I curse under my breath, ripping open the envelope. “Fine, but I’m telling you, there is no chance I’m going to track down and whack an untouchable. There’s no amount of money that would make me do it.”
“Feel it’s wrong to kill an untouchable? Who decides what counts as untouchable? The same people that give you the assignments. Your handler brokers the deal. If I say do it, you do it.”
“I don’t give a shit about that. I care about getting whacked for breaking the rules.”
“You listening to me? That’s where I come in. You do this job and I give you a whole new identity. Retire you in any country you like. Jack Greene disappears and some poor schmo pops up in a whole new life. No one will touch you for killing Trevor. I guarantee it.”
“I didn’t kill him.”
“So you say, but who’s going to believe you? You do this one last job and you’re home free. Retire like you always dreamed. How does that sound?”
“What about Isobel?”
“Enough in this contract for you to buy her back twice. You’ll be free with your niece beside you. Won’t that be something?”
I unfold the assignment and look at the photo on the first page. There’s a name below the picture, but I don’t need it. I would recognise that face anywhere. It’s been what? Three years since I last saw her? One night we had together, but I never forgot that face.
I shut it all down. I got rid of all my feelings. I stopped thinking about her. Apart from the few times she invaded my dreams. She’s the past. She’s gone. She’s over.
I look at the name. Clarissa Marino. So she gave me a fake name. Smart girl.
“That’s her,” Imelda says, tapping the photo. “You seen her before?”
“No, never.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Only I thought she might be the one you fucked before the Ukraine job. That not right?”
“Nope. Definitely not.”
“Then you shouldn’t have a problem taking her out, right?”
I look Imelda straight in the eye. “No problem at all.”
“Good to hear.”
“Any idea where to start the search?”
“She was living in the city with a roommate, Maddy D’Angelo. You want my opinion, start there. Address on the next page.”
I don’t need to look. I know the address. I was there, in the bedroom, Clarissa riding me, looking down with ecstasy in her eyes, calling me Sir, giving me the best orgasm of my life. I blink and I can see her ass in my lap, her squirming as I spank her over and over again.
I fold up the assignment and place it back in the envelope.
“You’ve got a week to get this done,” Imelda says. “That’s as long as I can hold off the trial over you killing Trevor.”
“What’s stopping you from taking me out for killing an untouchable?”
“I guess you’re just going to have to trust me, aren’t you?”
“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that.”
“Relax. One girl, not expecting you. Piece of cake.”
“What’s in the safe deposit box that’s so important?”