Page 26 of War Within
She crept in, searching the room, as if she were looking for any other sign of life. I stood, gesturing to the chair in front of my desk. She came to a stop in front of me, staring. I reached out to shake her hand.
“So nice to meet you.”
As much as I wished it had not been her, I did at the same time. I knew if she worked for me, I would not be able to see her again the way I hoped. I had a connection trying to locate her for me so I could bump into her again. But here she was, interviewing for the role of my assistant.
It was weird that she ended up at my office after running into me the day before, but I assumed it had been fate. As she took a seat, she seemed a bit clumsy, but she nailed the interview. Oh, how I wish she had not!
I wanted a reason to not hire her. But she was good. She was extraordinarily great. I would have been an idiot not to give her the job. It was then, I decided to be hard on her like I was with everyone else in the workplace. No favors. No mercy. Distancing myself from her was the only answer to not bending her over my desk, and fucking her that instant.
At some point in the night, between staring blankly and recalling my first interactions with Jane, I fell asleep.
The following morning, when I rolled over, she was still next to me. Sighing, I slid out of bed, remembering I had fallen asleep in my clothes. Falling asleep wearing anything was never a restful night. I preferred to sleep nude. I checked my phone as I stood. Creeping through the house, I tried not to wake anyone else up as I went to the kitchen to make a single cup of coffee.
Noticing Emilio and Luca had not checked in since I sent them all the information, I decided I would step outside to call Emilio after I put on a coat and boots.
Undisclosed Location: Maldives
“Baby, your phone keeps ringing.” Rhea, my best kept secret, dropped the phone on my sun kissed abs. “Your brother is trying to call you, again.”
Groaning, I slid my sunglasses on top of my head, squinting in the bright light reflecting off the picturesque, cyan ocean. “I don’t want to deal with that shit right now.”
“Still haven’t told them where you are?” She snickered, handing me a chilled cocktail, having a seat on the same lounge chair next to me.
I shook my head, taking the beverage from her soft fingertips. “You know they’d never understand.”
Often, I traveled for work. My legal work. Those close to me, knew I had ties to the government. I was a contracted assassin for an agency that assisted in international manhunts. Rarely did anyone ever leave my presence alive, unless otherwise instructed.
Between the authorities and my family, I was one of two middlemen. I was the reason none of the leaders ever spent more than a few days in a fancy holding cell. My loyalty to the family would always prevail. Never would I rat anyone out.
The company knew this but valued my skill so they would have never placed me in a situation that would comprise my devotion. A part of me often wondered if it was because I knew too much. If they killed me, my family would go to no limit to avenge my death. Either way, it was a silent understanding. I did not question it.
This time, I snuck away. But it was to see a Greek-Russian goddess. It was not a business trip. Though I saw other women, she was my true obsession. She was the flawless essence of beauty and brains. I met her through work, but it was not the traditional work romance.
Once, I was sent on a mission to assassinate a leader of an international trafficking ring. He was a criminal mastermind who was responsible for many missing people and deaths. Rhea was hunting me because of a crime I did not commit. A rival family had lied to authorities.
One evening, I was closing in on one of the traffickers in a dark alley in Moscow, when I heard a noise behind me. Gipping my gun securely, I spun around, drawing my weapon. The most stunning woman I had ever seen was holding me at gunpoint. There we stood, weapons aimed at one another, neither of us able to pull the trigger. Needless to say, we could never be together, but we saw one another when we could.
I rented an overwater private villa off an island in the Maldives. The two-story intimate hideaway gave us the privacy we required since the only way to get to it was by boat. With a breathtaking view of the island vegetation and a lagoon, we were able to recharge from our hectic lives, enjoying one another in the process.
Hello?Rolling my eyes, I finally answered Giovanni’s call, but the call was dropped instantly. Looking down, I noticed the one small signal bar on the screen. “Shit.” I called him back three times before it finally went through.
Thanks for finally calling me back. Though the tone in his voice did not seem grateful.
Sorry, don’t have a good signal where I’m at.
Where the fuck are you that you wouldn't have a signal, Emil?
Shit. Normally I was never somewhere so remote that I would have trouble. It was clear I was not in a basement or tunnel.Can we stick to the topic please? Why would Joey and Carmine show up at the office?
Your guess is as good as mine. Have you been able to find anything out?
No. I ran some searches earlier after I got your messages, but everything checks out, for now at least. But you know what happened before. There is no way them showing up can be a good thing. I can’t find out who Carmine’s boss is.
That's what I don't understand. I can’t either. I was looking while on the plane but nothing.
Alright I got you. I sighed, knowing my time in paradise had come to an end.
Emilio, be careful. We don't know who's behind this yet. With Carmine involved, it could be anyone.
