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Fletcher shook his head. "No. Not before the job's done. We have to get Delov tonight. This is our best chance - our only chance. All of his guards are gone. It's just him and us. We have to end him now. "
"But you're hurt," I pointed out. "And he has a gun. Maybe more than one by now. You always told me that it was okay to walk away from a botched job. And we both know that I messed this one up. "
Fletcher shook his head again. "A dog barked. It happens, Gin, even to the best of us. "
He bent over and started coughing. He put his hand to his mouth, but I still saw the blood trickle out between his fingers.
"Here, at least sit down," I said, helping him over to a nearby chair. "Rest for a few seconds, and then we'll get out of here. "
"No," Fletcher said, his mouth settling into a thin, stubborn line. "I made a promise to the Kilroy family, and I intend to keep it. Besides, I'll be easy pickings for Delov now. We both know how fond he is of taking care of his dirty work himself. "
In addition to his love of gourmet food, Delov also fancied himself something of a hunter, and more than one poor animal's head decorated the walls of his mansion. He even had a poaching trip planned for his time in the Keys. So I had no doubt that Delov would relish the challenge of tracking us down.
Fletcher couldn't kill the giant. Not now, not with that injury.
But I could.
"Give me your knife," I whispered.
He stared at me in surprise. "You don't have to do this, Gin. I can finish it. I can - "
Another coughing fit cut off his words, and more blood dribbled down the sides of his fingers, even though he tried to hide it from me.
Fletcher looked at me, his green eyes searching mine. "Can you do it, Gin? Are you ready for this?"
I stared at the knife still clutched in his hand. The silverstone gleamed like a sharp star in the semidarkness. I'd killed people before. Buried men in the falling stones of my childhood home. Stabbed a giant to death inside the Pork Pit. And I'd watched Fletcher kill a dozen more.
But this - this was different. Before, I'd lashed out at the others in the heat of the moment. Because they'd threatened me, hurt me, and I'd just been defending myself. But tonight I'd come here knowing that Delov would die. I just hadn't thought that I'd be the one to do it.
It was one thing to watch - it was another to twist the knife in coldly myself.
Maybe - maybe I wasn't as ready to be an assassin as I thought I was.
But there was nothing to be done about that paralyzing thought. No changing it, no fixing it, no time to think about it. Because it was him or us now, and I'd pick us every single time, no matter what it cost me in the end.
I hesitated a moment longer, then took the weapon from Fletcher. "I can do it. "
"I know you can," he whispered back.
"Come on," I said, helping him to his feet. "I'll help you find someplace to hide. Then I'll go look for Delov. "
Fletcher nodded, in too much pain to do anything else. I put my arm under his shoulder again and led him deeper into the house, back toward Delov, ready to do what needed to be done . . .
My eyes fluttered open, and it took me a few seconds to remember where I was. That I was safe in bed in Fletcher's house and not being stalked by a giant with a gun and a grudge. I let out a breath, trying to calm my racing heart and banish the rest of the memories. Slowly, far too slowly, they finally faded away.
I didn't know what had triggered this specific memory of Fletcher and Delov. It certainly wasn't the worst one I had. In fact, it was pretty mild compared with some of the other things I'd seen, done, and been through over the years. But something about that night felt particularly important - and ominous, almost like it was a warning of things to come.
I wasn't an Air elemental, so I never got any glimpses of the future, not like Jo-Jo did. But I couldn't help but think that something was stirring all the same. Something dark, something dangerous, something that might finally be the death of me.
But then again, this was just a dream, just one of many terrible memories I'd collected over the years, and no doubt more were on the way.
"Paranoid much, Gin?" I said.
Of course, no one answered back. The house was empty. All the whispers of the stones told me so, but for once, the soft, familiar sounds didn't soothe me. I lay there and closed my eyes, but it was a long, long time before I was able to sleep once more.
Chapter 3
Two nights later, Finn pulled his Aston Martin up to the back of a long line of cars.
