Graham answered the fucking mobile! I hadn’t meant to hold her in my arms again.
Sure, I’d see her. I’d save her father. It’d gut me that she’s bloody near, but I’d return to my life.
As I stalk down the street, swiftly scanning through backstreets, I reconstruct my plan.
I’ll create the scenario for Dr. Whitson to have a heart attack and follow through with my sworn oath to X-Member.
But what of Lux? She’ll be all alone, you insensitive arsehole.
But this is who I am. A man who fulfills his obligations and whets his deviant desires.
You take a mark.
You expire it.
Or another member gets the kill, the pay, andyour fucking death too.
I stop walking, turning around to glance down another street.
“Vic! West alley. Hurry, Luxury has company!” Burt huffs, “I can’t . . .I can’t get a good visual.”
Built for agility, I hit the concrete at top speed. I steer around a pothole and turn into the alley Luxury’s walking into. Fuyoung, the worst of the Siamese Twins, is waiting for her at the opposite end.
“Lux!” I shout.
Luxury turns around to me, smirks while flipping her middle finger, and then continues.
My legs stretch to their limit. Another ten yards, and I’ve reached the furious young woman. Grabbing her tiny arm, I spin her around with so much force she almost twists her ankle.
“Ow, Vic, I’m having ananxiety attack. This is all just too much. Allow me to suffer in peace!”
“We need to talk.” I chew my lip. To hide my concern for her safety, I embody everything a duke wouldn’t.
Guilt.
Remorse.
“Ouch!” Luxury leans into me, removing her heel. She peers in the direction Fuyoung had beckoned her. Dropping a hand at her chest, she takes a few tempered breaths. “First, I hail a cab, and two horny fucks almost knock me into a drain to get inside it. I sawred.Not the kind that makes you tell assholes where to shove it.”
“Who knocked you over?” Okay, it’s not the best time to ask for identifying markers so I can kill the wanker on her behalf.
After an anxious influx of air, Luxury rolls her eyes. “Whatever.Next,I’m wandering down an isolated street, having a shit time getting cellphone service for an Uber. But wait, there’s more,” she exaggerates. “You come running after me at full force.ThenI look up from my iPhone, and there’s that bitch at the opposite end of the street.” Luxury pauses to jut her chin. “Waving like a B-rated actress in a Sci-Fi horror, beckoning me toward a dark alley. Did Suyoung forget that—”
“Su . . .”Shite, the cunt knows her sister is dead and now assumed her identity.
“Yes, Graham’s date.” Luxury forks her hands into her coils. “You know what, this conversation issodone. Remove your head from your ass. Actually, I’m not finished.” She peers down the alley, but Fuyoung has evaporated in the darkness.
If Fuyoung has assumed her deceased sister’s alias, fine by me. Against my better judgment, I tell a story too. “I’ve no idea what got into Suyoung. While we danced, we talked about Graham. Suyoung asked what types of things he likes. When I returned, Luxury, you’d left the lounge.”
“Really?” Her tone reeks of sarcasm.
“Yes.” I’m unwavering.Bollocks. What possessed Graham to turn into a turncoat.I gave that wanker the sign that Suyoung was an assassin the second she sat her scrawny arse down tonight.
I commence with the groveling, prepared to lay it on thick. “Little One, allow me to take you back to the hotel. I’ll draw you a warm bath.”
When I swoop down to pick her up, she pops my arm. Bloody bruises my ego.
“Let me tell you something, my Uncle Red’s favorite saying is ‘I was bornatnight, but not last night.’ ” She chuckles softly to herself. “I should probably tell you that good dick doesn’t make you walk on water.”