The gravity of the situation seems to dawn on him.
“I’ll… I’ll double—no, triple whatever they’re paying you to kill me! I’ll give you anything you want. Please don’t kill me! Please!”
I smile. “The problem you have, Santo, is that I’m not here for the money. You offered me a hundred million yen. This kid’s father is offering me three million to kill you. That’s everything he has. Do you know what? I might even do it for free. After spending some time with you, I see killing you not so much as a job but as a civic duty.”
He drops to his knees and clasps his hands in front of him. Praying. Begging. He looks up at me with tears in his eyes.
“No, please! I’ll give you anything you want. You don’t want money? Fine. What else? Women? Drugs? A new house? Anything! I can get you anything you want, just please, d-don’t kill me!”
I shake my head. “That’s possibly the saddest thing I think I’ve ever seen.”
“W-what? No! Please!”
I place the barrel of the gun gently against his temple and step back, straightening my arm and creating enough distance that I should avoid getting any blood on me.
“Consider this a courtesy, Santo. I never usually offer an explanation to people in the same situation you now find yourself in, but it actually matters to me that you understand why today is the last day of your life. You exploited a young kid. You took a son away from his mother and father. And speaking as a father who once lost their child, let me tell you… that’s a real piece of shit thing to do.”
I pull the trigger. The single gunshot echoes around the garage. His head smacks against the door of the car before he falls almost gracefully to the ground. A thick spray of blood now adorns the side panel. I quickly look around to make sure no one is here.
I’m clear.
Using the sleeve of my jacket, I wipe down the pistol butt and place it inside Santo’s grip, being careful not to step in any blood. I shot the side of his head on purpose. The angle, coupled with the fact he’s now holding the gun, could create the argument that he killed himself. It’s weak, I know. Hardly my finest work. But given no one knew he was here except me and this bunch of corpses, I figure at the very least, it will add to the mystery a little. Whoever investigates might buy it, or they might not. But one thing’s for sure—no one will come looking for me.
After a final check to make sure there’s no visible blood on me, or any of my DNA near the scene, I turn on my heels and walk briskly toward the exit. I climb the stairs and step out into the foyer by the elevators. I slow my pace, relax, and walk out of the building, disappearing into the bustle of another busy day in Tokyo without looking back. Without thinking twice about what I just did.
A job well done.
6
13:05 JST
I’m slumped on the sofa in my apartment, my head resting back against the cushion as I stare up at the ceiling. My legs are outstretched, resting on the coffee table in front of me.
After leaving the parking lot, I went back to see Ichiro, to let him know I had completed the job. He said he would inform the client and transfer the funds into my account by the end of the day. I told him to only charge ten thousand, U.S. I couldn’t in good conscience let the guy bankrupt himself for wanting justice for his son. Hopefully, now he’ll have some closure.
Ichiro told me again that I’m too nice to be an assassin.
Never thought I would hear someone say that. Maybe I’m mellowing in my old age…
This moment right here is the calm after the storm. My mind is no longer engaged. The adrenaline is no longer flowing. Aside from the habitually constant state of self-preservation, I’m about as relaxed as I could ever be. A mixture of relief, satisfaction and exhaustion that only comes after completing a job.
It used to be, back in the day, that a feeling of guilt—or, at the very least, an effort to justify my actions—accompanied these feelings, but nowadays I don’t concern myself with such trivialities. I accepted who I am and what I do a long time ago. So long as I can look myself in the mirror at the end of the day, I’m good.
As I sit forward and reach for my coffee, I hear the elevator approaching. A moment later, a loud ding signals its arrival. The doors slide smoothly open. Ruby steps out and smiles at me.
She’s dressed for a night of partying, despite it being the middle of the day. Short skirt, heels, tight top, bare midriff, skimpy jacket. She’s holding three bags from a designer clothes store.
I shake my head, trying to hide a smile. “How are you dressed like that in this weather?”
She shrugs as she totters past me toward the kitchenette counter. “What? It’s not that cold, you big pussy.”
I roll my eyes. “So, your errand was shopping?”
She stoops to take her heels off, using the counter for balance. “You sound surprised…”
“I guess I forget sometimes you’re just a normal woman.”
She straightens, dropping her shoes to the floor, causing a loud clatter. She tilts her head as she stares at me. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Uh-oh.
“I… ah… I just mean… it’s not a bad thing, by the way. I think you’re great. I just meant…” I sigh. “A little help here?”
She holds my gaze for a few moments before allowing a smile to creep across her face. “You are so easy!”
I let out a low whistle of relief. “Thank God.”
She scoops up her shoes and bags. Starts up the stairs.
“I never get bored of doing that,” she says without looking back.
I run my hand across my face, rubbing my eyes in the process. “Well, that makes one of us. Listen, when you’re done up there, I’ve got something I wanna talk to you about, okay?”
“Okay,” she shouts down.
I sit back again, resuming my absent scrutiny of the ceiling as I think about what I’m going to say to her. The job today, it… I don’t know… it just made me think about what I’m doing. What I’m making of my life here. I mean, I’m happy. As happy as I can be after everything I’ve been through, anyway. I certainly have no regrets. But I think I need to tell Ruby I’ve been working contracts in my spare time. I’d just feel better not hiding it from her anymore.
Maybe I’m feeling sentimental after that last job. I felt for the father who hired me. Sure, his boy made some poor life choices, but that isn’t justification for killing him. I know what the guy must be going through. It’s one of those situations that kind of gives you that life’s too short feeling, which is likely what’s got me all bothered about Ruby not knowing I’m still working.
But at the same time, I know she’s working contracts too, and the fact she hasn’t told me doesn’t seem to be bothering her…
I let out a heavy breath.
Maybe I’m just being a pussy, like she said.
Don’t be so hard on yourself, man. You’re just exploring your human side for once.
I smile. For years, I’ve relied on my Inner Satan for moral guidance. Not the healthiest of choices, admittedly, but now there’s more of a balance inside me. See, that wasn’t my Inner Satan just then. It was my Inner Josh. The angel to my devil.
It helps.
A couple of minutes pass. I hear Ruby walking downstairs. She sits next to me on the sofa, wearing yoga pants and a tank top. Both gray. Both tight enough to show me there’s nothing underneath.
She raises an eyebrow. “What?”
I compose myself. “I’ve… ah… got something I need to tell you.”
She puts her hands over her mouth. “Oh my God! You’re not pregnant, are you?”
I frown. “Huh? No!” I glance down at my stomach. Run a hand over my abs. “Do I look it?”
She chuckles. “Jesus, Adrian! You’re extra sensitive today.” She puts her hand on my shoulder and leans close. “Is it that time of the month?”
I brush her hand away. “All right, will you knock it off?”
She sits back, laughing. “O
kay, okay, I’m sorry. What’s up?”
She’s worse than Josh ever was!
I take a moment to compose myself. I want to word this right, so it doesn’t look bad.
“Since we moved here, I’ve been working contracts. Nothing big. Not on a regular basis. Nothing like that. But I’ve been taking jobs to, y’know, keep busy.”
She nods slowly. Patiently. “I know.”
“You do?”
“Of course, I do. Same way you probably know I’ve been doing the exact same thing. I’m not an idiot, Adrian. What, you think you figured it out, but I couldn’t?”
“Yeah, fair point. Not sure why I thought you wouldn’t already know and understand.”
She puts a hand on my knee. “It’s because you’re an idiot.”
“Oh, well, now you’ve patronized me and made me feel bad, everything’s okay…”
She shifts in her seat, turning to face me, crossing her legs like she’s meditating. “Was that what you wanted to tell me?”
“Yeah,” I say with a nod. “I took a job today and… I don’t know, it just got me thinking. I realized I wasn’t happy with not being honest with you.”
She smiles. It’s kind. Genuine.
“I appreciate that. What was the job?”
“A father wanted justice for the man who killed his son. They fell in with the wrong crowd and got themselves dead as a result.”
“Shit. Yakuza?”
“Yeah. Some prick named Santo, from the Oji-gumi family.”
“Ooo. I’ve heard of him!”
“Really?”
“Yeah, he was a… what do you call it?”
“Kyodai?”
“Yes! One of those! How did you manage to take out someone that high up in a Yakuza family? They must’ve had some heavy protection, right?”
I take another sip of coffee.
“Funny story, actually. My guy originally offered me a job that Santo had taken out himself. He apparently wanted to give me the job in person.”
Ruby nods. “Makes sense. Harder to say no face-to-face. Plus, what does he care? He’s a Kyodai, right?”
“Exactly. So, I told him to decline the meeting, which he said he would do. Then he offered me another job—the one I took. When he said Santo was the target…”
“You accepted the original meeting request and used that as the set-up? Very nice!”
I smile. “Yeah, funny how it all came about, really. But it worked out.”
“Did you listen to Santo’s job offer before you killed him?”
“I did.”
“And? Where you not tempted by it?”
“For a moment or two, yeah, I guess I was. He wanted me to take out the head of a rival family who had killed one of their own as part of his organ trafficking ring, or something.”
Ruby grimaces. “Organ trafficking? That sounds grim. So, wait… he wanted you to kill the head of a Yakuza family?”
I nod.
“That would be impossible.”
I shrug. “Nothing’s impossible. But I admit it would have been difficult.”
“What was he offering you?”
I glance away. She’s going to hate me for this.
“A million. U.S.”
Her jaw drops slightly. No words fall out.
Never seen her speechless before. It’s nice.
“A million dollars?”
And we’re back.
“Yup,” I confirm with a nod.
She slaps my leg.
“And you turned it down? ”
“Hey! And yeah, of course I did. Even that amount of money wouldn’t have been worth it for a job like that. And it’s not like we need it. We have all the money we would ever need.”
She sighs. “No, Adrian, you have all the money you will ever need.”
“What are you talking about? What's mine is—”
"Don't say it, all right? Look…” She shifts in her seat, almost like she's squirming. She's fidgeting with her hands and looking anywhere except at me. “I don't feel comfortable living off your bank balance. I never have. I'm grateful, obviously—please don't think I'm not—but I sometimes feel like a kept woman, and that's not me.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Okay, how many bags of designer clothes did you just walk in with again?”
She punches my arm. “Hey, fuck you—I’m being serious!”
I wince at the blow as I look at her. This is perhaps the most honest and vulnerable I think I've ever seen her.
“Okay, I’m sorry.”
“Why do you think I've been working my own contracts on the side?”
“Honestly? I figured you hated retirement, like me.”
She shakes her head. “No, Adrian. God, no. I'd give anything for the quiet life. I'm working to earn my own money. To pay my way. Because as generous as your offer is to support both of our new lives, I don’t feel right taking from you.”
Now it's my turn to feel awkward and uncomfortable.
“Is this… is this one of those times when you're pretending just so you can mock me for being nice?”
Her eyes narrow and she raises her fist again.
I hold a hand up. “Okay, okay, it's not. I'm sorry.” She relaxes. “I had no idea you felt this way. Why didn't you say something sooner?”
She shrugs and looks away again. “I don't know. I wasn't sure how, I guess. I didn't want to appear ungrateful. I think what we have here is amazing. The life we've made for ourselves is working, and… I didn't want to ruin it.”
I lean toward her and put my hand on hers. “Hey, you wouldn't have ruined it by being honest with me, Ruby. This right here? This is nice. It's good to be normal with one another every once in a while. I mean, I spent most of my life with Josh, so I'm no stranger to jokes and a friendly exchange of insults. But you don't have to hide behind that all the time. Not with me.”
She stares at the floor for a long couple of minutes, then finally turns to look at me. Her emerald eyes are wide and misty. They never fail to mesmerize me, even now.
“I'm going to say something to you now,” she says. “It's not going to be easy for me. So, under no circumstances are you to ever mention it again or hold it over me in any way in the future.”
“Okay…”
She sighs, steeling herself. “When you came for me in Stonebanks, I was… in a bad place.”
I smile. “Well, it was an insane asylum, so… yeah, I would say so.”
She rolls her eyes. “I meant personally. I felt as if life was spiraling uncontrollably away from me. I'd done some things I wasn't proud of, but they paid the bills. I guess staying there was more penance than an elaborate attempt at security.”
I nod quietly, allowing her to speak.
“But when you showed up in my room, I kinda freaked out a little bit, which meant I retreated further into character and… well… stayed there.”
I frown. “Why?”
She lets out a heavy sigh. “Because you’re you , Adrian. You're a goddamn rock star in this business and I was… y’know… fangirling a little bit.”
I feel my cheeks flush. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I was nervous putting on my crazy woman act in front of you. That's probably why you saw through it. I tried to play it cool, but it was hard. I never would've thought we'd end up here. Together. You're my hero, my celebrity crush, my brother and my best friend all rolled into one, you… handsome, irritating… kind… violent asshole.”
“That's very nice of you to say,” I reply, unsure how to react. “But that isn’t a reason to feel like you can't accept the life I want to share with you.”
She smiles at me. “You're a good man, Adrian. After Schultz confiscated what was left of the twenty million you paid me to help you take out Cunningham—which I understand he had to do—I was forced to start over. I promised myself I would never rely on anyone else again. That I would make my own way, y'know? I get the circumstances that brought us here are exceptional, but that doesn't change the
fact I feel bad leeching off you.”
“Ruby, you're not leeching off me. I'm offering this life to you, which I honestly think is a great deal, given I have company that I enjoy and can trust in return.”
“I just want to pay my own way, that’s all.”
“Okay. I respect that.”
I watch her for a moment. I can imagine how difficult that conversation must have been for her. I'm certainly not offended by what she's said, and I don't for a second think she's being ungrateful.
I take a breath. “I’ll tell you what. From now on, we're upfront with each other about the work we're doing, and I won't make a big deal about the money. You do what you feel you need to, and I'm here if you need help. Sound fair?”
She looks me in the eyes. I see her defenses completely crumble away. I see all the craziness disappear back inside the dark recesses of her mind. I see her . Vulnerable and feminine. Her lips curl slightly, forming an innocent smile.
“That’s really sweet, Adrian.”
She leans over and throws her arms around my neck. I feel her breasts pressing against me, which I'm trying to ignore. She buries her head into my shoulder and squeezes. I put my arm around her shoulder, reciprocating her embrace. After a moment, she lifts her head. Her face is mere inches from mine. Her chest is still against me. I feel her breathing quickly.
I move away slightly. This is getting a little weird.
Hang on.
Is she… is she going to kiss me? I can’t tell. Feels like the right moment if she wanted to. And it’s not like there hasn’t been the odd moment, here and there, over the last year or so. I mean, it’s a natural thing, and we’re both in the same place. Both close. Our friendship was forged in extraordinary circumstances, which makes a strong bond. But I’ve… we’ve always laughed those times off. We both know it would complicate an otherwise uncomplicated and happy way of life. Neither of us want that.
She traces a finger around my shoulder. “So, I was thinking…”
I swallow hard. “Yeah…?”
“How would you feel about…”
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