Page 37 of Targeted By Vengeance

“But, Mateo…you’re not…you’re not a bad person.”

“Then what the fuck am I?” I asked. “Because I’m damn sure not a good one.”

Simone’s lips parted, but no words came out. Because there wasn’t an answer. Because her ideology was bullshit. And she knew it.

“That’s what I thought,” I said, snatching the gun out of her hand. I turned around and resumed my stride towards the van.

It was quiet behind me for a long moment, the tension forming like a wall between us. The wind carried her soft sigh and the sniffle that followed.

Like I had eyes in the back of my head, I could easily see her standing there, lips pouted and eyes glossing over. Sadness and shame may creep up on her, but she’ll never let it out. She shook it off with a few blinks and straightened her shoulders. Then, with her head held high, she followed behind me as if she wasn’t bothered at all.

THE AGENT

“Ooo, look at this little set!” Lexie squealed, holding up a navy blue onesie with a matching hat and booties.

“That’s cute,” I replied, feigning a smile.

We’d come back to Baltimore after my botched attempt at an assassination. Mateo hadn’t gotten any other assignments, so he decided we all could use a little time to breathe.

While Maria stayed over at her boyfriend’s place, Mateo and I went back to the penthouse apartment he’d set up before.

He didn’t stick around after he’d dropped me off, claiming he had errands to run. I didn’t mind his absence.

After our argument the other night, we hadn’t really been speaking anyway. But, I didn’t want to be alone and risk getting wound up in my head.

So, I called Lexie and made plans for us to hangout.

When she proposed going shopping for her sister-in-law’s baby shower, I thought it was the perfect idea. Browsing through the tiny clothes was a good distraction from the thoughts running through my head. They reminded me there was some innocence and goodness wandering around this world.

Lexie glanced over my smile and her brow rose. Her lips pressed together as she tossed the set atop the pile in her basket. “Are you hungry?” she asked. “We can grab lunch at that little grill spot near the mall entrance.”

“Yeah. That’d be cool.”

We walked to the cash register, and she paid for the items. Weaving back into the milling crowds in the hall, we backtracked through the mall and went to the restaurant just before the automatic doors.

The savory scent of grilled steaks and burgers greeted us as we walked through the door. Golden bulbs hung in the ceiling, contrasting like tiny suns against the mahogany wood walls. Rows of booths with yellow, green, and dark tan stripes filled the interior, leaving wide runway-like aisles for the servers to navigate.

The young hostess at the front greeted us with a warm smile. “Just two?” She asked, her hands already reaching for the menus.

We nodded in confirmation.

“Follow me,” she said as she moved from behind the counter. She led us towards the other side of the restaurant and seated us in a booth near one of the large windows.

“So,” I said once we were settled. “Are you excited to welcome your nephew into the world?”

“Yeah,” Lexie beamed. “I was born to be the cool, rich auntie. But, I do wish I’d gotten Brielle outside at least one more time. Because let me tell you: that girl knows how to party. I’m talking body shots and dancing on bar tops. Javi finds out one rendezvous got a little too wild and he sat her ass right down. Pussy ass motherfucker.”

I laughed. “Cool, rich auntie, huh? Is that a permanent title or a temporary placeholder?”

She shrugged. “We’ll see. Dante wants kids. So eventually…maybe.”

“Do you want kids, though?”

“I do,” she murmured. “But I’m just scared, you know. I’ve never really taken care of babies. My nephew will be the first newborn I’ve ever held. What if I’m bad at it?”

“The fact that you’re worried is already a good sign. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“What about you? Have you ever thought about kids?”