In response to my silence, the man on the left in the back steps forward, opening a briefcase to show me stacks and stacks of cash. Like we’re in some kind of cliche spy movie. I didn’t know briefcases full of cash existed in the real world. But there it is. A whole big bundle of immaculategerms.
“Agree tonight,” his gruff voice rises above the chlamydia, “and you’ll walk away with this.”
Well, if they were trying to convince me not to…
I say, “How would my protection be guaranteed?”
Leftie nods at the germs. “We have the means to secure your future.”
My hands go clammy within the pure white cotton of my quarter-length gloves. “And what if I can’t kill him?”
“Try.” The man in the middle rolls his shoulders back. “That’s the best we can ask for right now, after a streak of—” He mutters a curse. “—pitiful failures.”
“I’m not trained to murder, and I’m certainly not trained to get away with it.”
“You’re a smart girl, and we’ll do everything in our power to support you.”
Support me, huh? Howquaint. My eyes narrow on the slits of his. “Whyme?” I ask again.
“You hate him, don’t you?” the big guy purrs, frees a low, disconcerting chuckle, and steps forward. “Just like us.” He reaches toward my chin with his bare disgusting hand.
A shudder works its way down my back as I narrowly dodge the advance and hiss, “Don’ttouch me.”
Pausing, he scans me from my white dress to my white gloves to my white purse, which possesses several Zip-locs full of Lysol wipes. His brow rises. “Maybe we’re asking the wrong person.” Pulling back, he dusts off his suit jacket, half turning away from me. “You never saw us. If you forget that, you’ll have worse things to worry about than a rotten boss.”
“Are you sure about that?” I ask. “Because, last I heard, you people suck at assassinations.”
The man stops, and his neck cracks as he sends his beady gaze back toward me.
His small eyes glint in the streetlights, and he grumbles, “What did you just say, little girl?”
“I believe you heard me.”
He faces me squarely, imposing. “Playing with fire, aren’t you?”
“Am I or am I not negotiating someone’s murder? I think fire is the true least of my worries.”
The whites of all three men’s eyes widen.
“First things first,” I say, “I want a check. I’m not handling all that dirty money.”
Gruff, Leftie grunts, “Checks are a paper trail, little miss.”
Folding my arms, I regard them. “You mean to imply that organized crime syndicates haven’t figured out how to transfer digital cash yet? Don’t lie to me.”
“We’re not organized crime. We’re just an organization…that has a bone to pick with that—” The guy in the middle swears. “—boss of yours. Now,” he grits, “are you accepting the job, or not?”
“Of course I’m accepting it.” Adjusting my purse once more, I fold my hands against the flowing white skirt of my dress and lower my head. “I’ll be relying on your experience and resources.May we do our best to rid the world of the heinous evil that is Malcolm Sedgewick Swallow.”
Leftie puffs a sardonic laugh and extends the briefcase. “Smart girl. In that case, you gonna take what we’re offering, the way we’re offering it?”
With a smile, I rise, touch my gloved fingers to my breast, and say, “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll do it for free.”
Chapter One
?
Cruelty is as cruelty does.
