Page 72 of Targeted By Vengeance

“No,” I replied. “Why? Are you trying to get back in action already?”

“I like to keep busy. Usually when one assignment ends, another starts.”

“Another will. Don’t worry.”

Silence fell over us again as she nodded. Her lips parted, then shut, only to open again. Whatever was on her mind wanted to come out, but for some reason, she wasn’t letting it.

I walked over to the bed and sat by her side. Maybe the proximity would help her let go of the thoughts she was keeping inside.

Simone shifted closer to me. Her leg pressed against mine, and she lay her head on my shoulder.

I threw my arm around her as she leaned against me. Gently, I ran my hand up and down her arm, silently assuring her whatever thoughts were running through her mind was safe with me.

“Am I supposed to feel like this?” She whispered.

“Like what?”

“So numb. It’s like my body’s been injected with novocaine. I don’t…I don’t feel anything.”

“What were you expecting to feel?”

“Relief. Triumph. Maybe a little sadness. Instead, I just feel empty. Like there’s a void in my chest that’ll never be filled.”

“I think that’s normal. I felt the same after killing the man who murdered Roscoe.”

“Isn’t revenge supposed to feel good once it’s carried out?”

“I think that’s what we want it to feel like when we’re heading down that path. We hope it’ll bring us peace and closure. But what we really want is for it to bring back the ones we’ve lost. Unfortunately, there’s nothing on this Earth that can do that.”

“But it’s not just my dad who’s gone. I came to terms with that a long time ago. It’s my life. My career, my friends, my family…” She trailed off. “Isabelle’s getting married this weekend, and I was supposed to kick her ass up that aisle as her maid of honor. Now, I won’t even be able to see her walk down at all.” A soft drop of moisture dripped through the fabric of my shirt. “I miss her,” she continued, her voice cracking. “And while it hurts knowing I’ll never see her again, it hurts more that I won’t see her on the most important day of her life.”

I pulled her closer as she broke down, the dam holding her tears finally collapsing. I hated that all I could do was hold her while she cried. I wished there was something I could do to soothe her and glue together the pieces of her that’d broken. She deserved that much after all she’s been through.

Her last words echoed through my mind, and an idea dawned on me.

Although I’d never be able to give her all she longed for, I might be able to give her a tiny piece of it.

THE AGENT

“Where are we going?” I asked, eyeing the street sign as we turned another corner. Our surroundings were beginning to look too familiar. Usually whenever we were back in my old stomping grounds, we never traveled too far into the city. We all thought it was best to avoid any instances of someone recognizing me.

“You’ll see,” Mateo replied, glancing at me from underneath his shades. He drove with one hand on the wheel and the other on my thigh, his seat leaned back. He looked so relaxed, so normal. In another life, I could picture him with Rolexes on his wrist and a sliver of gold in his mouth. If we were headed to the mall, maybe I’ll convince him to purchase some. With all the work we’ve put in over the past few months, we deserved to live in a fantasy for a day or two.

My brows pinched together as we veered off from the main city streets towards the rural outskirts. We rolled down the quieter streets for a while until Mateo made another turn down a long driveway leading towards a large manor. Large fields with glittering ponds and trails lined with tall trees sat around it. An abundance of cars sat in the large parking lot beside the mansion, mostly vans with company logos on the sides of them.

“What…what are we doing here?” I asked as he parked the car.

“If I recall correctly, you still have an ass to kick up an aisle.”

“Wait, are you serious?” I asked. “I can see Isabelle? But, I thought-”

“It won’t be like your relationship with Gabriel. We can’t check in as often, but…you deserve the closure and I’m sure she needs her big sister on a day like this.”

I leaned over the center dash and hugged him. “Thank you,” I murmured into his neck. “This means a lot to me.”

“I know,” he replied, patting my back. “Enjoy it because this is the last rule I’m breaking for you.”

I scoffed. “We both know that’s a lie.”