Page 6 of Targeted By Vengeance

“For trying.” She rose on her toes to peck a kiss on my lips. “Now, come on. I’m actually starving.”

Heat bloomed in my chest, like a flower sprouting in the middle of the desert, as she started tugging me into the kitchen. My first instinct was to stomp on it until the fire went out, but another part of me - the one trapped deep inside - reached through the bars of its prison and welcomed the warmth.

THE AGENT

“Isn’t Baltimore a little close?” I asked, watching as we got off on the exit taking us into the city. Mateo had woken me up early this morning, explaining it was time for us to leave Virginia behind. With my death and his attempted arrest still fresh, we couldn’t risk anyone seeing us.

We’d been on the road for almost two hours now. Mateo drove while Maria sat in the passenger seat typing away on her laptop and I sat in the chair from the desk in the back, now situated between the two of them.

“We have friends there,” Mateo answered.

I raised a brow. “Friends? I’m surprised you even know what that word means, let alone actually have any.”

Maria glanced over at me, sharing a smile.

“Are they other hitmen…like you guys?”

“No.”

“Do you guys know other hitmen?”

“Yes.”

I tilted my head. “What’s with the one-word answers?”

“I’m just not sure how much I should tell you.”

“Because you don’t trust me?”

“No,” he replied quickly, casting a glance at me. “I don’t want to overwhelm you. Adjusting to this lifestyle can be a lot, and I don’t want you to drown in all the changes.”

“I’m fine,” I said, though I wasn’t sure how much I believed it. Even though I’ve had a lot of time to process all that’s happened, it still hasn’t felt real. There was still a small part of me praying I’d wake up and Logan turning on me was nothing more than a nightmare.

“Our handler has about twenty of us under his belt.”

“But, there’s more…around the country?”

“Around the world,” he emphasized. “With different handlers, different jobs, and different skillsets. I could only imagine how many other ghosts are out there walking among us.”

I nodded, unable to imagine it myself. I always thought this line of work was on the smaller scale of crime organizations.

Then again, I was used to seeing crime lords take matters into their own hands. I’d neglected to acknowledge others, specifically ones in power and in the public eye, with skeletons in their closets. God knows how much they’d be willing to pay, to keep their secrets from getting out.

The tall skyscrapers and busy streets of the city stole my attention from the other thoughts lingering in my head. I’ve only been to Baltimore a few times in my life, mostly for business events my mother and stepfather needed to attend.

My mom used to take Isabelle and me to the nearby museums and shopping malls in our downtime. We’d follow behind her with our hands intertwined, listening as she explained the significance of a painting or the importance of the designer behind a magnificent gown. It was in those little moments when it felt like my mother valued both of us - like we each had the potential to learn something from her.

It’s been a while since we’ve had one of those. Now, we’d never have a chance at another.

I shoved away the weight threatening to lay on my chest. I was tired of mourning the life I had. Today, I wanted to focus on the one laying ahead of me.

Mateo turned the car in the backlot of a club downtown, and I couldn’t help but wonder what we were doing here in broad daylight.

A man in dark clothing stood in front of the back door, his hands clasped in front of him and an earpiece in his ear. He eyed the van as Mateo parked it in one of the empty spots.

While Mateo stayed put to pull his hood up over his head, retreating into the shadows there, Maria climbed out and walked ahead towards the guard.

Following the clench in my stomach, I climbed out the van and rushed to her side.