DESI
“You can’t go outlike that. You need to put on something…” I looked Scout up and down. She was currently in an oversized white shirt with Bugs Bunny on it and some basketball shorts. “Tighter. Preferably black.”
“You’re serious? You want me to go on a job with you?”
“Yes. Now, get dressed, before I go into your closet and start picking things for you.”
“Okay.” She turned, and I followed her to her bedroom.
“Where are we going?” She pulled out a black shirt. “Will it be cold?”
I sighed and moved past her. “Here, put these on.” I handed her a pair of black stir-up tights. “And the shirt, and some shoes that tie. I want to get this done.”
“If you’re so impatient, then why did you come for me?” she snapped while she quickly changed.
“Because I want to show you how it is. I think you have some misconception about me and I want to change that.”
Once we were in the car, she asked, “Where are we going?”
“Michigan. Kalamazoo.”
“Michigan?” Her mouth fell open. “That’s hours away!”
“A little under three each way.” I nodded. “This is a close one. I’ve been going all across the country,” I revealed.
“Wait, shouldn’t I leave Luis a note? We’re not going to be back by morning.”
I looked through the rearview mirror. We were only ten minutes out, but I didn’t want to take her back home just yet.
“Why don’t we make this a whole mini-vacation? We can get a hotel, do the hit, and then relax for a few days. You haven’t gone back to work yet. This might be our last chance for something like this.”
“I didn’t pack anything. I only have my wallet, and I’m broke.”
“It’ll be fine. As soon as we’re checked in, you can call home.” I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and started off toward the freeway.
“What’s in Kalamazoo?” she asked.
“Yorick Sideris.”
“Who?”
“Scout.” I glanced over and her mouth curved into an O.
“I see. Why are we going to see him?”
“He killed someone he shouldn’t have, so now we’re going to go kill him.”
“Is that usually what’s going on? Retaliation?”
“No, usually it’s money-related,” I confessed. I had originally told her that these people were hardened murderers. But if I was going to bring her into this world, she needed to be told what truth I could tell her.
“Desi, I thought—”
I put my hand up to stop her. “I know. I lied. I didn’t want you to judge me. Maybe you’re right, I am a little…” I gulped. I hated that word.
Psychotic.
I wished with all my being that I could confess that I wasn’t completely coldhearted. I had feelings. I was trained my entire life to not care about human mortality. Humans died. We didn’t, and we couldn’t care about them. I only cared about one human.
