic people with their hedonistic lives.
I smirked. It sounded exactly like home and boy did I love it. I loved not knowing who everyone truly was. The mystery was somehow beautiful and the way we all came together as one intrigued me.
Mags cleared her throat and turned her forehead forward with a questioning look,
Shoot, what had she said?
“Pardon?”
“What’s your name?” Mags repeated, I wondered how she didn’t already know who I was. I held a higher reputation than most here and I was here most the time, - well Daisy was.
“Daisy Monroe.”
“Oh! You’re Daisy? I’ve so wanted to meet you.”
That’s more like it. Now, now - I’m not some self-righteous prick (though it depends who you ask). I just wanted to make sure Daisy remained a well-known name. She deserved that much.
“Oh no! Please, I mean you’re an amazing dancer.” I returned the compliment and smiled at her as she giggled and took a small sip from her glass.
“Thank you, thank you, Ms Monroe - that means a lot.”
“Please, call me Daisy.”
I glanced at the clock and chewed on my lip nervously, people were starting to leave the speakeasy and realised I’d completely tuned out of whatever the red dancer was talking about.
“Pardon me Mags, I don’t suppose you know the owner?”
Mags let out a long, high-pitched giggle. “I would have thought you would know by now, you’re here all the time, aren’t you?”
“Yes-”
“My husband’s the owner,” Mags cut in with a string of giggles following shortly.
Well crap.
The big walrus guy who smelt like he hadn’t had a shower for a month, stank of tobacco and abused his wife owned this successful place I’d been to so many times?
You had to be having a laugh.
Mags’ eyes trailed over the room before finally landing on Mitch who was talking to a group of gentlemen at a table. He had a thick cigar hanging out of his mouth and I instantly cringed at what I had to do.
Mags gave a short wave, gesturing for him to come over, which he ignored for a minute. We watched patiently as he eventually bid his farewells to the men and swaggered his way over here. He didn’t focus his attention on his wife but rather looked me in the eye.
“Darling, this is Daisy! The one who-”
“And so we meet again.” Mitch took hold of my hand and brought it to his lips. I sucked in a breath and smiled, refusing to take the chance to jam my fist into his mouth and knock out a tooth. There was no way he was getting off easy tonight without some damage. Obviously.
“Darling, she’s a loyal customer you know.”
“I wouldn’t know. I’m hardly here,” he said, inhaling his cigarette and blowing it in the direction of Mags’ face. Doesn’t he know those things kill? I supposed someone else could tell him... well it was a bit late for that talk anyway since I was going to kill him.
“What can I say, this place is wonderful. It’s so nice to finally meet the owner,” I said, smiling coyly and accepted a drink he held out for me. I raised it and took a sip, continuing to look him in the eyes. At least I didn’t like him. That made it easier to kill the man.
“Sweetheart, I think it’s time you get back on stage for a final dance, don’t you?” Mitch said. I really wished he would look her in the eye for once. It was disrespectful and irked me beyond belief.
Mags made a high-pitched sound in her throat as though she could predict why he was telling her to leave and instantly I felt bad.
Just get the job done and get the hell out of here.
Mags flicked her gaze between Mitch and me with wide and innocent eyes
before she turned her head to the ground and walked back to the stage like a dog with its tail between its legs.
Now get on with it.
I had somehow convinced Mitch to show me the view from the roof that I’d secretly already been to several times. Thankfully he agreed with an animalistic hungry look in his eyes.
I leant my elbows against the side of the wall taking small sips of my drink and was admiring the view of flickering lights of the city and streetlights below when I saw my Totem flickering off in the distance.
That made things a lot simpler.
“I’m glad I found you.”
Oh please, as if you were looking specifically for me instead of a good night with a stranger because you weren’t happy enough with your beautiful wife.
His arms circled around my shoulder and he put his head beside my own. His hands were dangerously close to my neck and I tensed. He took it as a sign of me somehow enjoying his touch and so placed his hands lower dipping round to the front of my body.
Quickly, I twisted round to face him, finding his body closer than I would have liked.
This was a bad, bad idea.
“What about your wife, Mags?” I backed away and cringed when he leant even closer. His breath was rank. He ran a rough hand over my cheek, trailing a finger behind my neck and up to my hair. He pulled out the pins until my silver hair fell out in loose waves, his hand grasped it as he leant in to kiss me.
“Who’s Mags?” He chuckled and I joined in with loud fake laughter to avoid his lips. This was not one of my proudest moments, oh just end me. I’d never felt so low - so embarrassed. In fact, nobody was ever going to hear about this. Ever. I could already hear the others laughing if I told them about what happened here.
His hands suddenly yanked back my hair causing my neck to fall back painfully and then his tongue ran up the side of my neck like I was a rack of BBQ ribs.
I was going to kill him. Painfully.
This was actually the most disgusting experience of my life - of every single one of my lives. When I didn’t respond he pulled away with a frustrated and confused look.
“What? I thought this is why you wanted to get away from the party.” His tone was cold and instantly I knew this wasn’t going to go well. I didn’t have an opportunity to kill him with no weapon and I couldn’t just strangle him. I was a badass fighter but he was big.
“I think I need to thank you for setting up this wonderful place.”
I deserved an Oscar.
He still looked puzzled and so I coiled a finger around his tie pulling him closer and holding my breath as I kissed him. I really deserved an Oscar. “Please,” I begged. I really, really deserved that Oscar now.
It seemed to work as he lifted me until I was sitting on the balcony wall. OK, this was perfect positioning for me to throw him off - it was like he was asking for it.
Just as I was about to launch into full-on ninja mode the bastard placed his grubby hands on my waist.
“Somebody's desperate.” I winced.
He growled in response before he slammed his lips on mine - and I mean quite literally slammed, he could have knocked a tooth out. “You’re just so-” he started to mumble before I shoved him off of me.
Oh man, bad idea Nova.
His eyes seemed to glow with violence and for a moment I thought I’d seriously messed up before I saved it by undoing his belt slowly, taking it off and feeling him breathe into my neck.
I felt like... ugh.
He made a deep noise in his chest before suddenly stuffing his face in my neck and biting.
Uh ouch? By this point, he managed to shuffle his trousers off like a dancing walrus.
“Open your legs,” he ordered. Oh hell to the no. This idiot had the hormones of a dog. He didn’t wait for a response before his hands had forced my legs open and his hand reached under my dress. The hairs on my body stood up as he whispered huskily. “Now who’s desperate.”
Not me asshole.
My heel came forward, jabbing him into the knee with enough strength that he fell. I caught him with the belt, quickly wrapping it around his neck and tightening the straps. He struggled and elbowed me in the side. I buckled gasping for breath as he grabbed the belt again.
“Bitch,” he sneered. “Who sent you?”
“Santa Claus,” I wheezed, quickly slipping off my heel and throwing it at him, he dodged it and ran forward. I tripped him and rolled as he landed with a thud. “You’ve been a naughty boy.”
Quickly I sat on him and turned us so he was on the floor. I wrapped my arms around his throat and wished that every time I came into this life Daisy had some muscle… or a gun... a gun would be nice.
His hand came round catching me by surprise as he yanked my hair back, I screamed as he threw me into the side of the wall.
The hair? Oh, you are so dead.
I stumbled up against the side of the balcony wall and watched as he charged toward me. My back cracked from the force of his body crushing me against the wall and for a moment I was stunned by the pain. Red dots danced in front of my eyes. He took advantage of my pause and immediately wrapped his hands around my neck. All I could see were his angry eyes and smell his disgusting breath as I struggled to get away from him.
My head was hanging off the side of the building and he was so focused on me that if I could stun him momentarily I’d be able to throw us both off the building. He wouldn’t be expecting me to sacrifice my own life but by hell - if it meant I could escape this awful male’s grasp then sure. I’d take the repercussions.
Oh thank god, I thought when I saw my glass was still on the ledge beside my face. Speedily, I made a grab for it and crashed it against his head with all the force I could muster.
He let out a cry and instantly I tipped him over the building, catching myself and dangling off the side of the wall. When I heard the scream and a crash I pulled myself off the side of the ledge and stood up, stretching and dusting myself. I took a look down at my torn dress, and tore it slightly more, exposing my chest where bruises were forming.
Cue the waterworks. I let out a perfectly crafted scream and waited for the people to come running – for them to listen to my story about almost being raped and then how he fell off the side of the building. It probably wouldn’t change a great deal in the remaining time of Daisy’s life but at least she had an excuse for not remembering anything.
Once done I followed the blue light which beckoned me forward as though I were a moth trapped in its glare. I followed it until I returned back to myself with no problem.
Nova was back. Miss me?
“Nova, can you hear me?”
I felt my finger twitch until I could finally open my eyes, at first seeing nothing but blue until everything focused and I could see a familiar face just as every time I came back to the present.
“Ugh man - hi Vix,” I mumbled, gradually sitting up. I took off the cord, which recorded my heart rate and all that jazz, as well as the IV, which supplied my body with all it needed whilst I was gone.
“You were in there longer than expected. What happened?” Vix asked, watching as I stood with eager eyes.
I sent him a look. He knew whatever I did in the past was confidential on behalf of my clients but I had to still log it into the system so everything that changed was recorded.
For them, nothing might have changed, which was why I got my clients to pay me before I did the job. Otherwise, they wouldn’t remember asking me to do the job because they wouldn’t remember why they’d want a person who’s already dead, dead. Get it? Well, I struggled to understand. If the problem the client wanted to get rid of were erased from existence before it became a problem then how would I still have the money? I didn’t know. Somehow, we Time Benders were just freaks of nature and could break the rules of time and existence surrounding money and people.
Some would ask me what they’d asked me to do and I’d willingly tell them - that’s why I had such a reputation. There was no point in doing
any of it if not for the money and fame.
I’d never go into the past to do anything for myself though. I wouldn’t go and bring my parents back to life or save anybody’s lives or kill them years in advance of when they were supposed to die. It would be messy.
Don’t get me wrong, I want a lot of things to be different but in ways, it felt like cheating when you did things for yourself.
And the job I just completed seemed to go well; nothing too major was ever going to change since Mitch was going to die relatively soon after. It was what would have happened in between his death and my appearance, which would have changed. My client had told me he would make a decision that hundreds of years later would affect my client. I didn’t know how it would, nor did I care.
I tended not to get so involved in what the client’s motives were - as long as they sounded fine to me and I got paid more for killing then it was all good.
I was essentially an assassin I guessed... that sounded pretty cool so I’d accept the title. However, it was rare I’d get offered to kill people since it was the most dangerous for the timeline. But that didn’t mean I knew the numbers of how many people I’d killed - I’d lost track. I’m sure some log could tell you though.
Most of the time I gave messages to people in the past, which somehow influence the wealth of my clients in the long run. Again, I didn’t ask questions. I just did what I was paid to do.
“The others are training,” Vix said, turning off the monitor and handing me a drink. I took a long sip of the cool liquid and followed him out the door, the blue lights turned off once we’d left.
I stared at the back of Vix’s dark black, slightly greyed hair. “Still? I would have thought they’d been getting ready for tonight.” I tied up my silver hair into a quick ponytail and stepped into the pod - a sort of transport that basically looked like a see-through elevator and took you anywhere in the building.
Myself and the other six lived here most of the time. It was essentially a skyscraper in the centre of the city glittering away and we each had our own levels, the bottom one - deep underground was where we trained. Other levels were held for various things: swimming pools, indoor cinemas, control rooms that kept track of everything we did in the past - which was where I need to go now.
NOVA: The Time Bender Series Book 1 Page 2